What Is The Lifespan Of Hamsters? How To Live Longer -

Last updated on January 22nd, 2023 at 07:35 pm

Hamsters are cute and fun pets, many people like to keep them and play with them, but first, we need to know how long hamsters live.

They have a very short lifespan, but with proper care and regular nutrition with nutrients, we can expect playing with them to last as long as possible.

What is the lifespan of hamsters?

Hamsters live on average 2-3 years, some more, some less, but that is the actual life span of their lives. The lifespan of hamsters is short due to their biological system and the rapid consumption of their cells and organs. The lifespan of hamsters can be extended with proper nutrition, less stress and more attention to the conditions in the environment surrounding them.

We all want our pets to live longer, but their cells, tissues and organisms age much faster than other pets and animals.

Hamsters often suffer from diseases, because they are gentle pets, but with proper nutrition, you can be sure that the hamsters will live as long as possible.

In today’s article, we will consider how long the lifespan of hamsters is and how to help them live as long as possible.

Table of Contents show

What is the lifespan of hamsters?

The average lifespan of hamsters is 2-3 years.

The lifespan of hamsters depends on their diet and lifestyle. The healthier they are, you can expect them to live longer; it’s the same for us humans.

Hamsters in nature live shorter lives and often prey on predators, cold temperatures, stress and similar factors.

While the ones we keep at home are still more protected, they have a regular diet, their temperature is much more adjusted, we make sure they don’t get cold and we pay attention to them so they feel love from us, thus reducing their stress.

Some breeds of hamsters live longer, others shorter; it all depends on several factors such as nutrition, temperature, stress, fear and other factors.

Calculating the life span of hamsters is 1 year to humans every 14 days, so they age and die quickly.

Here is the life expectancy of hamsters according to their breed:

Syrian 2-3 years
Roborovski 2.5 – 3.5 years
Chinese 2 – 3 years

Campbell’s Dwarf 2 years
Winter White Russian Dwarf 1.5 – 2 years
Hairless 1 year

How long do Syrian hamsters live?

Syrians are the largest breed of hamsters, and they live an average of 2-3 years.

This breed of hamsters is the most popular among us humans, and we usually decide to keep them at home.

With proper nutrition and attention, they live for 3 years, but it all depends on the diseases that attack them, which can shorten their life.

Syrian hamsters need 2-3 months of their life to have enough maturity or to become adults. Also, Syrian hamsters can grow from 5-7 inches.

Syrian hamsters are very temperamental and often fight for their territory, especially if other hamsters are in their cage or environment.

How long do golden hamsters live?

Golden hamsters live 2-3 years, the same as Syrian hamsters.

They are called golden hamsters because of their fur, which used to be golden in color. Gradually their color changed, primarily due to the different ways of their reproduction.

Golden hamsters have the same characteristics as Syrian and teddy bear hamsters.

How long do Roborovski hamsters live?

Roborovski hamsters have the longest life span of 2.5 – 3.5 years.

They are also known as desert hamsters, and if we keep them properly, with a good diet rich in nutrients, some of them can live up to 4 years.

Although they live the longest of all other hamsters, they are still not that popular for keeping at home, Syrian hamsters being the most popular.

Robo hamsters love to run and play a lot, they can walk 5-6 miles a day, so it is essential to have a wheel for movement in their cage.

Robo hamsters are not as aggressive as Syrian hamsters; you can keep two hamsters simultaneously in one cage, although hardly anyone practices this.

How long do teddy bear hamsters live?

Teddy bear hamsters are actually Syrian hamsters that look like teddy bears. So that their life span is the same as Syrian hamsters 2-3 years.

With proper nutrition and sufficient attention to their pets, some owners of these hamsters can look forward to a slightly longer life than the average, or up to 3.5 years.

To prolong the life of the teddy bear hamsters, you should provide them with:

a larger cage with a dimension of 85 cm -55 cm

deep bedding of about 35 cm
hiding places to keep them safe
a healthy diet with vitamins and minerals

All these things are important not only for the teddy bear hamster, but they also apply to all other breeds of hamsters, the more comfortable they are, the longer they will live.

