Healthy Treats for Pet Hamsters

Hamsters are one of the most popular pets for small kids. They're small, short lived, easy to care for, and can be quite friendly when socialized. They don't require much to keep them healthy and happy, but when it comes to treats, you want to keep a few things in mind.

1. Keep it healthy.
2. Keep it minimal.

You want to keep treats to being no more than 10% of the regular diet, as many treats can be fatty, which can cause a number of health concerns, to include obesity. Plus, too many treats can cause diarrhea.

What you want to do is find healthy treats that your hamster likes. In a lot of cases, you won't find healthy treats for hamsters at the pet store, but at the grocery store.

When it comes to picking out treats for your hamster, the easiest place to start is the pet store. Consider that some of these treats aren't very good, but like chips and cookies for humans, when eating occasionally, they'll be fine. Just limit giving your hamster the more fatty treats.

Consider yogurt treats, seed sticks, and the 'Healthy Toppings' dried fruits.

Otherwise, you may want to consider purchasing fresh produce or dried fruits from the grocery store. Generally, you'll get more for your buck. I've found many great treats for hamsters in the baby isle, as they have plenty of dried fruits and snacks that are healthy.

Otherwise, fresh fruits and veggies are great to consider as well. Just make sure that you limit them, as they can give your hamster diarrhea, which can easily dehydrate him/her.

Below, you'll find a list of good treats for hamsters, as well as many options for treats you can buy at the pet store.

Fresh fruits and veggies:

Strawberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

Prunes

Plums

Melon

Apples

Applesauce

Bananas

Grapes

Celery

Broccoli

Squash

Cucumber

Zucchini

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Peas

Beans

There are many types of yogurt treats for hamsters available. My personal favorite are the Kaytee yogurt treats. You can find them in blueberry and strawberry flavors.

The 8in1 brand yogurt treats are ok, as well. They come in a few flavors, such as fruit and cheese. I would stick with the fruit flavors, instead of the cheese.

The yogurt treats are typically favorites among hamsters, but one or two a day should be plenty for your hamster to munch on.

Yogurt can be a nice treat to provide your hamster on occasion, but you want to be very selective, as it can be packed with sugars. Try getting the no sugar, low fat plain vanilla yogurt. Just make sure to only offer it occasionally.

The Kaytee brand treats for hamsters and small animals are probably my favorite among the other brands. My hamsters and small animal pets have always seemed to love the variety and flavor that KayTee provides over the other brands of treats.

They are healthy, and tend to come in the perfect flavors that pets love.

The dried treats have definitely been favorites among my hamsters, rats, and chinchillas. The 'Healthy Topping' treats by KayTee come in a variety of flavors to include

• Pumpkin
• Mixed fruits
• Carrot tops
• Papaya

If your hamster loves these snacks, remember that they're healthy for him, but still keep it limited, as you never want to overdo giving too many treats.

A healthy hamster is a happy one, so please remember to keep treats to no more than 10% of your hamster's regular diet.