Honey is a sweet viscous substance made by bees and is certainly delicious but can hamsters eat honey? Since it is extremely sweet you are probably worried that it can cause some adverse effects for your pet and we are here to tell you everything you need to know about honey and hamsters.
The sweet food we call honey is made by bees using the nectar taken from flowers and even if some other insects make something similar to this we usually refer to the one created by bees when we look for honey. It has been foraged by humans for at least 8,000 years but hamsters couldn’t eat this when they are in the wild so it isn’t a typical food for them.
Nutritional Value
One tablespoon of about 15 ml provides 64 calories so that means 1272 kj for 100g. This means that we are dealing with a lot of calories here and the nutritional value it provides is almost insignificant. There are trace amounts of some things that are good for a hamster, such as iron and vitamins B2 and B3 but they are in very low quantities.
Honey contains some calcium, phosphorus and sodium too and these are bad for a hamster but they are also in small quantities so aren’t really significant. The main problem with it though is definitely the huge amount of sugar it contains and this can cause a lot of problems.
Generally speaking it doesn’t contain something that will directly harm your pet but giving a hamster so much sugar will mean that you are increasing their chance of getting diabetes and at the same time you won’t provide them with the needed nutrients so we strongly advise against this.
If you really want to give some honey o your hamster it is important to keep the quantity as low as possible and maybe when they could use some energy boost.
Other Problems
The texture of honey makes it really sticky and this means that it won’t take a hamster long to make a mess with it. It can get stuck into their mouth and is very difficult to swallow so if you need to give them some honey it is better to dilute it in milk or water.
Too much sugar means that the hamster will face not only weight problems but it is also harmful for their teeth and in some cases for the stomach too. They have a sensitive stomach and honey could give them diarrhea or make them vomit.
If you want to give something sweet or a treat for your small buddy then we recommend that you stick to safe fruits such as apples or bananas as those will be much less harmful and will also provide them with some needed nutrients.
Short Answer:
Honey isn’t toxic to hamsters but it is very bad for them due to the very high content of sugar so it is better to choose healthier options for treats.
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