Can Hamsters Eat Peanut Butter?

  • Author: Carl
  • Time to read: 4 min.

Peanut butter is a wonderful treat for hamsters and they absolutely love it, but you need to feed it to them carefully. It’s very sticky, which can cause problems if hamsters get it stuck to their cheek pouches. If you feed it to them carefully, it’s a good snack that contains vitamin B and vitamin E.

How Should I Feed Peanut Butter To A Hamster?

So, what does “feed it to them carefully” entail? Essentially, you need to make sure your hamster can’t end up with large blobs of peanut butter stuck to the inside of its mouth.

The best way to do this is to thinly smear a small amount of peanut butter on a hard surface, such as a piece of wood or the edge of your hamster’s ceramic bowl. The hamster can then lick this off a little at a time, and won’t risk getting large amounts gumming up their cheek pouches.


You shouldn’t give your hamster a blob of peanut butter at any point. They will struggle to get it in their mouths, and could possibly choke or end up with their cheeks stuck together. This might make it hard for them to eat other foods.

Being careful will allow you to feed your hamster a treat they really love without risking their well-being.

How Often Can I Feed My Hamster Peanut Butter?

The answer is rarely. While peanut butter won’t hurt your hamster, it should be used as a high-reward treat, not as an everyday food. It isn’t a fruit or vegetable, so shouldn’t make up a major part of your hamster’s diet.

You can use peanut butter in games to stimulate your hamster’s mind. For example, smear a little bit on the inside of a cardboard tube or in a difficult-to-reach place, and watch your pet sniff around, trying to work out how to get it. Keeping peanut butter as a rare treat will make this game all the more fun for you both!

Will My Hamster Like Peanut Butter?

Many hamsters really love peanut butter, and view it as a great snack. However, that’s absolutely no guarantee that your particular hamster will enjoy it.

Hamsters have very unique tastes, and what one hamster loves, another will totally ignore. Even if your hamster loves peanuts, there’s no guarantee that they will go for peanut butter.

The best way to find out if your hamster likes peanut butter is to offer it a very small amount. If your hamster seems keen, wait a few days to check that the peanut butter doesn’t cause any digestive problems, and then feel free to offer a little more.

What Kind Of Peanut Butter Should I Get?

If you’re choosing between different kinds of peanut butter in the store, you might start weighing up which is best for your little friend to enjoy with you. Most types of peanut butter should be okay, but it’s best to choose ones that are 100% peanut.

Peanut butter that contains other ingredients, such as added sugar, oils, or preservatives might not agree with your hamster’s digestive system, and could make it ill. You also don’t really want to add sugar to your hamster’s diet unnecessarily, as they are prone to diabetes.

Getting peanut butter that is 100% peanut will reassure you that you’re only feeding your pet the equivalent of a nut – just in a different form.

hamster bedding

As to whether you should buy chunky or smooth, either should be fine, but if you have a particularly small type of hamster, you may find that they manage the smooth peanut butter more easily. Smooth is also easier to spread thinly on a suitable surface.

How Much Peanut Butter Is Okay?

A small amount, given infrequently. You really don’t want to be feeding your hamster large amounts of peanut butter, or incorporating it in their diet on a regular basis. It could make your hamster sick, and it is also quite a fatty food, which might lead to obesity and the associated health problems.

If you want to feed your hamster peanut butter, aim for a little dab now and again, rather than making it part of your pet’s meal plan.

What Are The Alternatives?

If you’re going to feed your hamster 100% peanut butter, you may feel that peanuts are an easier alternative. These won’t have the potential to gum up their cheeks, and will probably appeal just as much as peanut butter does.

Offer your hamster a peanut now and again if you don’t want to feed them peanut butter; they will probably enjoy it, and this may be an easier way to share this lovely food with your fluffy buddy.