What kind of flowers are safe to keep in a home with a hamster?

[aFunnyThingHappened]

[crossposted from my post on r/hamsters, just covering all bases]

As in, if I decide on a whim to buy myself a bouquet of flowers in a vase to liven up my apartment. My hamster enclosure is in the living room where the flowers would be, but I know some plants are dangerous to have around, say, cats (NEVER keep lilies, even cut ones, in a home with a cat, even the pollen that falls off of the flowers can cause cats to go into kidney failure if it gets on their fur and is groomed off by the cat), but I can't find a (reliable, in this age of gen-A.I) list for hamsters like the ones the ASPCA has for cats, dogs, and horses.

I'm not too too worried about the aroma of the flowers bothering him, seeing as the cheap grocery store bouquets I get never have a scent to them. But I'm worried about things like lingering pollen getting into the air and through the wire mesh of Laundry Hamper's enclosure and potentially poisoning him if that's a thing that happens to hamsters.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Cut flowers may be treated with pesticides and herbicides so it's a good practice to prevent any petals or leaves from falling into the enclosure

 

[Maz]

Interesting question Apart from roses and sunflowers, many flowers will be toxic to eat - but that wouldn't be the issue as you'd be careful to pick up any petals off the floor if the hamster was out.

But pollens could potentially be an issue. I personally would avoid anything with sticky pollens in a room with a hamster maybe - like lilies or tulips as when the dry out the pollen can fall like dust and if in the air could potentially get wafted to a hamster cage.

I think most flowers would be fine otherwise. I've had a bouquet of flowers in the same room as the hamsters before. Usual mixed type with roses, chrysanthemums and various types in. We have daffodils in the same room every spring, plus bluebells and snowdrops sometimes.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, but yes maybe avoid Lilies.

 

[aFunnyThingHappened]

Cut flowers may be treated with pesticides and herbicides so it's a good practice to prevent any petals or leaves from falling into the enclosure

Luckily his enclosure has a finely woven wire mesh top so that'll keep anything bigger than pollen out. It's the potential pollen that worries me most tho

Interesting question Apart from roses and sunflowers, many flowers will be toxic to eat - but that wouldn't be the issue as you'd be careful to pick up any petals off the floor if the hamster was out.

But pollens could potentially be an issue. I personally would avoid anything with sticky pollens in a room with a hamster maybe - like lilies or tulips as when the dry out the pollen can fall like dust and if in the air could potentially get wafted to a hamster cage.

I think most flowers would be fine otherwise. I've had a bouquet of flowers in the same room as the hamsters before. Usual mixed type with roses, chrysanthemums and various types in. We have daffodils in the same room every spring, plus bluebells and snowdrops sometimes.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, but yes maybe avoid Lilies.

Oh good about roses and sunflowers, those are the two I'm most likely to buy (roses are cheapest, but if the sunflowers are on sale I'll snag those up immediately), but I also like daisy bouquets and I'm unsure about those

 

[Maz]

Daisy bouquets could be a mix of all kinds of flowers, dahlias, carnations, chrysanthemums and various smaller types. Think supermarket bouquets Roses are a safe option. One reason I used to prefer roses was due to pollens affecting me. Rose pollen doesn't float in the air - it stays in the flower and is transmitted via insects. Dried sunflowers are actually available to give to hamsters in cages, petals as well as seeds. As are dried rose petals. And marigolds (English) and cornflowers. Carnations don't give off pollen really. Dahlias and chrysanthemums could nearby.

I don't think it would be a problem generally if there was some distance between the flowers and the hamster cage but I wouldn't put a vase of flowers on top of the hamster cage! So maybe just avoid lilies and tulips.

Most of the risk with flowers is for dogs and cats who can brush past them, eat them or drink the water.

 

[Maz]

If concerned generally then avoid daisy types as well, although carnations are ok. I used to avoid bouquets with daisy types in in case the pollen set me off but it never did strangely. Maybe shop bought flowers have less of it.

There's a list here of "hypoallergenic" flowers - ie those that don't release pollen in the house.

Roses, peonies, orchids, irises (I think most bulb grown plants are ok as they generally don't need pollinating), hydrangeas, snapdragons, begonias.

I wouldn't worry too much about pollens though - hamsters can also have dried chamomile flowers, which are daisy family, although obviously dried flowers won't be giving off pollen like living ones. Main thing is not have them too close to the cage.

Hypoallergenic Flowers: 8 Low Pollen Flower Types

Looking for allergy-friendly blooms? Discover the best hypoallergenic flowers for spring to enjoy seasonal beauty without sneezing.

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