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No, we would not give a hamster potato. Raw potato contains solanine, a natural toxin. Woodgreen lists potato, including raw and green potato, as unsafe for hamsters, and Burgess says potatoes are poisonous to rodents. Chips, crisps and mash add salt and fat on top, so they are a no too.
| Safe? | No |
| How much | None |
| How often | Never |
| Best served | Not at all. Offer carrot or pumpkin instead |
| Watch out for | Raw, green or sprouting potato, peel, chips and crisps |
Why can't hamsters eat potatoes?
Because raw potato contains solanine. The Vet Desk, whose hamster pages are reviewed by a vet, says raw potatoes contain solanine, which is considered toxic for hamsters and other pets. Woodgreen lists potato on its unsafe list, naming raw and green potato in particular, and Burgess puts potatoes alongside onions and garlic as poisonous to rodents.
Potatoes are also starchy and offer a hamster nothing it does not get more safely from its dry food and a few safe vegetables.
What about cooked potato?
Here the sources differ. The Vet Desk says a small amount of plain boiled or steamed potato, about a quarter of a teaspoon every couple of weeks, is an acceptable treat, and that babies, older hamsters and hamsters with diabetes or weight problems should not have it. Woodgreen and Burgess make no such exception. We follow the careful line: no potato in any form. A wrong yes can hurt a small animal, and there are plenty of safe treats.
What if your hamster has already eaten some?
- Remove the rest. Take away any potato you can find, including pieces stashed in the nest.
- Work out what it was. Note whether it was raw or cooked, green or sprouting, and roughly how much. A crumb of plain cooked potato is far less worrying than raw or green potato.
- Ring your vet for raw or green potato. Tell them what and how much. They will say whether to bring your hamster in.
- Watch for signs. Over the next 24 hours look for diarrhoea, a wet bottom, drooling, weakness, wobbliness, hiding or not eating.
- Go straight to a vet if you see them. Do not wait to see if it passes. Small animals go downhill fast.
Keep potato peelings and sprouting potatoes well away from free-roaming hamsters and from compost bins near the cage. Woodgreen names raw and green potato as unsafe, and that is what peelings and old potatoes are.
Chips, crisps, mash and skins
- Chips (fries) and crisps: no. They are fried and salted. See our page on chips.
- Mashed and roast potato: no. They come with butter, milk, oil or salt, and The Vet Desk says potato should never be seasoned with anything.
- Raw potato and peel: no. This is where solanine is.
- Potato in hamster treats: leave it on the shelf. Pick plain treats made for hamsters.
- Sweet potato: a different plant. See our sweet potato page.
What to offer instead
If you want a root vegetable, a small piece of carrot is a safe weekly treat, and the PDSA lists parsnip and pumpkin as suitable. See our pumpkin page. The full list is on what can hamsters eat, the daily plan is in our hamster diet guide, and our hamster care guide covers everything else.
Potato questions
Can hamsters eat cooked potato?
We would not give it. The Vet Desk says a quarter of a teaspoon of plain boiled potato every couple of weeks is acceptable, but Woodgreen lists potato as a food to avoid and Burgess calls potatoes poisonous to rodents. A plain cooked crumb is unlikely to cause harm, but there are many safer treats.
My hamster ate raw potato. What should I do?
Remove the rest and note roughly how much was eaten and whether it was green or sprouting. Ring your vet for advice, especially if it was more than a crumb or the potato was green. Watch for diarrhoea, drooling, weakness, wobbliness or not eating, and go to the vet straight away if you see them.
Can hamsters eat potato skins?
No. Raw peel is where green patches and sprouts appear, and Woodgreen lists raw and green potato as unsafe. Cooked skins for people are usually salted, oiled or fried. Leave all potato skin out of your hamster's food.
Is sweet potato the same as potato for hamsters?
No. Sweet potato comes from a different plant and has different rules, so it has its own page. Do not assume that because one is or is not safe, the other is the same. Read our sweet potato page before you offer any.
