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Yes, hamsters can eat pumpkin. The PDSA and the Bunnyjackpot Foundation both list pumpkin as a safe vegetable. Give a piece of plain flesh about the size of your hamster's ear a few times a week, raw or cooked with nothing added. A plain pumpkin seed or two is a treat many hamsters love. Skip pie filling, spiced pumpkin and anything salted.
| Safe? | Yes, as a small, rotated part of their fresh food |
| How much | A piece the size of your hamster's ear, about 1 cm (0.4 in) |
| How often | Two or three times a week, rotated with other vegetables |
| Best served | Raw or plain cooked and cooled, washed, in small pieces |
| Watch out for | Diarrhoea, salted or spiced pumpkin, old carved pumpkins |
Is pumpkin safe for hamsters?
Yes. The PDSA lists pumpkin and squash among its suitable vegetables for hamsters, and the Bunnyjackpot Foundation, a UK small-pet rescue, includes squash and pumpkin in its vegetable list and pumpkin seeds in its list of other foods. A vet-reviewed guide from The Vet Desk agrees it is safe raw or cooked.
Pumpkin is mostly water with a little fibre, calcium and potassium. It is not a superfood for hamsters, and The Vet Desk notes its fibre is too low to meet their needs on its own, but it is a safe, mild vegetable to rotate into their fresh food. The Vet Desk stresses moderation because pumpkin carries some natural sugar, so it is a few-times-a-week extra rather than a daily staple.
How much pumpkin can a hamster have?
The PDSA's guide for all fresh food is a teaspoon or two a day, and Bunnyjackpot's rule is a portion the size of your hamster's ear. For a Syrian, that is a cube of about 1 cm (0.4 in), two or three times a week, with other vegetables on the other days. For a dwarf, about half that.
Pumpkin is watery, and The Vet Desk warns that diarrhoea is an emergency in hamsters because they lose fluid fast. Start with a small taste the first time.
How to prepare pumpkin for a hamster
- Wash it. Scrub the outside to remove soil and residue.
- Cut a small piece of flesh. Raw is The Vet Desk's first choice. The skin is safe, but it is tough, so we cut it off for small hamsters.
- If cooking, keep it plain. Boil or steam with no salt, butter or spice, drain and cool to room temperature.
- Clear leftovers. The Vet Desk says to remove pumpkin left in the cage within about 4 hours.
Seeds, skin, tinned pumpkin and pie
- Raw or plain cooked flesh: yes.
- Skin: safe, but tough; trim it for dwarfs.
- Plain pumpkin seeds: yes, one or two at a time. They are fatty.
- Salted, oiled or flavoured seeds: no.
- Tinned pumpkin: we would use fresh; it is wet and sticky.
- Pumpkin pie, pie filling, spiced lattes and soup: no. Sugar, spices, dairy and often onion.
Pumpkin, butternut squash and courgette (zucchini) all belong to the same plant family. A little of each through the week gives your hamster variety without any new risks.
What to offer instead
For more orange vegetables, plain sweet potato and a sliver of carrot work well. Courgette is pumpkin's mild cousin. Our list of what hamsters can eat, our hamster diet guide and our hamster care guide cover the rest.
Pumpkin questions
Can hamsters eat pumpkin seeds?
Yes, plain ones. The Bunnyjackpot Foundation lists pumpkin seeds among foods hamsters can have, and The Vet Desk says many hamsters love them. Seeds are fatty, so give one or two at a time, not a handful. Never give salted, roasted-in-oil or flavoured seeds from a snack packet.
Can hamsters eat tinned pumpkin?
Can hamsters eat a Halloween pumpkin?
Only if it is freshly cut and clean. Once a carved pumpkin has sat out, especially with a candle inside, the flesh can go off, gather damp growth or pick up wax and soot. Cut a piece from a fresh pumpkin or squash instead, wash it, and serve it plain.
Can dwarf hamsters eat pumpkin?
Yes, in a smaller piece. Pumpkin is a vegetable and lower in sugar than fruit, and the PDSA lists it as suitable for hamsters. Because dwarf hamsters such as Campbell's and winter whites are prone to diabetes, give a dwarf about half a Syrian's piece and mix it with leafy greens through the week.
