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Can hamsters eat grass? Hamsters are popular pet animals that immediately make you fall in love with them. Becoming a hamster parent is a great responsibility as you have to ensure that these tiny delicate creatures are fed and cared for properly.
Regarding grasses, most pets are perfect grazers and love to eat lush green velvety grass. But can we say the same thing about hamsters?
Can Hamsters eat grass? The answer is yes! Hamsters can eat green leafy food with great relish. However, you cannot keep them in the yard for hours to blindly chew the grass.
There are some considerations that you need to follow while feeding your hamsters. Keep reading the blog to learn more about hamsters and grasses.
Health Benefits Of Grass For Hamsters
Can hamsters eat grass? We eat to get nutrients from our diet; likewise, hamsters’ food should also give them the energy to perform their vital activities. Grass offers numerous health benefits for hamsters as long as it is collected from the proper source. Some of their benefits include:
- Elimination of Free Radicals
One of the biggest advantages is that grasses have loads of antioxidants that help to eliminate the free radicals which cause oxidative stress in the body of your hamster friend.
- Reduction of Cholesterol
Cholesterol is not safe for humans or animals. Though it’s naturally present in the body, high cholesterol levels lead to cardiovascular diseases or even stroke. Grasses help hamsters to retain their cholesterol in low ranges.
- Control Blood Sugar
Grasses are normally deficient in high sugar levels. This makes them a perfect food for hamsters as a very high level of sugar cause them to die. Apart from this, some other harmful effects include frequent bowel movements, extreme thirst, and lethargy.
The Correct Way To Feed Grass To Hamsters
Grasses offer lots of potential benefits to your furry friend when appropriately fed. Follow the tips given below to learn the correct way of serving grasses to them.
- Choose fresh and organic grass.
- Fermented grass is not meant for a hamster as it leads to an upset stomach.
- Cut the grass from the yard and make sure that the grass should free of chemicals.
- Always use a scissor to cut the grass. Never use a lawnmower for cutting purposes because its heat might cause the grass to ferment.
- Thoroughly wash the grass to remove dirt, bugs, or other stuff.
- The grass is now ready to serve your little pal. You can also mix it with some veggies to make it tastier.
Do You Know?
Hamsters can eat a variety of foods, we have researched lots of them. Check out this One: Can Hamsters Eat Coconut?
Precautions About Grass Collection
Can hamsters eat grass? Of course, yes! But from where can you get the grass? One of the safe options is to buy from a pet store. However, if you want to collect the grass by yourself, then keep in mind the following considerations:
- Do not collect grass that grows alongside the roads because car fumes might pollute the grass.
- Do not ever feed your hammy with grass that is processed with pesticides or herbicides.
- Please do not bring the grass from an area where other livestock visit daily because it might be contaminated with animal feces.
- Avoid grass infected with mold, fungus, or mildews.
- Check for ticks or fleas that your buddy might get from outside.
Risks Of Grass For Hamsters
Can hamsters eat grass? Surely they can. The grass is healthy food for your pet, but what if they overeat it? There are some risks associated with consuming too many grasses. Let’s find out what they are:
- Contaminations
Contamination is one of the biggest issues in feeding grasses. The grass in your yard might look fresh and healthy but can contaminate with dangerous chemicals such as weed killers, insecticides, and other pollutants. Greater consumption of such chemicals might cause life-threatening events in hamsters.
- High Cellulose Content
Grasses primarily contain a large amount of cellulose. The tiny hamster’s stomach cannot digest the high cellulose content in the grass, leading to digestive problems, including diarrhea, vomiting, gas, and severe constipation.
Are Grass Seeds, Clover, And Roots Safe For Hamsters?
Hamsters can eat grasses, but is it safe to feed your pal with grass seeds, clover, and roots?
- Hamsters cannot eat grass seeds as their high-fat content make hammy obese and diabetic.
- Grass clover is fine for a hamster but only from an organic source. Offer moderate quantities of clover to them as it contains too much calcium.
- Avoid grassroots as they are not nutritionally essential.
Wrapping Up
Can hamsters eat grasses? They can, but only when it comes from a new organic source and should be free of chemicals.
Keep in mind the precautions to collect it from the proper source. Avoid overfeeding the grass because its high cellulose content harms your delicate friend’s health.