Hamsters are omnivores that have a large variety of foods in their diet. They’ll eat anything from pellets, to fresh fruits and vegetables, to mealworms and cooked chicken.
However, there are certain foods you should steer clear of when feeding your hamster. They can be unhealthy, induce an allergic reaction or have dangerous toxin levels. But what about tomatoes — can hamsters eat tomatoes?
The short answer: if you want to play it safe, you should not feed your hamster tomatoes.
However, some owners feed their hammies tomatoes as a rare treat, in small quantities, and report no negative outcomes.
Let’s explore in more detail the possibility of tomatoes in a hamster’s diet.
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Tomato Nutritional Facts
While tomatoes are not generally considered as part of a hamster’s natural diet, they do offer similar nutrients to other foods they would eat in the wild.
Vitamin C boosts immune systems. Iron reduces the risk of anemia. Vitamin K aids in bone health and helps blood clot normally. Fiber helps with good digestion.
Tomatoes also have low calorie and low sugar content, which means a hamster won’t be at risk of weight gain or diabetes by eating tomatoes.
Additionally, tomatoes have other healthful qualities. One medium ripe tomato has only 22 calories, 8 grams of carbs, one-fifth of a gram of fat, 1 gram of protein, and 5 grams of fiber.
Potential Toxicity
If tomatoes contain all that good stuff, then why not make them a part of a hamster’s diet? Well, tomatoes also unfortunately have potential toxicity for hamsters similar to onions.
Unripe tomatoes, as well as tomato leaves and stems, contain a solanum alkaloid called tomatine. Solanum alkaloids are found in certain nightshade plants and are used as a poisonous deterrent against animals. In hamsters, tomatine can cause neurological issues and digestive tract disruptions.
Other Dangers and Health Concerns
In addition to the potential presence of tomatine, tomatoes are generally high in acid and fiber. The high acidity can easily upset a hamster’s stomach, leading to regurgitation or bloating. High levels of fiber can easily cause hamsters to experience diarrhea. Neither you nor the hamster want that, particularly when it’s time to clean the cage!
Yet another major concern is the excess water in tomatoes. Hamsters can’t have too much water at one time. If they do, it could potentially lead to kidney failure.
How Much Tomato Should My Hamster Eat?
First thing’s first — baby hamsters should not eat any tomatoes. It’s just too much of a risk while they’re still maturing.
Adult hamsters can have half of a ripe cherry tomato, or half of a teaspoon of any other kind of ripe tomato, once a week. Any more than that, and you risk giving them too much fiber or acidity in their diet.
Before you feed a hamster a full serving of tomato, make sure they can tolerate the fruit first. If they haven’t ever had fresh fruits and vegetables at all, start them on milder and safer treats, like cucumber or spinach. Once the hamster is used to fresh foods, then you can try introducing a tiny bit of tomato, monitoring them afterwards to see how they react.
Do Hamsters Even Like Tomatoes?
Tomatoes seem to be one of those foods that hamsters are 50/50 on. Some like them, and some don’t. If you do feed your hamster a speck of tomato and they seem less-than-enthused about it, that’s definitely a sign that you should leave tomatoes behind. Try incorporating some different foods into its diet instead.
If, on the other hand, your hammy seems to love the tomato, perhaps tiny quantities of the fruit are worth trying out in its diet. Monitor your pet to see how they react to the tomato as they digest it. If they don’t react negatively and seem healthy, try giving them some more tomato at a later time.
Other Safer Foods
There are so many foods hamsters can safely and healthily consume, it’s probably wisest to choose a different snack to incorporate in your pet’s diet.
Fruits:
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Strawberries
Vegetables:
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Cucumber
- Peas
- Squash
Leafy greens like kale, dandelion greens, spinach and romaine lettuce are also fantastic, healthful options for your pet hamster. Not to mention starches like cooked potato, whole-wheat pastas and whole-grain bread; and proteins like mealworms, crickets, cooked chicken, boiled eggs, seeds and lentils.
Long story short: there are a lot of foods your hamster can eat. But if you’re committed to trying tomatoes with your hamster, be sure to do so cautiously and follow the guidelines we’ve outlined above.
Consult a veterinarian if you notice any signs of bad reactions to tomatoes. After all, you can’t be too careful when it comes to caring for your pet!
