Hamster · Grains, seeds & nuts
Can hamsters eat pumpkin seeds?
Yes, in small amounts. A plain, unsalted pumpkin seed is fine as a treat, but like other seeds it is high in fat, so keep it to one now and then.
- Portion
- 1 seed for a Syrian; half a shelled (green) seed for a dwarf.
- How often
- Once or twice a week
- Dwarf hamsters
- For dwarfs, and especially tiny Roborovskis, offer only a small piece of a shelled seed, and not every week.
- Sugar
- 1.4 g / 100 g
- Fat
- 49.1 g / 100 g
How to serve it
- Use raw or plain dry-roasted seeds with no salt, oil, sugar or spice
- Rinse and dry seeds from a fresh pumpkin before offering
- For small hamsters, use shelled green seeds broken into pieces
Why
Risks. Pumpkin seeds are high in fat, so regular handfuls contribute to obesity. Salted, spiced or sugar-coated seeds are unsuitable. Whole seeds are large for the smallest dwarfs to pouch.
Benefits. Contains protein, zinc and fibre (in the hull), and a seed in its shell gives some gnawing and foraging work.
Questions owners ask 2
Can hamsters eat seeds from a carved pumpkin?
Yes, if the pumpkin was fresh, unpainted and not left out to go mouldy. Rinse and dry the seeds, and offer one plain seed occasionally.
Can hamsters eat roasted pumpkin seeds?
Only if they are roasted plain, without oil, salt or seasoning. Most shop-bought roasted pumpkin seeds are salted, so check the label.
Pumpkin seeds: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 5.2 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 559 kcal |
| Sugars | 1.4 g |
| Fat | 49.1 g |
| Protein | 30.2 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Calcium | 46 mg |
| Phosphorus | 1,233 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.04 : 1 |
| Sodium | 7 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 1 µg |
| Vitamin C | 1.9 mg |
“Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 170556). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
No source we found covers pumpkin seeds for hamsters specifically, so this verdict is reasoned from general feeding guidance and nutrition data. Confidence: medium. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Rodents: Feeding — VCA Animal Hospitals (Gregory Rich, DVM; Laurie Hess, DVM; Rick Axelson, DVM)
- Owning a Pet Hamster — VCA Animal Hospitals (Gregory Rich, DVM; Laurie Hess, DVM; Rick Axelson, DVM)
- Providing a Home for a Hamster — Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version)
- Husbandry and Medical Care of Hamsters — Veterinary Partner (VIN)
