As you know, there are different types of hamster hay available in the market. But you don’t know, Can Hamsters Can Eat Hay, or Do Hamsters Need Hay?
So, in today’s post, you will know whether hamsters can eat hay or not, and which hay is most suitable for hamsters.
Let’s go deep in this query…
Can Hamsters Eat Hay? Relation between Hay and Hamsters
There is no simple answer to this question, as some hamsters can eat hay and some cannot.
If you also keep a hamster, you must have noticed that sometimes hamsters will be seen eating hay.
But they don’t eat hay.
Hamsters tend to gnaw on pieces of hay due to their gnawing nature.
Among small animals, it is fair to say that 🐁 guinea pigs or 🐇 rabbits can eat hay because it provides them with minerals and fiber.
But a hamster doesn’t need to eat hay.
If you bring home a baby hamster and raise them without hay, they will not have any problems.
But on the contrary, if you provide them with hay, they can use it to chew, grind their teeth, or hide in it.
So, in simple words, most hamsters don't eat hay. They just use hay for gnawing, hiding, or digging in.
You should read this proper guide: Do Hamsters Eat Apples?
Can Hamsters Need Hay?
If you have a hamster as a pet, then you know that hay is an important thing for hamsters to make their litter.
There are many other options except hay, like paper pieces, wooden shavings, and towels.
But for all of these, hay is the best option for making hammies bedding comfortable and natural habitat.
Your hamster uses that hay differently, like:
- To build a nest
- To digging holes
- To chewing
Is Hay Safe for Hamsters?
Yes, hay is safe for hamsters, but you have to take care to change their bedding regularly. Otherwise, grass can prove harmful to your hamster.
There are many types of hay available in the market, but not all types of hay are safe for hamsters.
Hay Products that are meant for goats, horses, rabbits, or guinea pigs may not be safe for your little furry hamster.
You can’t make bedding for them with this type of hay.
So, whenever you buy hay from the market for hamsters, you should buy orchard hay, alfalfa, or some herbaceous plant hay.
Below we discussed it in detail, continue reading…
Is Hay the Best Option for Making Hamster Bedding
It is often the hamster’s nature to make its beds, dig burrows, and make nests.
So, if you provide them with something other than hay, they can’t do all these things with it.
Due to this, hay is a suitable option for hamsters.
But if you use wood shavings instead of hay in the bedding, it may not be as comfortable as hay.
There are many types of hay available on the market, but ‘how do you know which hay will be a good choice for your hamster’s bedding?’
For this, we have collected information about hay by doing research.
You can use one of these hays for your hamster, which would be a good choice.
Before buying the best hay, you need to know how to choose good hay.
Whenever you choose hay, keep a few things in mind.
- Hay don’t be too solid.
- There should not be any sharp sticks in the hay.
- Should not be made of Wood Shavings.
- A dried version of the hamster’s favorite herb in hay should be fine.
- Hay should be made of plants that hamsters like.
- Straw should not be used for bedding the hamster.
Let’s now, know about some good types of hay for hamsters.
If you have a question about can hamster eat bananas read this Can Hamsters Eat Bananas?
#1. Alfalfa Hay for Hamsters
Alfalfa hay can be a good bedding substitute for your hamster. You can use this hay in different ways for your pet.
Alfalfa hay is sweet with rich elements like calcium and protein.
Even if your little friend eats this hay, it will not cause any harm to him.
So alfalfa hay can be a good choice for your furry friend.
You can check it on Amazon Store.
#2. Orchard Grass for Hamsters
Because most hamsters are often seen chewing wood, so you can use Orchard Grass as bedding for your hamster.
It is sweet and full of high nutritional elements.
It contains a high amount of fiber and a low amount of protein, which does not have any bad effect on the health of your little furry friend.
Your hamster can use this hay for nest building, digging, and chewing without any harm to it.
You can check it on Amazon Store.
#3. Timothy Hay for Hamsters
Timothy hay is a healthy litter option for your hamster. It is growing naturally without using pesticides.
This hay is specially grown for small pets. In timothy hay, fiber has a high-value content.
This hay helps maintain the proper health of teeth and is also important for maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal system.
You can check it on Amazon Store.
Can you make hay at home?
If you want to provide fresh and tasty hay, full of nutrition, and herbs, you can use some flowering plants like Marigolds, Wheat, Daisies, Clover, and Chamomile.
These plants are good for your hamster, for making litter or chewing.
Let’s say you want to make hay for your hamster from a marigold plant. So for this, you will need some marigold plants.
Hay can be made very easily from the marigold plant.
But it takes some time to make premium quality hay at home for your hamster.
- First of all, bring marigold plants from the market. If these plants are planted in your garden then it will become more comfortable for you.
- Now keep these plants in the sun and dry them thoroughly.
- When the plants dry, chop them with a chopper machine and cut them into small pieces.
- With the help of a sieve, separate the fine powder and separate the solid and large pieces present in the hay.
In this way, your hay will be ready. But it will take some hard work.
While making hay at home, it is essential to separate the long and hard pieces from the hay.
If these straws are present in the hay, your hamster may be injured by these pieces.
This happens because the hamster’s cheeks are soft and if they chew on these hard straws, these straws can tear their skin.
Can hamsters survive without Hay?
Yes, hamsters can survive without hay.
Even if you don’t feed hay to your hamster for the rest of his life, it won’t make any difference to him.
Rabbits and guinea pigs require a constant supply of hay.
Hammies are omnivorous and have adapted to finding and eating all types of food, including fruits, seeds, plants, and insects.
However, they love it when you provide hay in the cage as bedding for the hamster.
But if you provide something other than hay, such as paper pellets, wood shavings, or even homemade bedding made from paper towels or toilet paper, they enjoy it quite a bit.
If hay is available in their cage, they can use it to gnaw, build a nest, or hide in the hay.
Final Thoughts
So, now you learned that can hamsters eat hay or need hay.
Hay is the best option for your hammie to give them comfortable surroundings like a jungle.
If you provide your furry friend hay litter in their cage, they can use that hay for making the nest, chewing, or digging in it.
