Hamsters are one of the easiest to maintain pets. Their diet comprises simple vegetables and wandering insects. There are a number of vegetables that you can feed to your hamster, but is cucumber one of them? Can hamsters eat cucumbers?
The answer to this is an absolute YES. You can definitely feed cucumbers to your hamster as it is not only liked by them but is also highly nutritious for them.
You can feed your hamster with cucumber but with all the recommended precautions. Though cucumbers are highly nutritious, a little negligence to the precautions can cause disturbance in the hamster’s natural system.
Animals are more sensitive as compared to humans. You can’t feed them everything. Being aware of your pet’s natural diet is compulsory. Similarly, if you own a hamster, here is all that you should know about cucumbers.
Do Hamsters Like Cucumbers?
Before diving into the details of can hamsters eat cucumbers, you should know whether your pet likes cucumbers or not?
Actually, it depends on individual hamsters. Though, generally, hamsters do like cucumbers. You can’t say if your hamster will like them or not.
Hence, it is always recommended to try with a small quantity first. Present your hamster with a small piece of cucumber. If he likes it, he’ll demand more cucumbers. If he doesn’t like it, he’ll not even eat that small piece completely.
Can Hamsters Eat Cucumber?
As stated earlier, yes, hamsters can eat cucumbers. But you should be attentive to the precautions and recommended methods. Otherwise, you could harm your hamster.
Here are a few points that should be kept under consideration before feeding your hamster some cucumber.
1) Cucumbers Should Be Fresh:
Don’t feed your pet with your leftovers. The stale pieces of cucumber from the leftover salad aren’t suitable for your pet. Feed him with fresh vegetables straight out of the fridge, or even better straight out of your garden.
2) Wash The Cucumber Thoroughly:
Vegetables are sprayed with pesticides on a large scale. Apart from that, there is a high chance of the presence of bacteria on the vegetables.
These chemicals and microorganisms can harm your pet’s digestive system. Hence, it is always better to wash them properly before feeding them to your hamster.
3) Do Not Try To Flavor The Cucumber:
Hamsters are better off with natural cucumbers. In fact, they love the natural flavor. You absolutely don’t need to add any extra flavors to the vegetable. No spices, yogurt dips, or sauces are required.
In fact, they are expected to harm the natural system of your hamster. Even pickled cucumbers are also not recommended at all.
4) Do Not Use Cucumber Juice:
Though hamsters can eat cucumbers, cucumber juice is not something to treat your hamster. It loses most of its vital nutrients in this form. Also, the water content increases to an unhealthy level.
5) Feed Your Hamster A Controlled Quantity:
Keeping aside the nutritional benefits, the excess of anything is harmful, so is true for cucumbers. Keep a check on the quantity of cucumber being fed to your hamster.
Now the question is what is the appropriate amount of cucumber to be fed? It actually depends on the breed of hamsters. Here is some information regarding the breed and quantity of cucumbers to be fed.
There are 3 common breeds of hamsters, Syrians, Roborovski, and Dwarfs.
- Syrian Hamsters: Syrians are the cutest and the most common breed of hamsters. You can feed around 2 inches of cucumber every other day to your hamster.
- Roborovski Hamsters: This breed is known for its interactive nature. They have a little slower digestive system. You can feed your Roborovski Hamster about an inch of cucumber every other day.
- Dwarf Hamsters: Owing to their smaller size, they need a lot less amount of food to keep themselves healthy. An inch of cucumber throughout the week would be more than enough for your dwarf hamster.
6) Excess Cucumbers Are Dangerous:
Cucumbers have high water content. If you feed too much cucumber to them, they may face nausea and other digestive disorders.
Apart from that, it will keep them full, taking all the space in their stomach. They will have no space for other important nutrients. The deficiency of some nutrients even leads to serious disorders.
Are Cucumbers Nutritious For Hamsters?
Cucumber is a highly nutritious vegetable. This fact isn’t only true for humans but also true for hamsters. It contains a lot of nutrients that help them to remain healthy. Some of them are enlisted and explained below.
1) The Water Content:
Cucumbers have high water content. This helps to keep your hamster hydrated. Dehydration is one of the common reasons for hamster deaths. With a regular diet of cucumbers, you’ll not need to worry about that.
2) Vitamins:
Cucumbers also provide large quantities of vitamin K and smaller quantities of vitamin B and C. They help to maintain the overall health of your pet.
3) Minerals:
Cucumbers contain different minerals, like copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. These minerals are responsible for the proper functioning of different organs.
4) Antioxidants:
They protect your body against free radicals. They are mainly responsible for lessening heart-related risks.
5) Control Blood Sugar:
Higher blood sugar can lead to triggering different unnecessary procedures. Cucumbers have been shown to control blood sugar levels in animals to a great extent.
3 Ways To Prepare Cucumber Meals For Your Hamster
Pets are just like human kids, in fact, babies. You can just serve the cucumber, assuming he will figure out everything. You need to prepare a meal out of it.
Here are 3 awesome ways to make use of cucumber for your hamster’s meal.
1) Cut The Vegetable Into Cubes:
Peel off the skin. Cut the cucumber into small pieces. Feed them to your hamster. Isn’t it easy? Yes, it is. Besides being super convenient for you, it allows you to have control over the quantity being fed.
2) Hamsters Can Eat Cucumber Skin Too:
Are you wondering what will happen to the skin? Do you have to throw it away? No, you don’t. Hamsters love the skin just as much as they like the actual vegetable. You can cut it into small pieces and serve it to your pet.
3) What About The Seeds?
Apart from the juicy vegetable and the skin, seeds are another component of cucumber. You’ll be happy to know that most hamsters love that too.
You can serve them the seeds and they’ll eat them in a few minutes. Apart from the above points, remember that you can’t serve cucumber juice to your hamster.
35 Treats That Hamsters Can Eat Other Than Cucumbers
By now, it is well established that hamsters can eat cucumbers. But some hamsters might not like this green vegetable. So, if your pet is one of such hamsters then take a look at this list of other foods that hamsters can eat.
| Carrots | Grapes | Celery | Potato (boiled) | Sweet Potato |
| Watercress | Broccoli | Lentils | Pumpkin seeds | Squash |
| Clover | Hay | Peas | Sprouts | Pear |
| Bok Choy | Boiled Eggs | Peaches | Kale | Cantaloupe |
| Dandelion | Mangoes | Cherries | Tomatoes | Nuts (unsalted, no almonds) |
| Peanuts (unsalted) | Cauliflower | Apples (without seeds) | Raspberries | Sweetcorn |
Other Foods:
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Can Hamsters Eat Cucumbers Every Day?
Yes, hamsters can eat cucumbers daily, but you need to keep a check on the quantity. Maintain a subtle quantity of about 1 tablespoon a day depending on the breed of your pet.
2) Can Cucumbers Kill Hamsters?
Cucumber itself is not a toxic vegetable. But using any vegetable without washing it, can lead to the death of your pet. The bacteria and especially the pesticides are toxic for hamsters.
3) Can Dwarf Hamsters Have Cucumbers?
Yes, they can. But due to their extremely small size, the quantity should be maintained to about 1 tablespoon in a week.
Conclusion:
Cucumbers are nutritious and safe to feed your hamster. But excess of everything is dangerous, so is true for cucumbers. Wash cucumber properly and feed only a small quantity to your hamster.
If you are able to put on a good quantity everyday cucumber meal, it will greatly suffice your pet’s natural system. The nutritional components provide various health benefits.
Concluding the article, yes hamsters can eat cucumbers. They are not only delicious but also nutritious.