Hamster lifespan

Hamsters make wonderful pets, especially for children, but the downside to having these furry friends as playmates is that they have quite a short life expectancy. Most pet hamsters only tend to live between 1. Hamster lifespan wild hamsters can live for longer. The European hamster, for example, can live for up to 8 years, hamster lifespan.

Hamsters can make great family pets—as long as you keep a few things in mind. At birth, they are blind and deaf with no fur. At five days, they start to grow fur. At two weeks, they open their eyes. Generally, hamsters stay with their mothers until they are 21 to 28 days old. Hamsters reach sexual maturity at approximately weeks of age. Ideally, they should not be bred until they are at least weeks of age or weigh between grams.

Hamster lifespan

Hamsters are small, stocky rodents that can make excellent pets if given appropriate care and veterinary treatment. The average hamster lifespan is relatively short, around years, but they can live up to 5 years. Hamsters are typically nocturnal animals that like to burrow and hoard food. The most common hamster species is the Syrian, also known as the golden hamster. Syrian hamsters can have short or long hair known as the teddy bear variety. The Dwarf hamster is also a common pet variety. Hamster housing should provide at least a gallon cage, with at least square inches of solid not wire floor space, but bigger is always better. Wire cages, aquariums, and plastic habitats can be used as long as they provide a safe, escape-proof home for your hamster—hamsters are escape artists! Housing must be well-ventilated to allow fresh air; this prevents buildup of odor from urine, feces, and spoiled food. Hamsters, with few exceptions, should always be housed alone, as they can be fiercely territorial and cause a great deal of damage to each other through fighting. Preferred bedding materials include Carefresh , grass hay , and Yesterday's News. It is also acceptable to use plain white unscented toilet paper or paper towels on a temporary basis.

To avoid your hamster getting ill from germs or bacteria, clean their cage regularly. The average age at death across all hamsters was 21 months 1, hamster lifespan.

Seems like a simple answer, right? Not all hamsters were created equal. The life expectancy may differ from species to species. These are only averages, but you'll notice that the lifespan of a hamster is a lot lower than that of other pets. The oldest hamster in the Guinness Book of World Records made it to a stunning 4. Did you know that? Of course you can ensure that your rodent leads a fulfilled, healthy and relatively long life.

By Eddie Chevrel. Updated on November 19, If you start to look into how long hamsters live, you will actually find a lot of conflicting answers. Some people claim that the average is closer to just one year, while others claim their hamsters live up to five or even six years. However, the average for most hamster breeds is somewhere between 2 and 3 years, with a couple of breeds having slightly longer lifespans. The breed with the longest average life span is the Roborovski Dwarf hamster, and the breed with the shortest is the Chinese dwarf. Even knowing their average life span, your hamster could surprise you.

Hamster lifespan

A hamster lifespan ranges from 1. The average lifespan of a Syrian hamster ranges from 1. The data in the table above should be considered maximum averages because the true average lifespan of a hamster has been shown by a user on the hamsterhideout forum to be just 1. This true average was obtained via a survey carried out on the forum on a total of hamsters all species. The survey was last updated in March and concluded that the average lifespan was around 19 months approx 1. The Roborovski hamster lives the longest with an average lifespan in captivity of 26 months and a typical lifespan of 19 to 40 months, according to ADW.

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Young children who lack fine motor control and self-restraint may inadvertently drop a hamster, squeeze them, or scare them into biting. Average life expectancy per species. To begin handling a new or young hamster, start by offering small, high-value treats. Trainer explains why you shouldn't play fetch with your dog, and we definitely didn't see this one coming. Lifespan for Different Hamster Species Above, you have read about various ways to help your hamster live the longest life possible. Hamster coats should be brushed regularly, especially long-haired breeds. Brown, Susan. Preferred bedding materials include Carefresh , grass hay , and Yesterday's News. If the tubes are attached to the walls, make sure they are secure so your hamster does not suffer a fall and injure themselves. As a result, they are generally poorly suited as pets for small children. Often purchased by parents as short-commitment pets, hamsters are brought to the vets less frequently than other companion animals such as cats and dogs. Hamsters enjoy:.

Like any small pet, hamsters do have a relatively short average life span.

Always approach your hamster slowly, make sure they are awake, alert and make eye contact before picking them up. Veterinary Partner. Hamsters typically keep themselves clean and do not require additional bathing with soap and water, unless instructed to do so by your vet. You're thinking about adopting a hamster, but wondering how old your pet could live to be. The general age for a hamster to live is 2. She also has over 5 years experience working with vets, wildlife experts and animal behaviourists in her comms roles for various animal charities. However, it can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to their unborn child and can produce severe illness in people with compromised immune systems. Further education of vets is encouraged to enable better understanding of the welfare and treatment of hamsters under veterinary care in the UK. Social Links Navigation. Hamsters tend to urinate and defecate in one corner of the cage, so any soiled bedding material should be removed and replaced with a clean cloth daily. The pups are born deaf, blind and hairless. These genetics help them to live longer lives than other hamsters. Other common ailments that affect hamsters include:. Housing must be well-ventilated to allow fresh air; this prevents buildup of odor from urine, feces, and spoiled food.