Drag to turn · tap your pet

Hamster · Vegetables

Can hamsters eat potatoes?

No — never feed

No. Vets and UK charities advise against potatoes for hamsters. Raw, green or sprouted potatoes and the peel contain solanine, and cooked potato is starchy with no benefit.

Sugar: 0.8 g / 100 g

If your hamster already ate some

If your hamster ate raw, green or sprouted potato, peel or any part of the plant, call your vet for advice. A crumb of plain cooked potato is unlikely to cause problems, but watch for diarrhoea, a wet or dirty tail area, or reduced appetite over the next day or two, and contact a vet promptly if these appear.

Emergency steps →

Why

Risks. Potatoes belong to the nightshade family; green or sprouting potatoes, the peel and the plant contain solanine, a glycoalkaloid that can cause severe digestive upset, weakness and a slow heart rate. Cooked potato is less risky but starchy, calorie-dense and unnecessary.

Questions owners ask 2

Can hamsters eat mashed potato, chips or crisps?

No. As well as the potato, these contain butter, milk, oil or salt, which are unsuitable for hamsters.

What about sweet potato?

Sweet potato is a different plant. It can be offered plain and cooked in small amounts.

Potatoes: nutrition per 100 g

Water	79.3 g
Energy	77 kcal
Sugars	0.8 g
Fat	0.1 g
Protein	2.1 g
Fibre	2.1 g
Calcium	12 mg
Phosphorus	57 mg
Calcium : phosphorus	0.21 : 1
Sodium	6 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	0 µg
Vitamin C	19.7 mg

“Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 170026). Public domain.

Sources & method 5

The sources below discuss potatoes for hamsters (or for pet rodents generally). Confidence: high. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.

Syrian Hamster Care Sheet — PetMD (written by Maria Zayas, DVM)
Dwarf Hamster Care Sheet — PetMD (written by Maria Zayas, DVM; reviewed by Melissa Witherell, DVM)
What to feed your hamster - safe foods, fruit, veg and a complete feeding guide — Woodgreen Pets Charity
Hamster Nutrition — Dogwood Animal Hospital, Lawrenceville, Georgia
Tomato Plant (toxic and non-toxic plants list) — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

Other pets

Can budgies eat potatoes?Small amounts Can cockatiels eat potatoes?Small amounts