Making your hamster home as natural as possible is something we see more and more. And it’s not surprising that people want to add plants to the enclosure. But one thing is for sure: Your hamster will gnaw on the plants. But you want to make sure that they are safe and non-toxic. What about stinging nettle? Can a hamster eat nettle?
About the hamster
Hamsters are small rodents and entertaining pets to have. They are adorable and relatively easy to keep. Increasingly popular is hamster scaping. This involves making the hamster’s enclosure as natural as possible. Your hamster should have plenty of room to dig and find many hiding places. This way, you can be sure that your hamster is happy. And it looks great too.
Can a Hamster eat nettles?
It is safe to eat nettles. However, it would be best to dry the nettles first to ensure that the leaves won’t hurt your Hamster. It would help if you also were very careful about where you get the nettles. Also, note that nettles should not be used the regular food.
Where to get the nettles?
Don’t just trust nettles that grow somewhere in the wild because you never know exactly what happened to them. You could, however, get nettles from your garden or that of an acquaintance of yours. You can then dry the nettles yourself and put them in your hamster’s enclosure later. You could also buy dried nettles, but make sure nothing untoward has happened to them.
How much can your Hamster eat?
Nettle is not necessary for a hamster’s diet. Think of it this way: you will probably use the nettle leaves mainly for decoration. If your hamster eats some of this, there’s nothing to worry about. But don’t go giving it as food. Then hamster food, supplemented with healthy snacks, is a better choice.
See our feeding guide
Want to know what else a hamster can eat? And what’s dangerous? Then check out our complete feeding guide for hamsters.