Hamsters eat a lot of different foods! In the wild, they aren’t too choosy. They eat whatever they come across, and the high variety they wind up encountering provides them with an overall healthy diet.
In captivity, owners have to be careful about what they feed their hamsters. Even though a hamster will eat most things, it’s important for owners to decide whether they should or not.
Grapes and raisins are known to pet owners, because for cats and dogs they can be quite harmful. But what about for hamsters? Can hamsters eat grapes?
Hamsters can eat grapes, but only as a special treat and in small amounts. This is the case for many fruits like kiwi for example. Quantities depend on the size and age of the hamster.
Let’s learn more about feeding grapes to hamsters!
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What Parts of a Grape Can Hamsters Eat?
Grape skin and seeds are dangerous to hamsters. They are both a choking hazard, and the skin could also be carrying harmful pesticides or other substances that your little rodent might have a hard time digesting.
It’s best to only feed your hamster seedless grapes, peeling them beforehand.
Grapevines and their leaves are not safe for your hamster. Always make sure grape stems and leaves are cleared away. These parts of the plant could also contain hazardous substances like pesticides which could really hurt or even kill your pet hamster.
Raisins (dried grapes) are also edible for hamsters, but there are some special considerations just like there are for grapes.
Nutritional Facts of Grapes
Most notably, grapes have high amounts of sugar. Raisins are even higher in sugar, sometimes containing more than soft drinks do!
Besides the sugar content, grapes are a healthful food. ¼ cup of grapes contains:
- Trace amounts of fat
- ¼ gram of protein
- 1 ¼ grams of fiber
- 1 ¼ grams of carbohydrates
- 26 calories
- 5 ½ micrograms of vitamin K
- ¾ milligram of vitamin C
- 72 milligrams of potassium
- Small amounts of manganese
In addition to health fibers, vitamins and minerals, grapes also contain antioxidants.
Health Benefits of Grapes and Raisins
In small amounts, grapes can benefit your hammy. They contain no salt and are virtually fat free. And if your tiny rascal is having a little trouble in the bathroom department, the fiber in grapes can help things move along and get your hamster back to regular.
Here are some benefits your hamster could glean from the micronutrients in grapes:
- Vitamin C protects hamsters from scurvy, strengthens cells and blood vessels, helps with the immune system and can help wounds heal faster.
- Vitamin B helps with healthy fur and maintains good metabolism.
- Vitamin K is good for reproductive health.
- Potassium keeps blood pressure levels in check and helps prevent bone disease, heart disease and some cancers.
- Manganese helps keep bones and teeth healthy and reduces the risk of disease.
- Antioxidants lower risks of cancer
Raisins offer some extra nutritional benefits:
- The iron in raisins helps with red blood cell health and production.
- Calcium is good for bone and tooth health
There are plenty of healthy reasons to feed your hamster grapes. However, you do need to weigh the pros and cons. There are also some concerns when it comes to hamsters and grapes.
Health Concerns for Hamsters That Eat Grapes and Raisins
The high-sugar content in grapes and raisins is the main concern when it comes to hamsters eating grapes. A meal with a lot of sugar can upset a hammy’s stomach and give it diarrhea. The stickiness of raisins adds another layer of concern because they could cause a hamster’s teeth to rot.
Diabetes in Hamsters
Hamsters (especially dwarf hamsters) are prone to diabetes. Diabetes is a disease where the animal’s blood sugar is at extremely high levels. Normally, naturally-produced insulin regulates blood-sugar levels, but when an animal has diabetes, they have lost the ability to produce insulin.
Diabetes is especially dangerous for an animal as small as a hamster. They aren’t born with diabetes, but many of them have genetic dispositions toward getting the disease. That’s why diet and exercise are extremely important for hamsters.
Here are a few ways of preventing diabetes in your hamster:
- Regular exercise burns excess fats and expends blood sugar.
- Feed it sweet fruits (like grapes and watermelon) in extremely small amounts.
- Don’t completely remove sugar from its food — sugars are a natural and necessary element of a healthy hamster diet.
- Avoid giving your hamster too many high-carb foods. High-carb foods also break down into sugars during digestion. This includes large quantities of foods like pastas, bread, rice and more.
If you stay aware of your hamster’s overall diet and wellbeing, you can safely treat them with grapes occasionally. Just know that there are some very good reasons for feeding them sweet fruits in small amounts.
How Much Grape Should My Hamster Eat?
Never feed grapes to baby hamsters. An adult hamster’s grape portion depends on its size. Syrian hamsters are larger and can eat slightly more than dwarf hamsters. Syrians can have ¼ teaspoon of grape every week, but dwarfs shouldn’t have any more than that amount every two weeks.
Keep in mind that one raisin is a whole grape, even though it’s smaller.
Don’t combine grapes with other sweet fruits. Remember that grapes aren’t the only food with high-sugar content!
How to Feed Grapes to Hamsters
It’s important to never feed a whole grape to a hamster. First, a grape should be thoroughly washed and peeled, as well as cut into halves or quarters to ensure easy munching.
When you first feed a grape to your hamster, start with a tiny taste test. Observe how they react to the grape over the next half-day or so. Do they get an upset tummy? Do they have a lackluster initial reaction when you feed them the grape?
If your hammy loves the grape and doesn’t have a bad reaction to it, feel free to give them small amounts of grapes or raisins as a sometimes treat. Moderation is key for a happy and healthy hammy!
