21 Healthy Treats For Your Hamster

Hamsters are cute, furry animals that need love and care just like any other pet. Even more important, they need treats to stay healthy and full of energy.

Hamsters don’t eat just anything, so you should know what they like to eat.

Here are some of the best treats you can give your pet hamster.

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The Best Hamster Treats

1. Carrots

Carrots are one of a hamster’s favourite things to eat. Because they are hard and easy to chew on, they help keep your hamster’s teeth short and healthy.

It’s interesting to note that hamsters have four front teeth that tend to keep getting bigger as they get older. Nature has taught them to chew on hard things so they don’t get too long.

If you’ve never fed carrots to your hamster before, start with a little cube for the first few days.

If it shows no signs of illness, such as vomiting or diarrhoea, you can add carrots to your usual hamster diet.

This trial-and-error strategy of introducing new meals in modest doses before making them a regular component of the diet applies to all foods.

Even if you’ve seen another hamster eat the same food, it doesn’t mean your hamster will.

Because carrots contain a lot of sugar, a half to one teaspoon serving every one or two days should suffice.

The only fruits and vegetables you should avoid offering your hamster are citrus fruits and onions, as their acidity may cause digestive issues.

Because hamsters prefer to hoard their food, you must check on a frequent basis to ensure that none of the carrots develops mould.

2. Apples

Hamsters: Can they eat apples? Apples are full of iron, vitamin C, calcium, and vitamin K, so they’re a great way to give your hamster some nutrients after a busy day.

But only a small amount should be given because this fruit is high in sugar and hamsters often get diabetes.

Cut an apple into small cubes and make sure there are no seeds in them before giving them to your hamster.

It’s important to get rid of the seeds because both Syrian and Dwarf hamsters could choke on them if you don’t.

Even more likely to choke on apple seeds is the small Roborovski Hamster, so be extra careful.

You don’t have to take off the apple peels because they are healthy and full of vitamins and fibre.

Even though apple seeds contain cyanide, which is poisonous for your hamster, make sure to take the seeds out before feeding the apple to your hamster.

Your hamster only needs a quarter teaspoon of an apple once or twice a week.

3. Kaytee Timothy Biscuits Baked with Apple

These best-selling treats are safe for your hamster to eat. There are 4-ounce bags of Kaytee Timothy Biscuits for sale.

I was pretty surprised by how cheap these biscuits are on Amazon.

Since they are hard and chewy, your hamster can use them as their favourite thing to chew on. So, they clean your hamster’s teeth and give him or her healthy food at the same time.

These biscuits are made with high-fibre timothy hay and real apples that have been baked together. Their small size is meant to make it easier to chew.

One thing to remember is that treats should only be given every so often. Most treats are high in fat and sugar, so don’t give your hamster too many of them.

These treats are also excellent for training your hamster by rewarding them with a biscuit and are ideal for bonding with your hamster.

These timothy biscuits have received a great number of positive reviews from many hamster owners. You can expect them to be the ideal offering when you need your hamster for bonding or playtime.

4. Ware Manufacturing Large Rice Pops Small Animal Treats

The Ware Manufacturing Large Rice Pops are another favourite of hamsters. They are crispy, crunchy treats for small animals.

You can find these on Amazon for a good price.

These critter pops come in packages with six cylinders about the size of your palm. They are about 5 inches long and 0.75 inches wide, which means they should last a while.

Made of rice and corn, they are a good source of nutrition, but because they also have a lot of sugar, they should only be given in small amounts.

For Syrian hamsters, you should give them about an inch or two of this treatment every other day. Even less should be given to dwarf hamsters.

Ware Critter Pops are a great way to keep your hamster busy and keep their teeth in good shape when they are bored. Just don’t feed them too much!

Also Read:  Can Hamsters Eat Strawberries?

5. eCOTRITION Yogies (Fruit or Cheese Flavored)

eCOTRITION is one of the best companies that make safe and healthy treats for small animals. eCOTRITION Yogies are small, bite-sized treats that come in both fruit and cheese flavours for hamsters, gerbils, and rats.

You can also find these eCotrition Yogies on Amazon, link here. If you click on their profile, you can also see a lot of other treats and products for hamsters that Ecotrition makes.

