When buying a domestic rodent, each owner thinks about how long his new pet will live. It is believed that hamsters do not live very long - a couple of years. In fact, everything is not so clear. This is only a minimum for these animals. Genetics, living conditions, and even the type of hamster affect life expectancy. Let's try to figure out how long the Syrian hamster can live at home.
Life span
In the wild, the age of Syrian hamsters rarely reaches two years, but at home keeping it is possible to observe long-lived hamsters. The maximum life expectancy at home is seven years. To make a small pet a champion in longevity, 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, in nature, hamsters have a hard time. They are the prey of predatory animals, birds and reptiles, so they spend their whole lives in stress, burrowing deeper into the hole. And wild rodents cannot boast of healthy nutrition. Therefore, their life expectancy is very unenviable.
A hamster grown in a cage is used to getting ready meals, he does not need to hide from anyone. The Syrian hamster is considered one of the most domesticated.
Some experts say that they can even be trained. They respond well to the human voice and often show the presence of intelligence and quick wit.
Many individuals even like to communicate with humans, the main thing in this case is not to raise your voice.
Prerequisites for maintenance
Each owner wants his furry pet to live as long as possible, but rarely owners manage to rejoice at a four-legged friend for more than three years. To increase the life expectancy of the Syrian hamster, observe the necessary conditions for maintenance.
It is very important that every day the hamster runs a fairly large distance. Activity is a direct factor affecting longevity. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire a spacious cage before acquiring a pet. Some mistakenly believe that in a small cage the rodent will be comfortable and cozy, but this is not so, in a cramped dwelling the baby, on the contrary, will feel stiff.
In order for the hamster to be able to throw out his energy somewhere, it is important to install various game complexes in his housing. It can be multi-storey houses, swings, hammocks. Hamsters are especially attracted to running wheels. Often, all the attributes are already in the cell. 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 to temporarily drive out other four-legged family members who can hunt the hamster out of the door and warn the household so that they look under their feet and do not open the door sharply.
So that the fluffy pet does not get lost and does not become a victim of domestic predators, it can be put in a special walking ball. Before acquiring this attribute, first check how tightly it closes so that the hamster does not accidentally crawl out and fall into the cat’s teeth.
Remember that Syrian hamsters are solitary animals, so do not buy a pair of hamsters.
By the way, if you still got a married couple of rodents, then be prepared for their uncontrolled reproduction. Little hamsters can become victims of their own parents, they can die, and they can grow and fill the whole cage. If same-sex individuals were paired, then they are unlikely to be friends.
Most likely, daily “showdowns” await them, and soon one of them will be left without a tail. therefore it is strongly recommended to take only one hamster, and if for some reason there are two of them, then they will sit both in different cells and not push each other.
Never make loud noises in the presence of a hamster. He may die from fear from cotton alone. Dangerous sounds include home crackers, fireworks, the explosion of which comes from the street, very loud music and even just the cry of people in the room. Regularly clean the cage of the animal, change the filler, wash the drinkers and feeders, remove rotted foods. Try not to touch his supplies, because he made a lot of efforts to stock up on enough food for the winter.
To maintain healthy teeth in nature, hamsters gnaw 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 a cage. By the way, this measure helps not only grind the hamster’s teeth, but also protects the owner’s fingers from his sharp teeth.
Do not smoke in the room where the hamster lives. Do not keep the cage in the kitchen. Firstly, the fumes that are formed during cooking, like nicotine, can have a detrimental effect on the fragile lungs of a small pet, and secondly, it is not hygienic for any apartment.
Nutrition rules
Hamsters react rather poorly to vitamin deficiencies, especially animals need additional substances during stress, illness, during seasonal molting, when changing conditions and conditions. These animals are prone to weight gain and diabetes, so it’s important not to overdo the 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 the pet consists of grains, fruits and vegetables. From fruits, give preference to apples, pears, peaches, bananas.From vegetables, zucchini, radish, turnips, carrots are suitable. Try to avoid when feeding a hamster cabbage and onions. Don’t forget about nuts, especially Syrian hamsters love walnuts and peanuts, but almonds are better to exclude from the diet of a pet, since it contains elements harmful to the health of the rodent in the skin.
Sometimes you can treat your hamster with protein products. Boiled eggs, chicken breast and low-fat cottage cheese will be beneficial if you offer their animal no more often than a couple of times a week. Check your hamster’s inventory and eliminate products that spoil quickly, otherwise the rodent could get poisoned. It is believed that thanks to cheek pouches, hamsters can live 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, do not be surprised if the pet began to chew it. You can buy a special crayon for grinding teeth from a hamster. As a treat, you can treat the animal with special grain sticks, but before buying, be sure to check the expiration dates.
A well-balanced food and additional vitamins will significantly increase the life of the pet.
The impact of disease on the health of hamsters
Syrian hamsters do not have strong immunity and therefore quickly become a victim of 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 results in health problems for them. The animal may 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 that can be cured by a veterinarian. To avoid serious fractures, carefully monitor the hamster while he is on the walk. Do not leave the animal on tall objects.
- Cold. To prevent the animal from catching the infection, do not leave the cage in the draft. The disease is manifested by sneezing, chills, passivity of the pet. Do not self-medicate and do not seek 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 rather cowardly animals and are very susceptible to stress. For example, sharp cotton can lead not only to a panic attack, but also to the death of the animal. Stress in a pet can be caused by a change of scenery, the appearance of a cat or dog in the house, careless games of a person, the cry of household members.
- Tooth problems. Long incisors or poor oral conditions cause discomfort, causing poor appetite and general malaise. Mineral stone must be constantly present in the cell, it will minimize the risk of dental problems.
Do not diagnose on your own or on the Internet. Consult a veterinarian in person if the Syrian hamster has the following symptoms:
- general weakness;
- sneezing
- loose stools;
- poor appetite;
- lethargy;
- chills;
- drowsiness;
- falling out wool.
For how many Syrian hamsters live, see the next video.