How Long Do Winter White Hamsters Live?

Winter white hamsters live 1.5 – 2 years, slightly less than other hamster breeds; they grow to a size of about 3 inches.

If you keep them properly and give them a rich diet with many vitamins and minerals, this breed can reach up to 3 years of life.

While those winter white hamsters that live in the wild have a shorter lifespan, they live about 1 year, as they face attacks from predators, lack of food, and cold temperatures.

Winter white hamsters can change their fur to white in winter when they hibernate.

How long do Chinese hamsters live?

Chinese hamsters live an average of 2-3 years, which means they have a very long lifespan, which is good for those who keep this breed of hamsters.

After all, Chinese hamsters are one of the longest-lived breeds of all other hamster breeds.

Chinese hamsters are very interesting and cute, comparing a mouse without a long tail.

Chinese hamsters, however, are not as popular a breed to keep as, for example, Syrian hamsters.

How long do Campbell hamsters live?

First of all, let’s say that this breed of hamsters lives an average of 2 years, and with proper nutrition and careful care, maybe a little more.

Campbell’s hamsters were named after Charles William Campbell, the first to have this breed of hamsters.

Campbell’s hamsters are very small, but that’s why they are incredibly fast and can easily escape us. Speed helps them to save themselves from predator attacks, but at the same time they get hurt, fall and similar accidents.

How long do hairless hamsters live?

Hairless hamsters are hairless Syrian hamsters.

Unfortunately, hairless hamsters have a very short lifespan, much shorter than other hamsters, and they live about 1 year.

Hairless hamsters are a little more challenging to keep because they do not have hair.

They cannot squeeze through tight spaces as they have no fur, so they are not very popular for keeping.

Due to the lack of hair, this breed don’t have a good sense of touch and needs it a lot because of their naturally poor eyesight.

How To Tell the Age of a Hamster

When determining the age of hamsters, you cannot determine it exactly, but you can roughly guess it. According to certain appearance characteristics, you can determine their age almost exactly.

According to the size, ears, teeth, fur and eating habits, you can find out their age, so we will see more detail on how to find out the age of your furry friends more easily.

Size

For example, Syrian hamsters reach puberty at 6-8 weeks old.

Whereas dwarf hamsters, unlike Syrian hamsters, reach puberty between 8-12 weeks.

Before they are mature enough, hamsters weigh less. Older hamsters weigh more.

Ears

At first, young hamsters have pink ears that gradually darken as our pets get older.

Another characteristic of the ears is that if they are closed, then that hamster is very young, that is, it is only one month old.

Teeth

As for the teeth, when they are shorter, it means that the hamster is probably very young.

However, this is not the most reliable because hamsters wear their teeth all the time, so this way of determining their age may not always be accurate.

When hamsters get older, their teeth are longer, no matter how much they want to wear them down, they still won’t be able to wear them down completely like young hamsters.

Fur

If the hamsters have thick and healthy fur, it means that they are about a year old.

Or rather, it means the middle age of your hamster, because when their fur is thinning then it is a sign that the hamster is old.

When the hamster’s fur does look neat and greasy, it is also a sign that the hamster is old or nearing the end of its life.

Nutrition

You can also determine the age of hamsters through their diet.

Young hamsters eat more and have a large appetite, while older hamsters eat much less and do not have enough appetite.

Although this way of eating is not the most reliable because sometimes hamsters are lazy for a certain period or do not want to eat if they have health problems.

Activity

Hamster activity is a good indicator of their age and can help us know if a hamster is young or old.

Young hamsters run, play, spin on the wheel and do something all day, they are very active.

While old hamsters move much less, they rarely run, they sleep all the time, they have no appetite, and they are simply not active at all throughout the day.

How long do hamsters live in the wild?

