The Longevity of Hamsters - Debate

[Maz]

The Longevity of Hamsters - Debate

Hamsters typically live 2-3 years in captivity. However, some exceptional hamsters defy these odds and live significantly longer. There are some intriguing stories of the oldest living hamsters, and this article is going to be looking into the factors contributing to their longevity, and their impact on our understanding of hamster biology and welfare.


The lifespan of hamsters varies by species:

Syrian Hamsters: Also known as golden hamsters, typically live 2-3 years.

Russian Dwarf Hamsters: Which includes the Campbell’s dwarf, Winter White, and hybrids, tend to live around 1.5 to 2 years, and Chinese hamsters have a similar average lifespan. Roborovski hamsters can apparently live up to 3.5 years, although 2-3 years is more common.


Factors influencing Lifespan

Several factors can influence the lifespan of hamsters:

• Genetics: Inherited traits play a crucial role in determining lifespan.
• Diet: A balanced diet rich in nutrients is essential for health and longevity.
• Environment: A clean, spacious habitat with adequate stimulation promotes well-being.
• Health Care: Regular health checks and prompt treatment of illnesses contribute to a longer life.
• Stress: Minimizing stress through proper handling and a stable environment.

Notable Older Hamsters


The Guinness World Record Holder


The official record for the oldest hamster is held by a Syrian hamster whose name is unknown, owned by Karen Smeaton of Tyne & Wear, UK. The Hamster lived to the age of 4 years and 42 days, an amazing age, considering the average lifespan of Syrian hamsters. Born on May 7, 1974, and living until June 19, 1978, the Hamster's longevity was apparently attributed to meticulous care, a balanced diet, and a stress-free environment.

Oldest hamster in captivity ever

This record is for the oldest ever hamster. This record is to be attempted by a domestic hamster. This record is to be measured in years and days. For the purpose of this record, hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. We will accept the five following species as...

www.guinnessworldrecords.com

Other Cases

There are a number of cases of hamsters who lived to be a great age and I'm aware of one owner who had a Syrian hamster who apparently lived to 5 years old - but it's important that age can be verified to make sure these claims are real, so longevity can be recorded for history and scientific studies.

I think some of our members have had Hamsters with unusual longevity:

Eriathwen’s Pasha and Orsa (both hybrid dwarf hamsters) should perhaps be in the Guiness book of records – both lived to approximately 3 years old (further details please @Eriathwen!)

And also @elusive's Zak - a Chinese Hamster who lived to be over four years old.

In both cases, I'm aware the Hamsters had exceptional care. Eriathwen was thorough in her care, in ensuring vet treatment whenever needed, right through old age, in a hybrid species known to sometimes have shorter lifespans due to genetic factors. Elusive was also thorough in her care and particularly focused on the best possible diet and supplements.


Verifying Age and Authenticity

Verifying the age of very old hamsters is challenging but needed for authenticity:

If a Hamster is a pedigree from a breeder, that can be easier to achieve as they could have a certificate with a date of birth on it.
Other documentation could be health records from a vet over a period of time, and care history. Vets can also help establish age.
Community Recognition is another way longevity claims can gain recognition and be recorded, within pet communities and forums like this one, which can provide history of the hamster's life, and additional validation.


Factors Contributing to Exceptional Longevity

There are a number of factors considered to help with longevity for Hamsters


1) Genetics and Breeding

Genetics play a fundamental role in longevity. Hamsters from long-lived lines may inherit traits that promote a longer life. Good breeders focused on health and longevity can contribute to developing hamsters with better lifespans by avoiding inbreeding and selecting for robust health traits.

2) Nutrition and Diet

A balanced diet is very important for hamster health and longevity (just as an inadequate diet can cause health issues). Key elements include:

• Fresh Vegetables and/or Fruits (fruits not for all species): To provide vitamins and minerals and also variety and pleasure.
• A good quality Hamster Mix: To ensure balanced nutrition and also give variety and enable natural behaviours such as foraging.
• Correct Protein levels and supplements: To include seeds, nuts, fresh human food such as egg, and sometimes occasional insects.
• Limiting Unhealthy Treats: So as to prevent obesity and other health issues by avoiding excessive sugary or fatty treats.

3) Habitat and Enrichment

• A stimulating environment promotes mental and physical well-being.
• Spacious cages allow for natural behaviors such as roaming and burrowing.
• Cage accessories and wheels provide mental stimulation, variety and exercise.
• Hides and plenty of bedding creates a sense of security and comfort as well as allowing normal behaviours.

