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Hamster · Vegetables

Can hamsters eat peas?

Yes, in small amounts

Yes, in small amounts. Garden peas are safe for hamsters, but they are starchier and sweeter than leafy vegetables, so offer just one or two at a time.

Portion
One or two peas for a Syrian; one pea, or half, for a dwarf.
How often
Once or twice a week.
Dwarf hamsters
Campbell's, Winter White, their hybrids and Chinese hamsters are prone to diabetes. Keep peas to one pea once a week, and rely mainly on low-sugar vegetables such as cucumber, broccoli and bell pepper.
Sugar
5.7 g / 100 g

How to serve it

  1. Use fresh or frozen peas with nothing added
  2. Thaw frozen peas to room temperature
  3. Remove from tough pods
  4. Remove any uneaten piece, including from the hoard, within a few hours

Why

Risks. Peas are higher in starch and sugar than most vegetables, so large amounts add calories. Canned peas often contain added salt.

Benefits. Provide plant protein and fibre, and hamsters enjoy handling them.

Questions owners ask 2

Can hamsters eat dried or split peas?

Not raw. Vets warn against feeding raw dried beans and pulses, so stick to fresh or frozen garden peas.

Are canned or mushy peas OK?

No. They usually contain salt, and mushy peas may also have sugar or other additions.

Peas: nutrition per 100 g
Water78.9 g
Energy81 kcal
Sugars5.7 g
Fat0.4 g
Protein5.4 g
Fibre5.7 g
Calcium25 mg
Phosphorus108 mg
Calcium : phosphorus0.23 : 1
Sodium5 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)38 µg
Vitamin C40 mg

“Peas, green, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 170419). Public domain.

Sources & method 7

The sources below discuss peas 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.

  1. What to feed your hamster - safe foods, fruit, veg and a complete feeding guide — Woodgreen Pets Charity
  2. Hamsters as pets — PDSA
  3. Can Hamsters Eat Broccoli & What to Feed Your Hamster — Northgate Veterinary Clinic, Seattle
  4. Syrian Hamster Care Sheet — PetMD (written by Maria Zayas, DVM)
  5. Are Dwarf Hamsters Prone to Diabetes? Rodent Health Facts — ExoCare Veterinary Medical Centre (medically reviewed by Dr Asma Fariha)
  6. 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
  7. 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)

Other pets

Can budgies eat peas?YesCan cockatiels eat peas?Yes

More vegetables

Small amounts Carrot Yes Broccoli Yes Cucumber Better not Tomato Yes Bell pepper Better not Chili pepper Better not Celery Yes Cabbage Yes Cauliflower Yes Zucchini Small amounts Sweet potato Never Potato Yes Pumpkin Small amounts Corn Small amounts Green beans Never Onion Never Garlic Better not Mushroom Never Rhubarb

All 68 foods for hamsters →