Hamsters are wonderful pets. They’re cute, have good temperaments, and are fairly easy to care for.
When considering getting a hamster, it’s important to know how long you can expect them to be around. A pet is a big responsibility to take on, no matter how long their lifespan is.
With this in mind, the first thing you need to know about the average hamster lifespan is that . . .
Hamsters Don’t Have a Fixed Lifespan
And neither does any animal. There are too many factors to consider to figure out an exact median, even for hamsters. However, with that being said, that doesn’t mean there can’t be a rough estimate of how many years you can expect a hamster to live.
The Average Lifespan for Most Hamsters Is Two to Three Years, Though Not Always
Two to three years is the average lifespan for most of the popular breeds of hamsters on the market today. For other hamsters, the average can be shorter or longer than this.
A Hamster’s Lifespan Is Affected by What Species They Are
Some species of hamster have longer lifespans than others. The Roborvoski hamster has the longest average lifespan of current popular hamster breeds, living up to three to four years. The Winter White Russian Dwarf hamster lives up to an average of only two years.
Genetics Also Play a Big Part
Your hamster may have inherited genetics that can affect its lifespan. If the hamster’s genetics make it weaker to disease, than it probably will live a shorter life than the average lifespan for its species.
Genetics can also work in reverse, having your hamster be stronger and live longer than expected.
How to Help Increase Your Hamster’s Lifespan
There are a couple of things that you can do to help your hamster live longer. These include:
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Feeding them a healthy, nutritious diet.
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Encouraging them to exercise. A fit hamster will battle illness better than a unfit one.
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Making sure their cage is clean and safe. Change the bedding weekly and make sure there is nothing in the cage that they can hurt themselves with.
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Washing your hands before handling them. This will help keep germs away from them.
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Taking them to the vet for treatment if they seem sick.
Doing these things can’t change how species or genetics affects an average hamster lifespan.
Those are out of our control. However, doing them will not only help your hamster live a healthy life, but also decrease chances of the hamster dying to illness or unproper care.
Tell Us More About Your Own Pet Hamster!
Had a hamster that lived longer than the average hamster lifespan? Tell us their name and breed in the comments section below!