A hamster loves these little bits of treats. Real yoghurt and sugar are used to make them, and they come in a 3.5-ounce bag.

eCOTRITION There are two kinds of Yogies: cheese and fruit. In the packages of cheese and fruit, there are both natural and artificial ways to taste like cheese or fruit.

Hamsters shouldn’t get too many Yogies. Your hamster only needs one or two chips a day to stay happy and healthy.

6. Hard-Boiled Eggs

These are a common treat for hamsters, and they can give your hamster the protein it needs to stay healthy and strong. For pregnant hamsters, eggs are especially good.

Make sure to boil the egg for 10 to 15 minutes so that the yolk isn’t runny and the egg is actually hard-boiled. Hamsters like them this way.

Put an egg in a large saucepan and cover it with 1 inch of cold water to make a hard-boiled egg for your hamster.

Bring the water to a boil, and when it starts to boil, set a timer for 10 minutes. Keep boiling for another 10–15 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Usually, we would only boil the water for about 6 to 7 minutes, but hamsters prefer their eggs to be hard-boiled in the middle instead of soft or runny.

Hamsters like to bring their food back to their home and store it there. It’s a good idea to check on their food often to make sure none of it has gone bad or mouldy.

Hamsters should eat a slice of hard-boiled egg twice a week.

7. Mealworms

Even if you don’t like bugs, one thing is for sure: your hamster does. In the wild, they are designed to eat bugs, worms, and insects, as well as seeds and the occasional fruit.

If you can stand them, mealworms are great treats for hamsters. Since they are high in protein and fat, hamsters can get a lot of energy from them.

Live or dried, mealworms can be eaten. It can be hard to find live mealworms. Some pet stores might have them sometimes.

Pet food companies make it easier for people to find dried mealworms.

With dried mealworms, your hamster won’t get bitten, which is a real possibility with live mealworms.

Some people crush the heads of live mealworms before giving them to their hamsters to get rid of this risk.

If your hamster eats too many mealworms, it could get fat. If you have a Syrian hamster, you should give it about two mealworms every other day.

If you have a smaller or dwarf breed, you should only give it one every other day.

If you want to give your hamster the best mealworms, you should try the Picky NEB 100% Non-GMO Dried Mealworms.

8. Oxbow Animal Health Hamster and Gerbil Fortified Food

Even though Oxbow hamster food is a bit pricey, if you feed your hamster other foods as well, it can last for quite a few months.

If that’s all your hamster eats, it can last up to a month and give it all the nutrients it needs.

This food for hamsters comes in bags of 1, 2, and 3 pounds.

This mix of timothy hay, barley, oats, and essential nutrients is free of sugary fruits, seeds, artificial preservatives, colours, and flavours, and has about 15% protein.

This healthy hamster mix can help keep your hamster’s weight, nutrition, digestion, and teeth in good shape. It is very good food for hamsters that can make their lives much better.

9. Seeds

Seeds are a good source of food for wild hamsters, and they can also be a good snack for your pet.

You can give your hamster a few different kinds of seeds, but only a small amount of each. Hamsters like to eat sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in particular.

Sunflower seeds are a good source of fats and vitamins. When eaten in moderation, they are a crunchy snack that is good for your teeth.

Pumpkin seeds are also very healthy, but smaller or dwarf hamsters should be careful with them. They are likely to get diabetes and be overweight!

Pear and apple seeds should be avoided. These can kill your hamster because they have cyanogenic acids in them.

Even sunflower and pumpkin seeds that aren’t raw and have been packed for people to eat shouldn’t be given to pets. Those might have ingredients that are bad for hamsters.

You should also stay away from cherry and apricot pits, grape oil, and grape extract.

10. Cucumber

All hamsters can eat cucumber, but that doesn’t mean you should feed it to your hamster every day. Hamsters can get “wet tail disease” if they eat too many fruits and vegetables, so don’t give them too much.

You can cut a quarter-teaspoon-sized cube out of cucumber once a week and give it to your hamster. The cucumber shouldn’t be in the fridge; it should be at room temperature.

Also Read:  How to Give My Hamster a Sand Bath?

Cucumbers contain a lot of water, and if your hamster eats too many, it can get diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration and other health problems.

