Can Dwarf Hamsters Have Cheese?
If you’re a lover of pets, in search of treats you can give to your pets, you can visit the grocery store. Naturally, cheese spices up your taste buds when added to your meal, so they are also suitable for your hamster. Since cheese is safe for your hamster, the question remains what type of cheese they can eat and what quantity should be given to them.
Of course, the answer to that question is you can give your hamster the cheese to eat but in small quantities. Although, there are quite a few things you should be aware of before you feed your hamsters with cheese, and we will discuss them below;
Nutritional facts
Apart from the fact that cheese is taken because of its unique flavor, its nutritional composition is also why people consider it suitable. Cheese comes in various types, each with different dietary composition. However, we won’t delve into specific details of each kind of cheese.
Instead, we will generally discuss the significant nutrients present in cheese. Cheeses consist of the following nutrients: protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, fats, grass-fed omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A & vitamin B.
How safe is Cheese consumption for Hamsters?
Cheese is good for hamsters because it contains nutrients like protein, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. As said earlier, it is safe for hamsters to take cheese, but it must be given in the right quantity. Also, not all cheese types can be taken by hamsters.
You have to avoid feeding them with flavored cheese snacks like cheese puffs and any other cheese with the label “processed cheese food.” Furthermore, the blue cheese is also harmful to hamsters, so avoid giving it to them. In all, cheese shouldn’t be a regular diet for your hamsters; instead, make it an occasional treat for your hamsters.
Most hamsters love cheese, while a few may not like it. What you only have to do is to give them some and observe how they respond.
How Often And The Right Quantity Of Cheese To Give The Hamsters?
Have you been wondering if cheese consumption can be too much for your hamster? I’m glad to tell you that, yes, cheese consumption can be too much for your hamster. Also, too much of it can harm your pet.
A baby hamster shouldn’t take cheese at all, while an adult hamster can take about a half teaspoon of cottage cheese/ cube cheese. If it is a loosely packed and crushed cheese, then a teaspoon is enough. Bear in mind that if you’re feeding your hamsters with cheese for the first time, you should gradually introduce it to him.
Offer them half the recommended quantity and then observe them closely over the next 24 hours. If they don’t show any digestive upset, you can gradually increase what you give them slowly until they reach their recommended quantity. But if they do, don’t offer them the cheese again.
A larger breed of hamsters can take more cheese than the smaller species. Just make sure you don’t feed them with cheese more than twice a week. It is not an everyday food; giving them every day is very harmful to the hamsters.
This is because cheese has a high salt content and fat.
What then is their regular diet?
Since cheese is not a regular diet for your hamster, what do you then feed your hamster with? The majority of people think that hamsters feed on hays and other plants only, but the truth is that hamsters also feed on insects. This is because insects are also a good source of protein.
They can also feed on worms and some amphibians when they couldn’t find insects. Likewise, they would also accept bits of boiled chicken and hard-boiled egg if you give it to them. The nutrients required by your pet, which are gotten from these meals, have now been packed in a premium hamster food.
So if you’re too busy to cook mealworms or chickens for your hamster, you can go for this ready-made hamster food. You can then complement their diet with a lot of Timothy hay for steady chewing, fresh vegetables and fruit, and the birdseed (about a teaspoon per week). Don’t also forget always to make fresh and clean water available to them.
Likewise, ensure that you always clean and rinse your pet’s drinking trough before refilling with cleans water. Lastly, your pet needs to continually chew to prevent overgrowing of teeth, which may be painful for them. Besides hays, you can provide other chewable items and toys for your hamster.
This may include unbleached loofah, hard hay cubes, softwood branches, coconut shells, and many more. Note that they must be in their natural form and untreated. These will keep your hamster busy with chewing and also prevent their teeth from overgrowing.
Other Treats you can give your hamster.
There are lots of alternatives for cheese, which comprises of veggies and fruits. This may include green beans, baby corn and sweet corn, celery, artichoke, beets, winter squash, pumpkin, carrot, cooked potato, and lettuce. You can also feed your hamster with bok choy, broccolini, escarole, rocket, parsnip, arugula, spinach, swiss chard, watercress, and lots more.
The list above is just a tip from the endless lists of treats that can be offered to your hamsters. But for the main time, you can offer your hamster a tiny nibble of cheese. Once you introduce it to them, there are high probabilities that they will love it.
It will help if you explore other treats afterward by alternating their taste and flavor to make a living more fascinating for your hamsters.
Summary
Treats make your hamsters happy, but you have to give it to them moderately, at a maximum of two times a week. You must also observe your pet to know how much your pet can take. Through that, you can also explore other treats your pet will most likely love.
If you notice any digestive disorder in your pet, please see your vet.
