If you ever asked yourself “Can hamsters eat cashews?”, I promise you, you were not alone in that. People wonder about the same thing all the time!
The answer is not that easy to give, to be perfectly honest. It depends on what kind of cashew you want to give to your hamster.
Plain, unsalted cashew is completely safe! Some experiments have shown that cashews can be rather tasty treats for your tiny furry pets. The results were, so to say, more than satisfying!
To understand better how to give your hamster cashews, what cashews are the best for your hamster, and so on – continue reading our article for the full scoop!
Cashew – A Treat Or Something More?
At first, many vets were against feeding your hamster cashews because they weren’t sure of the effects of cashews on these tiny rodents. Now, every vet will surely say that you can feed cashews to your hamster, but that you should be careful nonetheless.
There are even some speculations about how cashews are great for your hamster. However, cashews are very high in the fat count, so they are simply not the best food to eat on the regular.
When it comes to cashews and your tiny pet, it’s best to consider them treats. If your hamster seems to love eating cashews, you can give them some for special occasions or as treats.
Do note that there are many things you need to remember about cashews and your hamster. The rules we will discuss below are principal for keeping your pet safe eating cashews.
Try to give the hamster a small amount before you start giving them yummy nuts on the regular!
How To Serve Cashews To Your Hamster?
Well, to start – it’s not easy, and not every cashew out there is the perfect cashew for your tiny rodent. So, let’s start!
First of all, try to stick to plain, unsalted cashews. Salted, spicy, or cashews with any natural or artificial flavors could be too dangerous for your hamster. Don’t be fooled, it could be lethal for your hamster!
Besides that, don’t be worried about serving cashews in large bits. That is no worry for your pet because they have strong teeth that can easily cut up cashew.
Another thing about choosing cashews is that you should stick to roasted cashews, rather than fried. Fried cashews are too high in fat, and as we all know, hamsters have delicate bodies and stomachs.
On the other hand, always refrain from serving your hamster raw cashews. Raw cashews are extremely toxic and they can harm your hamster more than you think!
Since we already discussed that this should be exclusively a treat for your hamster, you should give it to your hamster like a treat. So, hold your hamster or simply be very near to them.
Giving out treats to your hamster isn’t simply a treat – it’s a great way to strengthen your friendship with your pet and improve the socialization of your hamster. If this is the first time giving your hamster cashew, give them one cashew to see if your hamster likes cashew in the first place. At all times, you should remove the shell if there is one because we aren’t sure if the shell can be dangerous for our small pets.
There is no point in trying to give your hamster cashew again if he or she seems to hate cashews. However, look at your pet once you give them cashew – if they place it in their cheek pouch, it might not be the best idea to give cashews out as treats.
Another important thing about serving cashews is that you should wash the nuts thoroughly before you do give them as a treat. Washing the cashews gets rid of chemicals like pesticides that can hurt your hamster.
These pesticides are generally safe for humans, but hamsters are far more delicate than us. Also, you can add cashews to their daily treat schedule.
Other notable treats for your hamster can be pumpkin seeds, carrots, cabbage – and many other fruit and veggies!
How Many Cashews Can Hamsters Eat & How Often?
To answer that, we must talk about the breed of your hamster.
For Syrian and Robowski hamsters, you can easily serve them one whole cashew as a treat. Make sure that you don’t feed them cashew more than once a week, though.
However, Campbell’s dwarf hamsters, winter whites, and Chinese hamsters shouldn’t eat that much cashew. For them, you should stick to half a cashew, once every ten days to two weeks.
What Else Should I Keep In Mind When Feeding My Hamster Cashews?
You should always keep track of all the snacks you’re feeding to your furry baby – each week. If you opt for cashews as treats for every week, it means that you should skip other nuts as treats.
When making a treats plan, you should aim to provide a whole array of nutrients to your hammy, instead of feeding them the same treats every week. All that, provided you feed your hamster with good commercial food, will make sure that your pet gets all the nutrients they need to live long and healthy.
Also, when you do decide to feed your hamster with some cashews, you should aim to introduce the cashews first. That doesn’t mean that the cashews should be chopped – if it’s too small, it could be a choking hazard for your hammy. Instead, feed the hamster from your hand and see how they like it.
If your pet seems to like the cashew, they will take the whole nut from your hand and eat it slowly. As you start introducing cashews into their diet, be careful to see how your hamster reacts to it. If you notice that your hammy acts unusual or lethargic after eating cashews, discontinue the use.
What Are The Benefits Of Feeding Your Hamster Cashew?
This question is not as easy to answer as you may think. Cashews may be a great treat for your furry rodent, as long as they are fed cashew in moderation. Too much cashew doesn’t offer enough health benefits and is considered a bad idea in general.
Cashews are full of good nutrients like vitamin B, vitamin K, vitamin E, and good amounts of iron and magnesium. So, vitamin B is beneficial to hamsters because it has a good impact on the brain, it improves energy levels and cell metabolism.
Moreover, vitamin K is beneficial for hamsters because it strengthens the bones. Vitamin E is great because it has a positive impact on the hamster’s immune system, maintaining eye health – preventing blurry vision or loss of eyesight.
Other important nutrients in cashews are iron and magnesium, which have a positive impact on their health as well. Iron is important because it boosts the hemoglobin in the blood and it promotes a good immune system. On the other hand, magnesium is important for the heart health of your dear hamster.
What Are The Risks Of Hamsters Eating Cashews?
There are a few risks associated with hamsters eating cashews. The first and the largest concern would have to be the level of fat in cashews.
Hamsters are rather tiny, and they have a delicate digestive system, meaning they cannot digest large meals rich in fat. Because of that, you need to be careful about the number of cashews you feed to your pet.
Hamsters are very delicate, meaning they can develop various diseases like obesity and diabetes. Diabetes and obesity are medical conditions that bring along so many other health issues. Because of all that, you should always keep the number of cashews down to a minimum when feeding your hamster treats.
Also, feeding your hamster too many cashews can cause your hamster to become malnourished. Eating cashews can make your hamster feel full, making them refuse any other, more nutritious food – which is precisely the reason why you need to be careful.
Can Hamsters Eat Cashews? – Bottom Line
To conclude, hamsters can eat cashews – and they can enjoy cashews as treats very much. Of course, that doesn’t mean that hamsters can eat every cashew out there!
Hamsters can only eat plain, unsalted, roasted cashews – and nothing else will suffice. Fried cashews may seem like a great idea, but they are rich in fats, and if your hamster is already a little chubby, they should skip the cashews with extra fat.
Of course, do note that the rule of one cashew per week doesn’t apply to all hamsters. If your hamster is a winter white, they can eat less cashew! All in all, be careful and take care of your hammy!
Read Also: Can Hamsters Eat Nuts?
