A hamster is a small furry rodent, usually kept as a pet, with huge cheek pouches.Hamsters are born with large front teeth used for gnawing and nibbling. They are omnivores and primarily feed on plants and insects in the wild.Hamsters can be pretty picky eaters. They often need a variety in their regular diet. They love to munch on different kinds of food and snack on delicious treats. You must give your hamster a well-balanced diet to maintain its health and prevent it from becoming overweight. The staple diet of a hamster should mainly consist of hay and commercial hamster food pellets along with small portions of fresh vegetables and fruits as occasional treats. Not all kinds of food are healthy and safe for hamsters to feed. Oranges are one such food that is not beneficial for hamsters.Do you find this article on hamsters interesting? Give a read to these fun fact animal articles on can hamsters eat bread and can hamsters eat apples here on Kidadl.Health Benefits Of Oranges For HamstersAn orange is a flavorful citrus fruit with immense nutrients. Oranges can benefit humans in numerous ways, but you should never feed this fruit to a hamster. There are no health benefits of oranges for a hamster.Although oranges are beneficial for humans as they contain essential nutrients, they are highly acidic, and therefore, they are not suitable for hamsters’ sensitive digestive systems. Oranges and other fruits of the citrus family have high acidity levels that can cause serious digestive problems, stomach problems, and diarrhea in hamsters.The high acidity and sugar content in oranges can also lead to teeth decay and cause major oral problems for a hamster. The high sugar content in oranges may even cause diabetes in some hamsters. It is especially hazardous when a dwarf hamster eats oranges as they are highly susceptible to diabetes.Oranges are great for humans, but this fruit is bad for hamsters and can also be life-threatening for these tiny animals. Therefore, oranges and other citrus fruits like tangerines, limes, lemons, pomelo, clementines, tangelos, grapefruits are not suitable for hamsters.Do hamsters like oranges?It is evident so far that oranges should not be fed to hamsters in any circumstance, as the orange for hamsters may cause more harm than good. Whether your hamster likes oranges or not is irrelevant as offering even a tiny bit of this juicy fruit may upset their sensitive tummy and can even be fatal.Instead, try giving them other fruits and vegetables as treats that will not only add a twist to their diets but are also healthy and nutritious for them and their overall health.Are orange seeds and peels safe for hamsters?You can give your hamster dried orange peels as a tasty chewing treat. You must ensure that this fruit peel is dried before the hamster chews it because fresh orange peels are acidic. If your hamster enjoys chewing on the peels as a treat, you should give it to them in moderation.Make sure you do not let the hamster eat the peels entirely. The white fibrous pith on the orange peels is full of fiber and won’t cause any digestive issues. Once the white pith of this fruit peel has been completely chewed, you should remove the peels and throw them away.Orange seeds are not safe for hamsters as they could disrupt their digestive tract causing stomach-related problems.As hamsters like to chew on stuff for maintaining and restricting the overgrowth of teeth, you should provide them with safe and healthy chewable treats and items in their cage, such as hamster toys, coconut shells, hay cubes, and softwood. These items are safe and ideal for hamsters to keep their teeth healthy while fulfilling their urge to chew and nibble.What happens if a hamster eats oranges?Oranges are very acidic for hamsters’ guts. Eating this fruit can cause deterioration in hamsters’ health. Giving hamsters oranges to eat can cause digestive distress and diarrhea. Oranges are high in acidic content and sugar content, causing digestive, oral, and dental issues. Therefore, you should not feed hamsters oranges, even occasionally or in small quantities. It is better that you skip citrus fruits from the hamster’s diet as the fruit’s astringent nature can hamper hamsters’ health.Though oranges contain essential nutrients, you can find these nutrients in safer sources for your hamster. You can feed other fruits to your hamsters, such as apples, plums, cherries, or grapes but be sure to remove the seeds first.Even if your pet hamster can’t have oranges as a treat, there are a variety of foods that they can snack on that are beneficial for their health. The following list includes a complete diet and feeding tips for your pet hamsters. These diet tips should enable your hamster to lead a long healthy life.Food Pellets: You should feed pet hamsters with hamster food pellets as they contain the essential nutrients required by their bodies. Hamsters have particular nutritional needs that are perfectly catered to with commercial pet food pellets.Oral Health: Along with food pellets, hay is perfect for pet hamsters as it helps prevent teeth overgrowth and maintains good oral hygiene. Timothy, Alfalfa, and Orchard Grass hay are the best varieties for hamsters.You can also give them small amounts of bird seeds to eat as they are a good source of healthy fat, keeping them in good shape. You can serve them 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of bird seeds every week.Fruits and Vegetables: To add to the hamster’s diet, you can include a mix of fruits and vegetables that are safe for hamsters to gain extra nutritional value. However, such foods must be given in small portions twice or three times a week.Some vegetables you can serve as a treat include baby corn, sweet corn, carrots, parsnips, beets, asparagus, basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, cabbage, endive, lettuce, watercress and parsnip, carrot or beetroot tops. Before feeding your hamster, you should remove the seeds from other vegetables such as cucumber, bell peppers, and okra.You can also give them fruits such as grapes, peaches, mangoes, melons, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, pears, apples, bananas once any seeds have been removed.Make sure you give these and other new treat options in small portions and check whether they have any side effects on the hamsters’ health.Fresh Water: Remember to provide your hamster with access to fresh, clean water to ensure that their food is digested properly.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for can hamsters eat oranges, then why not take a look at can hamsters eat blueberries or dwarf hamster facts?
A hamster is a small furry rodent, usually kept as a pet, with huge cheek pouches.
