What Can Hamsters Eat?

Nutrition is an essential factor when keeping your pet hamster healthy. Feeding time can also be great for bonding as well, but what can—and can’t—they eat?

What Foods Can Hamsters Eat?

Hamsters are omnivores, which means they can eat both plant and animal matter. Since they are domesticated, most of their protein comes from commercialized pellet diets that have been formulated to give them a well-rounded diet.

Hamsters can also eat fresh vegetables as part of their daily diet, Some that you can offer are:

• Leafy greens

• Colored peppers, such as bell peppers

• Cucumbers

• Carrots (only as occasional treats, as they have a high sugar content)

  • Make sure to give your hamster baby carrots chopped into small pieces to prevent choking.

You can also offer fruits and seeds to your hamster as treats on occasion, such as:

• Apples

• Bananas

• Strawberries (if your hamster has a light fur color, be aware that strawberries may temporarily stain their fur)

• Sunflower seeds (without salt or added flavors)

What Foods Can’t Hamsters Eat?

Although hamsters are omnivores, they should not eat live prey. Hamsters like storing their food, and live prey can injure your hamster or infest their environment.

It’s OK to feed freeze-dried mealworms to your hamster, but it should be optional as part of their daily diet, as all the protein they need should come from their pellet diet.

Often, hamsters may not even consume the freeze-dried prey, so offering a different treat to your hamster, like sunflower seeds, may be better.

Spicy peppers and citrus fruit should be avoided, as they can cause gastrointestinal problems with your hamster. Human food, other than fresh, uncooked vegetables, and some fruits should be avoided as they may be unsafe for your hamster.

Hamsters should not eat a mainly seed-based diet, as it can lead to obesity or malnutrition.

The Ideal Diet For Hamsters

Let's take a look at the ideal diet for your pet hamster.

Pellets

Commercial pellets should be the central part of your hamster’s diet. These pellets have been formulated to give your hamster a well-rounded diet.

Since every diet is formulated differently, it’s best to follow the manufacturer’s guide on how much to feed your hamster. 

Treats

When feeding treats to your hamster, it’s essential to factor in that they are part of your hamster’s daily needed calories.

Feeding too many treats can lead to obesity and even malnutrition from not having enough of the correct nutrients. Treats include seeds, fresh fruit, or even commercialized treats like freeze-dried fruit. 

Vegetables

Fresh vegetables can be offered to your hamster daily.

Iceberg lettuce, which has very little nutritional value, should be avoided along with spicy and citrus foods.

Dandelion greens, spinach, and romaine lettuce can be offered to your hamster, along with pieces of cucumber, colored peppers, and other vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces. 

These can be offered daily, but do not offer every vegetable daily.

Offer them on alternating days because primarily the pelleted diet should be 90% of your hamster’s daily diet.

Fruit

When it comes to fruit, moderation is key.

While fresh fruit can be a tasty addition to your hamster's diet, it's important to remember that fruits are high in sugar.

Avoid citrus fruits and always remove seeds and pits before feeding them to your hamster. This is because many fruit seeds and pits can contain components that can lead to arsenic poisoning in small pets.

Seeds

Seeds can be a part of your hamster's diet, but they should not be the main component.

Seeds are high in fat and low in other nutrients, and this can lead to obesity or malnutrition. To avoid these issues, it's best to offer a variety of foods.

Non-seasoned or flavored sunflower seeds can be a great occasional treat for your hamster!

Hay

Like other rodents, hamsters can eat clean, fresh hay, such as timothy hay. However, hamsters do not require it as part of their diet. If you decide to feed your hamster hay, ensure it is free of dust, moisture, and mold. 

Why Understanding Your Hamster’s Dietary Needs Is Important

Knowing what to feed your hamster is a vital part of having one as a family pet. One of the most common causes of illness is husbandry problems and poor nutrition.

Obesity can be a relatively common problem for hamsters, which can lead to diseases like diabetes.

Even obese hamsters may be suffering from malnutrition, and lacking vital vitamins and minerals that their body needs to function can cause illness. Feeding your hamster a high-quality diet can help ensure they are as healthy as possible.