{"id":192,"date":"2020-11-16T22:50:37","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T22:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/?p=192"},"modified":"2021-01-28T23:59:36","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T23:59:36","slug":"can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Hamsters are omnivores that have a large variety of foods in their diet. They\u2019ll eat anything from pellets, to fresh fruits and vegetables, to mealworms and cooked <a href=\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-chicken\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chicken<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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 &#8212; can hamsters eat tomatoes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The short answer: if you want to play it safe, you should not feed your hamster tomatoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, some owners feed their hammies tomatoes as a rare treat, in small quantities, and report no negative outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s explore in more detail the possibility of tomatoes in a hamster\u2019s diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Tomato_Nutritional_Facts\">Tomato Nutritional Facts<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Potential_Toxicity\">Potential Toxicity<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Other_Dangers_and_Health_Concerns\">Other Dangers and Health Concerns<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_Much_Tomato_Should_My_Hamster_Eat\">How Much Tomato Should My Hamster Eat?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Do_Hamsters_Even_Like_Tomatoes\">Do Hamsters Even Like Tomatoes?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Other_Safer_Foods\">Other Safer Foods<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"Tomato_Nutritional_Facts\">Tomato Nutritional Facts<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While tomatoes are not generally considered as part of a hamster\u2019s natural diet, they do offer similar nutrients to other foods they would eat in the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomatoes also have low calorie and low sugar content, which means a hamster won\u2019t be at risk of weight gain or diabetes by eating tomatoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span id=\"Potential_Toxicity\">Potential Toxicity<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If tomatoes contain all that good stuff, then why not make them a part of a hamster\u2019s diet? Well, tomatoes also unfortunately have potential toxicity for hamsters similar to <a href=\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-onions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">onions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unripe tomatoes, as well as tomato leaves and stems, contain a <em>solanum alkaloid<\/em> called <em>tomatine<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span id=\"Other_Dangers_and_Health_Concerns\">Other Dangers and Health Concerns<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the potential presence of tomatine, tomatoes are generally high in acid and fiber. The high acidity can easily upset a hamster\u2019s 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\u2019s time to clean the cage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet another major concern is the excess water in tomatoes. Hamsters can\u2019t have too much water at one time. If they do, it could potentially lead to kidney failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span id=\"How_Much_Tomato_Should_My_Hamster_Eat\">How Much Tomato Should My Hamster Eat?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First thing\u2019s first &#8212; baby hamsters should not eat any tomatoes. It\u2019s just too much of a risk while they\u2019re still maturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you feed a hamster a full serving of tomato, make sure they can tolerate the fruit first. If they haven\u2019t ever had fresh fruits and vegetables at all, start them on milder and safer treats, like <a href=\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-cucumbers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cucumber<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-spinach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spinach<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span id=\"Do_Hamsters_Even_Like_Tomatoes\">Do Hamsters Even Like Tomatoes?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomatoes seem to be one of those foods that hamsters are 50\/50 on. Some like them, and some don\u2019t. If you do feed your hamster a speck of tomato and they seem less-than-enthused about it, that\u2019s definitely a sign that you should leave tomatoes behind. Try incorporating some different foods into its diet instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019t react negatively and seem healthy, try giving them some more tomato at a later time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span id=\"Other_Safer_Foods\">Other Safer Foods<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are so many foods hamsters can safely and healthily consume, it\u2019s probably wisest to choose a different snack to incorporate in your pet\u2019s diet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fruits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Apples<\/li><li>Blueberries<\/li><li>Grapes<\/li><li>Strawberries<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Vegetables:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Broccoli<\/li><li>Carrots<\/li><li>Cauliflower<\/li><li>Cucumber<\/li><li>Peas<\/li><li>Squash<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Long story short: there are a lot of foods your hamster can eat. But if you\u2019re committed to trying tomatoes with your hamster, be sure to do so cautiously and follow the guidelines we\u2019ve outlined above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consult a veterinarian if you notice any signs of bad reactions to tomatoes. After all, you can\u2019t be too careful when it comes to caring for your pet!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hamsters are omnivores that have a large variety of foods in their diet. They\u2019ll 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 &#8230; <a title=\"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/\" aria-label=\"More on Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[49],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes? - Hamster Pros<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What are the safest and healthiest foods for your pet hamster? Learn more about feeding tomatoes to your hamster.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes? - Hamster Pros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What are the safest and healthiest foods for your pet hamster? Learn more about feeding tomatoes to your hamster.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hamster Pros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-16T22:50:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-01-28T23:59:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Tomatoes.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Karen Wood\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/\",\"name\":\"Hamster Pros\",\"description\":\"Learn How to Take Care of Hamsters\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Tomatoes.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Tomatoes.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/\",\"name\":\"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes? - Hamster Pros\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-16T22:50:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-01-28T23:59:36+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e92be32fdb1035dd66e263ffaaa79664\"},\"description\":\"What are the safest and healthiest foods for your pet hamster? Learn more about feeding tomatoes to your hamster.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e92be32fdb1035dd66e263ffaaa79664\",\"name\":\"Karen Wood\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e01b38f4ca18114be085dea081ce289?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e01b38f4ca18114be085dea081ce289?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Karen Wood\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes? - Hamster Pros","description":"What are the safest and healthiest foods for your pet hamster? Learn more about feeding tomatoes to your hamster.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes? - Hamster Pros","og_description":"What are the safest and healthiest foods for your pet hamster? Learn more about feeding tomatoes to your hamster.","og_url":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/","og_site_name":"Hamster Pros","article_published_time":"2020-11-16T22:50:37+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-01-28T23:59:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Tomatoes.jpg","path":"\/home\/398648.cloudwaysapps.com\/qavcvszaew\/public_html\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Tomatoes.jpg","size":"full","id":224,"alt":"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes","pixels":720000,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Karen Wood","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/","name":"Hamster Pros","description":"Learn How to Take Care of Hamsters","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Tomatoes.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Can-Hamsters-Eat-Tomatoes.jpg","width":1200,"height":600,"caption":"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/","name":"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes? - Hamster Pros","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2020-11-16T22:50:37+00:00","dateModified":"2021-01-28T23:59:36+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e92be32fdb1035dd66e263ffaaa79664"},"description":"What are the safest and healthiest foods for your pet hamster? Learn more about feeding tomatoes to your hamster.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/can-hamsters-eat-tomatoes\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes?"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e92be32fdb1035dd66e263ffaaa79664","name":"Karen Wood","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e01b38f4ca18114be085dea081ce289?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e01b38f4ca18114be085dea081ce289?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Karen Wood"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/hamsterpros.com"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamsterpros.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}