Hamster · Protein & dairy
Can hamsters eat cheese?
Better not. Cheese is high in fat and salt, and dairy can upset digestion. One vet hospital lists it as a treat, but safer protein treats such as boiled egg are available.
- Sugar
- 0.5 g / 100 g
- Fat
- 33.3 g / 100 g
If your hamster already ate some
A crumb of plain cheese is not an emergency. Remove any leftovers, make sure your hamster has water, and watch for diarrhoea or a wet, dirty bottom over the next day or two. Contact a vet promptly if diarrhoea develops, as it can become serious quickly in hamsters.
How to serve it
- Offer a small piece of hard-boiled egg, plain cooked chicken or a mealworm instead
- Keep cheese snacks out of reach during free-roam time
Why
Risks. Most cheeses are high in fat and salt. Pets generally have little lactase, the enzyme that digests milk sugar, so dairy can cause diarrhoea or other digestive upset. Soft cheese can also smear inside the cheek pouches and spoils quickly if hoarded.
Benefits. Cheese contains protein and calcium, but a pelleted hamster food already supplies these.
Questions owners ask 2
Can hamsters eat a little cheese?
A crumb will not poison a hamster, and one veterinary hospital lists cheese among possible treats. Because of its fat, salt and lactose, we suggest boiled egg, cooked chicken or mealworms instead.
Is low-fat cheese or cottage cheese better?
Lower-fat cheese reduces one problem, but it still contains lactose and often salt. It is still not a useful food for hamsters.
Cheese: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 36.8 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 403 kcal |
| Sugars | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 33.3 g |
| Protein | 22.9 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Calcium | 710 mg |
| Phosphorus | 455 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 1.56 : 1 |
| Sodium | 653 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 337 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
“Cheese, cheddar (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 173414). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss cheese for hamsters (or for pet rodents generally). Confidence: medium. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Hamster Information and Care Recommendations — MedVet
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- What Can Hamsters Eat? — PetMD (written by Angelina Childree, LVT; reviewed by Melissa Witherell, DVM)
- Hamster Care — UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
