Spiders, despite their reputation, are actually quite useful! They can provide lots of benefits for your house, but this blog is all about your hamster! It’s obvious that hamsters could interact with spiders at some point though, especially if you have a lot around your house. This could especially be the case if you have a cage, where spiders can enter through the many holes. So, do hamsters eat spiders? They may if they are within the cage. However, you shouldn’t be feeding them spiders!
This article will look at if hamsters can eat spiders, the dangers of this and how to keep spiders away from your pet. We will also look at what to do if your hamster actually eats a spider. Read on, and enjoy!
As stated before, they can but they really shouldn’t. This means that if your hamster accidentally ingests a spider then it should be okay. But if there is an unusual amount of spiders being eaten, then it can cause problems for your hamster. There are also other problems that are caused by a spider being present in the cage. We will also be going into this problem as well later on!
So, as we have stated, there’s a clear problem with your hamster eating spiders. It’s a problem that you want to avoid, you want to keep your furry friend as safe as possible obviously! The best way to keep them safe is to be fully aware of the potential dangers that spiders being present in your pet’s cage can cause. So here are some of the problems that could be present for your hamster.
One of the main problems with certain types of spiders is that it is possible for them to have a bite at your hamster! House spiders can indeed bite and may do so if they feel threatened. As you can imagine, a massive hamster looming over them would definitely qualify as a threatening situation for any spider! A spider could bite your hamster externally but the main problem is if your hamster decides to pouch your spider, we know that they love to pouch after all!
If your hamster pouches a spider than it can cause some serious problems, similar to the problems that occur if they pouch a live mealworm. A live spider inside your hamster’s pouch could constantly bite them and as a hamster’s pouch is super-sensitive, this would cause problems. It could cause infections and you wouldn’t even notice due to the hamster’s pouch being invisible to us.
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So that is the main problem and the main reason why you should keep spiders away from your hamster, but there are other problems. Here are some more!
Although this doesn’t apply for normal house spiders, certain types of spiders in certain countries can be poisonous. This doesn’t apply for European countries but places such as Australia can have all kinds of scary spiders and other insects. A spider that is poisonous for humans is going to inevitably be poisonous, even more so, for hamsters! This is due to its small size.
A spider could bite at any point, as stated above. Your hamster eating the spider could also be poisonous for them. Don’t panic though, it is unlikely that a normal house spider is poisonous for your pet. It’s just something to look out for!
Some hamsters might be vicious and attack spiders, but some might be terrified! This is especially the case for Dwarf hamsters who don’t have a huge size advantage over a house spider! Hamsters might play dead, squeak or be otherwise distressed. Obviously, this isn’t a problem that will kill them but it could cause them distress which we always want to avoid!
This really does depend on the hamster though, some mind not care and go in for the kill. Every hamster has a different personality!
So with that in mind, how do you keep spiders away from your furry friend? Well, there are a few ways, which we will get into now.
Make sure to clean your room and remove some of the cobwebs that are around your hamster’s cage. Spiders will generally hang around their cobwebs so you can keep the cobwebs that aren’t around the cage, as they shouldn’t pose a problem. Cobwebs around your hamster’s cage can cause some serious problems though.
Moving to a bin cage could help with avoiding spider entry into your hamster cage. There’s less holes in the cage which means that spiders have less entry points to disturb your hamster. Whilst cages have holes in every part of the cage, a bin cage only has air holes at the top! This means that a spider won’t be able to get in, and you won’t have these issues! Give it a try!
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There are many different anti-spider measures that you can take to stop spiders getting close to your pet. Some people put hazelnuts around the room, this is meant to stop spiders from getting in. Using peppermint oils in your room (not near your hamster) can also put off spiders from making a home in your house.
Remember that spiders are completely fine in your room, and can provide a few benefits. You should focus on the space around your cage with these measures.
So, what if you are reading this with the knowledge that your hamster has already ingested a spider! You may be worried, but there shouldn’t be an issue if you take action. Here’s some tips on what to do if this situation occurs.
If a spider is in your hamster’s pouch, you want them to remove it as soon as possible! Therefore try to feed your hamster. Feeding your pet will make them pouch the food and then empty in, along with the spider. The sudden movement of food into the pouch may also distract or even kill the spider which would prevent them from biting your hamster. Get those hamster nuggets out!
If you believe the spider is poisonous, take your pet to the vet immediately. They will be able to advise on the next steps.
If the spider is in the cage then remove them from the cage. This is whether they are dead or alive. It’s the safest option and will ensure that your hamster is fully protected. You can’t be too careful!
We hope that we have answered all of your possible questions on this topic. Hamsters do indeed eat spiders, but we don’t recommend letting them! They can bite, be poisonous or simply scare your hamster! You can take measures to stop these creepy crawlies from getting in your cage by removing cobwebs, using a bin cage and taking other anti-spider measures. If your hamster ingests a spider, get them to depouch it and remove the spider ASAP.
Have you had an experience with a hamster with a spider before? Let us know what you did in the comments!
