[Fluffagrams]

A normal lifespan is often around two years but it's not unheard of for a hamster to live beyond this providing that they are in good health and do not succumb to things such as tumours or diabetes which can shorten a hamster's lifespan.

My oldest hamsters have been Chinese who lived well beyond three. Meat was three years and seven months when he died of a stroke and James was three years and six months when he died of a chest infection. My sister had a Syrian that lived until he was just short of his third birthday but you could certainly tell he was old whereas James didn't really seem his age until he got the chest infection.