What parameters can be used to determine the age of a hamster?

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16.07.2018

One of the most important points when purchasing any pet is determining its age. The store can sell an adult animal under the guise of a young one, which will reduce its lifespan for its new owner. Since the estimated lifespan of a hamster is 2 years, you need to be sure of the animal you choose. In order not to be deceived and not to get into an awkward situation, the buyer himself must be able to recognize the age of the hamster.

It is very difficult to determine the age of a Djungarian hamster with absolute accuracy, even for a good specialist, so they always speak approximately. Typically there are three age stages: young, adult and old. In no case is it recommended to buy a baby younger than one month, since at this age it is still too small and will have to be fed manually with a pipette and at frequent intervals.

How old do hamsters grow?

There is no clear answer to the question: “Until what age do hamsters grow?” It all depends on the breed. Hamsters are born small, about the size of a bean and weighing 3-4 grams. Cubs of small breeds (for example, Djungarian hamsters) grow for about 1-1.5 months. After this, the rodents become adults and begin to grow in width. Larger breeds (such as Syrian hamsters) take 1-2 weeks longer to grow.

IMPORTANT! It is not recommended to purchase hamsters older than 1 year, because... they are already elderly and not as active.

Age of puberty and reproduction

Puberty in hamsters occurs at the age of 1 month. In the period from 1 to 2 months, mating is not recommended, because the female is not yet mature enough: she needs time to prepare to create the next generation. It is necessary to wait until the skeleton and organs of rodents are fully formed, otherwise after premature mating they may give birth to underdeveloped offspring, and the female may eat them.

Males are able to fertilize a female after reaching three weeks of age.

The best time for the first mating is between 4 and 6 months of age. The next mating after the first can be carried out only after 2 - 3 months, because The animal needs time to restore its body after pregnancy and childbirth.

Females are able to give birth to offspring up to 1.5 years of age, and males retain reproductive function throughout their lives.

Repeated fertilization after the first in males is best done after 5 weeks, because the male may be weak for some time and not able to fertilize the female.

At the age of 20 days, hamsters can already eat protein foods

How to determine the sex of a Dzungarian

Djungarian hamsters are one of the cutest and funniest pets. They bring a lot of joy, and caring for these babies is easy. Examining the dwarfs, placing them on the palm of your hand with their belly up, you can notice the following differences:

• From the age of four weeks, boys have visible testicles near the base of the tail; they stand out especially well when gentle pressure is applied to the abdomen.
• The distance between the penis and the anus in adult hamsters is one and a half centimeters, and in babies it is three times less. In females, the distance from the genitals to the anus is only 3 mm.
• Males have a gland on their abdomen that resembles a navel, with which they mark territory.
• The back of a male dwarf is pointed, while that of a female hamster is rounded.
• Females have 8 nipples on their tummy, arranged in pairs.
• Females are larger and more active than males. Usually they do not want to be handled; they often express their protest by biting the finger.

Their sex can be determined by the length of their fur - males have a much fuller and longer coat.

How to find out how many days or years old a hamster is

The skin of newborn hamsters is hairless and red in color. As they grow, it begins to change color and turns pink.

At the age of 6-8 weeks, baby hamsters begin to squeak and ask their mother for food. Their sparse fluff turns into thicker ones.

When they reach the age of 10-12 days, they are still blind, but crawl out of their house, exploring the world around them by touch.

At the age of 15-20 days, their eyes open and the fluff changes to thicker fur. They can already eat soft protein foods (boiled eggs, cottage cheese).

30-40 days after birth, they become adults, feed on their own and make their own nest. Some individuals defend their territories.

You can determine its age by the presence of hair in the ears of a dzhungarik.

Age categories

Experts say that you don’t need to pay attention to just one indicator. Depending on the breed and physiological characteristics, the number of years they live can vary significantly even among rodents of the same size. It should be understood that the exact period of life, namely, how old the animal is, how many months, and even more so, how many days it has lived, will not be determined even by a specialist who has been breeding these small rodents all his life. You should also understand that even with careful diagnostics, you will be able to determine the approximate age of hamsters.

