Just like humans, hamsters go through different stages of life as well. As pups, they depend on their mother for milk. Once they wean off, they become independent and forage for food. But once they become old, they become weak. Old hamsters will have less energy than pups or young hamsters. So, they cannot run much on wheels or search their cage for treats. Therefore, they need more care.
In this blog post, let’s find out how to tell if your hamster is old, what diseases old hamsters are prone to, and how to take care of a senile hamster.
How to find out if your hamster is becoming old?
How old is your hamster in human years?
As you already know, hamsters are tiny creatures. They don’t live as long as humans. On average, they live for just 2-3 years (For more information, read: How long do hamsters live?).
So, they age faster when compared to humans. Moreover, they may also age differently. For example, they may age faster when they are young than when they are old. To understand that, let’s find out what a hamster’s age looks like in human years.
| Hamster age | Human age |
| 1 month | 14 years |
| 2 months | 20 years |
| 4 months | 26 years |
| 6 months | 34 years |
| 8 months | 42 years |
| 10 months | 50 years |
| 12 months | 58 years |
| 2 years | 70 years |
| 3 years | 100 years |
So, from the above table, you can see that if your hamster is nearing two years of age, he is already pretty old.
But what do you do if you don’t know how old your hamster is? Maybe, you got your hamster from a pet shelter. Or you got your hamster from a friend who couldn’t take care of him anymore. In such cases, it is possible that you don’t know how old your hamster is. What do you do then? How do you find out if your hamster is getting old?
Don’t worry. This blog post will help you find out if your hamster is getting old. If your hamster is becoming old, he will show some of the following symptoms:
Changes in physical appearance
The easiest way to find out if your hamster has become old is to look for the most obvious signs of old age. If your hamster is becoming old, the following changes in physical appearance can occur.
Fur
When humans grow old, our hair grays out.
We also start losing hair. Our hair follicles contain self-renewing stem cells. Over time, these cells accumulate genetic errors which interfere with their ability to rejuvenate themselves (Source: Stat News). As more and more of these stem cells become defective, our hair follicles start shrinking. So, when we are young, even if we lose hair, new hair grows in its place. But as we age, we start losing more hair than new hair can grow. So, we become bald.
Hamsters may not be that different from humans in this regard. When hamsters get older, their coat may become thinner. In some places, they may also become completely bald. Their fur might also lose its shine. Age-related fur loss may occur first near the stomach, hind legs, and hips (Source: Creature Years to Human Years).
In some places on their body, they may also start growing silver hair.
Hamster babies are born blind and without any fur. Some old hamsters may also become like baby hamsters when they are about to die. So, if that happens to your hamster, do not be disgusted or surprised.
Skin
When humans become old, our skin becomes wrinkled. As we get older, our skin loses its elasticity and becomes fragile. As we age, the body’s ability to produce natural oils also diminishes drastically. Moreover, the amount of fat present in the deeper layers of the skin also decreases. So, our skin gets dry, wrinkled, loose, and saggy (Source: Mayo Clinic).
Similarly, your hamster’s skin can become dry and flaky as he gets older.
General appearance
When hamsters become old, they will lose a lot of their muscles and fat reserves. So, as your hamster ages, he will become skinny, and his skin will start to sag in places. He won’t be the same fluff ball he used to be. He might look too frail and could be delicate to the touch.
His eyes might start to bulge out as the muscles and fat in his face shrink.
Just like humans crouching as they age, your hamster’s posture might also change.
Besides these changes in the physical appearance of your hamster, his health will also deteriorate as he ages.
Changes in health
If your hamster is becoming old, he might start suffering from the following health problems.
Eyesight and eye-related problems
Hamsters have a terrible vision; they can only see a few inches past their nose. But as they age, even the little vision they have worsens. Your hamster might even become completely blind upon aging. But losing their eyesight won’t affect hamsters much because they rely on their other senses to survive anyway. That being said, it is not uncommon for senile hamsters to bump into things in their cage once they become blind.
As hamsters age, they also become prone to eye problems like cataracts. Normally there is a lens behind the Iris (the black part of the eye). It focuses the light passing through the eye to produce clear images. As one ages, the proteins and fibers inside this lens break down and clump together, creating cataracts that cloud the lens. Not only humans but also hamsters are prone to cataracts.