4) Health Care and Monitoring

Regular health care checks and monitoring are essential to spot anything amiss early on, any weight loss, or lumps or tooth problems etc. Health checks enable:

• Disease Prevention by maintaining a suitable environment, hygiene and providing preventive care against common ailments.
• Prompt Treatment by addressing illnesses and injuries swiftly to prevent complications.

5) Stress Management

Minimizing stress is important for longevity and it is something that is not mentioned so much these days. Hamsters are particularly prone to stress and while some stress behaviours are obvious, others aren't - a Hamster may be internalising the stress. So to avoid stress they need:

• A stable environment: This means avoiding frequent changes in their habitat and routine.
• Gentle handling to ensure confidence and trust via socialization and gentle interactions.
• Avoidance of noise and disturbance
• To be kept in an area from other animals who may be predators - such as cats and dogs, or the scents of these animals

6) A caring owner

One aspect that is hard to quantify in terms of benefit to the hamster's health and longevity, is a bond with their owner, but I am sure this is a significant factor also, in addition to the practical care. We love our pets and they know when we love them.

 

[Maz]

Impact on Hamster Care and Research

1) Advancing Understanding of Longevity

Stories of long-lived hamsters can contribute to our understanding of factors influencing longevity. They highlight the importance of genetics, diet, environment, and health care in extending the lifespan of hamsters. Researchers can use cases to study the biology of ageing and develop improved care practices for small pets. So perhaps there should be more records kept - eg a licence for hamsters like there is for dogs (providing it doesn't cost very much!).

2) Influencing Pet Care Practices

Exceptional cases of hamster longevity can inspire pet owners to adopt better care practices:

3) Awareness

Increased awareness of the importance of diet, habitat, and health care.

4) Education

Enhanced education on hamster care through community forums like this, and resources.

5) Improved Products

Development of better hamster care products, including cages, accessories, and food.


Conclusion

While most hamsters live relatively short lives, the exceptional cases of hamsters living beyond their typical lifespan can offer valuable lessons for pet owners and researchers. By understanding and applying these lessons, we can enhance the well-being of hamsters and contribute to advancing the science of longevity in animals. One of the biggest issues is breeding practices. This affects both genetics and early life stresses, and can cause early onset illness in some hamsters – with conditions such as wet tail in Syrians, or injuries from fights with dwarf hamsters housed together before finding a home.

A final point about breeding and breeders

These days there are some amazing Rodent rescues and it is widely agreed that “adopt don’t shop” is better, when it comes to finding a Hamster. Rather than support large stores and their commercial suppliers, who may have poor breeding practices that may not regulated for welfare sufficiently.

However, also these days, there has been a trend to vilify anyone who breeds hamsters, when breeders who are part of the National Hamster Council in the Uk are committed to breeding healthy hamsters with good genes and a good chance of longevity, and have a code of conduct. So I think it’s important not to lump all “breeders” together, and to distinguish between commercial breeders (and there are some very bad breeding factory facilities where the animals are subjected to cramped conditions both at birth and in transit to various pet stores), and backstreet breeders who breed for profit and don’t know enough about genetics, or don’t use suitable breeding stock, and not lump verified NHC breeders in with these.

There are breeders within the NHC who seek to breed for health, temperament and good genetics and to keep the species in tact (in particular with Russian dwarf hamsters) and to give the hamsters a good early start in life, with caring, gentle familiarisation with humans, and good diet, and ensure they go to a good home and only one, easy transition. They often only have one or two litters a year, or none some years.

Sadly, even with a wonderful environment, diet and care, some hamsters are occasionally born with some genetic issue and die younger than they should. Nearly all of these will have originally from pet stores., whether adopted or not. Occasionally an NHC breeder may also have a hamster born with a genetic defect – this is the same with humans – sometimes there is no rhyme or reason why some hamsters from the litter are born healthy and one isn’t. But they only breed from genetically healthy Hamsters and not for profit.

So rather than vilifying good breeders, such as NHC breeders, I think there should be a move to regulating breeding practices, with hamsters only available from officially verified breeders who have achieved a standard, and pet shops not being allowed to sell pets at all – as has happened in one US state already.

Feel free to debate and comment your views on the longevity aspect. It could raise some ethical considerations as well, in that, some very old hamsters may be suffering with symptoms, but hopefully owners would have sought vet treatment.

 

[Socks Mum]

These are questions that preoccupy every hamster owner, that a pet with so much personality and appeal can be with us for such a short time. Once they reach middle age, the clock starts ticking, but we try not to think about it too much. Keeping your hammy healthy and happy into his older age requires skill and imagination. Setting up a great cage, feeding well and giving them the affection they need.