It is not difficult to distinguish a newborn from an adult. But already in a month it will be very difficult to give an accurate visual assessment. For convenience, professionals divided them into 3 categories:

By these standards, babies are representatives who are no more than 4 weeks old. This period is not suitable for acquisition, since the baby is still too shy and is not used to living without maternal care.

Individuals that are between one month and one year old can begin to be considered adults. This period is considered the most favorable for purchasing. These animals will become more independent. At the same time, they are easy to tame, and they will live with you for a long time.

Well, old people are considered to be those representatives who are about 2 years old, or even a few younger rodents can be included here. The only downside to these rodents is that they will die very quickly after purchase. If you are ready for this, then you can safely give preference to the oldies.

Dzungariki

Behavioral differences

The behavior of individuals is the most distinctive feature in determining their age. Young individuals run actively, play a lot, chew food and make squeaks.

Older individuals are calm, move little, rarely eat and often sleep.

Hair in the ear area

In newborn Djungarians, the inside of the ears is covered with white soft hairs, which thin out and disappear over time. The complete absence of fuzz on the ears indicates old age of the individual.

Eyes

In young individuals, the eyes are the same color, slightly shiny and not very protruding. If cloudiness is observed in the eyes, most likely the rodent is old or sick and will not last long.

Wool

The thicker the animal's fur, the older it is. Young individuals have a brighter, richer coat color and no bald patches.

The coat of newborn hamsters is softer and smoother. Hamsters that are 5 days old are completely hairless and will not have hair for another 2 weeks.

14 days after birth, the color becomes variegated, and the coat becomes thick and smooth. By the middle of a hamster's life, the coat will be tough. The thicker the fur, the longer the rodent lives.

Weight

Weight and size also indicate the age of the rodent.

If the hamster is more than 8 centimeters in length, then most likely it is more than 2 months old. At the age of 5-12 months, dzhungariki weigh approximately 40 g.

IMPORTANT! When purchasing a hamster, it will be enough to weigh it to determine its age. Leading veterinarians recommend purchasing an animal at the age of 5–12 weeks of life. At this age, individuals get used to the world around them and are not particularly afraid; they are able to feed on their own.

It is worth noting that the weight gain of animals stops at 4 months.
Have you ever doubted the age of a hamster?

Dark spots

Another sign of determining the age of hamsters is the presence of age spots. They are located in the thigh area and resemble small seals. The color of the spots differs from the color of the skin. The more of them on the skin, the older the individual. Females have fewer pigment spots than males. The most noticeable ones are on the stomach and genital area.

Lifespan

The average lifespan of Djungarian hamsters is 2-3 years.

It is much more difficult for them to survive in the wild. This is due to dangerous factors found in nature: attacks by predators, poor tolerance to adverse weather conditions, eating at different times. Wild hamsters live 1.5 years.

Owners of domestic Djungarian hamsters surround them with care and attention, which is why the animals have a longer lifespan. With special and good care, you can extend their life to 3.5 years.

Young Syrians have black eyes

Dwarf hamsters

A fairly common species among breeders. Dwarf hamsters do not require much effort to maintain, and care is minimal. They weigh no more than 50 grams, and their height rarely reaches 10 centimeters.

The dwarf breed includes:

1. Taylor's hamster;
2. Campbell's hamster;
3. Roborovsky's hamster (the owner of the smallest volumes).

Several other breeds:

• Long-tailed - body length does not exceed 10 cm, 6 of which are tail;
• Taylor - carcass length 7-8 cm, weight about 10 grams.
• Campbell's hamster - can reach 12 cm.
• Radde - has a height of up to 28 cm. It can mainly be found in the wild, not a common species as an ornamental animal.

Any breed of hamster does not require much effort in cleaning or care, and even a child can monitor the comfort of the fluffy one, the only condition is regular supervision.

Weighing the fluffy: how to do it?

Hamsters are happy, active animals, and if your pet is not hand-trained, then weighing a hamster is not an easy task that requires dexterity.

To do this you will need:

• kitchen scales
• small box or container
• tasty treats

First place the container with the treat placed in it on the scales in order to subsequently subtract their weight from the total weight of the hamster. Place the fluffball in a container. This way you can easily find out your pet's weight.

