Watermelon is lovely fruit and we always love to eat it. But sometimes we want to give a little bit to our furry friends as well! This results in people asking “Can hamsters eat Watermelon”. The answer is yes! Syrian, Dwarf and Robo hamsters can have watermelon, although the amount of watermelon that is safe depends on the species. This is because watermelon has a high amount of fat which can be dangerous for your hamster’s health. Watermelon has a lot of health benefits though and, given in the right amounts, it can provide a great boost to your hamster’s health!
In this article, we will be looking at if hamsters can eat watermelon, how much you should feed them and the various benefits and risks of giving your hamster this great fruit.
Watermelon is a great fruit that is originally grown in Africa, it’s a delicious and watery treat. These days, it is mostly grown in South America and China. It’s put in fruit salads, eaten by itself and sometimes even made into curries! It can also be made into refreshing juices! No wonder you are asking if hamsters can eat it!
As stated above, hamsters can absolutely eat Watermelon! Watermelon has a lot of health benefits which will allow your hamster to fight off disease and ill-health. Make sure that the watermelon is:
- Washed – To avoid pesticides.
- Unsalted – Salt can be bad for your hamster.
- Plain – Not juices or in yoghurts! Just by itself!
If you follow these instructions, the watermelon should be safe!
When you are giving treats, such as watermelon, to your hamster, always make sure you are holding them or make sure that you are close to them. This is because giving treats to your hamster can strengthen your bond and assist in socializing them. Only give a small amount to your hamster at first, this is to figure out if they like this fruit. There’s no point giving your hamster a lot of it if they just ignore it! Your hamster might put the food in their cheek poaches though.
Make sure that you wash the watermelon before giving it to your hamster! This removes any worries about pesticides or other nasties hurting your pet!
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Consider feeding watermelon to your hamster as part of a diet including treats like pumpkin seeds, cabbage and carrots! These kind of things are great for your pet, as long as you make sure that you feed them in the correct amounts.
When it comes to watermelon, it’s completely fine for your hamster! However, you still need to make sure that you feed them the right amount. There’s always too much of a good thing! It really depends on the breed when it comes to quantity. Syrians can eat more than Robos and they can eat more than Dwarfs!
Tomato is not a good treat if you feed too much to your Syrian Hamster. You need to ensure that they are healthy after all! Give them around a teaspoon of watermelon every week. This is enough so them to feel the benefits, more than this and it can become more trouble than it is worth!
Robo hamsters can eat tomato but they can’t eat as much! This is due to their smaller size. Therefore you should give them a teaspoon of watermelon every 2 weeks.
Dwarf hamsters, including Chinese, Campbell, and Russian hamsters, are much smaller than the average hamster. You can easily notice this at a pet shop! This leads to people wondering if hamsters can eat normal stuff, such as watermelon They can eat watermelon, however, it should be a tiny piece of watermelon every week.
Watermelon has lots of great benefits for humans, but does the same apply for hamsters? Absolutely! It can be a delicious and healthy treat for hamster and human alike. Let’s look at some of the benefits:
- Vitamin C – Your hamster’s immune system will thank you for including this in their diet!
- Antioxidants – These antioxidants help your hamster protect themselves against ageing
- Vitamin A – This protects your furry friend from infections
- Potassium – Your hamster’s blood pressure is regulated by this, it is vital!
- Magnesium – This can lower your pet’s blood pressure.
See also Can Hamsters Eat Dill?- By Petsbent
Although there are clearly a lot of benefits from feeding your furry friend a bit of watermelon, there are still major risks that come from overfeeding! Some of the risks include:
- Diabetes – There’s lots of sugar in watermelon, therefore eating too much can give your hamster diabetes!
- Obesity – Too much food can make your furry friend obese, so you need to regulate how much food they eat!
- Choking – If you don’t cut the watermelon into small pieces, your furry friend could choke.
- Dehydration – Watermelon contains a LOT of water, it’s literally in the name! So too much can result in diarrhoea and dehydration.
There’s lots of types of watermelon and different parts of it are out there. So let’s look at the different parts of watermelon and if your furry friend can eat it!
You shouldn’t feed your hamster any form of juice! This is because it doesn’t have a lot of nutrients and can dehydrate your pet.
It depends on the breed. Syrian hamsters should be able to swallow them, but the seeds could be too big for your Robo and Dwarf hamsters.
Sure! Just make sure that it is washed and you shouldn’t have any issues.
In conclusion, “Can hamsters eat Watermelon?” Yes! Watermelon can be a delicious and nutritious treat for your hamster if given in the right amounts! Syrian and Robo hamsters can have a lot more watermelon than Dwarf hamsters due to their size. Watermelon contains many vital nutrients such as dietary fibres, zinc and iron but, be cautious of the risks. The saturated fats and high water content can be dangerous for your hamster if you overfeed them.
