Hamster

[Ember]

I think my hamster is on its last legs, I am told they live about 2.1/2 years. Anyone know different?

[molly]

Our hamster is also 2.1/2 years old and it too looks as if he won't live much longer. They live anything between 2 and 3 years. It's unlikely they will live past that. (though I'm sure someone will prove me wrong.)

[KEJ2000]

Yes, that is true. I'm so sorry to hear about your hamster! I've had them before and was always torn up inside, upon their death. My mother always said, "That's the price you pay for loving them." That wasn't meant in a mean way, of course, it just means that there are huge rewards from having a pet hamster, and all good things must eventually come to an end. The best things you can do are to take photos of your current hamster, make sure it is given a beautiful funeral when that time comes, and to buy another hamster one day.

[Kit]

Not necessarily. Female hamsters live longer than males, and 2 of mine happily trogged along until they were about 4 (despite living in such a cold flat once that one hibernated and nearly got despatched to the Great Rotastak in the Sky... luckily I tried warming her up first, and she carried on for another 18 months!) The other one died of a heart attack - just went blue and keeled over in my Dad's hand.

[sft42]

Well then...what happened?

We need closure...is the wheel still spinning or what?

[classy]

Ours developed some sort of staggering disease (like he was drunk) at 3 year old. Then died.

[Ember]

Hamster read all your answers and decided he had got a bit longer to go and perked up immediately, not up to using wheel yet, but eating like a pig, must be a good sign. Decided to wait at least until after Christmas, as I think he spied a small playball shaped present under the tree he is convinced is his.

[Ember]

To bring real closure to the above saga, went to change Hammy's bedding for lovely new hamster wool and guess what he was curled up ice cold and dead. Now I know they hibernate and lose their heat but because when I picked him up despite eating like a pig you could feel all its little bones through its fur I think its dead. Anyway I have put it in a box in its new woolly nest with a bit of heat beside him and I will give him a day to revive or its the bin for him. Poor little hammy

[molly]

I'm so sorry about your hamster. At least he saw Christmas. To give you an update on my own little hamster, I found him curled up in his bedding this morning, cold and stiff. He must have gone peacefully in his sleep. He had gone the way classy's went, staggering about, looking decidedly off balance. He is now sleeping in our own little pet's cemetry among the roses.

[hollie1586]

apparently some hamsters can live to about age 5 or 6