Can hamsters eat cheese?
Yes, but only a little: hamsters can eat cheese. Germany’s Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare (TVT) suggests low-fat quark and low-salt cottage cheese as animal protein. It recommends a fingernail-sized portion. The German Animal Welfare Federation also lists cheese, quark (a fresh cheese) and cream cheese. According to the TVT, hamsters tolerate lactose.
How to serve it: low in salt, a fingernail-sized portion (TVT)
Sources
- TVT Merkblatt Nr. 156: Heimtiere – Goldhamster (2025)
- Deutscher Tierschutzbund – Alles rund um Goldhamster
- Deutscher Tierschutzbund – Die Haltung von Goldhamstern (Broschüre)
- Schweizer Tierschutz STS – Merkblatt Goldhamster (2018)
Last checked: November 2026