Offering fruit and vegetables to your dwarf hamster can help keep them healthy. Watermelons, in particular, are packed with vitamins A and C and are easy for a hamster to eat. However, you should never give your hamster food without first checking that it’s safe for them.
Dwarf hamsters can eat watermelon in moderation. Cut the watermelon into small portions, remove the seeds, and rind, and only give your pet one piece a week. Giving your hamster too much watermelon can cause diarrhea since it contains large amounts of water.
This article will cover whether you can feed your hamster watermelon, depending on its breed. Plus, I went over how to offer your hamster watermelon. Keep reading before offering your pet this summertime treat.
Can Dwarf Hamster Eat Watermelon?
Dwarf hamsters can eat watermelon, but only in moderation. Watermelon is a good source of nutrition, but it also contains a lot of sugar and water. If your hamster overeats, it can cause complications such as diabetes or diarrhea.
You should also remove the seeds and the rinds for dwarf hamsters and only give them tiny pieces.
Since dwarf hamsters are small, they can easily choke on watermelon seeds, so you need to ensure there aren’t any in their pieces of watermelon. Removing the rind from the watermelon is also a good idea since most dwarf hamsters don’t like to eat them. Leaving the rind in their enclosure for too long could cause it to rot and attract pests.
What Fruit Can Dwarf Hamsters Eat?
Dwarf hamsters can eat various fruits, including apples, grapes, and bananas. However, you should never give them citrus fruits since they’re too acidic for hamsters. Most berries are also safe to feed a dwarf hamster.
Remember that you don’t want to make fruit most of your hamster’s diet. Instead, their diet should mainly consist of pellets, seeds, and nuts. You should think of fruit as a treat you give to your dwarf hamster in very small amounts.
This chart breaks down what fruit your hamsters can and can’t eat:
| Fruit | Is it safe for a dwarf hamster? |
| Apples | Yes, but remove the seeds |
| Bananas | Yes |
| Blackberries | Yes |
| Blueberries | Yes |
| Cantaloupes | Yes |
| Cherries | Yes, but remove the seeds |
| Clementines | No |
| Cranberries | Yes |
| Cucumbers | Yes, but remove the seeds |
| Grapefruits | No |
| Grapes | Yes |
| Lemons | No |
| Limes | No |
| Mangoes | Yes |
| Oranges | No |
| Raspberries | Yes |
| Strawberries | Yes |
| Tangerines | No |
| Watermelon | Yes, but remove the seeds |
Can Chinese Dwarf Hamsters Eat Watermelon?
Chinese dwarf hamsters can eat watermelons in moderation. You don’t want to give them more than a small piece of fruit each week, making watermelon, at best, an occasional treat.
Chinese dwarf hamsters are one of the smallest breeds of hamsters, so you need to be careful not to feed them anything they could easily choke on. While some hamsters can eat seeds with no issues, with others you must first deseed the watermelon.
Can Robo Dwarf Hamsters Eat Watermelon?
Robo dwarf hamsters can eat watermelon. However, you need to give them only tiny amounts. At most, your hamster should only have a teaspoon-sized piece of watermelon each week. Any more than that can give your robo dwarf hamster a stomach upset.
Robo dwarf hamsters are another extremely small species of hamster, meaning choking can be a problem. Watermelon is soft enough for them to eat safely. However, you still need to cut out the seeds.
Since these hamsters are so tiny, a stomach upset from watermelon can be problematic. You’ll want to offer them a piece smaller than a teaspoon, especially if this is the first time you’ve given them watermelon. Feeding your hamster such a tiny piece can lessen the chances that it makes them feel sick.
How To Feed a Hamster Watermelon
Feeding a hamster watermelon is straightforward. Here’s what you should do:
- Wash the watermelon before cutting to remove pesticides on the outside.
- Cut the watermelon into tiny pieces. Give your hamster an even smaller piece if they’ve never had fresh fruit before this.
- Remove all of the seeds.
- You can hold the watermelon for your hamster to eat or place it in their dish.
- Ensure you don’t give your hamster more than one teaspoon of watermelon weekly. That’s about one very small cut of watermelon each week.
- Remove the old watermelon after a few hours if your hamster doesn’t eat it. You can try offering them another small fresh piece later.
Following this guideline, your hamster shouldn’t have any issues eating watermelon.
Are There Risks When Feeding a Hamster Watermelon?
A few risks can arise from feeding your hamster watermelon, even though it’s a very healthy fruit.
When giving hamsters fruit, diarrhea, and choking are the two most common health concerns. Watermelon has an extremely high water content, which can cause diarrhea.
Since dwarf hamsters are so small, they can also choke on the seeds in some fruits, so it’s best to remove them.
Watermelon can also cause diabetes in hamsters due to its sugar content. Some signs of diabetes in hamsters include increased thirst, excessive drinking, and increased urination. You’ll want to schedule with your vet if you notice these changes in your hamster.
Overall, you can still safely give your hamster watermelon. You just need to be careful not to give them too much and only offer it to them occasionally.
Do Hamsters Like Watermelon?
Hamsters like watermelon because it’s soft, juicy, and very sweet. However, it’s usually not a hamster’s favorite food. They usually get more excited over leafy greens, carrots, and apples. But every hamster is different.
You’ll want to see how your hamster reacts to watermelon compared to other treats that you give them. You might find that they like something else much more. Still, watermelon is healthy in moderation and can provide your hamster with plenty of essential vitamins and minerals.
If you notice that your hamster doesn’t eat the whole piece and leaves it in their enclosure for hours, you should start offering them something else they like more.
What are Alternatives to Watermelon for Dwarf Hamsters?
There are plenty of other fruits and veggies that you can give your pet dwarf hamster as a treat. Some of the best options include any fruits from the chart above. Particularly apples, pears, and grapes. Hamsters love these fruits, and they contain plenty of nutrients for them.
You can also offer your dwarf hamster small amounts of vegetables and herbs, including:
- Romaine lettuce,
- Spinach,
- Broccoli,
- Carrots,
- Cauliflower,
- Coriander,
- Parsley,
- And basil.
Above everything else, remember that pellets are the best overall food for hamsters and should make up the majority of their diet. While other things like fruits and nuts are good for variety, pellets contain all the nutrients your hamster needs.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, you can feed a dwarf hamster watermelon. You’ll want to make sure you cut the fruit into tiny pieces and only give your pet a small amount each day. Dwarf hamsters can choke on the seeds, so you must remove them.
Dwarf hamsters love fruit, but you should only give it to them in moderation since giving them too much can cause some health complications. You’ll want to watch your hamster when giving them treats to see which fruits and veggies they love the most.