When you have a cute hamster you often can’t help but want to give them treats. But sometimes those treats can cause harm. And at other times they can be a welcome nutritional boost to their diet. Grapes are one of these treats that people wonder if they can feed to their hamsters. Can hamsters eat grapes? The short answer is yes, hamsters can eat seedless grapes in moderation.
Many pet owners are cautious of feeding grapes to pets due to them being on the no-no list for dogs and cats. But hamsters don’t have the same issues with grapes as dogs and cats do. Read on below to find out the details about giving grapes to your hamster for a treat.
Are Grapes Good for Hamsters?
Grapes can provide some great nutritional content to hamsters with a small amount of calories and not much fat. Compared to other common hamster treats that have high amounts of calories and fat, such as cheese or pecans, grapes can be a better option for a treat if your hamster is overweight.
With a lower amount of calories and, grapes can be a great option to use as a treat to give to overweight hamsters. But just like most things, you will only want to give a small amount when your hamster is watching its weight. Lower the amount you would normally give a hamster by 1/2 if you are trying to help your hamster lose weight.
Grapes can have some beneficial vitamins and minerals for your hamster. According to the USDA, grapes have Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K.
You do want to be cautious of the sugar content of grapes. As with all fruit, the sugar content is high and this can cause issues with diabetic hamsters or dwarf hamsters that are more prone to getting diabetes.
If you are worried about issues feeding your hamster any treat always check with your vet to make sure that any potential treat fits your individual hamster’s needs.
Do Hamsters Like Grapes?
For most hamsters, yes they do like grapes. But just like humans, each hamster will have their own individual tastes. So you might find that your hamster does not like grapes and won’t touch them when offered. If this is the case there are still plenty of other options for hamster treats to try out on your little friend.
What Types of Grapes Hamsters Can Have
First and foremost always get seedless. While you can pick the seeds out of grapes they tend to be slippery and since you have to cut up the grape into pieces you run the risk of leaving some of the seed behind. Seeds can pose a choking hazard so avoiding having a seed altogether is best for your hamster.
Hamsters can eat green grapes, purple grapes, and red grapes. Green grapes have the highest sugar content out of them all so it is best to use red or purple if the sugar content is a big concern.
Can Syrian Hamsters Eat Grapes?
Yes, Syrian hamsters can eat grapes. Always make sure to only give your Syrian hamster seedless grapes.
Peeling the grape before giving it as a treat can help avoid ingestion of pesticides that are normally on the skin of the great. It can also help to avoid some possible stomach upset with the peel gone.
How Many Grapes Can a Syrian Hamster Eat?
Up to 2 teaspoons worth of grapes per week is how many grapes you would want to give a Syrian hamster.
Of course, if your Syrian hamster is overweight or has diabetes you would not want to give as much each week, cut the number of grapes you give as a treat back to 1teaspoon or less a week.
Cut the grape up into small pieces to help you determine the amount you are giving to your hamster.
Can Dwarf Hamsters Eat Grapes?
Yes, Dwarf hamsters can be given grapes as a treat. They will need smaller amounts than what larger hamsters such as Syrians are given. And only use seedless grapes when offering your dwarf hamsters grapes as a treat.
Peel the grape before cutting it up into pieces for your hamster. This can help avoid some stomach upset and also remove some of the pesticides from the grape that are used and stick to the skin.
How Many Grapes Can a Dwarf Hamster Eat?
Dwarf hamsters are more prone to getting health issues such as diabetes so if giving your dwarf hamster treats always make sure you are giving just a small amount.
Only give 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon of grape per week. Cut up the grape into small pieces, this can help you determine the correct amount of fruit you are giving to your hamster.
Are There Risks Feeding Grapes to Hamsters?
Just like all hamster treats there are some things you need to look out for when giving grapes to your hamsters.
Too much of a good thing can always have consequences. Too much of this fruit can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. Also, giving grapes too often to your hamster can cause the same issues. The sugar content of grapes should also be considered. Grapes are a high sugar fruit and getting too much or too often can lead to weight issues or other health issues. Only give grapes as a treat once per week.
Never let old food or treats sit in your hamster’s cage too long. If after 8 to 12 hours your hamster hasn’t eaten its grape pieces, remove it from the cage.
Make sure that you use fresh grapes that are of good quality. Grapes are listed on the Dirty Dozen fruit list, so organic would be best to avoid many of the harshest chemicals that are used on non-organic grapes. Wash grapes before you give them to your hamster to eat. Even when using organic grapes there are still pesticides and other dangerous things that could be on them even though organic uses more all-natural solutions.
Always cut grapes up for your hamster. You should not be giving an entire grape to a hamster so cutting them into small pieces is essential.
And always make sure to only give seedless grapes. Seeds can pose a choking risk to hamsters. You can always remove any seeds that you find if you only have grapes with seeds but in an effort to avoid any possibility that your hamster would get ahold of the seed it is best to only use seedless.
Frequently Asked Questions About Feeding Grapes to Hamsters
It is not a good idea to give grapes to baby hamsters or juvenile hamsters. Even though grapes are one of the more healthy treats they still have sugar that would be high for a baby hamster. Also in young hamsters, special treats such as grapes can cause GI upset even in small amounts.
If using frozen grapes to give your hamster a treat always make sure to thaw them first before giving them to your hamster.
Up to two times per week is ok to give grapes to your hamster. Never give them to your hamster two days in a row. Always space out the treats that you give your hamster.