 

[Maz]

Yes it's true, once they get to two years old you start wondering how long they will live. But it's also important to enjoy that old age period and hope they stay healthy and happy and don't suffer.

 

[Socks Mum]

All hamsters come from breeders of one sort or another. I think if breeders adhere to a code which means that their youngsters are psychologically and physically healthy, socialised and do not increase the already large number of pets needing homes they should be OK. This means finding good, verified homes for every hamster, not allowing buyers to breed their hamster and taking the hamster back if the new owner is not able to keep him or her. They should operate at low or no profit and retire their breeding hamsters after two litters while they are still young.

 

[Maz]

I believe some, if not all, NHC breeders do require that you don't breed from their hamsters and they ask you to return them if they can't keep them. They care about what happens to their hamsters.

But yes that is a good point - all hamsters come from breeders. The rescue hamsters originally came from breeders (most likely commercial breeders). Those breeders would probably argue - well people want hamsters. Which is true, but somebody needs to clamp down on the breeding mills and bad factory breeding. That comes down to legislation and regulating them I guess. Defra monitors farmers and other livestock owners and some get prosecuted for cruelty or poor conditions - so why not with hamster breeding factories? I guess the pet trade is considered different to the farming trade.

We've usually said - if getting a hamster try to get one from an NHC breeder or a rescue. But it's actually very hard to get a hamster from an NHC breeder. They sometimes don't have litters that often and they have long waiting lists usually. Also there seem to be less of them in the last few years and since the pandemic (but also some new ones which is good).

It's a slight dilemma really for anyone who wants a hamster as not everyone can get one from a rescue either. There are plenty available in rescues but not always in the places where people live.

I know after adopting a 1 year old rescue hamster and then having two die not that far apart, you do get to the point where you've not had enough time in between the grief to keep doing that, and do get to the point of wanting a baby hamster to bring up from a young age and keep until old age sometimes. So some people might want to rescue some of the time, but not all of the time.

I wonder what the solution is. There clearly wouldn't be enough hamsters available from NHC breeders, if bad breeding places were shut down. The NHC don't really breed hamsters to provide them for people either. They breed to improve their lines and keep one or two from each litter to continue their lines, so any they're not keeping are available for adoption.

 

[Socks Mum]

It's a difficult issue. Yes, inspections should be carried out. I wonder what Socks' early life was like. I wonder how Germany deals with commercial breeding. That is a good comparison with livestock farming as pet breeding is no different. The potential for disease transmission can be the same in some cases. We try to create change for hamsters, and all small pets really, but they are so easily available. They are often seen as convenient and containable, easy pets, but in fact are just as difficult to care for properly as any other pet.

 

[Socks Mum]

The issue of grief is a difficult one. It must be terribly hard to lose a hamster suddenly. The things hamsters do to us, and yet we love them so much. To be an expert on small animal keeping means being well versed in loss.

 

[Maz]

In Germany apparently it's no better. I linked on here a while back, something from a German owner showing how a particular pet shop had excellent conditions for hamsters they sold - good sized enclosures and enrichment, special lighting, clear written information in front of tanks saying what hamsters needed. But when asked about breeding she said they had the same issues with where the hamsters were bred and came from. And not all pet shops were like that.

That response from the UK Government recently about minimum cage sizes showed that there is legislation that commercial breeders have to comply with but the conditions they have to meet are woefully inadequate. So it's legalised bad practice basically. Too many allowances made before they actually reach the pet shop and the current conditions don't seem to allow for the type of species and their needs from birth. And the pet shops have special allowances too until the hamsters are of a certain age and before sale. Presumably that's why if they're not sold by a certain age, they put them up for adoption.

Governments aren't going to make commercial breeders follow pet charity guidelines over cage size but hopefully more pressure will improve things. It's taken owners to show what is needed to change opinion and actually get pet stores to stop stocking very small cages - so that's something.

There is one NHC breeder who is fairly new who keeps her litters in 100cm cages with enrichment from birth and there were some lovely photos of them snuggling up under a cork log, digging, and enjoying nibbling sprays. A good start in life.

Most hamsters from pet shops do fine once they have a nice home though. Wet tail is the biggest risk for a hamster going to a new home if they've had previous stress (or caught something).

 

[Socks Mum]

A good start in life indeed! Hamsters are not cheap pets when all the accessories and equipment are counted, including standby medical supplies and vet bills, but a healthy diet and environmental enrichment could make his or her life long and comfortable.