Weight control is necessary: ​​this way you can see excess weight or sudden weight loss, which may indicate health problems.

If you change the homa's diet, you also need to monitor its weight: a decrease may indicate that the food is not to its taste and the animal is starving, simply hiding it.

Before purchasing a pet, decide which breed appeals to you, based on this, choose a house and the place where it will be located.

By following simple rules - watch your weight, keep the cage clean, spend time with your fluffy, you will get a reliable friend who will delight you and love you in return for a long time.

Hamsters are wonderful animals that even a beginner can breed at home. Before you buy an animal, you need to know exactly the breed, because it depends on how much the hamster weighs. The weight and size of the pet are important. Based on the size of the pet, you should consider:

• the size of the cage you should buy;
• a set of pet entertainment (wheel, sticks) and their sizes;
• living together or living alone;
• amount of feed.

This type of hamster has long taken root in modern apartments. His appearance is very pleasant, his behavior is funny, you can watch his actions for a long time.

The hamster differs in body shape from its relatives. On the back, closer to the tail, its spine is slightly curved, so it feels like the animal has a small hump.

It is very interesting to watch such an animal when it stuffs its cheek pouches; they are very large and can stretch well.

The size of the Djungarian hamster does not exceed 10 cm. Usually these animals grow up to 6-9 cm. Height and weight depend on the conditions of detention and individual characteristics. The weight of a Djungarian hamster can reach 50 grams.

djungarian hamster

Based on these data, experts advise buying a cage measuring 30x50 cm, with fine bars. The running wheel can be purchased with a diameter of 13-17 cm.

These hamsters can be kept alone.

If future owners have chosen the Syrian breed, they need to know how much a Syrian hamster weighs, because this species is very different in size from the Djungarian. The size of an adult Syrian hamster can reach 19 cm, which is quite a large animal.

Despite its size, this hamster loves to be held, loves to attract attention and enjoys any communication.

The weight of the Syrian hamster ranges from 100 to 200 grams.

Syrian hamster

It is interesting that pets of this breed can be either short-haired or long-haired.

He is offered:

• cage 40x60 cm;
• running wheel, diameter 18 cm;
• Single accommodation.

The Siberian hamster can be found in nature; it lives in Siberia, hence its name.

They are very reminiscent of Djungarian hamsters, differing only in the color of their fur. The Siberian has a gray color, and in winter the animal’s coat becomes completely white. This is especially interesting to observe when kept at home.

The average weight of a pet reaches 40-50 grams, and these animals grow no more than 8 cm in size. To keep a Siberian hamster, a cage the same as that of a Djungarian pet is suitable.

siberian hamster

Syrian or golden hamster

Behavioral differences

Young Syrian hamsters, like the Djungarians, are active, very active, curious about the world around them, love to play or run in a wheel, and like to stay awake at night. Sometimes they can be a little aggressive. At an older age, they become calmer and more sedentary.

Hair in the ear area

When examining a hamster, you need to pay attention to the condition of the fur near its ears and in the parotid area. In young hamsters, these parts are covered with an even, thin layer of white and fluffy hair. In older individuals, the ears are almost bare, and the remaining hairs on the ears grow noticeably.

Eyes

Young Syrian hamsters have black eyes, slightly bulging and slightly shiny. In healthy hamsters, the mucous membrane of the eyelids is pink and slightly moist.

If the eyes of Syrian hamsters are very shiny, have changed color, are covered with a yellowish film, are sunken, have popped out of their sockets, are dry or very moist, and the mucous membrane of the eyelids is inflamed - this indicates old age or illness of the hamster.

Wool

Syrian hamsters come in short-haired and long-haired varieties.

Long-haired dogs can also be “satin”. Their fur has a satiny sheen.

As they age, the color of Syrian hamsters darkens.

Golden rodents have gray small ears and black bangs. They have this coat color up to 8 months from birth. After 8 months of residence, their undercoats turn gray, but the upper hairs remain golden.

Smoky-pearl colored hamsters have gray fur and beige undercoats. As they get older, their coats may lighten. This is due to a varied diet at home.

Yellow-brown rodents have a rich honey-colored coat. The yellow tint takes up 30% of the total color. A distinctive feature is that these individuals retain their coat color throughout their lives.

