Hamster life expectancy

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. Surprisingly wild hamsters can live for longer. The Hamster life expectancy hamster, for example, can live for up to 8 years, hamster life expectancy.

Published: 23 Jun Last Updated: 23 Jun The average lifespan of pet hamsters was 1. Hamsters are popular pets worldwide, often being the first pet that a child will own as their own. Despite this popularity, there has been very little research into the health issues of these beloved rodents kept as pets to date. 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. These factors have made it harder to get good data on their overall health until now. Previously, owners and vets largely had to rely on personal experience, small research studies and anecdotal reports.

Hamster life expectancy

How long does a hamster live? The life expectancy of a hamster can vary according to breed, habitat and lifestyle. Are you willing to breed a hamster, but before you get too attached to him, you want to know how long he can live? There are 19 species of hamster in the world, but only 4 or 5 can be adopted as pets. A hamster will stay healthy and live longer if he is fed healthy and suitable food. Seeds and plant food, such as soya, spelt, millet and sunflower seeds, carrots, apples, celery, zucchini, lettuce, pears. Breed and genetic predisposition can affect the lifespan of a hamster. The size of the species is crucial, because the smaller the species, the shorter his lifespan. In nature, hamsters have a more active lifestyle, which is very good for their health, but at the same time they face many dangers, primarily predators. A pet hamster has a cage with all the comforts, food provided every day, and is more serene because it does not have to worry about predators. This ensures greater longevity. This includes plenty of room to move around, soft bedding for digging, a wheel and tubes to exercise , a feeder and drinking bottle.

Suckow, M. Diets made of primarily seeds may cause nutritional deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Chinese hamster: 1.

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.

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.

Hamster life expectancy

Usually a hamster will live for about years at most. This is the average lifespan, and there are many examples that have outlived 3 years, or never reached a year. The average lifespan varies for each hamster breed. The longest lived hamster breed is the Roborovski Dwarf up to 4 years , while the shortest is the Chinese Dwarf a little under 2 years. Of course, there are hamsters who can outlive the average, like cases of Syrian hammies living for years in captivity. Still, there are some very crucial factors influencing how long and even how well your hamster friend is going to live.

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Life Expectancies for 10 Popular Unique Pets. Hamsters are nocturnal , with large eyes and a retina dominated by rods - the part of the eye that can function in lower light. Do keep your pet indoors out of direct sunlight, in a room with a steady temperature and no draughts. A hamster will stay healthy and live longer if he is fed healthy and suitable food. The average lifespan of pet hamsters was 1. Diets made of primarily seeds may cause nutritional deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. These factors have made it harder to get good data on their overall health until now. How long can a hamster live? Top of page. You can find even more about looking after your pet hamster in our guide to how to take care of your hamster. Weekly Health Check You should health check your hamster each time you handled him so that you learn what is normal for your little one. It is advisable to speak to a vet before getting any pet, to make sure it is the right animal for all who will be responsible for it and to consider other species which may be a better fit for the owner or family. Amyloidosis protein deposits in the organs. These results can contribute to an improved understanding of common diseases in pet hamster species and will help veterinary professionals guide owners in the care of their pet hamsters and appropriate euthanasia decisions.

Hamsters are endearing little pets, but their sadly short lifespans compared to cats and dogs often deter potential owners. Just how long do these pocket-sized rodents live? The average hamster lifespan runs between years generally but varies across popular hamster types kept as pets.

It is important that many complete cages on the market come with a wheel suitable only for a juvenile hamster — a larger wheel will be needed. You can give hamsters very small amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, but no more than twice a week. This can make them nervous, cause them to nip or run away. The more space your hamster has to move around, the more they will exercise and play, which is good for longevity. Males and females are also separated at this stage as breeding is more successful after 10 weeks. Hamster Care Sheet. Yes, being nibbled can hurt a lot but with gentle handling to begin with and time hamsters can become fabulous little furries who will sit in your hand, enjoy a stroke and thrive in your company. Hamsters also need plenty of space to move around. Other species, such as the Russian dwarf, naturally live in groups. Find out everything you need to know about keeping hamsters as pets in our series of handy guides to hamsters, including their:. They may appear to be asleep or even dead.