How long do they live?

[Wolfie_1]

My hamster Libra live until she was 1 year and nine months, and she died one night when she escaped her cage and the cat got her.

[SpiritHam]

I'll list the ones I can remember had a fair few hams over the years.

Syrians:
Sassy - Female - 1 day before her 5th birthday.
Smokey - Male - Around 4 - Got wet tail, went in to hibernation and died coming out.
Tiger - Male - 3
Storm - Male - Around 2
Pepper - Male - Around 3
Lucky - Female - 2
Sky - Female - 2 years 2 months
Spirit - Around 1.5 years
Izzy is currently nearly 2 Hoping she goes on as well as Sassy did.

Dwarfs:

Sebastian - Male - 2-3 years - Blind ham.
Cream & Nutmeg - Female - 5 months. - Had an accident with an escaped snake
Creme - Female - 1.6
Caramel - Female - 1.5
Jasmine - Female - About 2
Esmerelda - Female - Almost 3 - Old age
Batty - Female - 1 year 8 months
Tiny - Female - 1 year 2 months - Inbred pup from Batty
Diesel - Male - 1 year 5 months - Inbred pup from Batty
Scruff - Male - Around a year - Inbred pup from Batty
Scoober - Male - Around a year - Inbred pup from Batty
Demon - Male - Around a year - Inbred pup from Batty
Mack - Male - Around a year - Inbred pup from Batty
Sniff - Male - Around a year - Inbred pup from Batty

I've noticed that over the years hams lifespan has dropped a fair amount, out of the hams who's ages I can remember my first ham and her two brothers lived the longest. Whether thats because they were from a private breeder not a shop I don't know. But e have never had hams that lived that long since.

[SnickersTheFirst]

Cooper - Male Syrian - 21 months

Cause of death is unknown tbh? He went from being fine to his body gradually shutting down over the course of 20 minutes.

[TraceyH]

Sonic - male syrian - (1/12/11) - (18/5/12) 4 months 3 weeks.

Had to be PTS as a cold turned to Pneumonia and was very ill.

[HorseyMandz]

Some of these 'just died' ones do sound a little like hibernation. It's not that well known that hamsters do hibernate... maybe someone could put a thread in the healthcare thingy?

[TracyMM]

Harry, shop bought Syrian short haired cinnamon male, never bred from, died 31.12.11, aged approximately 2 years 10/11 months.

[Silver]

Mandy ~ Female Pet Shop Hybrid Winter White/Campbell Manderin/Argente Colour 2 years 4 months & 9 days. Died of old age

Silver xxx

[Cathii]

Salt - Male - Roborovski Dwarf - Purebred Husky - 5 months and 17 days - Neurological problems

[fluffymunchkins]

Treo (Male) Hybrid dwarf from a pet shop - 2 years 3 monthsish, old age x

[shazzy]

Originally Posted by HorseyMandz

Some of these 'just died' ones do sound a little like hibernation. It's not that well known that hamsters do hibernate... maybe someone could put a thread in the healthcare thingy?

Yes hamsters can hibernate, but I doubt these deaths were due to that... What if they died in the summer?