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Is it okay for hamsters to eat wild mulberries or other fruits?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Unknown - Small Animal | Female | 1lb

Can my hamster eat the wild mulberry I picked? It's been washed and there shouldn't be any pesticides.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM

Veterinarian

Published on June 24th, 2018

Mulberries do not have any toxic potential, however I would not recommend feeding them to Bear. The reason for this is that hamsters are not as well equipped to process fruits as rats or mice are. They have a gastrointestinal tract that is a cross between a horse and a cow. This means that they need more fibrous foods than a cow would need (that is the horse part), but that they do fermentation in their forestomach (that is the cow part). Due to that, their food is often more of a fiber-type of base than a rat or mouse would be (they have a gastrointestinal tract that is more similar to a dog, and can handle fruits and higher protein than a hamster). I am not sure what type of food, or brand, that you are feeding currently, but one of my favorites is Oxbow. They make a food that is great for hamsters, and fulfills all of their nutritional needs. This can then be supplemented with treats that consist of vegetables (bell peppers, green beans, tomato, squash). I would not recommend feeding any fruit, or sugary treats.
I hope that helps, and thank you for your question!

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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