The Longevity of Hamsters - Debate

[Toby816]

This has been such an interesting thread to come across. I had a female syrian hamster growing up who lived to be 4. I got Acorn on 28th March 2012 and was told that she was born on 18th December 2011. She passed away on 12th April 2016 aged 4 years and 116 days. I’ve attached a photo of her from 26th April 2015.

 

[Maz]

That's amazing What a lovely hamster and long life. Was there anything in particular you think helped her live that long?

 

[Toby816]

That's amazing What a lovely hamster and long life. Was there anything in particular you think helped her live that long?

The only things I can think of is she used to go in a ball around my bedroom for about 15 minutes every day, which she used to make a B-line for whenever I took her out of her enclosure. I suppose that helped keep her fit, she was still using that ball until the day before she died. She used to also have a small amount of fruit and vegetables every day/every other day to add a bit of variety to her normal hamster food.

 

[Maz]

She was probably very loved and kept free from stress, and that makes a difference too - along with genetics. I think out of cage time is important as well. These days, hamster balls aren't accepted any more, but people who used them safely, often did find syrians enjoyed them.