Playful, soft, cute, and cuddly. These are just a few words to describe the traits of a hamster. This little animal is loved as a pet for good reasons. It does not seek a lot of attention, is completely harmless, and does not even require special needs or arrangements.
Diet is one factor that all pet-owners take into account. When it comes to hamsters, they require a very simple and uncomplicated diet. Essentially, their daily intake contains lots of whole grains and a mixture of seeds. However, they enjoy eating a variety of other foods too. Considering that hamsters are omnivores, they can eat grasses or plants as well.
If you’re a loving hamster-owner, it’s only natural that you want to enrich your furry friends’ diet with more foods and snacks they would love to devour. Well, before you start feeding it anything you think it would like, it’s better to do some research first. You must always ensure that whatever you feed to your pet hamster is completely safe for it. Remember, a hamsters’ digestive tract is different than ours, and relatively much more sensitive.
Also, remember that grains should still over almost all of their nutrition. Other foods should be incorporated into their diet sometimes, but not act as alternatives to their main diet of grains.
From the endless list of foods, kiwi is one that many owners wish to feed to their hamster. Let’s find out if kiwi is safe to be consumed by your hamster.
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Can Hamsters Eat Kiwi?
Generally speaking, fresh fruits and vegetables are recommended as healthy foods for a hamster. The little hammies always love gnawing and gulping down some juicy pieces of fruit. Well, what about kiwi?
Kiwifruit, also known as Gooseberry, is a green-colored, oval-shaped berry with tiny black seeds in it. It has a very unique and delicious taste with lots of sweetness. It is also packed with nutritional benefits and offers lots of hydration, too.
Kiwi is counted among the list of ‘safe foods’ for your pet hamster. So, the short answer is, yes, hamsters can eat kiwi.
Benefits of Kiwi for Hamsters:
Kiwi actually has a number of health benefits for your pet hamster. It is rich in antioxidants and vitamins like Vitamin A, C, and E, as well as carbohydrates and fibers. These nutrients will boost overall health in hamsters.
In fact, skin and eye health of hamsters can be improved by adding vitamin A and vitamin C to their diet. And Vitamin E makes their bones stronger.
Furthermore, fibers are very useful in encouraging better digestion and relieving issues of constipation or the gut.
Lastly, the antioxidants present in kiwi, like flavonoids and carotenoids will enhance the hamsters’ immune system and safeguard it from many diseases.
You obviously want your pet to reap the benefits of eating this tasty fruit while also staying healthy. To do so, you must know how much kiwi is safe to consume for hamsters.
How Much Kiwi Should Hamsters eat?
Despite all the benefits, there are some important guidelines when feeding kiwi to your hamster. Although, including it in your pets’ diet has many advantages-you can’t feed too many kiwis or in large amounts, which is similar to grapes.
This is because kiwi is high in sugar content, citric acid, and water. Too much sugar is never recommended for hamsters, as it can be a little too much for their tiny digestive tract. Furthermore, citric content can also irritate their stomach if given in large amounts.
Remember, that hamsters love eating such foods and will start hoarding and over-eating them. It is your job to limit the amount your hamster eats. This is crucial because these little furry friends are quite susceptible to diabetes and obesity.
The elements present in kiwi can cause these two problems in hamsters-if you go overboard. So, moderation is key.
Ideally, you should feed kiwi to your hamster only once or twice every week. A very small slice or bite is enough to satisfy your pet. Do not feed it kiwi every day.
Furthermore, make sure the fruit has been washed with clean water. Cut it in a way that it has no sharp edges, and then serve it to your hamster. The kiwi seeds are extremely tiny and could possibly give them a congested throat. So, it is better to remove most of the seeds, as well.
You can also serve the kiwi by mashing it up or turning it into a puree using a blender. Make sure that you don’t add any seasonings or salt to it.
Kiwi Servings According to Hamster Breed:
The amount you should serve to your hamster also depends on their breed. Some hamster breeds are more sensitive than others and will need even more special dietary care to avoid any potential health risks.
Syrian Hamsters are generally larger in size, and they can easily eat a small portion of kiwi once or twice a week. This breed is also more robust so it can handle this serving of kiwi with no issues.
If you have a Campbells’ Dwarf Hamster, you might want to be more careful. These dwarf hamsters are very small-sized, which makes them more sensitive. In fact, they are also more prone to diabetes. For this breed, we recommend you avoid kiwi. But if you really want to, a very small bite-size serving should be given only once in two weeks.
The smallest and most delicate breed is the Winter White Dwarf. It’s better to avoid feeding them kiwi as well. But again, if you do, limit it as much as you possibly can and give them a tiny piece in 2-3 weeks.
Remember that whenever you feed your hamster anything sugary, you must be very careful and manage the portions. Your pet hamsters’ health is your responsibility and making the right dietary decisions will have a positive impact on its’ long-term health.
Give your hamster a juicy piece of kiwi once in a while and let it devour the delightful treat occasionally.