Another eye problem that can affect senile hamsters is sticky eyes. When a hamster sleeps, fluids might come out of his eyes. By the time he wakes up, these fluids might have dried and glued his eyelids together. To find out more about this condition and other eye problems, read the blog post about Hamster eye problems.
Dental problems
As a hamster ages, he may experience dental problems. His teeth could become brittle or loose. They can also become crooked or overgrown, affecting his ability to eat. If that happens, your hamster must be taken to a veterinary doctor so that his teeth can be trimmed down (Source: Animals.mom).
Arthritis
Arthritis is a term used to refer to more than a hundred conditions that can affect the joints of the body. Arthritis can be caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the tissues in the joints. Arthritis can make the joints swell and cause pain. Though anyone can get arthritis, old age can increase its risk.
Like humans, hamsters can also get arthritis when they become old. If your hamster has trouble walking or walks slower than usual, he might be suffering from arthritis.
Changes in behavior
You can also find out if your hamster is aging by looking for the following changes in his behavior.
Energy level
Hamsters may be tiny, but they are extremely active. The first time you see a hamster, you might even be surprised because you will notice him running all the time.
But hamsters are like humans too. As they age, they get tired easily. Moreover, an old hamster won’t have as much energy as a young hamster. So, he might not show as much interest in running on hamster wheel as before.
Your hamster might even prefer to stay in his nest rather than play in his cage. If this happens, this is a very good indicator that your hamster has become senile.
Appetite
Young hamsters often eat a lot because they need a lot of energy to keep running. However, old hamsters often show reduced activity. So, your hamster will eat less when compared to his younger self. Some of the treats that excited him when he was younger may not pique his interest anymore.
Moreover, your hamster may also become picky about what he eats. He may leave out the hard, dry grains and go for softer food items like boiled rice, broccoli, carrots, etc.
Weight
Due to his reduced food intake, your hamster will become thinner and weaker as he ages.
Grooming
Hamsters are tiny prey animals. They may have bad eyesight, but they have extremely good senses of smell and hearing. But just like hamsters, their predators, too, have keen senses of smell and hearing. Therefore, if hamsters are smelly, their predators will find them easily by following their scents. Many hamsters have thick furs in which food items can get lodged and create a smell when they rot.
So, hamsters groom themselves vigorously to get rid of anything that can release an odor and reveal their location to predators. They also take sand baths to keep themselves clean. Grooming and keeping himself clean is a natural instinct of a hamster.
However, if your hamster is senile, he won’t groom as often as his younger self, mostly because he can’t reach all parts of his body anymore. So, you will find that his fur, which used to look shiny and clean, will now look matted and tangled.
Peeing
As explained above, hamsters have sharp noses; they can catch scents that are too faint for humans to recognize. So, young adult hamsters will often pick a corner that is farthest from their cage to pee because their pee can be too smelly for them.
But as hamsters age, they won’t find the energy to get up from their nest and walk all the way to their pee corner. So, they may pee in other places in their cage. A hamster that is too old might also pee in his own nest.
Reaction to being handled
When a hamster is young and has been tamed, he may get excited when you pick him up to play with him. However, an old hamster may not react the same way. Old hamsters are often tired and out of energy. So, instead of playing with you, they may prefer to sleep.
So, a senile hamster might protest if you try to pick him up. After all, besides being tired, his body might also be aching all over.
Sleeping
Since old hamsters are often tired and out of energy, they will spend most of their time sleeping rather than playing in their cage.
Now that you know how to find out if your hamster has become old or not let’s see what health problems your hamster is prone to due to his old age.
Common Health Issues in Aging Hamsters
Besides dental problems, thinning of hair and the appearance of bald patches on his fur, and loss of eyesight, hamsters are also prone to the following health issues when they age (Source: Omlet).
Tumors
A tumor is an abnormal tissue that is formed when the body cells do not die when they should and grow and divide much more than they normally should. Tumors can be benign or cancerous.
Several research studies indicate that hamsters become more prone to different kinds of tumors as they age (For more information, read: Tumors in hamsters).
Dwarf hamsters are more prone to tumors of the integumental system, which includes the skin, nails, hair, sweat glands, etc. On the other hand, Syrian hamsters are more prone to tumors of the immune system.
