It is not unusual that hamsters crave foods that came from the wild. Fruits and different kinds of vegetables with distinct tastes like carrots and broccoli pretty much attract this tiny fluffy pet. In addition to fresh and juicy foods, they love the taste of protein. Hamsters appreciate it if you feed them scrambled eggs and cut off pieces of bread too.
Healthy treats for hamsters can be a source of their daily nutrition, vitamins, and a good supplement, but keep in mind that they shouldn’t be a substitute for food. Giving treats are also an excellent way to build your hamster’s quality of life and a way to earn your hamster’s trust.
We’ve provided some treats that they will 100% appreciate. Treats, toys, playpen time, and a big cage are some of the things to keep a hamster happy – here’s our article about how to tell if your hamster is not happy and how to make sure they are. Read on for why hamsters need to have healthy treats and what’s the best to give.
WHY A HEALTHY HAMSTER TREATS ARE IMPORTANT
Healthy treats save you money in the long run. Healthy treats give a proper diet and lesser diseases to your hamster, which also means lower expenses. It is also an excellent way to reward them for their cute tendencies. And one way on how you could bond and stimulate affection to them.
Hamsters’ teeth never stop growing. If you’ve noticed that your hamsters are getting uncomfortable when eating, it could mean that their teeth are long enough for trimming. So, they need something hard to chew on and grind their jaws for exercise. As a pet owner, take advantage of this routine and look for healthy hamster treats with nutritional benefits like calcium.
TIP: Check this list of best hamster chew toys
WHAT TO LOOK FOR HEALTHY HAMSTER TREATS
Hamsters have varieties of personalities and can learn to recognise things they find stimulating. Other hammies could playfully claim anything they touch as their treat or toys. The best hamster treats not only captivate your hamster’s excitement. But the ones in which they could derive an excellent nutritional benefit on your hamster diet.
Low in fat and sugar
Skip the junk foods and always pick the best and healthy hamster treats. Always remember to limit their treat intake to no more than 10 per cent of your hamster diet. Too much sugar can increase their cholesterol, which is not suitable for their health.
You should avoid yoghurt drops or honey sticks; otherwise, increasing glucose in a diet may cause diarrhoea. Take note that dwarf hamsters are prone to diarrhoea.
Be prudent about their food consumption and do not rely upon too much of their diet to sweet fruits. Likewise, do not feed your hamsters large chunks of citrus fruits although they like it. The acidic content of oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit, and others is too much. It upsets your pet’s stomach.
High in protein
The suitable amount of protein for a hamster is around 12-14% protein and 3-6% fat. A lactating pregnant hamster should get more. So, look for 18% – 40% protein and 7%-9% fat if hamsters are breeding. Pregnant mothers and babies need more protein to maintain growth for both of them.
The additional help of protein from the early stage of growth is crucial for a hamster’s life. Healthy treats for hamsters should be low in fat but high in protein.
Also, to have the energy for their hyper-activeness. Hamsters need enough carbohydrates to fuel their nightly exercises on the wheel or burrowing through tubes and tunnels. It’s best to round their treats and diets with enough nutrients to sustain a healthy life.
TIP: Check this list of the best and healthy hamster food
WHEN TO GIVE TREATS TO YOUR HAMSTER
Hamster treats should not be given too often to your pet and should not be their main diet. Treats should be given to encourage your hamster to bond or play with you and move around. Here are some tips on when to give treats to your hamster:
- during the taming process – giving treats to your hamster will help them learn who you are and get comfortable with you – how to tame a hamster
- hide under the bedding/scatter under the bedding – this will force your hamster to burrow and dig under the bedding, encouraging them to move around and get exercise
- while in the playpen – give your hamster a treat while in the playpen to let them know that playpen time is a good thing, you can also play some on top of the ladder to help encourage them to go up and down and run – a list of best hamster playpen
BEST AND HEALTHY HAMSTER TREATS
Keep pampering your hamster with treats. However, don’t spoil them too much. It prevents them from dietary imbalances and getting too fat. Two to three times a week would suffice for their diet.
Here are some excellent best hamster treats with high quality and healthy ingredients, which no pet can resist.
Mealworms
This hamster treat is rooted directly in their habitat. This mealworm drives hamsters crazy cravings. A dried mealworm not only captivates the taste of your cute furballs but as well varieties of birds. It’s an essential source of nutrients for hatched birds and hamsters too.
You can mix it with their favourite feeds or scatter a dozen around the cage for your hamster to dig. Kaytee Mealworms are high in protein and energy.
