Hamsters are arguably the most lovable furry rodents; their chubby cheeks and friendliness make them adorable pets, and the ease of caring for them compared to other pets makes them all the more endearing. But what can you feed them? Can they eat celery?
Hamsters can eat celery. As omnivores (meaning they eat both plant and animal-based foods), hamsters eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Celery given in considerable amounts offers tremendous nutritious value to these little animals.
Celery is a hamster owner’s dream, as it’s packed with various nutrients to keep hamsters healthy and agile. In the rest of this article, I’ll cover the nutritional value of celery and other benefits, instances where celery may not be the best, and harmful foods to avoid when feeding your hamster. Let’s get started!
Benefits of Feeding Your Hamster Celery
Remarkably, hamsters are not that different from humans regarding digestion and nutrition. They thrive on a balanced diet fused with regular exercise. Giving your hamster celery is a great way to promote a healthy diet. Here are many of the benefits of celery:
- Heavy on fiber. To manage their digestion, hamsters need foods enriched with fiber, such as celery. Celery keeps hamsters full and eases and fastens the breakdown of food in their digestive system, thus making it a win-win food choice.
- Low on calories. These adorable pets are prone to gaining weight, which makes their movement unmanageable and slows their dynamic physical nature. However, with celery, they can munch on considerable amounts without fear of unwanted weight gain since one cup (127 g) of chopped celery contains only 14 calories.
- Great nutritional value. Hamsters need to eat healthily to be their happy and playful selves. Celery contains vitamins A and K that regulates blood pressure and blood clotting and offers good eyesight.
- Anti-inflammatory benefits. Rich in compounds called phytonutrients, celery acts as an antioxidant, giving stomach relief and cleansing the digestive tract. This benefit is significant since hamsters are impacted by the foods they eat, making cleansing paramount for a robust system.
- Improves dental health. Hamsters have long incisors, and they keep growing over time. When these teeth overgrow, the top and bottom pair collide, interrupting feeding. Celery is fibrous; therefore, when a hamster nibbles on it, it helps file the teeth, even them out, and avoid overgrowth.
Can Hamsters Eat Celery Leaves?
While celery is excellent for hamsters due to the numerous nutritional benefits, it’s important to know if hamsters can have every aspect of celery–including the leaves.
Hamsters can eat celery leaves. Celery is primarily famous for its crunchy stalks, but the leaves can also offer great nutritional value. However, while celery leaves are safe and nutritional, many hamsters won’t eat them due to their strong flavor.
Do Hamsters Like Celery?
Do these big-cheeked friends like this food? Yes and no. Hamster breeds vary from Syrian, Robo, and dwarf and can be picky and may not like celery as much as others, as is with almost all foods. Therefore, it’s essential to know how to feed them with the proper regulations to compel them to like the food.
Syrian hamsters are the biggest of the bunch, with stomachs big enough to eat more celery than the rest. The Robo hamsters should eat little amounts of celery, preferably half a teaspoon twice a week, and for the dwarfs, it should even be smaller servings. Here are some tips to consider when feeding your hamster celery:
- Feed hamsters only fresh celery since the taste is intact and packed with vitamins.
- Serve only sufficient portions. Some hamsters eat every other day and only one tablespoon (15 g) of food at a time.
- Break down the celery into biteable bits and not a huge chunk they’ll ignore.
- Offer celery as a snack between meals since these rodents will appreciate the crunchiness.
- Mix celery with other fruits and vegetables when served as a meal since celery, as a monotonous meal, could be rejected.
When Not To Feed Hamsters Celery
While this popular vegetable is advisable for your hamster’s meal plan, it does have to be served in moderation. There are also many instances when you shouldn’t feed hamsters celery:
- Avoid bad celery. There are several ways to tell if you have bad celery on your hands. If you find the stalks soft and/or bendable, that celery is not fresh. Also, celery with brown spots means it has fungal infections and should be discarded, not fed to hamsters.
- Don’t feed baby hamsters celery. Like human babies, baby hamsters need time to adjust to solid foods. Food such as celery has a crusty texture, thus needing strong teeth to bite into. So, feed celery to hamsters that are at least four weeks old.
- Don’t give full stalks of celery to your hamster. Because celery stalks have long strands, feeding a hamster with an entire stalk can choke them. Instead, break the stalk into adequate biteable pieces without the stringy strands known to choke them.
Toxic Foods To Avoid Feeding Hamsters
When you’re looking for something new to feed your hamster (and you don’t have celery on hand), it’s important to know which foods to avoid at all costs. There are many foods that are toxic to your furry friend for various reasons:
- Acidic foods are hazardous. These range from onions, garlic, pepper, lemon, and so on. Hamsters will not process these foods well, as they cause indigestion and bowel problems for these omnivores.
- Starchy foods cause dehydration. Foods like beans and potatoes are heavy with starch that these rodents cannot simply process as humans can. It can lead to diarrhea which causes dehydration, which no one wants for their pet.
- Food with processed sugar. Sugars are a no-go area for hamsters for several reasons, including weight gain. It harms hamsters’ teeth and also causes an imbalance in the diet they need to thrive.
- Unhealthy human snacks and junk. While pets live with us and share strong bonds, it’s important not to refrain from feeding them harmful foods like chips and burgers. These foods add no nutritional value and can make them prone to attracting diseases.
There’s a long list of foods hamsters should and should not eat seen in the YouTube video below:
Conclusion
Hamsters are fragile and need their health prioritized to maintain steady growth and combat illnesses. Yet, it’s all worth it because a happy and healthy hamster will offer affection to their owner, which is a recommended stress reliever, as with other household pets.
Feeding your hamster celery is an excellent way to boost its nutrition intake while ensuring it doesn’t become overweight. A balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and some insects gives hamsters a well-rounded diet that will keep their muscles strong and full of energy.