Any hamster owner knows that hamsters love to eat. However, some foods have a high nutritional value and are better as their primary meal, while others should be snacks. In the case of popcorn, you might wonder if hamsters can eat it, and if so, can they eat buttered popcorn?
Hamsters can eat plain, air-popped popcorn in small quantities as a snack. They cannot eat buttered, salted, or microwaved popcorn because the additives can harm the hamster’s digestive system. Popcorn is low in nutrients and should not replace their regular diet.
Not only is it safe for hamsters to eat popcorn, but they also love it as a snack. However, certain factors should be considered when feeding popcorn to your hamster. This article will cover how to safely feed popcorn to your hamster, so read on!
How To Safely Feed Popcorn to Your Hamster
Hamsters enjoy popcorn and won’t hesitate to scarf it down when you give it to them. However, popcorn lacks much nutritional value and is quite filling.
Popcorn is primarily high in fiber, with lots of antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins. However, while it is mildly healthy, it lacks many macronutrients, which is how hamsters get their energy.
The typical hamster diet consists of lots of seeds, vegetables, nuts, grains, and other forageable foods, including insects. Hamsters primarily need high fiber and protein diets to maintain digestive health, with some fats and carbs to provide energy.
Popcorn provides some carbohydrates for your hamster but has minimal protein and fat and is filling. Therefore, if you feed your hamster too much popcorn, it may not have an appetite for its main diet, leading to macronutrient deficiencies, weight loss, and other severe health issues.
So, the best way to feed popcorn to your hamster is to give them 1-4 pieces of air-popped plain popcorn a few times a week. This helps them consume it in moderation.
How Much Popcorn Can My Hamster Eat?
Syrian hamsters can eat 2-4 pieces of popcorn a few times a week, and Dwarf hamsters can eat 1-3 pieces of popcorn a few times a week. Chinese dwarf hamsters should only have one piece of popcorn 1-2 times weekly because they are prone to diabetes.
Always feed your hamster popcorn one piece at a time because each piece is immensely filling. Additionally, ensure your hamster eats the popcorn slowly, as eating it too quickly can lead to choking or digestive upset.
Larger hamsters, mainly Syrian hamsters and the Roborovski dwarfs, can consume 2-4 pieces without affecting their regular diet. Dwarf hamsters can eat 1-2 pieces in a day. Their smaller size and lower energy requirements mean they will fill up on popcorn quicker than larger hamsters.
I recommend only one piece of popcorn 1-2 times weekly for Chinese hamsters because they are prone to diabetes and have low energy needs. While popcorn is high in fiber, it can slow insulin release (which diabetes affects), has primarily carbohydrates, and can cause overfeeding, which is a concern for Chinese hamsters.
For non-Chinese hamsters, you can feed them popcorn more than twice a week but not daily. Popcorn is a treat and not meant to replace their meals, which they may expect if they receive it every day.
Are There Any Risks of Feeding Popcorn to Hamsters?
Let’s go into more detail about the risks of feeding popcorn to your hamster below:
- Overeating. The main risk of feeding popcorn to your hamster is that they will overeat. Overeating popcorn will likely lead to weight gain. Your hamster will also become too full and not eat their main meal.
- Choking. Popcorn can pose a choking hazard to hamsters, especially some dwarf species. I recommend monitoring your hamster when they eat popcorn to ensure they don’t choke on it. If you suspect popcorn is a choking hazard, you can crumble it to pieces or consider an alternative snack such as pumpkin seeds.
- Damage to your hamster’s teeth. In addition to choking, unpopped kernels can cause damage to your hamster’s teeth, as they are hard.
- Poor health. As discussed, popcorn doesn’t contain much nutritional value and should be given as a snack, not a meal substitute. Flavored popcorn also contains harmful additives that can impact your hamster’s health.
Hamsters given kernels may also try hoarding them within their cheek pouches to save for later. Kernels, seeds, and other hard foods can become stuck in your hamster’s cheeks, leading to impaction or dental abscesses.
Is It Safe for Hamsters To Eat Buttered Popcorn?
It is unsafe for hamsters to eat buttered popcorn, salted popcorn, or popcorn with flavorings, as these additions harm your hamster’s digestive system. Additionally, you should never feed them bagged popcorn, which contains fluorochemicals from the paper bags.
Butter also contains fat and oil that can pose risks to your hamster’s health down the road.
I recommend making freshly popped popcorn when you want to feed it to your hamster as a treat. Any store-bought or commercially packaged popcorn likely contains some flavoring or preservatives to maintain its shelf life.
Bagged popcorn is especially concerning because, in addition to its flavorings, it contains harmful fluorochemicals that migrate into the popcorn during packaging.
In a study by T.H. Begley, researchers found that bagged popcorn contains about 3.2 mg/kg-1 of fluorochemicals that seeped into the popcorn from the bag. While these levels are relatively safe for humans, any type of fluorochemical is dangerous for hamster consumption.
Final Thoughts
While hamsters may prefer their wheel over a movie, they still have an appetite for popcorn. Fortunately, popcorn is safe to eat, but it provides little nutritional value for your hamster. Therefore, you should avoid feeding them too much.
Additionally, popcorn can overfill your hamster, leading to nutrient deficiencies if they avoid their primary diet.
Remember to stick to plain, fresh popcorn, as buttered popcorn or any other flavored popcorn contains additives that are unsafe for your hamster.
The appropriate serving portion is 1-4 pieces a few times a week. Adjust servings based on their species, size, and weight.