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Hamster · Fruit

Can hamsters eat kiwi?

Yes, in small amounts

Yes, in small amounts. Peeled kiwi flesh is not known to be harmful to hamsters, but it is sweet and quite acidic, so offer only a small piece occasionally.

Portion
A piece about 5 mm-1 cm (¼-⅜ in) across for a Syrian; about 5 mm (¼ in) for a dwarf.
How often
Once a week at most.
Dwarf hamsters
Campbell's, Winter White, their hybrids and Chinese hamsters are prone to diabetes. Give kiwi only rarely, as a 5 mm (¼ in) taste no more than once every two weeks, or skip fruit and use a low-sugar vegetable such as cucumber as a treat. Roborovskis are less studied, but they are tiny, so keep their portions just as small.
Sugar
9 g / 100 g

How to serve it

  1. Peel off the fuzzy skin
  2. Cut a small piece of ripe flesh
  3. Offer a first taste and watch for soft droppings
  4. Remove any uneaten piece, including from the hoard, within a few hours

Why

Risks. Kiwi is acidic and contains an enzyme (actinidin) that can irritate the mouth in some people, so it may bother some hamsters. It is also sugary.

Benefits. Adds variety; hamsters make their own vitamin C, so they do not need kiwi for it.

Questions owners ask 1

Can hamsters eat kiwi skin?

It is best to peel it. The fuzzy skin is tough and may carry residues.

Kiwi: nutrition per 100 g

Water83.1 g
Energy61 kcal
Sugars9 g
Fat0.5 g
Protein1.1 g
Fibre3 g
Calcium34 mg
Phosphorus34 mg
Calcium : phosphorus1 : 1
Sodium3 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)4 µg
Vitamin C92.7 mg

“Kiwifruit, green, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 168153). Public domain.

Sources & method 6

No source we found covers kiwi for hamsters specifically, so this verdict is reasoned from general feeding guidance and nutrition data. Confidence: low. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.

  1. Dwarf Hamster Care Sheet — PetMD (written by Maria Zayas, DVM; reviewed by Melissa Witherell, DVM)
  2. Syrian Hamster Care Sheet — PetMD (written by Maria Zayas, DVM)
  3. Rodents: Feeding — VCA Animal Hospitals (Gregory Rich, DVM; Laurie Hess, DVM; Rick Axelson, DVM)
  4. Are Dwarf Hamsters Prone to Diabetes? Rodent Health Facts — ExoCare Veterinary Medical Centre (medically reviewed by Dr Asma Fariha)
  5. The Chinese hamster as a model for the study of diabetes mellitus (Gerritsen GC, Diabetes 1982;31 Suppl 1:14-23) — Diabetes (American Diabetes Association) - PubMed record
  6. Fine structural studies of the islets of Langerhans in the Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) (Voss KM, Herberg L, Kern HF, Cell Tissue Res 1978) — Cell and Tissue Research (Springer)

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