Can Hamsters Eat Apples? [What About The Seeds & Skin?]

Can hamsters eat apples? This is a common question many hamster owners have, and I’m glad you’re asking yourself questions like this before feeding your hamster new foods. It’s always a good idea to do your research before introducing new foods to your pet’s diet to ensure that they can eat them safely.

Apples are one of the most common fruits in the world. Many of us eat them regularly, and when you’re eating one and take a look at your furry friend you might feel the urge to share some of this delicious fruit with them.

However, before you feed them anything, you have to know if it’s safe for them. After all, they have a very different digestive system than us. In this nutrition guide, I’m going to go over whether or not you can feed apples to your hamster and what you need to know before doing so.

Luckily, hamsters can indeed eat apples. It’s a safe and healthy food that they can have as a snack occasionally. They can eat it with the skin included, as long as you wash it properly. It’s rich in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber which are good for your hamster’s health. Do make sure to remove the seeds because those are not good for them to consume.

To learn more, keep reading and we’ll teach you everything you need to know to safely feed this nutritious snack to your hamster in no time!

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Are apples nutritious for hamsters?

Apples are tree-growing fruits that are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nutrients. 100 grams of this fruit contains the following nutrients:

• 52 calories
• 86% water
• 0.3 grams of protein
• 10.4 grams of sugar
• 2.4 grams of fiber
• 13.8 grams of carbs
• 0.2 grams of fat

In addition, they also contain the following minerals and vitamins:

• Vitamin C
• Potassium

They’re a very good source of vitamin C, but for the rest, they’re not that rich in vitamins. However, there’s nothing in an apple (except for the seeds!) that’s harmful to hamsters. There are no risks associated with feeding them this fruit from time to time.

They are nutritious fruits, but it’s not the only thing you should feed them. Since they are relatively high in sugar, they can develop health problems if you give it to them too often.

They’re best served as an occasional treat. A few small slices of an apple once or twice a week should be more than enough. It will offer some variety to your hamster’s diet without going overboard.

How hamsters benefit from eating apples

Hamsters benefit from the vitamin C in apples. Just like humans, vitamin C is helpful in for them to prevent disease and boost the immune system. Studies have shown that vitamin C can help ward off cancer in their cheek pouches.

Also, the antioxidants found in this fruit will prevent the build-up of free radicals in their body. Free radicals cause DNA damage, and antioxidants help to prevent this.

The high fiber content (mainly coming from the skin of the apple) is also very important to their health. Fiber is an important nutrient for a healthy digestive tract.

Can hamsters eat apple skins?

A common question people have is whether or not they should remove the skin of the apple before they feed it to hamsters.

Many people remove the peel when feeding their hamsters commercially farmed apples from the grocery store.

The reason why is because they are known to have pesticides on them and this is definitely something you do not want your hamster ingesting.

If you have commercially farmed apples that you think have pesticides on the skin but you do not want to remove the peel the best bet is to wash them with baking soda.

Studies have shown that this is the best way to properly wash them and get rid of contaminants on the skin.

If you’ve got access to organic fruits it’s worth it to leave the skin on. I would still wash them first with water, but leaving the skin on is fine in this case because organic fruits do not contain pesticides.

There’s a high amount of fiber and other nutrients in the skin so it’s worth it to leave it on to ensure your hamster gets the maximum nutrition out of it.

Should you take the seeds out before feeding?

YES! If there’s one thing you should always do before feeding your hamster apples it’s make sure that you’ve removed all the seeds.

The seeds are known to contain cyanide. For humans, the amount of cyanide in the seeds is not very dangerous unless you eat a lot of them, but hamsters are a lot smaller than us. Even a very small amount of seeds is already dangerous to them, so make absolutely sure that you’re not feeding them any of the seeds.

Do hamsters like to eat apples?

Every hamster is different and they don’t all enjoy the same foods. However, most do enjoy eating apples. If yours doesn’t seem to care for them don’t force it on them though. Just try giving them some other fruity treat instead. If you’re wondering what your fuzzy friend will look like snacking on some of this refreshing fruit, check out this cute video:

Alternative fruits that hamsters can eat

If your hamster doesn’t seem to be very interested in eating apples, don’t worry. Not all hamsters are the same and they all have their own likes and dislikes. Instead of trying to force this particular fruit into their diet, see if they’re more interested in eating one of the other fruits on the list below.

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Bananas
• Grapes
• Watermelon

How to feed apples to your hamster

We’ve gone over some of the important parts above, like washing the skin and removing the seeds, but let’s go over the complete process of feeding this fruit to our furry friends step by step.

1. If you have organic apples, wash the skin with water. If you have non-organic, wash the skin with baking soda or remove it altogether.
2. Cut the fruit into small squares or whatever shape you prefer.
3. Make sure to remove the seeds.
4. Give a piece of the fruit to your furry friend.
5. Enjoy watching them devour it!

How much apple can you give your hamster?

Hamsters are small animals that do not need a whole lot of food. Because of how tiny they are it’s very easy to overfeed them. Even a single slice of apple is already too much for them. You might not believe it, but a quarter teaspoon twice per week is plenty for your furry little friend.

Also, something to keep in mind is to make sure to introduce this food to their diet slowly so that they can get used to this new food.

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Conclusion

So to sum it all up, apples are a good, healthy treat for your hamster. However, there are a few things you need to take into account when feeding them.

Always make sure to remove the seeds and wash the skin. Also do not feed them too much of it, just a quarter teaspoon is plenty. Too much of a good thing can turn into something bad! It’s best used as a treat once or twice a week.

If you’ve got any more questions, feel free to leave a comment. If you just want to share a picture of your hamster eating an apple you can leave a comment as well, I’ll include it in the post if you do!