Honey is one of the healthiest foods for humans on the planet, but what about hamsters? Fortunately, hamsters can also enjoy the health benefits of this nature’s gift. However, this doesn’t mean you can feed loads of honey to your hamster every day. However, honey is nutritious for hamsters but only in tiny amounts.
Should You Feed Honey To Your Hamster?
Yes, feeding honey to your hamster is not a bad idea at all. The only thing you need to understand is that a tablespoon of honey contains 17 grams of sugar. Now, this is a lot of sugar to handle for the tiny sensitive stomachs of your hamster. Therefore, you should feed honey to your beloved pet in a controlled amount.
By restricting the frequency and amount of feeding honey to your hammy, they will be able to unlock its maximum nutrition.
Benefits Of Feeding Honey To Hamsters
Before we discuss the risks of feeding honey to your hamster, let’s have a look at the benefits of honey for hamsters:
- When compared to artificial and even natural sweeteners, honey has a higher nutritional value.
- As we all know, honey is extracted from plants. Therefore, it is packed with several essential vitamins. This natural sweetener contains traces of rare vitamins like vitamin B2 and B3, which improves the overall health of your hamster.
- Honey is a very rich source of antioxidants that purify the blood and act as natural anti-aging agents.
- Honey can be especially beneficial during the winter season. It gives your hamster protection against cold due to its anti-viral properties.
- Traces of calcium found in honey strengthen your furry friend’s bones and teeth.
- With age, hamsters commonly face high blood pressure issues. Honey contains magnesium that helps in lowering your hamster’s blood pressure.
These were some salient benefits of feeding honey to your hamster. After learning this information, it is natural to think about making honey a regular element of your hamster’s diet but is it really a wise idea? Let’s see in the next segment of the post.
Are There Any Risks Of Feeding Honey?
Sorry to break the bubble for you, but “yes,” there are also risks involved in feeding honey to hamsters. First of all, honey contains a lot of sugar. Hamsters’ stomachs are too sensitive and tiny to handle large amounts of sugar.
These little critters are highly prone to obesity and diabetes. Therefore, controlling the amount of sugar in their diet is very crucial. Moreover, a high amount of minerals found in honey can become hazardous above a certain level. Overfeeding can also lead to heart problems in hamsters.
Another risk involved in feeding honey is related to the texture of this super-food. As honey is thick, it can stick in your hamster’s mouth and throat, resulting in choking which could be fatal.
How To Safely Feed Honey To Hamsters?
Now, this is the most important part. Before feeding honey to your hamster, mix it in water or milk first. This will dilute the honey and eliminate the risk of choking. Moreover, you can also feed honey by adding it to the regular diet of your hamster. This makes honey harmless and your pet’s diet more delicious.
What Amount Of Honey Is Suitable?
The next most important thing is the amount of honey you feed to your hamster. One tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories and around 17 grams of sugar which is a lot for a hamster. Therefore, in the case of Syrian hamsters, which are relatively bigger in size, only offer half a tablespoon of honey at once.
When it comes to Robo and dwarf hamsters, a quarter tablespoon of honey is adequate. What about the frequency of feeding honey to your hamster? Well, see, honey can’t be added to the regular diet of your hamster. Experts recommend only feeding honey once a month to your hamster to avoid risks.
FAQs
Look for honey that comes without any kind of additives. Additives are often added to the honey to enhance its flavor. However, these can be dangerous for your hamster’s health.
Overfeeding of honey leads to obesity in hamsters which is the mother of numerous fatal diseases. Additionally, honey can also lead to heart failure when fed too often.
Honey And Hamsters Wrapped Up
In today’s post, we discussed the relationship of hamsters with honey. We found that, indeed, honey could be very beneficial for your pet. However, this strictly depends upon how you serve this nature’s delicacy. It is recommended to feed tiny amounts of honey to your hamster and not too frequently to avoid health problems.