Young animals have soft, thick and bright fur, but after two years it becomes hard and sparse.

Weight

The weight of a newborn Syrian hamster is 2-4 grams, and an adult - 100-125 grams. Moreover, their growth in length can reach 13 - 13.5 centimeters.

Dark spots

After one year of life, Syrian hamsters develop black spots on their bodies. They may be on the left and right lower back, as well as around the genitals, or the skin may darken in one patch. These are their glands that darken and become bulging with age.

Lifespan

Syrian hamsters live on average 3 years. If a rodent is provided with good care, it can live for 4 years. Because The average life expectancy of animals is 2 years; Syrian hamsters are classified as long-livers.

Young people are always active and playful

Lifespan of a rodent

How long the animal will live largely depends on the owners themselves and appropriate care. But there are many other factors that significantly influence how many years a hamster will have to please its owners. These include:

• Genetic inheritance.
• Proper nutrition.
• Quality of care.
• Conditions of detention prior to purchase.
• Breed (variety).

Unfortunately, breeds artificially bred by humans in laboratory conditions (selection) have a shorter life expectancy and are highly susceptible to the external environment. In other words, they have low immunity, which leads to numerous diseases.

For example, if you properly balance the diet of a dzhungarik and monitor the cleanliness of his home, he will be able to live happily for up to three years. A calm environment also significantly affects the animal’s well-being.

Veterinarians recommend adopting a new animal directly from breeders. Since it is from them that you can find out all the information about the homa’s parents, as well as see the conditions of cultivation and maintenance.

Other breeds

When purchasing a hamster of any breed, you can generally rely on the above points when determining their age. The exception is such a parameter as weight. It may differ for different breeds. And factors such as behavior, fur, ears and eyes are the same for all species.

IMPORTANT! It is worth paying attention to the following factors when choosing a hamster:

• if the hamster is more than 3 months old, it will weigh more than 40 grams;
• females increase in weight up to 4 months, after which she becomes an adult and her weight does not change, which indicates her readiness to mate;
• if the animal is more than 3 months old, its length will be at least 8 centimeters;
• young individuals are always playful and active, constantly eating, males start fights and attract females to their attention, and older animals behave calmly and stay away from everyone else.

Features of the cat's life cycle

A year in the life of a cat is a long and significant period. It is equivalent to approximately four to five human years . Knowing this, it is easy to understand why cats suddenly develop arthritis, lose their vision, or stop hearing well in a fairly short period of time. A popular and erroneous method, as we wrote above, is the “seven-year” method of converting cat years into human years: one cat year is not equivalent to our seven. This is due to the fact that in the first two years the cat matures faster than in the rest. So, in the first year the cat reaches the age of 15 human years, in the second - she is already a 24-year-old person. Each subsequent year is equal to approximately 4 years of ours. After some simple calculations, we get: the age of a five-year-old cat is 36 human years (see table below). It should also be taken into account that a cat who lives on the street ages much faster, perhaps even twice as fast, than a well-groomed indoor cat.

Stages of growing up a cat

Infancy

A kitten matures much faster than a human (within a few weeks). Born absolutely helpless, blind and deaf, during this period he discovers the world and learns to walk.

A week after birth, hearing appears (the protective film falls off), the eyes open. Vision develops gradually over several weeks. Teeth begin to emerge in the second week. In a human child, this occurs at 5-9 months.

After a month, the kittens are already actively running, just like human babies at 1-1.5 years old. A three-month-old kitten is comparable in social intelligence to a two-year-old human baby.

The table below shows the age of the kittens by human standards (by month):

Childhood

This period is the most difficult to compare due to the rapid growth of kittens.

At 4 months, kittens are already actively playing with their brothers and sisters, determining who is a stranger and who is theirs, building relationships with their owners, and can cope without licking, washing, sharpening their claws, or eating.

The age of cats in the first year of life, translated into human language, is 18 years, which encourages owners to take a closer look at the problems of breeding a furry friend, forming only positive habits (going to the toilet in a tray and sharpening their claws in the right place, not tearing wallpaper, not damaging furniture, do not bite, etc.).

