Owning a pet hamster is a very wholesome and cute experience. But it’s not all fun and games. Taking care of a sensitive, little animal also entails a lot of effort, consideration, and extra care. There are many factors to consider such as the living environment, facilities, and diet you’re providing to your pet.
In fact, diet is one of the most crucial areas when taking care of a hamster. This is because their fragile bodies can quickly get contaminated, in case they ingest something harmful.
Generally, a safe and healthy diet for hamsters includes fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, grains, and lots of water. Sometimes, hamster-owners wish to give their pet more snacks or occasional treats, too. Before introducing any new meal to a hamsters’ diet, it is best to look into the ingredients or facts and then make informed decisions.
Cheese is one of the dairy products that are often associated with rodents such as mouse or hamsters. We’ve all seen a picture of a cute little furball gnawing on a big yellow slab of cheese. Does that make cheese absolutely safe for your pet hamster? To answer this question, we will first look at the nutruritional information for cheese and see what it contains.
Contents
Cheese Nutritional Information
Assuming that you’re interested in feeding some delicious cheese to your pet hammy, lets first dive into the facts and figures. As a rule of thumb, always look at the product information and ingredients on the label before you feed it to your hamster.
Lets take a look at the nutritional elements present in 100 grams of dairy mozzarella cheese. The reason we are looking at mozzarella is because it is lowest in fat compared to other cheese types like cheddar. And it’s an established fact that extremely fattening foods are never good for your hamster.
100g of mozzarella has:
- 300 Calories
- 2g Carbs
- 372 g Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- 2 g Protein
- 2 g Saturated Fat
Vitamins:
- Vitamin B12
- Riboflavin
- Vitamin B1
- Folate
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
Minerals:
- Calcium
- Selenium
- Phosphorus
- Iron
- Manganese
- Potassium
Is it Okay For Hamsters to Eat Cheese?
The short answer would be, yes, hamsters can eat cheese. It actually contains a good amount of vitamins and minerals that will contribute positively to your pets’ health.
Generally, speaking lactose content, or milk-based products are not considered safe for hamsters. For this reason, milk should always be avoided in your hamsters diet. The high amount of lactose in milk can’t easily be digested, plus it can give hamsters’ an upset stomach.
However, the fermentation process of cheese makes it safe to consume as the lactose content in it is much lower, compared to milk. In fact, the hamsters gut can process cheese very easily compared to all other dairy product options.
Still, moderation is key. You should not your hamster binge-eat huge amounts of cheese every day, no matter how much it seems to enjoy the taste. Plus, they love the strong smell, and are instantly attracted to it.
Which Type of Cheese can Hamsters eat?
While you look for the perfect cheese treat for your hamster, you should keep a few factors in mind. You want to choose the most mild, low-fat cheese possible for your pet hammy. This is very important because it’s always a safer choice.
Also, make sure to check the expiration dates on the package. You should try to keep it fresh by putting it immediately in the refrigerator.
So, what are the best cheese types for hamsters? We suggest you look for the following cheeses:
- Mozzarella Cheese: Contains less amount of saturated fat. It is very soft and easy to cut. And it has a sweet and pleasant flavor your hamster will go nuts over.
- Cottege/White Cheese: Contains low amount of fat, and most of it is unsaturated. Plus it has no added sugars. It will give your hamster a good dose of protein too.
- Provolone: Packs a punch of strong flavor and can be given in thin slices to satisfy your hamsters’ cheese cravings.
- Ricotta: Lowon fat, and very soft and tasty; ricotta goes very well with a berry( or any fruit) to be served as an occasional dessert for your pet furball.
Cheeses to avoid
Cheddar cheese is a common and popular type of cheese that is readily available anywhere. However, we don’t recommend it for your hamster as it is very high in salt.
Always avoid giving overly-strong or pungent cheese types like Pecorino Romano or Parmesan to your hamster. Furthermore, cheeses such as brie- with bacteria cuture or mold, are also not recommended. Stilton and Blue Cheese are completely off-limits for your hamster and can be toxic.
You should try to stick to the specific cheeses we’ve recommended to ensure the safety of your pet and to avoid any digestive problems.
Lastly, cheese puffs are also a big no-no. In fact, no type of junk food should ever be given to a hamster.
How Much Cheese Should I Serve to my Hamster?
When you first introduce cheese to your hamster, start with extremely small portions. You must check for signs of any lactose intolerance at first. If there is no reaction in the first two days, this means the cheese is okay for your pet.
Once a week is considered enough as an occasional cheese treat for your furry friend. They will be safe yet satisfied with a controlled serving. The quantity should also be very small.
One teaspoon of shredded cheese would be ideal every week.
Preparing Cheese for Your Hamster
When it comes to preparation, the cheese must be cut into very small pieces before you feed it to your hamster. Also make sure they are properly cut and don’t have any sharp edges.
Keep in mind that hamsters love to store food in their cheek pouches for a long period of time. So, you should avoid sticky cheese too. This will ensure that the cheese does not get stuck in your hammys’ mouth or teeth. Furthermore, you don’t want your hamster to store lots of cheese in its cheeks and then eat it all at once. This is why you must always give it a small amount.
The ideal way to serve the cheese is in shredded form. Do not add any salt or seasoning to the cheese.
We hope you now know how to let your hamster snack on some tasty cheese. Let your furry pet enjoy this treat in a healthy manner with zero worries.
