Hamster Lifespan: How Long Does A Hamster Live? (All Breeds)

Hamsters are tiny and fragile pets. They love to live with you as your true friend. But you should know how long your little friend can stay with you.

So, how long does a hamster live? Syrian hamsters live 36 to 38 months, but wild ones live 24 to 36 months. Winter white dwarfs can survive 12 to 36 months. Roborovski and Chinese hamsters live up to 24 to 36 months.

But in a wild environment, the dwarfs live more. The European one can extend 8 years in the wild and 5 years in the laboratory. That’s not the end. In this article, you can find out some factors that can increase your hamsters’ lifespan.

Hamster Lifespan: How Long Does A Hamster Live?

Hamsters are friendly little animals that grab your attention to make your boring life attractive. But the fact that it will give you a lot of pain as this pet lasts less than other pets. On average, they live around 24 months. But it differs according to their breed.

Syrian Hamsters

Syrian hamsters live long among all hamster breeds.
They are also double in size the dwarf hamsters.

Pet Syrian hamsters live 36 to 48 months.
But a wild Syrian hamster lives less than a pet one. They live 24 to 36 months.

In that case, you will notice that the wild and pet hamsters’ lifetime is not similar. That is because of care and a protective lifestyle in captivity.

Wild hamsters have no surety of food and life. They have to work hard for food and are always stressed from being preyed upon by other animals.

But the pet hamsters get food timely and lead a lifestyle where feeding, rest, playing, and exercise are routine.

Dwarf Hamsters

Dwarf hamsters are half in size as Syrian hamsters.

Dwarfs are of four types. Roborovski dwarfs, winter white dwarfs, Chinese dwarfs, and Campbell dwarfs.
Among them, the winter white dwarfs live less. Even your winter white dwarf can hardly survive a year. On average, the winter white dwarf hamsters live 12 months and hardly it can reach 36 months.. Usually, this type does not extend more than three years.
On the other hand, the Roborovski hamsters live more than the other dwarfs. They can survive up to 24 months to 36 months. Sometimes they can extend their life over three years.

The Campbell hamster never extends 24 months. But they do not live for less than 12 months.
The Chinese dwarf hamster lives 24 to 36 months. They never extend their life more than three years.

However, the wild dwarfs live longer than the pet dwarfs, opposite to the Syrian hamsters. Dwarfs are more used to in the wild. They love to live freely and rule according to their wishes.

Even the wild dwarfs can live more than the Syrian pet hamsters. They can survive up to five years (60 months).

European Hamster

European hamsters live around five years and are mainly found in laboratories.
They can extend their life more in a wild environment.

Though the European hamsters are fewer in number as they get preyed on, they can live up to 8 years in a wild environment if they can survive.

Though these all are average lifetimes, your hamster can live more or less than the mentioned time. It is up to you how you take care of it.

Give your pet proper care and a wonderful time which will influence it to increase its desire to spend more time with you.

Factors Influence To Increase Hamster’s Lifespan

A wrong lifestyle can decrease your hamster’s lifespan. So to keep it healthy and fit, you need to follow some tricks to keep them free from many diseases.

Healthy Diet

A healthy diet means not only giving them one kind of food like seeds and pellets.

You should also add a variety of foods like veggies and fruits, which contain a good amount of vitamins and minerals.

You should understand its eating habits. Give it the food as a treat which they love most.
Stop giving foods that contain a lot of sugar or fewer or limited components of food.

Daily Exercise

Pet hamsters mainly suffer from heart disease and diabetes.

You need to give them time for exercise to take them free from diseases.
Make a separate exercise room for them.
Put different types of instruments like hamster’s ball, roller, block and wheel, tunnel, and bell swing.

The effect of exercise is always positive in any experiment with hamsters. Your hamster will be obese if you do not provide it daily exercise. It not only helps to keep them away from diseases but also removes their monotony.

Cleanliness

Hamsters eat, urinate, and defecate in their cage. So, their cage most of the time is dirty.

Regular cleanness can decrease the rate of bacterial and infectious diseases. Also, the waste product can contaminate their bedding if you do not clean their cage.

They have a habit of chewing their beadings for comfort. But chewing that waste product can hamper their cheek pouches and also cause gastrointestinal diseases. So make sure the bedding or chewing materials are safe and clean.

Cage Size And Changing Regular Pattern

Hamsters can not stay in a tiny suffocated space. It will not give relief to your little pet.

A hamster needs at least a 24×12×12 inches sized cage. If you give less than this space, it can not move freely. Also, a hamster mostly loves to run in its cage. But if it gets less accommodation, it will rest most of the time.

You should also change the housing pattern to remove boredom. A new pattern can refresh your pet, and they can explore more things in their cage.

Stress

Hamsters show behavioral change while in stress. They remain irritated and aggressive all the time. In that case, they take more time to free themselves from their owners and other pets.

You should give them enough time and a friendly environment to remove the stress.

Also, provide them with a corner that is free from noise.

Maintain all the given points to give them a healthy life. If any of the ones are missing, their life can fall in danger. And that will hamper their lifespan.

Knowing your hamster’s lifespan is important for providing the best possible care, but there are other important topics to consider as well. Overfeeding your hamster can be dangerous and even deadly, so it’s important to know how to prevent overfeeding. Our guide on can hamsters eat themselves to death offers important information on how to ensure your pet stays healthy. Additionally, if you’re considering getting your hamster neutered, it’s important to know what’s involved and whether it’s even possible. Our guide on can you neuter a hamster provides valuable information on the topic. By reading through these guides, you’ll be well-equipped to care for your hamster and keep them happy and healthy.

FAQs

These are some commonly asked questions by people about hamsters’ lifespan.

Q: Can hamsters live for 7 years?

Hamsters can live for 7 years, but this is a rare fact. Sometimes after giving full effort and all requirements, they can hardly survive for 4 years. However, it will be a miracle if it lives for 7 years.

Q: How long does a hamster live as a pet?

A hamster lives, on average, 2 years as a pet. But they can survive up to 3 years easily with good care.

Q: How old is the oldest hamster?

The oldest hamster is 4.5 years old. The sex and breed of the hamster is unknown.

Conclusion

Hamsters live a short life. They rarely can cross five years with you. They grow rapidly, turn into adolescents, and within a blink, they will give you a little more hammies as your new friend. Though they live not like other pets, you can increase their lifetime by giving them better opportunities.

A well-balanced diet, stress-free environment, playing, and refreshments can give them a quality life. Likewise, stay safe and take care!