Teenage years

A kitten at the age of 6 months, like a real teenager, begins to test the boundaries of permission. Therefore, the owner must respond in a timely manner and stop the misconduct. You should not forgive jokes and mischief, thinking that the kitten is still a child and its behavior will be correct.

Also around this time (6-7 months) females begin to go into heat, which causes a certain reaction in males. It is advisable not to allow mating, since the female is not yet physically ready for childbirth, much less motherhood, but she can become pregnant.

Youth

From one to two years the animal already looks like an adult, but still behaves like a child, plays, hides, etc. Clumsiness disappears in movements and grace appears.

Youth

During this period, the animal demonstrates its strength, agility and tirelessness to the maximum. Youth lasts up to 5 years, which in human age is 40. The ideal period for creating healthy offspring.

Maturity

From 6 to 10 liters. (about 40-55 people) the animal is calm, sometimes knows how to play. Problems may begin in the functioning of the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract. Unneutered animals may suffer from hormonal imbalances.

Old age

Cats from 10-12 liters are already considered elderly, although there are individuals who have lived up to 20 liters. It all depends on the condition of the animal and its health. For example, domestic cats live up to 10 people, and pets often live longer than 16 years.

There are also long-lived cats, living up to 20 years and longer. For example, the Texas cat Fluff lived 38 years, and Grandfather Rex Allen lived 34 years. Both animals lived with the same owner. Their owner noticed that they had lived for so long on only a diet of bacon, eggs, broccoli, asparagus.

There is also information about the cat Lucy from England, who lived to be 43 years old. Her last owner in 2015 found records that she was born in 1972.

The methods presented in the article allow us to approximately determine the age of a hamster, with errors. All animals can be divided into 3 age categories.

Years by human standards

Many owners are interested in knowing the number of years their pets have in human years. In this case, you can use mathematical calculations. If the average life span of a human is 60-70 years, and that of a hamster is 2-3 years, then 2 years corresponds to 60 human years. You can determine age in different periods:

1. At 6 months, a hamster is 12 years old.
2. Per year - 30-35 years.
3. And at 1.5 years old age begins.

Years of life can be extended. If you provide your hamster with decent conditions and care, he can live for three or even four years. You can go to an appointment with a veterinarian, who will help determine possible risks and hereditary diseases in the animal. By following the recommendations of a specialist, you can avoid many problems.

Source

Reviews

Oleg, 34 years old

My ten year old daughter loves rodents. Whom we didn’t already have! Recently we decided to buy a light brown Syrian. The daughter is delighted. I’ll say right away that we bought a two-month-old baby, but the cage was of impressive size, so that later, when he grows up, he wouldn’t feel cramped. We feed a ready-made mixture of grains, vegetables and fruits.

Maria, 46 years old

We bought our grandson a beige boy with a small white spot on his left side. The golden hamster has been living with us for three months now. At first everything was fine, but recently he began actively gnawing on the bars in the same corner. We don't quite understand what he's trying to achieve. We read that he most likely needs a female. We'll buy it.

Alisa, 19 years old

A few weeks ago I bought a three-month-old female Far Eastern hamster. For the first few days she made virtually no sounds and was motionless. When I tried to pick her up, she began to squeak loudly and squirm. After about a week, she became bolder and began to leave her house more often, especially when she heard my voice.

sovets24.ru

Feeding

A balanced diet is important for a rodent's health. The diet is based on grain mixtures, which are sold ready-made. Along with this, they give vitamin and mineral complexes. Despite the omnivorous nature of hamsters, nutritional control must be present. They love to eat junk foods like chips or cakes. Only this will quickly damage the kidneys and liver.

Since pets hibernate during the day, they are fed 2 times - morning and evening, in small portions. Remains of food are immediately removed, especially natural products. Hamsters may experience digestive disorders from eating spoiled food.

Hamsters tend to store food supplies, so food left in a bowl will quickly be transferred to one of the corners of the cage or end up on the floor. Therefore, you need to put in as much food as the animal can eat at one time.

Products that can be fed to Syrian hamsters are presented in the table.

In case of illness of the pet, the feeding scheme and food set are adjusted by the veterinarian. If the malaise is associated with obesity, then preference is given to dietary foods.

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