Nibbly

Can hamsters eat apples?

Yes, now and then, and always without the pips. Apple flesh is safe, but the pips are toxic and the core is best avoided. Give a raisin-sized piece once or twice a week, washed, with or without the skin. Like all fruit it is sugary: little for a dwarf hamster.

By Nibbly · Updated 28 October 2026

Two Nibbly hamsters, a white one and a cinnamon one, sniffing noses.

How much apple, and how often

  • Amount: a raisin-sized piece.
  • How often: once or twice a week; for a dwarf, once.
  • How: raw, washed, with no pips, core or stalk.
  • Never: apple sauce, juice, sweetened baked apple or the pips.

Why no pips

Apple pips contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide when chewed. For an animal of 30 or 40 grams, just a few are dangerous. Take out the core too, which is tough and holds the pips. The flesh gives water and fibre, but it is sugary: keep it as a treat.

Cinnamon Russian dwarf hamster eating from its bowl full of seed mix in Nibbly.

Food in Nibbly

In Nibbly you choose what goes in the bowl: seed mix, which keeps their weight, veggies, light and with a little water, or sunflower seeds, which they love but which are fattening. Overfed hamsters get chubby, and treats from your hand help you earn their trust. Everything they eat is in the feeding guide.

Adopt your hamsters in Nibbly

Frequently asked questions

Can hamsters eat apple skin?

Yes. Wash it well to remove any traces of treatments; the skin has fibre and does no harm.

What if my hamster ate an apple pip?

One alone rarely causes problems, but keep an eye on it. If it is listless, breathes oddly or stops eating, take it to an exotic-pet vet.

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