Ensuring your hamster gets all the proper nutrients in its diet is essential. Therefore, when giving your hamster snacks or treats, you want to ensure they’re healthy.
Hamsters can eat oats. Unflavored oats are a great source of fiber and protein, and they’re low in fat, so they make an excellent snack for hamsters, both raw and cooked. However, oats should only be given to your hamster occasionally, as too much can cause an upset stomach.
The rest of this article will cover the many benefits of giving your hamster oats, what kinds are best for your hamster, and how to serve the oats. I’ll also go over oat spray and discuss if it’s something hamsters can eat.
Why Oats Are Good For Hamsters
There are many benefits to giving your hamster oats. Oats are a healthier snack alternative for hamsters because they contain some vital nutrients hamsters need.
According to PetMD, good quality hamster food must contain the following:
- Protein
- Crude fiber
- Carbohydrates
- Fat
Giving your hamster an oat snack ensures it’s getting a good amount of these essential nutrients, making it an excellent, healthier alternative to other snack choices. However, the type of oats you give to your hamster and how often you give them is essential, as not all oats are suitable for all hamsters.
What Kind of Oats Are Best For Hamsters?
Hamsters can have most oats, including rolled oats and clipped oats. However, the oats you should always avoid giving your hamster include instant and unclipped whole oats.
Instant oats often contain additional flavors and seasonings that can harm your hamster, and they increase the sugar content in the oats. This can lead to many issues with your hamster, especially if you give it instant oats regularly.
Additionally, unclipped whole oats can be dangerous for hamsters to consume because they can be sharp and cause damage to your hamster’s pouch lining.
How Often Should I Feed My Hamster Oats?
While oats are an excellent snack for hamsters, they shouldn’t be their primary food source and should only be given to your hamster occasionally. Oats contain a high amount of phosphorus, which in high levels, can lead to health problems for your small pet.
Additionally, it’s essential to consider the type and size of your hamster, as how often you give it oats will significantly depend on these factors. Most hamsters can have around 1 tsp (5.9 g) of oats a couple of times a week, but it’s best to ask your vet for the proper amount recommended for your specific hamster.
Can Hamsters Eat Oat Spray?
While oats are an excellent snack for hamsters, they’re not the same as oat spray. But what exactly is oat spray, and can hamsters eat it?
Hamsters can eat oat spray. Like regular oats, oat spray is high in protein and fiber, making it an excellent snack choice for your hamster. Additionally, oat spray satisfies your hamster’s foraging needs, which would generally get in the wild, making it both enjoyable and nutritious.
Oat spray gives your hamster all of the nutritional benefits that oats do. The main difference between oats and oat spray is how your hamster eats it, as it is more mentally beneficial due to the foraging and chewing involved.
However, oat spray is typically more expensive, so if you’re on a budget, it might be best to stick to regular oats.
How To Give Your Hamster Oats
You can feed your hamster oats raw or as an oatmeal mixture. While hamsters are typically more inclined to eat dry oats over oatmeal, making an oatmeal mixture for your pet can be fun and fulfilling.
If you give your hamster dry, raw oats, ensure that you have the proper type of oats, as unclipped whole oats can cause major digestive issues for your small pet. Also, measure the amount before putting it in your hamster’s cage.
It’s best to discuss the amount of oats you should give your hamster with a veterinarian beforehand.
How To Make Hamster Oatmeal
Making oatmeal is an excellent idea to make a more interesting snack for your hamster. Simply follow these steps:
- Choose an appropriate type of oat. Rolled or clipped oats will work great, but stay away from whole unclipped oats or instant oats.
- Add a small amount of oats to a bowl. You can make more than one serving if you plan on giving your hamster oatmeal throughout the week, but if you don’t want to waste food, ensure you’re measuring the amount you’ll need.
- Add chopped fruits or nuts. This is optional, but it’s something that your hamster will undoubtedly enjoy. However, ensure you cut the nuts and fruit into small enough pieces and only use hamster-friendly ingredients. Avoid citrus fruits or almonds, as these are toxic to hamsters.
- Cover the mixture with water. Add enough water to cover the mixture, like when making regular oatmeal.
- Put the bowl in the microwave. Around 30 seconds should be ideal, depending on the amount of oatmeal you have.
- Allow the oatmeal to cool before giving it to your hamster. The oatmeal should be at room temperature before serving.
Check out the helpful YouTube video by KatesHamsters on how to make hamster-friendly oatmeal:
You can also soak oats overnight if you don’t want to give your hamster hot oats or wait for the mixture to cool first. This makes it easier to feed your hamster in the morning without a lot of extra work.
Final Thoughts
Hamsters can eat oats, and they’re an excellent snack choice, as they’re high in protein and fiber and contain carbohydrates and fat, which are all essential macronutrients in a hamster’s diet.
However, oats are also high in phosphorus, which at very high levels, can cause serious injury to your hamster. Therefore, if you give your hamster oats, you should only do so 2–3 times a week and in small amounts. It’s best to consult your veterinarian to understand how much to give your hamster.