Can Hamsters Eat Peaches? Plus 3 Foods To Never Give Your Hamsters

Hamsters are enjoyable pets, and feeding them treats is irresistible. Watching a hamster avidly enjoy a treat is very amusing. When hamsters eat, it’s amusing to watch them wrap their little hands tightly watch as they chomp with abandon and demolish their foods with gusto. If you’re a hamster “parent”, you may already know what type of hamster pellets are safe and best, but what other kinds of food are safe – or unsafe – for hamsters to eat?

IDEAL HAMSTER DIET

The ideal diet to keep a hamster healthy includes both meat and plants. Hamsters in the wild will eat fruits, vegetables, and plants. Pet hamsters have the exact dietary needs as those in the wild. Even when we feed them high-quality hamster food, it’s still safe and nourishing for us to give them food treats in addition to their pellets.

Hamsters have specific dietary needs. A healthy diet for these pets should contain:

15%-20% protein

35%-40% carbohydrates

4%-5% fat

5% crude fiber

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT HAMSTER DIETS

The exact specifications of a hamster’s diet depend on its size, weight, and age. It would be best if you got advice from a veterinarian to plan exactly what foods – and how much – your hamster should eat. A hamster’s diet and the amount of food and fluid they eat is just as important for your pet’s health as it is for human health. Generally, an average hamster should eat between 1/8 and 1/3 cups of pellets daily. Since hamsters are nocturnal (which means they are more active at night), they usually eat at night.

Some people give their hamsters diets that mainly consist of seeds, but this is not wise. The healthiest diet for these pets will use seeds only as a supplement for the hamster pellets. If a hamster eats only seeds, it can result in Vitamins E, C, and calcium. Seeds are also high in sugar and fat, which could result in diabetes and obesity. A pet hamster’s main food source should be a pellet. You can safely add most fruits and vegetables. In addition, a healthy pet needs fresh water every day. They need at least 10 milliliters of fresh water per 100 grams (about one-quarter pound)

“Human” foods safe for hamsters include sugarless breakfast cereals, seeds, greens, and fruits and vegetables.

CAN HAMSTERS EAT PEACHES

One of the fruits hamsters can safely eat is peaches. Peaches are high in Vitamins A and C, which hamsters need – but peaches are also high in fructose (sugar). So, it’s important they don’t eat too many peaches.

Hamsters enjoy eating peaches. However, before giving a peach to your hamster, wash it thoroughly to remove any pesticides or germs.

It would help if you only gave fresh peaches to your hamster. Canned peaches are often packed in sugar, but even peaches packed in water have a higher sugar level than fresh peaches. Dried peaches have very concentrated flesh, so their sugar level is extremely high. Even frozen peaches often have a higher sugar level. Any other preparation of peaches than fresh peaches will generally contain preservatives, which are not healthy for your hamster.

Offer your hamster tiny bites of fruit in moderation every two to three days. Never give any spoiled fruit pieces, however. Strawberries are a safe fruit choice, along with apples, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, bananas, raspberries, lychees, kiwis and melons … in small amounts.

WHAT AMOUNT OF PEACHES IS SAFE?

Since fresh peaches are relatively high in sugar, giving them only small amounts of sugar at a time is best. Some types of hamsters are more likely to get diabetes or become obese. For example, dwarf hamsters should have only paw-sized pieces of peach; every two weeks as a treat. A larger pet can have a paw-sized piece of peach once a week. (But, since their paws are bigger, this will be a larger amount of peach.)

IMPORTANT CAUTIONS ABOUT FRESH FOODS

When you feed peaches – or other fresh foods – to your small pet, it’s important to remove any uneaten pieces from the hamster’s cage; to prevent rot and germs. If food is left too long in the hamsters’ cage, it can decrease cleanliness. This, in turn, would negatively affect the hamsters’ health.

Hamsters have a habit of hiding food inside their cheeks so they may eat it later, so be on the lookout for squirreled food they might drop from their mouths.

Never giving the hamsters any part of the peach pit is very important. These have no nutritional value – and have the potential to be lodged in the back of their throats and cause swallowing or breathing problems. If a hamster does swallow part of a peach pit, it can cause digestive problems. If these problems occur, the hamster should be brought to the veterinarian.

FOODS THAT SHOULD NEVER BE FED TO HAMSTERS

Although many foods are safe for your hamster, here are some foods you should never give to them:

1. Raw Potatoes contain arsenic and oxalic acid, both very toxic for hamsters. Raw potatoes will result in stomach problems. If you want your hamster to eat potatoes, cook the potatoes – and don’t add butter or salt.

2. Chocolate (especially dark chocolate) contains theobromine, which is toxic to hamsters. It can cause diarrhea and vomiting.

3. Onions – if hamsters eat these, they can cause damage to their blood cells. This can result in anemia, which could kill your hamster.

4. Kidney Beans – these contain a toxin called kidney lectin. (It is also called phytohemagglutinin. This can be potentially fatal if eaten in large amounts. The toxin can be destroyed by boiling them for 10 minutes- or by soaking them in water overnight

5. Bitter almonds – if the hamster eats these, it is like eating poison. This is because the pits of almonds contain cyanide.

IN CONCLUSION

The majority of pet hamsters’ diet should be hamster pellets. If they eat mostly seeds, they can lack in vitamins. Hamsters can have fruits or vegetables once in a while. One fruit they can safely eat is peaches – but these must be limited in quantity due to their sugar content. It is important to avoid feeding specific foods to your hamster, as they are toxic.