How are you celebrating National Peanut Day, held annually on September 13th! National Peanut Day is a day to celebrate one of the most popular snacks in the United States.
Peanuts are a part of the legume family and are known for being a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamins B6 and E. They are also a source of monounsaturated fats, which can help lower bad cholesterol levels. Peanuts can be eaten plain, roasted, or salted, and are often used in recipes for peanut butter, cookies, and candies.
What about hamsters and peanuts? Do they like peanuts, can they eat them, and are peanuts good for them?
Table of Contents
Can Hamsters eat Peanuts? Is it Safe?
Most hamsters love peanuts. Only give them non-salted peanuts. Roasted peanuts are processed and nearly always salted or have added flavour, all that should be avoided.
Peanuts in their shells are a great boredom breaker. Little hamsters are known to try, and often succeed, in pouching the whole thing!
Can a Hamster be Allergic to Peanuts
Sadly, it's not impossible or even rare to see a hamster having an allergic reactions, and the most common cause are sunflowers or peanuts. If you're feeding your hamster peanuts and notice any sort of reaction, it's best to take them to the vet as soon as possible. Allergies in hamsters can cause a lot of discomfort and even lead to death if not treated properly and in time.
How many Peanuts can I give my Hamster a Day?
Peanuts should not be given daily, the fat content is too high. Once a week is the recommended advice for that treat.
Can Syrian Hamster have peanuts?
Syrian hamsters absolutely can have peanuts, but should only have a small amount as they are high in fat. Too many peanuts can cause weight gain and other health problems.
A Syrian hamster can easily open a shell to reach inside for its treat.
Can Robos and Dwarf Hamster have Peanuts?
They also can have peanuts. If they struggle too much to open the shell, you can break it a little bit to help them to start.
Testing New Hamster Treats
When you are introducing a new treat to your hamster, it is important to do so in a safe and controlled manner. You need to test whether your hamster will enjoy the new snack and also ensure that they are not allergic to it.
Give a very small amount of the new treat to your hamster. If they enjoy it and there are no adverse reactions, you can move on to the next step.
It is to increase the amount of the treat that you give to your hamster. You should still be cautious at this stage, as even a small amount of an allergen can cause
What about Peanut Butter?
Many hamsters love peanut butter -others can be completely indifferent. These little animals have their little personalities. First it should be an exceptional treat only, due the high sugar content.
Then, and it's important, it should only be given in a very very thin layer than can only be licked. You do not want a hamster to try to pouch anything sticky like peanut butter, it would cause impaction in their cheeks requiring an urgent visit to the vet.
Shop bought peanut butter should really be avoided, most brand have added sugar and often xylitol which is very dangerous for hamsters. Stick with the 100% peanut butter only, no added sugar, and the smooth type only, strictly not crunchy type.
You can easily make a Healthier and Safer Version at Home.
Just bake peanuts in the oven for 10 minutes at 350F (170C). Put in a blender and turn it on: the peanuts will go from crumbs, to a paste to the smooth butter like substance you are after. Then let it cool and store in an air-tight container.
Peanut butter is helpful to encourage chewing: you just need to spray it, very thinly, on a chew (or even scrap the reminder after) and the smell should be enough to push the hamster to start chewing.
It is also very helpful to make a trap to catch an escaped hamster.
More Peanut Based Recipes
These treats are not made to be given on a daily basis, but bi-monthly or weekly at most.
Delicious Peanut Butter Hamster Treats:
You need:
Flour, the most recommended is buckwheat flour, the healthiest for your hamster
Water
Strawberries
Peanut butter
Oatmeal
Hamster seed treat mix
Basil
Mix all the ingredients together, then baked them at 325°F for an hour.
More Peanut Butter Hamster Treat
Mix a teaspoon of peanut butter with water and a handful of seeds, add flour until you reach a dough consistency.
Bake in the oven until golden brown.
Owner Allergies: Holding a Hamster if you have a Peanut Allergy
Peanut allergies are extremely serious and can be life-threatening.
Obviously you will know if your allergy is triggered by ingestion only – in which case holding any hamster will be absolutely fine.
However, if your allergy is severed and triggered by physical contact with peanuts (or even just being in the same room as them and your allergy is airborne) then you will need to take extra care. Many hamster food mix do contain peanuts and it's likely the hamster will have been in contact with peanuts or have some in his cage.
Becoming a Hamster Owner if you have a Peanut Allergy
Be prepared to have to do a lot of research, and to be flexible.
Peanut-free ready-made hamster mix are difficult to find, and it's even more difficult to find food that has not been cross-contaminated and has not been processed in factories also handling peanuts. Unfortunately the composition of hamster food mix varies and is updated relatively often, so even a peanut-free food mix might suddenly change and no longer be safe.
Make your Own Hamster Mix
It sounds like the easiest and safest option, but before committing, you need to be fully aware that it is expensive, time consuming and takes a lot of research and calculation.
Keep in mind that hamsters are actually omnivore, they have been found in the wild to eat a lot of insects or even small mammals! A herbivore diet would mean malnutrition and health problems.
Hamsters need a lot of variety, with more seeds and grains. These seeds, provide a lot of variety plus low in fat and sugar (barley..)
Be careful when you mix your own feed, you need to calculate the protein/fat/ fiber content, as they need around:
17 to 19% protein
4 to 7%% fat
6 to 15% fiber
You can even find a mixed diet GA calculator online. Remember that changing just one ingredient will change the whole calculation and the whole mix needs a rethink.
Your hamster mix will need to contain:
Seeds: grain, cereals then flower seeds
Legumes, like beans and peas
Dehydrated vegetables
Animal proteins
Herbs, good for mineral and properties
What is optional and should be only given in moderation are nuts (usually high in fat, so even if you have to abstain completely because of an allergy, your hamster won't be affected.
Also optional are dehydrated fruits, also in moderation because of their high sugar content.
Also add fresh fruit and fresh vegetable to their diet. In reasonable amount, increased sensibly, it won't give an upset stomach to your hamster.
There is no need to buy any supplements, all their need should come from their diet.
To Conclude
Hamsters are interesting creatures and make great pets for those who are willing to put in the effort to care for them. They require a lot of attention when it comes to their diet, as they need a variety of different nutrients in order to stay healthy. Peanuts in their shells are a good treat for hamsters!
For owners with peanut allergy, there's still a way. While it can be difficult to find food that is specifically designed for hamsters that doesn't contain peanuts, it is possible to make your own hamster food mix that is safe for them to eat. Just be sure to do your research and follow the guidelines for creating a healthy mix.