Cucumbers are a great food source for your hamster because they have vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, and silica.

11. Grapes

Grapes are another tasty treat you can give your hamster, but not in the same way you do.

To start, it’s better to take off the skin. If the grape has a seed, you should throw away the seed. You can buy grapes for your hamster that don’t have seeds.

Grape seeds are small enough to choke on and don’t taste good enough to chew on. When it comes to hamsters, grapes without seeds are always better and easier.

Cut a grape in half or into four pieces and give it to your hamster. It is always best to add them slowly to your hamster’s diet, which should be less often and in smaller amounts.

Your hamster should be able to eat a quarter teaspoon of grapes at once. You could give this to your hamster once or twice a week.

12. Broccoli

This green plant, which is part of the cabbage family and can be eaten, is one of the few vegetables that hamsters can eat. Even so, the same rule about not giving your hamster too much of it still holds.

Hamsters don’t care much about how broccoli is cooked. Both steamed and raw are fine. If you put some broccoli in a microwave-safe dish with a lid and add 3 teaspoons of water, you can steam it in the microwave for three minutes.

You can also put it in some water and boil it on the stove. Since ready-made hamster pellets often have the same vitamins E, K, and C that broccoli does, you need to make sure that your hamster gets the right amount of each in its diet.

Vitamins are good for your body, but too many of them can make you sick and cause diarrhoea or other problems. About half to one teaspoon of broccoli every other day is a good amount to feed hamsters.

13. Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Hamster Food

This mix of food is made especially for hamsters and gerbils. Your hamster can get probiotics and prebiotics that help with digestion from Kaytee Forti-Diet.

You can get a 3LB bag of Forti diet pro health hamster food from Amazon. It’s not too expensive for such a big bag.

The health of hamsters is taken care of in a number of ways by this food. This formula is full of antioxidants and is meant to keep your pet in tip-top shape. It helps with dental health and the immune system.

If you can pay for them, these pellets are one of the best foods for hamsters. Forti-Diet comes in pouches with small, nutrient-rich pellets.

Your hamster only needs a tablespoon or two of this food every day to stay well and healthy.

14. Cabbage

Cabbage is another vegetable that all hamsters seem to like. Make sure that the cabbage you plan to serve it fresh. It needs to be washed well to get rid of any pesticides.

Your hamster can get gas, stomach upset, and diarrhoea from eating too much cabbage, so like with any other food, be careful with the amount.

Every other day, hamsters should get a half teaspoon to a full teaspoon of cabbage.

15. Banana

Bananas taste great and are good for you because they are full of good things for your body like vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and fibre.

But they do have sugars, which is why they shouldn’t be given often.

Bananas can be a hamster’s favourite soft treat. Even though they aren’t crunchy or fun to chew on, their taste and ability to fill you up make up for it.

Even though your hamster may enjoy nibbling on banana peels, you shouldn’t let it because the peels may still have pesticides on them.

Your hamster should be fine eating a small piece of banana two or three times a week.

Bananas can go bad much faster than other fruits and vegetables because they oxidise. Check on your hamster’s cage often to make sure none of its food has gone bad or started to grow mould.

16. Natural Apple Sticks

These natural apple chew sticks are the perfect treat for your hamster because they taste great, are made of 100 per cent organic materials, and can really help keep your hamster’s front teeth short and healthy.

In the wild, hamsters will naturally use sticks, food, and other things like pinecones to grind their teeth.

By giving your hamster natural apple sticks, you give it a chance to chew and keep its teeth short. If your hamster doesn’t have anything to chew on, its teeth may grow and get so long that a vet will have to cut them down.

These apple sticks are carefully picked and dried to make sure the wood is safe for your hamster and of high quality.

Your hamster can also deal with boredom, anxiety, and stress better if it chews.

17. ULIGOTA Crunchy Chew Treats

Your hamster will love to chew on these crunchy treats. They have antioxidants that can help keep the immune system of your hamster healthy.

Also Read:  Can Hamsters Eat Watermelon?

They have a lot of fibre and help your hamster’s digestive system.

They will keep your hamster’s teeth short, just like the chew sticks, and give them something else to chew on.

They will help your hamster deal with stress, boredom, and anxiety, and they are a great way to bond with your pet.

