the best hamster treats in 2018

Are you looking for the Best Hamster Treats for your furry friend? Congratulations! You’ve found the most comprehensive and detailed guide on the web.

We have looked at all types of hamster treat that are both suitable for Dwarf & Syrian hamsters. As well as both homemade & commercially available treats.

Hamsters deserve love and affection just like any other pet, and as such, they deserve a tasty treat every so often. Treats should be given sparingly and as part of an overall healthy diet to ensure maximum health and long life for your pet.

Giving your hamster a treat can help them to trust you and develop a bond between you and your pet. Your hammy will soon learn your presence means only good things and will make an effort to greet you at the cage bars.

Do not want to stay long? Check out our treat comparison table below!

Hamster TreatFeatures
Oxbow Simple Rewards - All Natural. Real Apple & Banana. Made From High Fiber Timothy Hay.
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F.M.Brown's Fruit and Nut Small Animal Treat - Loaded with Real Fruits, Nuts & Veggies. Full of Fibre. Variety.
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Milk Bone - Hard texture helps to keep teeth trim. 12 vitamins and minerals.
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Kaytee Mealworms - Dwarf Hamsters Favourite. High protein treat. High energy
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Is it safe to give my hamster treats?

It is perfectly safe to give your hamster a treat every so often, however, as with most things – moderation is key. You should give your hamster tasty treats but only as part of an overall healthy diet.

Something is gratifying about watching our beloved pets enjoying a treat. It can be funny to watch them horde it away in their pouches and scurry away to the nesting area as well.

As with most things – please exercise common sense. Do not feed too many treats in a short space of time and avoid sticky substances as they can become stuck in a hamsters’ pouch and cause health problems.

Hamster food and treats

Hamster treats should be healthy as well as delicious for your pet – Fruits and Vegetables offer an excellent DIY approach to providing a tasty treat without spending money on commercially available hamster treats. Do not give too much fresh food as it can cause stomach upset in your pet.

    • Whole unsalted shelled seeds
    • Sweet or Baked Potatoes (No Skin)
    • Unsalted Nuts (Avoid Almonds)
    • Crickets
    • Sunflower Seeds
    • Cooked Lentils and Pulses
    • Booked Brown Rice
    • Hard Boiled Eggs
    • Meal Worms (Dwarf Hamsters LOVE these!)
    • Dog Biscuits
    • Corn-Free/Yeast-Free Bread

Dwarf Hamster Treats vs. Syrian Hamster Treats

Here we will cover the differences between treating a Syrian and the Dwarf varieties of a hamster. Should you treat a Roborovksi hamster the same as a Syrian Hamster?

Dwarf Hamsters and Syrian Hamsters have slightly different nutritional needs, and also they have different tastes. Generally speaking, both have very similar diets, but there are a couple of issues to be aware.

Some Dwarf Hamsters are susceptible to diabetes. It is best to side with caution on this issue and give non-sugary treats/food to your dwarf hamsters. Dwarfs also need a smaller amount of food so commercial treats aimed at Syrian hamsters may be too large for them. If this is the case, you can snap them in half for a more appropriate dwarf-sized treat.

Mealworms are the number one favorite for Dwarf Hamsters. They adore them, but they should be given sparingly as they contain a lot of fat. Mealworms are available commercially but are you might need to check the bird-feeding section of the pet store or online.


Syrian hamsters are particularly fond with sunflower seeds. It can be amusing to watch them crack open the shell and nibble away at the contents. That’s if they decide to eat it immediately rather than pouch it away and scurry back to the nest.

Hamster yogurt treats

Generally, we do not recommend yogurt treats for hamsters as most brands are full of sugar and very unhealthy however they can be given sparingly on occasion. Do not give more than a two raisin size portion of yogurt treats at a time. If you are handy in the kitchen, healthy Yogurt treats are easy to bake at home.

Stick Treats / Chews for Hamsters

A relatively common type of treat found in pet stores is stick treats. They are attached to the cage permanently and act as a stationary piece of furniture that the hamster can nibble on.

The advantage to these chews is that the hamster gets an opportunity to wear down their teeth. Hamsters teeth are continually growing, and they need to be kept trim.

Be warned – Lots of stick treats are indeed “sticky” and primarily contain honey which is very unhealthy for hamsters especially if they have access to a seemingly unlimited source of it. Placing a sizeable sticky treat in a hamsters cage brings the risk of your pet opting to eat only the treat and leave their regular food.

Long haired Syrian hamsters are prone to getting sticky food stuck in their fur, and it needs to be cut off.

Can You Give a Hamster Dog Treats?

Food formulated for other animals should not be a mainstay feed for hamsters. Other animals have different nutritional needs to other small pets such as gerbils, mice, and rabbits.

You can give a hamster dog treats, especially milk bones. They are not only a tasty treat, but they give your hamster something to chew and wear down their teeth. Wooden chew toys do an excellent job at keeping teeth trim, but not all hamsters are interested in gnawing on something that does taste good.

hamster dog bone

Hamsters teeth are always growing and if they do not have something to chew on you run the risk of their teeth becoming overgrown and is uncomfortable and a health risk to your pet.

When shopping for dog treats for your hamster, aim for the simple/blandest ones you can find. Dog biscuits with onion or garlic it should be avoided as they can be dangerous for your pet. You should give your hammy very hard / Milk-Bone types as the chewy ones give little teeth trimming benefit.

As dogs are so much bigger than hamsters, their treats are enormous compared to Hamsters. One dog treat should last them for many weeks. When there is a milk bone in the cage, take note of your hamsters eating habits. If you notice they are ignoring their regular food and just eating the milk bone, you should take it away.

Dog treats should be a supplement to a hamsters’ regular diet, not a replacement.