Click to Skip Ahead
Although it is not considered beneficial or especially nutritional, rice is considered safe to feed your hamster. You can feed rice raw or cooked. Your hammy will likely prefer the grain uncooked and this will be easier for the rodent to store in his cheek pouches.
White rice is safe, but brown or wholegrain rice, which typically contain more vitamin B, are more nutritionally beneficial. Rice should be considered a treat and should not make up the bulk of your hamster’s diet. The majority of their intake should consist of high-quality hamster pellets, and the remainder should be fruit, vegetables, and other fresh foods.
Is Rice Safe for Hamsters?
Rice is a cereal grain. It is usually cooked by boiling but it may also be fried, or it may be ground into flour. Humans usually eat it in combination with other foods, and it may even be made into a dessert of rice pudding. It is considered an excellent source of carbohydrates, which are the body’s main fuel source, and brown rice is considered especially nutritious for human consumption.
Rice is not considered toxic for hamsters. It can be fed raw or cooked, safely, but you should take some precautions to ensure that it doesn’t make your hammy ill. Cooked rice should be plain (without salt, oil, or seasoning) and slightly cooled before serving, for easier digestion. If you are boiling or cooking the rice before feeding, you will want to ensure that it is properly cooked but that it isn’t too moist or sticky. If the grains are too moist, they will be more likely to get lodged in your hamster’s cheeks and pouches.
In most cases, it is better to simply feed the rice uncooked. Limit raw rice intake because it is difficult to digest and can expand after your hamster consumes it, which can be dangerous if they ingest large amounts.
Dwarf hamster species, such as Campbell’s and Winter White hamsters, are susceptible to blood sugar spikes and weight gain from high-carbohydrate foods. Due to their predisposition to diabetes and obesity, rice should only be given to these species in very small amounts and infrequently.
Health Benefits of Rice
Rice doesn’t provide significant nutritional value for hamsters; it’s mostly starch and lacks essential vitamins and minerals needed in their diet. As such, it should be viewed simply as a treat, and not as a nutritional addition to their diet. If your hammy likes the flavor, give them the occasional grain of rice.
With that said, brown and whole grain rice are considered to have greater nutritional value. They still have their husks, and the husks contain some vitamin B, fiber, and minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and iron, although the amounts are still not substantial enough to make rice an essential ingredient in a hamster’s diet.
How to Prepare Rice
The best way for your hamster to enjoy rice is raw and uncooked. Uncooked grains of rice will be easier for your hamster to store in its food pouch. It shouldn’t become stuck and will be easy to place into and retrieve from the pouch. However, this isn’t the only way to feed rice to your pet.
Rice can be boiled before feeding to your hamster, but care needs to be taken when preparing it in this way. Boiled rice can be sticky. This means that it can become stuck in your hamster’s food pouch. It can become compacted, and the rice can swell further, potentially causing restrictions and preventing breathing and swallowing. If it becomes stuck in his pouch, the rice can also start to rot and once it goes off, it can make your hammy ill.
A great way to add a small amount of rice to your hamster’s diet is to prepare natural and homemade treats. These are similar to the cereal and chew bars that you can get from the pet store, but because they are homemade you have control over the specific ingredients that are included.
Coat a 6-inch stick in mashed banana or unsweetened, pureed pumpkin. Roll it over seeds and include a few grains of rice. Let the stick sit for an hour so that the chosen binder (banana or pumpkin) can gather more of the ingredients, and then give it to your hamster. The treat is very simple to make, but your hamster will enjoy chewing on the stick and eating the seeds and rice.
What About Rice Krispies?
Rice Krispies are really just puffed and toasted rice. They do contain sugar but are still considered to be safe for hamster consumption. As with whole rice, you should only feed one or two Krispies, preventing your hamster from overeating. And, as ever, you need to ensure that you are not feeding anything toxic in the shape of processed food or additional treat ingredients, so feed the cereal rather than the cereal bar.
Rice Alternatives for Hamsters
Rice is a safe treat for hamsters, but it should be fed in moderation and not too frequently. It should not be a major part of your hamster’s diet. The vast majority of your pet’s diet should be made up of good quality hamster pellets. These contain all the vitamins and minerals that your hamster needs. The rest of their diet can include fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as seeds and some other ingredients.
Can Hamsters Eat Pasta?
Pasta, like rice, can be fed to your hamster, and you can feed it raw or cooked. You can also feed any variant of pasta as long as it is plain and does not contain harmful additional ingredients, like onion, garlic, oils, or sauces. You should ensure that it is cooked properly and is not too sticky. Remember to be especially cautious and mindful if your hamster is a Campbell’s, Winter White, Chinese, or hybrid Dwarf as they are genetically predisposed to diabetes.
Can I Give My Hamster Potato?
You should never feed raw potato to your hamster, but if you have a Syrian or Roborovski, you can feed a small amount of cooked potato. You can simply boil the potato or offer a little bit of mashed potato. Do not give fried potato in any form, which means no French fries. French fries may be made of potato, but they are not considered healthy or safe for hamsters. They are full of fat and while your hamster should be fine if they nibble on one, they should not be encouraged to eat this particular food type.
Conclusion
Rice is considered safe for hamsters. You can feed white, brown, or wholegrain rice, and it can be fed raw or cooked plain, although you should only feed a minimal amount and you need to ensure that it is not too sticky after cooking it. Include a few grains in a homemade chew stick, incorporate vegetables and seeds, but remember that these additional ingredients should only make up a small portion of your hamster’s daily diet as they are considered treats.
See Also:
Featured Image Credit: Pxhere