Last but not least, they are all-natural and safe for your hamster.

18. Blackberries

Blackberries are a good fruit for hamsters to eat because they have antioxidants and pigments that are good for brain health and have been shown to help with memory and learning (especially remembering new information).

Mice were put in a maze as part of an experiment. Mice that had been fed blackberries before the experiment was able to get through the maze much faster than mice that hadn’t been fed blackberries.

Small amounts of blackberries are safe to give to your hamster (just like many other fruits).

They are also a good source of antioxidants, vitamin K, and vitamin A, and have a lot of vitamin C and fibre.

Small amounts of blackberries from the store near you are safe to give to your hamster.

19. Blueberries

Blueberries are the best source of antioxidants, and when given in small amounts, they are great for your hamster.

Just like with other fruits, you should limit how much you give your hamster these because they are high in natural sugars and some have a lot of water, which can cause diarrhoea.

Your hamster only needs one or two blueberries a few times a week.

Studies have also shown that blueberries are good for the eyes of animals.

20. Henry’s Peanut Stix

The next choice is Henry’s Peanut Stix. This healthy snack tastes like peanuts and is made with whole grains and other good things.

It’s great for chewing, getting rid of boredom, and keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Also, the formula doesn’t have any fake ingredients like colours, flavours, or preservatives.

The Henry’s is the most expensive snack we have, but each one is baked fresh when you order it.

Also, depending on the size of your pet, you can choose between a four-ounce or an eight-ounce snack.

You will also notice that the ingredients don’t have any fruit, sweeteners, or sodium.

This treat for hamsters is also made without any soy. You will also need to freeze these treats, which is something else you should know.

This can make it hard to give your pet a snack on the spot. Aside from that, this is a good choice for your hamster’s health.

21. Vitakraft Hamster Treat

The Vitakraft 34701 Hamster treat is a good choice if your small pet likes treat that hang.

This snack comes in a three-ounce two-pack and has been baked three times to make it extra crunchy and tasty.

But keep in mind that this might make the product too hard for some of the family’s younger members.

Aside from that, though, you will find that they keep you from being bored and satisfy your need to chew.

The Vitakraft is made with glazed yoghurt, honey, and grains. It also has added vitamins and minerals to keep your pet healthy.

It comes with a standard clip to attach to your hamster’s cage, but it is not very strong.

Also, the site says that these are made with a wooden stick that can be chewed, but that is not true. It’s just the snack and nothing else.

This is only a problem because it won’t last very long.

You should also know that the formula has artificial colours and less fibre than other options, but that it has a good amount of protein.

Lastly, because the snack is on the harder side, it won’t help you clean your teeth.

Foods not to feed your hamster

It’s just as important to know what you can’t feed your hamster as it is to know what you can. These foods should never be given to hamsters because they are poisonous and can cause serious health problems:

  • Chocolate
  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Excess sugar or fat
  • Onions and garlic
  • Apple seeds (contain toxic cyanide)
  • Rhubarb
  • Peanuts in the shell (can contain trace amounts of toxic mould)

You should keep in mind that this is not a complete list.

So, if we want to show our pets more love, we need to do it in a way that is safe and good for them.

If you want more advice on what to feed your hamster, you can stop by your local Petco and talk to a knowledgeable team member.

Conclusion

We hope you liked reading about our favourite treats for hamsters. There are so many snacks on the market that it can be hard to choose one that is good for your small pet.

Even though some fruits and vegetables are on the list above, that doesn’t mean that all fruits and vegetables are good for hamsters to eat.

Don’t give your hamster citrus fruits, onions, almonds, chocolate, celery, iceberg lettuce, or leeks. These foods can make your hamster sick and hurt its health.

Make sure you wash fruits and vegetables before giving them to your hamster.

Before you can feed your hamster some fruits and vegetables, you will need to peel the skin or take out the seeds or pips.

Hamsters like to save their food, so you should check on them every few days to make sure none of their food has gone bad or spoiled (especially important for fruits as they spoil quicker).

Apples, melons, mangoes, cherries, strawberries, cranberries, peaches, and cantaloupes are some other fruits you can give your hamster.

You can also give your hamster cauliflower, broccoli, kale, celery, and sweet potatoes as vegetables (make sure to remove the skin).