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Yes, hamsters can eat pak choi (bok choy). It is a safe, low-sugar leafy green that suits Syrian and dwarf hamsters alike. Offer a piece of washed leaf about the size of a teaspoon a few times a week, as part of the small daily portion of fresh food the PDSA recommends, and swap it around with other greens so it is not the only one.
| Safe? | Yes, a good everyday green in small amounts |
| How much | A teaspoon-sized piece of leaf for a Syrian, half that for a dwarf |
| How often | Two or three times a week, rotated with other greens |
| Best served | Raw, washed, patted dry, leaf and a little stalk |
| Watch out for | Loose droppings, wilted or slimy leaves, hoarded leftovers |
Is pak choi (bok choy) safe for hamsters?
Yes. The Bunnyjackpot Foundation, a UK small-pet rescue, lists bok choy as a safe vegetable for hamsters. It belongs to the same cabbage family as cabbage, kale and broccoli, which the PDSA, Woodgreen and Jollyes all list as safe for hamsters. Hamsters are omnivores that eat a dry mix as their main food, with fresh vegetables as a small extra, and a leafy green with very little sugar is exactly the kind of extra the charities have in mind.
Unlike fruit, pak choi has almost no sugar, so it is a good fresh food for dwarf hamsters, which the PDSA warns are prone to diabetes.
How much bok choy can a hamster have?
Give a Syrian a piece of leaf about the size of a teaspoon, and a dwarf (Campbell's, winter white, Roborovski or Chinese) about half that. Two or three times a week is a good rhythm. The PDSA says fruit, vegetables and herbs together should add up to only a teaspoon or two a day, and Burgess warns that too much green food can cause diarrhoea, so keep pak choi to its share.
How to prepare it
- Pick a fresh leaf. Choose a crisp, green leaf with no yellow, wilted or slimy patches.
- Wash it well. Rinse under cold water to remove soil and spray residue, then pat dry with kitchen roll, since very wet leaves are more likely to upset a small stomach.
- Cut a small piece. Tear off a teaspoon-sized piece, with a little of the white stalk if you like.
- Introduce it slowly. The first time, give half a portion and watch droppings for 48 hours, as you would with any new vegetable.
- Clear leftovers. Remove any uneaten leaf, and check the nest, by the next day so it does not spoil.
Leaves, stalks, baby and cooked pak choi
- Leaves: the best part, softer and richer in nutrients.
- Stalks: fine, but they hold more water, so keep stalk pieces small.
- Baby pak choi: same food, just smaller and more tender.
- Plain cooked: not dangerous if unseasoned and cooled, but raw is best.
- Stir-fried or in a sauce: no. It usually has oil, soy sauce, garlic or onion, which hamsters should not have.
Rotate greens through the week: pak choi one day, a little romaine another, cucumber another. Variety spreads the nutrients and stops a fussy hamster fixing on one food.
Who should go easy?
Young hamsters that have only just come home, or any hamster with loose droppings, should not have new greens yet. If your hamster gets a wet or dirty bottom, stop all fresh food and ring your vet: the RSPCA says to talk to a vet immediately if droppings turn moist.
Other greens to try
Good partners for pak choi are romaine lettuce, a slice of cucumber and an occasional piece of carrot. See our list of what hamsters can eat, our hamster diet guide for daily amounts, and our hamster care guide for everything else.
Pak choi questions
Can dwarf hamsters eat bok choy?
Yes. Pak choi (bok choy) is low in sugar, so it is one of the better fresh foods for Campbell's and winter white dwarfs, which are prone to diabetes. Give a piece about half the size of a teaspoon two or three times a week, washed and patted dry.
Is bok choy the same as pak choi?
Yes. Bok choy is the usual name in the US and pak choi is more common in the UK. Both are the same leafy Chinese cabbage, and so is the smaller baby pak choi sold in supermarkets. All are safe for hamsters in the same small amounts.
Can hamsters eat bok choy every day?
A tiny piece every day is unlikely to harm a healthy hamster, but rotating it with other greens is better. Too much green food can cause diarrhoea, according to Burgess, and variety gives a wider spread of nutrients. Two or three times a week keeps it safe and interesting.
Can hamsters eat cooked bok choy?
Plain, unseasoned cooked pak choi is not dangerous, but raw is better and keeps more of its goodness. Stir-fried pak choi is a no, because it is usually made with oil, soy sauce, garlic or onion, and Burgess lists onion and garlic as poisonous to rodents.
