Cantaloupes are delicious, low-calorie melon varieties rich in vitamins A and C. Hamsters love fruit, but can you feed them cantaloupe?
Hamsters can eat cantaloupe but only in moderate quantities. Cantaloupe melons are low in fat and sodium but high in sugar, which can put hamsters at risk of developing diabetes or becoming overweight.
This article will explain how much cantaloupe you can feed your hamster. I’ll also explain what other fruit and vegetables you can feed it and describe what a healthy hamster diet looks like. Finally, I’ll discuss what you shouldn’t give your hamster.
How Much Cantaloupe Should You Feed Your Hamster?
You can feed your hamster one tablespoon of cantaloupe twice a week. Avoid giving your hamster more than this because cantaloupe has high sugar levels, and anything more than this puts it at risk of becoming overweight or developing diabetes.
Before giving your hamster cantaloupe, ensure that it’s chopped into tiny pieces to prevent choking. You should also avoid giving your hamster the melon rind, which can cause digestive discomfort and problems like diarrhea or vomiting.
What Other Fruit and Vegetables Can I Feed My Hamster?
Now that you know you can give your hamster limited quantities of cantaloupe, you might wonder what other fruit and vegetables you can give.
You can give your hamster most fruit and vegetables, but they must always be finely chopped to prevent choking. Fruit and vegetables should be given as snacks and not form the bulk of the hamster’s diet.
The fruit and vegetables that you should never give to a hamster include the following:
- Fruit seeds, such as apple seeds (these can pose a choking hazard)
- Citrus fruit
- Rhubarb
- Onions
- Potatoes
Like humans, hamsters enjoy a variety of foods in their diet, and can easily become bored if you give them the same fruit or vegetable treats. Fruit and vegetables also have differing nutritional levels, so feeding your hamster a wide variety can help them receive the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Some examples of fruit and vegetables that hamsters particularly enjoy include the following:
- Cucumbers
- Apples
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Grapes
- Celery
Golden and dwarf hamsters love pears, strawberries, and bananas.
If you don’t have access to fresh fruit and vegetables, you can give your hamster dehydrated fruit and vegetables alongside high-fiber foods like granola and seeds.
After giving your hamster a treat, only leave it with your hamster for 24 hours. If your hamster hasn’t eaten it after this time, remove it because the dirt in the enclosure can cause it to start rotting.
What Does a Balanced Look Like for a Hamster?
A study about the nutritional requirements of a hamster reveals what happens to them when their food lacks specific nutrients. A nutritionally unbalanced diet can cause the hamster to be vulnerable to the following conditions:
- Wet Tail
- Colds
- Tumors (both cancerous and benign cancers)
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Hypertriglyceridemia
- Being overweight or obesity
This study also underscores why hamster caretakers need to feed hamsters the proper maintenance diet to prevent these health conditions.
A balanced diet for a hamster should consist of a commercial rodent mix, which has 24% protein. If your hamster has a Vitamin E deficiency, consider a seed-based diet.
I’ll discuss a hamster’s nutritional needs in greater detail below:
Hamsters Need Sufficient Vitamins and Minerals
Hamsters should eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals. The following are the most crucial nutrients for hamsters:
- Pantothenic acid. When pantothenic acid is absent from a hamster’s diet, they tend to lose weight, suffer a red encrustation on their mouths and die in twenty days. This nutrient is present in mushrooms, cereals, and commercial hamster food.
- Vitamin B6. This vitamin is vital for hamsters as it helps them develop a shiny coat and have enough energy. You can find vitamin B6 in bananas, fresh meat, and commercial hamster food.
- Riboflavin. Riboflavin is vital for healthy organ function in a hamster, and ensures that your hamster has a healthy nervous system.
- Vitamin C. Essential to a healthy and strong immune system, vitamin C helps keep your hamster healthy. Since hamsters shouldn’t eat citrus fruit, they should get vitamin C from a high-quality hamster food.
- Fiber. Hamsters should get plenty of fiber in their main meals and snacks. This prevents constipation, and prevents sluggishness and lethargy.
In addition, hamsters need protein. Cooked chicken, hard-boiled eggs, and occasional live cricket or mealworms are excellent examples of suitable protein sources for hamsters. Hamsters are omnivores, so some animal-based protein won’t hurt as long as it’s in moderation.
However, the most significant part of your hamster’s diet should still be grains. Professionally-made hamster mixtures already incorporate the correct ratios of carbohydrates and proteins.
For more ideas, here’s another video showing what a hamster enjoys in its diet:
They Need Food They Can Gnaw
Besides the occasional vegetable, fruit, and commercial hamster food, your pet will also benefit from small amounts of timothy hay. This is an excellent gnawing food because it can help promote healthy teeth, foraging, and digestion. Of course, hamsters typically find timothy hay delicious, too.
Hamsters Need Constant Access to Fresh Water
Hamsters don’t drink a lot of water, but this doesn’t mean they shouldn’t always have access to plenty of fresh water. The water you give your hamster should be chlorine free and filtered (unless your tap water is of a very high quality).
Replace your hamster’s water at least once a day.
What Should I Avoid Feeding My Hamster?
In one of the previous sections, I mentioned that you should feed your hamster fruit in moderation and avoid foods like onions and citrus fruit. Is there anything else you should give your hamster?
You should avoid giving your hamster fatty foods, as these can promote weight gain. You should also never give your hamster caffeine, alcohol, nut shells, and chocolate.
Hamsters love seeds but feed them sunflower seeds and nuts in moderation because they are high in fat. Apple seeds contain toxic cyanide, which can not only poison your hamster, but are a choking hazard.
Conclusion
You can show your hamster how much you love it by providing a healthy diet which includes no more than two tablespoons of cantaloupe a week. If you’re in doubt about what to feed your hamster, your local vet is always an excellent resource.
Balancing your hamster’s primary nutrition with some fun occasionally is essential. Outside the regular high-quality pellet diet, a little treat, such as fruit, won’t hurt.