Pet hamsters have a diet consisting primarily of cereal and seeds but can also eat certain fruits, vegetables, and nuts. When considering different treats for your hamster, you may think of cashews. Are cashews safe for hamsters?
Hamsters can eat cashews since they are safe when unsalted and unflavored. However, cashews shouldn’t be part of your pet’s daily diet, so you should only give them to your hamster occasionally as a treat. These nuts contain a lot of fat, which can harm your hamster’s health.
In this article, I’ll explain more about cashews as potential food for your hamster, including all the benefits and risks. I’ll also answer additional questions you may have about the feeding habits of your pet hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Cashew Nuts?
Hamsters can eat cashew nuts because they aren’t toxic for your hamster. However, you must ensure that the cashews are not seasoned because sugar and salt aren’t good for a hamster’s health. You must also roast the cashews you plan to feed your pet, as plain, raw cashews are poisonous.
As delicious as cashews are to your pet, they can be harmful in large quantities. You must ensure you only give cashews to your pet in small amounts and relatively rarely.
Even when the cashews are unsalted or unflavored, they naturally contain a lot of fat, which can be as dangerous to your hamster. Before feeding any nuts to your pets, wash them under filtered water to get rid of any chemicals or impurities that may harm your pet.
Refrain from giving your pet any cashews if it’s already overweight.
Additionally, you must never feed a hamster cashews with its shells still attached. Cashew shells are just as toxic to hamsters as they are to humans. Always ensure the cashew nuts you feed your pet are fully shelled before you hand them over.
Can Dwarf Hamsters Eat Cashews?
Dwarf hamsters are tiny versions of typical Syrian hamsters. Their size affects the way their metabolism functions. Dwarf hamsters are more likely to suffer from diabetes than regular ones because of their smaller bodies.
Considering these differences, you can adjust the amount of cashews you give to your dwarf hamster according to its weight. To be completely safe, you can avoid giving a dwarf pet any cashews.
Suppose your pet dwarf hamster is particularly chubby for its size. In that case, you should not give it any cashews since they risk contracting obesity and diabetes.
Pros and Cons of Feeding Your Pet Hamster Cashews
Considering cashews’ large amounts of fat, you may think twice before feeding them to your hamster. After all, they may do more harm than good to your pet. However, cashews offer plenty of benefits you need to keep in mind.
Pros
- Cashews contain protein, which is essential for your hamster. The protein provides the necessary energy for your hamster to function every day.
- Your hamster can obtain essential minerals from cashews. In cashews, minerals like potassium, iron, and copper contribute to a hamster’s cardiovascular health.
- There are plenty of vitamins in cashews. Vitamin B6, in particular, is essential for your pet’s brain development.
Cons
- Cashews are rich in fat. Too many cashews can cause or exacerbate obesity in your hamster, which can lead to further health issues and generally a shorter lifespan.
- They can cause digestion problems for your hamster. The amount of fat in cashews makes these nuts quite heavy, causing indigestion or saturation to the point that your hamster can’t eat anything else for a while.
- The excess fat can also cause diabetes in hamsters. Cashews have high amounts of saturated fat, which studies have shown can cause diabetes and associated complications.
How Often Should You Give Your Hamster Cashews?
You don’t have to worry if you know the right amount and frequency to give your hamster cashews. Your hamster may enjoy cashews much more than other foods, but this doesn’t mean nuts should replace its regular diet. Be conservative with the amount you give and stick to the rules.
Syrian hamsters can have up to one cashew a week. You can break it into pieces and give it to your hamster every couple of days or give it the whole nut at once. If you’re trying to feed your hamster cashews for the first time, give it a small piece to see if it likes this food.
Dwarf hamsters are much more at risk of obesity and diabetes, so the number of cashews you give them is much less than regular-size hamsters. To be safe, give your dwarf hamster only one cashew every four weeks. Break whole nuts into tiny pieces when feeding so your little friend has no difficulties eating them.
Other Nuts That Hamsters Can Eat
If your hamster doesn’t like cashews, or you want to try a more diverse diet, you can give your hamster other kinds of nuts. Here’s a list of nuts that hamsters like:
- Peanuts
- Walnuts
- Pine nuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pistachios
- Pecans
- Brazil nuts
- Macadamia nuts
- Hazelnuts
Remember, you can’t feed your hamster any of the above nuts if they are salted or flavored. Furthermore, you should only give them to your pet as a treat once every few days. Just like cashews, most nuts contain a substantial amount of fat.
Avoid giving your hamster raw almonds or seeds and pits of different fruit, like apricots, apples, plums, and peaches. These seeds can be toxic to your pet, so you shouldn’t consider them as alternatives to nuts.
Conclusion
Hamsters live mostly on certain kinds of cereal, but they can also have treats occasionally. For instance, you can give your hamster one cashew once a week. Your pet may enjoy this nut much more than their typical food, but it’s vital only to give cashews as treats.
Cashews contain a high amount of fat, which causes diabetes and weight problems in your hamster, which can lead to more severe issues down the line. If your hamster already has a weight issue, avoid cashews altogether. Dwarf hamsters can have cashews but in much smaller amounts.