This is one of the healthy treats for hamsters and also one of the most popular. However, remember to give them in moderation.
Kaytee Fiesta Healthy Toppings
This treat packs enough protein and fibre good for hamsters’ growth development. Aside from this, the nutritious pack of this treat has varieties of flavours. It’s ideal for playtime, which they can easily hoard back in their burrow.
Offering them six pieces each is perfect for keeping them healthy. Be sure not to spoil your hamsters. Establish their trust first and build a bond.
Ecotrition Cheesy Chews
This treat will entice your hamster’s cravings 100%. Guarantees to be their favourite. It’s a fun-shaped treat made with real cheese. Ecotrition cheesy chews are hard enough to break and right for extra measures during playtime—best in keeping their teeth trimmed enough and clean as well.
Unlike wood, manufacturers make the treat with fresh carrots, which hamsters can easily digest.
Oxbow Simple Rewards
Are you trying to find an alternative to your hamster’s meaty-tasting treats? Oxbow Simple Rewards bakes the treat with real fresh fruits. From real apples, banana, and fibre of veggies, this treat will keep your hamster’s craving and, at the same time, follows a balanced diet.
Milk-Bone
Your pet will be running in circles the moment they see this dog treat. Not only are these treats tasty but act as something to chew on and wear down their teeth. Milk-Bone is an excellent substitute for wooden chew toys.
The crunchy texture helps to fight tartar build-up and removes teeth plaques for your hamsters. The right choice if your hamsters’
Hamster Drops
Make sure you don’t give too much to your hamsters these delicious treats. They are prone to diabetes, so anything sugary even fruits should be given in moderation. Split hamster drops apart, cut raisin sizes, and give a moment each time you fed. They’d love the taste of this treat. They’d eat each piece so fast and inevitably come back for more.
Fruit and Nut Mix
Imagine what a hamster would do when they see a package full of mixed nuts and fruits. They start hopping! They load the treat is loaded with natural chunky chewy apricots, mangos, almonds, peanuts, whole corn, papaya, raisins, kiwi, and differently more.
Be sure to scoop a little. Hamsters would take and run away and eat all of them up. You can also mix this treat with regular food; it’s one of the first things that they go for in a bowl.
Tiny Friend’s Farm Hazel Lovelies
These yummy heart-shaped treats are made of apricot, banana, and strawberry. While these are generally great for your hamster, monitor the amount that you give. Perhaps put a small packet first and see if your hamster even likes it.
Whimzees
This chew toy is actually made for dogs and is also recommended as a chew toy for hamsters. Although not a treat, many hamsters love these and can easily be given as a treat.
For now, only the alligators and the toothbrushes are safe for hamsters. The other shapes might have calcium minerals on them making them not suitable for hamsters.
VERDICT ON BEST HEALTHY HAMSTER TREATS
Mealworms are really one of the best hamster treats. Raw or live mealworm is the healthiest but you must cut the head to avoid infection inside your hamster’s mouth/cheek pouch. If you use dried mealworm, it should be given in moderation due to having high in fat. If you want something ready to eat, Oxbow simple rewards are one of the best too.
Syrian, Roborovski, Chinese, or Russian hamsters craves the smell of tasty treats. Inside the packs of these treats are selected ingredients fortified with nutrients and vitamins. And scientifically and specially made to meet hamsters’ food preferences and nutritional requirements.
Giving treats not only provides food and proper nutrition. Our pets love affection too, and hamster treats are one way we could give it to them.
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Hi , my hamster is under one years old, but but lately in the last month she’s been manic on her wheel. I feed her ox bow pellets, about three to four in the morning and at night., and a pinch of oats and seeds every now and then.
And I give her fresh veg and fruit and water. But she runs so fast it’s scares me.
Is this running normal? She also has three or four toys, .
Please.I need advice.thanks, from Kemi.
Hello Kemi, how big is the cage of your hamster? It seems like she has too much energy and is bored inside her cage. Here’s an article about suitable hamster cage. If her cage is smaller than this, you should upgrade to a bigger one. Make sure she has deep bedding where you can hide some treats for her to find. The food bowl should always have food (you don’t need to actively feed her dry mix, only the cooked food should be scheduled/hand-fed).
Did you try to tame her? Once you build trust with each other, you won’t be scared of her and will be able to tell what’s wrong or what’s bothering her.
I also recommend you read our beginner’s guide about hamsters.
I hope this helps.
– Marsie