How long do Syrian hamsters live at home?

When buying a pet rodent, each owner thinks about how long his new pet will live. It is generally accepted that hamsters do not live long - a couple of years. In fact, everything is not so simple. This is only the minimum for these animals. Life expectancy is influenced by genetics, housing conditions and even the type of hamster. Let's try to figure out how long a Syrian hamster can live at home.

In the wild, the age of Syrian hamsters rarely reaches two years, but with home keeping it is possible to observe long-lived hamsters. The maximum life span of a house is seven years. In order for a small pet to become a longevity record holder, you need to try very hard. The main factors that will increase the life of a rodent are the absence of stress, a healthy diet, and vigorous activity.

As a rule, hamsters have a hard time in nature. They are the prey of predatory animals, birds and reptiles, therefore they spend their whole life in stress, burrowing deeper into a hole. And wild rodents cannot boast of a healthy diet. Therefore, their lifespan is very unenviable.

A hamster raised in a cage is used to receiving ready-made food, he does not need to hide from anyone. The Syrian hamster breed is considered one of the most domesticated.

Many individuals even like to communicate with humans, the main thing is not to raise your voice.

Every owner wants his furry pet to live as long as possible, but the owners rarely manage to rejoice in their four-legged friend for more than three years. To increase the lifespan of a Syrian hamster, observe the necessary conditions for housing.

It is very important that your hamster runs a long enough distance every day. Activity is a direct factor affecting longevity. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire a spacious cage before purchasing a pet. Some people mistakenly believe that in a small cage the rodent will be comfortable and cozy, but this is not so; in a cramped home, the baby, on the contrary, will feel stiffness.

So that the hamster can throw out his energy somewhere, it is important to install various play complexes in his home. These can be multi-storey houses, swings, hammocks. Hamsters are especially attracted to running wheels. Often all the attributes are already in the cage. By the way, it is advisable to choose the cell itself with several levels.

To diversify the life of a new pet, daily it is recommended to get it out of the cage and let it run around the room. Just do not forget in advance to kick out temporarily out the door other four-legged family members who can hunt for a hamster, and warn the household to look under their feet and do not open the door abruptly.

So that the fluffy pet does not get lost and does not become a victim of domestic predators, it can be placed in a special walking ball. Before purchasing this attribute, first check how tightly it closes so that the hamster does not accidentally crawl out and get caught in the cat's teeth.

By the way, if you still got a married couple of rodents, then be prepared for their uncontrolled reproduction... Little hamsters can fall prey to their own parents, they can die, or they can grow and fill the entire cage. If the pair turned out to be same-sex individuals, then they are unlikely to become friends.

Most likely, they will face daily “showdowns”, and soon one of them will be left without a tail. That's why it is strongly recommended to take only one hamster, and if for some reason there are two of them, then put both in different cages and not push against each other.

Never make loud noises in the presence of your hamster. He could die of fear from cotton alone. Dangerous sounds include home firecrackers, fireworks, the explosion of which can be heard from the street, very loud music, and even just the screaming of people in the room. Clean up the animal's cage regularly, change the filler, wash the drinking bowls and feeders, and remove rotten food. Try not to touch his supplies, because he put a lot of effort to stock up on sufficient food for the winter.

To maintain healthy teeth in nature, hamsters gnaw on branches. To fill this gap at home, the feeder should be periodically equipped with twigs and dried roots. For the same purpose, it is recommended to put a chalk stone in the cage. By the way, this measure not only helps to grind the hamster's teeth, but also protects the owner's fingers from its sharp teeth.

Hamsters react rather poorly to vitamin deficiencies, especially animals need additional substances during stress, illness, during seasonal molting, when conditions of detention and environment change. These animals are prone to weight gain and diabetes, so it is important not to overdo it with feeding. It is recommended to feed the hamster with specialized food from a pet store, 2-3 teaspoons a day is enough.

The optimal menu for a pet consists of grains, fruits and vegetables. From fruits, give preference to apples, pears, peaches, bananas.From vegetables, zucchini, radishes, turnips, carrots are suitable. Try to avoid white cabbage and onions when feeding your hamster. Don't forget about nuts, especially Syrian hamsters love walnuts and peanuts, but it is better to exclude almonds from the pet's diet, since it contains elements harmful to the health of the rodent in the peel.

Sometimes you can treat your hamster with protein foods. Boiled eggs, chicken breast and low-fat cottage cheese will be beneficial if they are offered to the animal no more than a couple of times a week. Check your hamster's supplies and eliminate food that spoils quickly, otherwise the rodent may be poisoned. It is believed that thanks to cheek pouches, hamsters can survive for a long time without food and water. In reality, this period is limited to a maximum of four days.

Some owners use hay as a filler. In this case, you shouldn't be surprised if your pet starts chewing on it. You can buy a special chalk for grinding teeth from a hamster. As a treat, you can treat the animal with special grain sticks, but be sure to check the expiration dates before buying.

Syrian hamsters do not have strong immunity and therefore quickly fall prey to various diseases. If the disease is noticed on time, then it can be cured. The main diseases of Syrian hamsters are presented below.

• Fractures, dislocations, bruises. The activity of these creatures often turns into health problems for them. The animal can fall from the second floor of the cage, get stuck under the wheel or in the bars of the cage when trying to escape. All these actions lead to injuries, which can be treated by a veterinarian. To avoid serious fractures, keep a close eye on your hamster while it is walking. Do not leave the animal on tall objects.
• Cold. To prevent the animal from catching an infection, do not leave the cage in a draft. The disease is manifested by sneezing, chills, passivity of the pet. Do not self-medicate and do not look for advice on the Internet, show the animal to the veterinarian - he will not be mistaken with the choice of medicine and dosage.
• Stress. This condition can provoke any disease, as well as be an independent disease. Hamsters are quite cowardly animals and are highly stressed. For example, a sharp pop can lead not only to an attack of panic, but also to the death of the animal. A change of scenery, the appearance of a cat or dog in the house, careless human games, or the cry of household members can cause stress in a pet.
• Dental problems. Long incisors or poor oral health cause discomfort, poor appetite and general malaise. Mineral stone must be constantly present in the cell, it will minimize the risk of dental problems as much as possible.

Do not diagnose yourself or online. See your veterinarian in person if your Syrian hamster has the following symptoms:

• general weakness;
• sneezing;
• loose stools;
• poor appetite;
• lethargy;
• chills;
• drowsiness;
• falling hair.

For how long Syrian hamsters live, see the next video.