Oldest living dwarves?

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-02-2016, 07:44 AM

Just adopted a new robo, Maddi & a Chinesey, Izzy & was wondering any success stories on extra long lives of your hammies of these two species in particular?

What age your robo or Chinese pass away even if it wasn't extra long as well, just trying to get an idea on their life expectancy?

Thank you in advance!

WinnieTheHam · 04-02-2016, 08:24 AM

Done a little reading online and someone has said theirs lived to 4.5 years old. Although we can't prove this, so we won't really know.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-02-2016, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WinnieTheHam

Done a little reading online and someone has said theirs lived to 4.5 years old. Although we can't prove this, so we won't really know.

A Chinese?

WinnieTheHam · 04-02-2016, 08:43 AM

Oh, I didn't realise you wanted a specific species, sorry! haha. I'm not sure.

My memory is terrible!

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-02-2016, 08:52 AM

I Googled it too, found someone said a 4 yr Chinese & a You Tube video of a 4.25 yr old robo. But like you said, with hammies it's sometimes hard to narrow down their birth date unless your buying from a breeder.

I don't think the small cage size would affect their life span, definitely their quality of life though!

Would be interesting if anybody could know if eating healthy prevents disease & extends life span

Sometimes with people, they eat whatever they want & live to be real old. I believe it's best to feed the healthiest diet possible but what I'm getting at is that people who keep their hammies in real small cages might not be too concerned about their diet either, thus shortening their lives?

WinnieTheHam · 04-02-2016, 09:02 AM

Well, Hammy lived in many different cages, a rotastak, a habitrail and a tiny fish tank. he got a bit of veg. I did have him out all the time though, and he was such a tame hamster. He was from a pet shop and he lived around 4-5 years old. He was a Syrian though.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-02-2016, 09:11 AM

That's great! So cage size doesn't matter apparently (for purposes of longevity not quality). Glad you had a long living hammie, tame too

WinnieTheHam · 04-02-2016, 09:30 AM

I miss him a lot, he passed away around 10 years ago, I hardly knew anything about hamsters but I had a little hamster book that said they could eat veg so that's why he got some! haha

I feel really guilty for keeping him in cages like that. Cage size does matter, just because they live long doesn't mean they've had a good quality life. Quality is better out of longevity, for the hamster.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-02-2016, 09:49 AM

Definitely!

**Cinnamon Bear** · 04-02-2016, 09:59 AM

Think I should upgrade Izzy from a critter cage to a bin cage soon she is 2 years old

Keep in mind that I just rescued her on Easter from a family who abandoned her so she doesn't know anything different than this Critter cage and I don't want to overwhelm her