Hamsters make great pets for kids or first-time pet owners because they require very little; as long as you have an appropriate-sized cage, give food once a day, and make sure they have space to run around and play in, you’re good. The thing with hamsters, though, is they don’t live very long. It’s a heartbreak waiting to happen every two years.
Hamsters, like other small animals, die really fast because they naturally have much shorter life spans. Smaller animals have much higher metabolic rates, which means they spend energy faster than larger animals. Because of this, they run out of “fuel” much faster, making their life cycles shorter.
No hamster owner wants their beloved furry friend to die. The good news is that there are ways you can improve the quality of your hamster’s life and even make it live longer–although not as long as you probably want. Read on to find out how.
The Average Lifespan of a Hamster
The average lifespan of a hamster is 18 to 36 months. Most hamsters are observed to live up to 2 years, with Syrian hamsters generally living longer. A hamster’s lifespan is largely dictated by its high metabolic rate, but there are factors that affect it, too, such as diet and stress.
You would think that a hamster’s average lifespan is already pretty short, but these numbers are related to domesticated ones only. Hamsters in the wild tend to live much shorter because not only is food not always available, but there is also always the danger of being preyed upon by larger animals.
In general, hamsters in the wild are hardier and more capable of weathering out changing environmental conditions and even scarcity. On the other hand, domesticated hamsters tend to be more delicate. They are easily stressed and prone to diseases. In fact, stress is the most common reason why domesticated hamsters get sick–and die.
This is why if you have a pet hamster, it’s important to ensure that it is well-adjusted, happy, and stress-free because a stressed hamster will eventually be a sick hamster. And sick hamsters rarely last–unless with early intervention by a vet.
How To Make Hamsters Live Longer
Though hamsters rarely make it past their second year, there are hamsters that live up to 4 years! That, however, is the exception and not the rule. But hamster owners can always make sure that their hamsters live happy and content lives in order to improve their chances of living longer. If your goal is to help your hammy reach four years, why not? Go for it!
Provide a Healthy Diet
One of the most–if not the most–important aspects of ensuring that a hamster lives a happy life is diet and nutrition. Hamsters need lots of protein in their diet, which means it’s much better to give them food pellets that are designed for a balanced hamster diet rather than relying on seeds and grains.
Seeds and grains may seem like the obvious choice if you want to keep their food natural. But these do not have the proteins that hamsters need, and instead, they often contain too much sugar. Sugar is not only ill-advised for a hamster’s diet; it can actually be detrimental to good health and proper development.
Hamsters are also prone to diabetes and obesity, which they can easily get when they are fed grains on a regular basis.
If you want to keep things natural, you can feed your hammy a few tiny slices of raw vegetables, like broccoli or carrots, and fruits. However, make sure to keep slices really tiny. Hamsters need only about a tablespoon of food a day and treats in the form of fruits.
Eliminate Stressors
Most hamster illnesses are caused by stress. In fact, wet tail, a hamster disease that has the highest mortality rate, is due to stress. Unless detected early and taken care of by a vet, wet tail often is regarded as a death knell for our beloved furry pets.
The following are some of the most common hamster stressors to avoid:
- Sudden environment or lifestyle changes. If you want to change anything in your pet’s environment, strive to gradually introduce it rather than bringing it about suddenly. Hamsters like routine, such as set meal times, so try not to change things up.
- Presence of larger animals. Large animals like dogs can be extremely threatening and stressful to hamsters, so make sure to put their cage in a place that’s out of larger pets’ reach.
- Bright lights and loud sounds. Hamsters get easily disrupted by loud sounds and bright lights–even natural light when their cage gets flooded with direct sunlight. Keep their cage in a shady spot and the house quiet enough for them to feel comfortable.
Ensure Mental Stimulation and Exercise
A healthy hamster will spend a lot of energy playing. They can, and in fact, enjoy spending hours and hours running on the hamster wheel, around the house in a ball, or around the cage. Sometimes, they won’t even stop running for hours! And that’s perfectly normal.
Hamsters can run up to five miles (8.05 km) a day to keep them happy, or else they will be bored and will desperately try to escape their cage in search of fun.
But aside from exercise and play, hamsters also need mental stimulation in the form of playing with toys like tunnels and ladders. You can also encourage their innate curiosity by allowing them to get out of their cage to explore their surroundings. Of course, this should be done with supervision.
Keep the Cage Clean
Hamsters groom themselves a lot to keep their bodies clean. And they like to have clean surroundings too. This is why it’s important to spot-clean their cage every day and sanitize it at least once every two weeks with a non-toxic disinfectant.
Their cage should also be lined with absorbent bedding, and any materials, such as wood shavings and bits of paper that hamsters collect, that are soiled should be removed at the end of the day. Water bottles and feeders, as well as toys, should also be washed regularly.
Hamsters themselves don’t need to be bathed unless they have soiled themselves, played in puddles of muddy water, or gotten grime on their bodies. They are able to groom themselves quite well, and frequent bathing of hamsters can actually be detrimental to their health.
Watch Out for Signs of Illness
Since domesticated hamsters are more delicate and prone to illness, it’s important to watch out for any signs that your pet may be sick. Hamsters have a habit of hiding their discomfort by burying themselves in beddings or curling up in play tunnels. Some will even act as normal as long as they are able to tolerate their symptoms.
While symptoms may vary depending on the disease, here are the most common signs that your hamster needs a visit to the vet:
- Loss of appetite
- Disinterest in grooming
- Diarrhea
- Excessive itching
- Lack of energy or interest in playing
Moreover, here are signs that your hamster could be dying from old age:
- Fur is falling out or thinning
- Vision becomes poorer
- Very little appetite for food
- No energy for play
- Longer sleeping hours
Conclusion
Hamsters live much shorter lives as compared to other pets, like dogs and cats. While this can mean heartache in two years, their short lifespan also is a great reminder to give them as full and happy a life as you can while they’re around.
There’s no time to be lazy or complacent because these furballs don’t stick around very long.