Hamsters living in the wild have a much shorter lifespan.

In the wild, they do not have proper care, and they often face attacks from predators. Hamsters in the wild have a much harder time finding food, which is most important for their lifespan.

Cold temperatures and the inability to adequately warm are other factors in reducing life span when in the wild.

Why do hamsters die young?

Hamsters die young because of their biological process, which takes place in a completely different process compared to other animals, that is, hamsters have less efficiency in maintaining their organism.

Their cells and organs become less efficient and they die faster, it is their natural process that cannot be changed.

Hamsters living in nature age and die even faster because they don’t always have enough food there, they are often the target of predators and the temperature is colder or very hot, so they don’t live long.

In contrast to them, the hamsters that we keep at home in a cage have much better conditions, nutrition, and protection from predators, and overall, all of this affects their life span.

What can we do to make hamsters live longer?

Several factors are important and decisive for increasing the lifespan of hamsters, namely nutrition, activity, less stress, protection from diseases, and attention.

Therefore, let’s read together about all these factors, and how to use them in the best way, and extend the life of our furry friends.

Nutrition

Nutrition is the most important factor for the long life of hamsters, in fact, it is the same for us humans.

The better their diet, the more vitamins and minerals they ingest, the hamsters will live as long as possible for their breed.

The best nutrition for hamsters to live longer is the following:

commercial pellets fortified with vitamin C

seeds
vegetables
fruit

water

It should be noted that it is not enough just to have a healthy diet, it should also be properly distributed on their menu, they should eat moderate amounts of each food and with time intervals of skipping.

They should not eat the same food all the time, so we can only make a mistake and there is even a danger of diseases from too much sugar, calories, calcium, and the like.

Hiding places

Hideaways are important for extending the lifespan of hamsters, as they allow them to feel safe and reduce their stress.

We can make hiding places for them out of hay and straw or made of plastic.

Since hamsters are very gentle and sensitive when they are in hiding places they feel safe from predators or any threat, less stress means a longer life for our furry friends.

Chews

Chews are of great importance to hamsters and their lifespan.

Chewing helps them wear down their teeth, and will help them not be stressed, thus increasing their lifespan.

They should have great chews all around them, whether in the cage or outside we should provide them with that pleasure.

Activity with exercise

Hamsters need activity to use up the energy and food they eat, so they process the nutrients in their body more easily, which ultimately results in a longer lifespan.

Hamsters should cover about 6 miles in a day, that is their average movement in one day.

That is why it is important to provide them with opportunities to do this, for example they should have a wheel in the cage so that they can run regularly.

Activity helps hamsters maintain muscle and strengthen bones.

Less stress

Stress can play a big role in whether hamsters live longer or shorter.

When they are under stress, they get sick, sometimes they can even die from stress, thus reducing their lifespan.

That’s why we should pay attention to some things that will help to have less stressful situations, here are some steps that we should take:

speaking quietly
enough bedding to shelter and hide

healthy diet
avoiding keeping other pets near them
the ideal temperature of 65-75 degrees

All these factors affect hamsters and help them not to be under stress, which will extend their lifespan.

Diseases

Different diseases attack hamsters because they are very gentle pets, and therefore we have to pay a lot of attention to them.

Because when hamsters are sick, they can die in no time.

Diabetes, obesity, scurvy, kidney and bladder stones, and similar diseases are just some of the possible side effects that affect their life span.

As owners, we should always keep an eye on the hamsters, and as soon as we notice that something is wrong with them, we should help them or take them to the vet.

Conclusion

Hamsters have a short life span because their biological process is different from that of other animals and pets.

Their organs and cells wear out much faster and there is not much that can be done to reverse this process.

Hamsters have certain characteristics with which we can know approximately how old they are, that is, whether they are young or old.

Ears, fur, diet, and activities indicate whether hamsters are young or nearing the end of their life.

As owners, we should keep them properly, and provide them with good living conditions, nutrition, less stress, and more attention in order to extend their lifespan.