Kidney failure
Kidneys filter toxic waste from the body while conserving water. Impaired kidneys don’t filter the toxins out efficiently. So, toxins start accumulating in the blood, causing uremic poisoning.
Moreover, instead of releasing small amounts of concentrated urine from the body, impaired kidneys release dilute urine frequently. This frequent urination can lead to severe dehydration.
Proteins can also be lost through urine, causing weight loss.
If left untreated, impaired kidneys can lead to kidney failure. This amazing article in Hamster Central contains more information about kidney failure in hamsters.
Liver problems
Older hamsters are also prone to liver problems.
For example, old female hamsters are prone to cirrhosis (Source: MSD Vet Manual). Cirrhosis is the scarring of the liver caused by long-term liver damage. The scarred tissue interferes with the functioning of the liver. A liver that has been damaged by cirrhosis won’t be able to filter out toxins from the blood as effectively as a healthy one. It can lead to the accumulation of toxins in the brain. Cirrhosis can also make it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, leading to weight loss and weakness (Source: Mayo Clinic).
Constipation
Constipation is a condition where one is not able to completely empty their bowels and/or not able to empty their bowels regularly. Constipation can occur in hamsters of all ages, but older hamsters may be more prone to it.
Constipation in hamsters may occur due to parasites like tapeworms. It can also be caused by the blockage of the intestines in hamsters that eat their bedding. Constipation may also be caused by a medical condition called intussusception, where a portion of the intestine folds inside itself.
How to care for an old hamster?
Make the surroundings stress-free
Since your hamster is old, he will feel vulnerable. So, even small sounds can scare and stress him out a lot. The same goes for jerky movements as well. Therefore avoid loud sounds. Don’t move his cage suddenly. Walk slowly when you are near the cage.
Moreover, bigger pets can also scare your hamster. So, if you have other bigger pets, keep them away from your hamster’s cage. Better yet, keep your hamster cage in a room that is not accessible to big pets.
If you have already created a daily rhythm for your hamster, do not change it, i.e., do not switch on the light when he is sleeping, do not try to pick him up when he is sleeping, and do not try to wake him up.
Moreover, if your hamster resists when you try to pick him up, do not pick him up. Maybe his body is aching all over, and by picking up, you only make things worse even though you want to help.
Make the surroundings safe
When your hamster is young, his body will be able to heal fast. So, even if he falls from an elevated platform in the cage, he will be able to recuperate quickly. But as a hamster becomes old, his body’s ability to heal declines drastically. So, if an old hamster falls down, he may be handicapped for life.
So, remove everything that can injure your hamster. If you have multiple levels in the cage, you should consider removing them so that your hamster doesn’t fall down and hurt himself.
Don’t change the cage too much
If your hamster is not only old but also blind, he will rely on his smell to survive. Even if he is not able to see, he would have memorized the entire cage in his mind. So, don’t remove his old toys from his cage. Moreover, do not change the location of the toys and other stuff. Do not add any new toys with pointy edges. If you do so, your hamster might bump against them and injure himself.
Change his diet
An old hamster’s digestive system may not be as strong as a young hamster’s digestive system. So, you have to add soft foods to his diet and remove hard foods like dry grains. Some senior hamsters may be picky eaters and try to avoid hard foods.
Some soft foods you can add to your hamster’s diet are:
1. Boiled vegetables like carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, etc
2. Boiled egg whites, cooked chicken, or fish
3. Porridge
If your hamster has lost his teeth because of old age, mush his food so that it is easy for him to eat.
Keep everything near his nest
If your hamster is old, chances are that he won’t be able to walk much. So, if his food bowl or water bottle is not nearby, he may shy away from getting up and walking every time to eat or drink water because it hurts to do so. Hence, keep his water bottle and food bowl near his nest so that they are easily accessible. Monitor your hamster to make sure that your hamster is eating and drinking water regularly.
Keep your hamster’s toys near his nest as well.
Clean his cage more often
When they are young, hamsters often choose a spot that is farthest from their nest to pee. However, as they age, they get tired easily. So they may not be able to walk to their pee spot anymore. So, they may start peeing in other places in their cage as well. If your hamster is too old and too weak, he may even pee in his own nest.
But hamsters have a strong sense of smell. So, even the smell of their own pee can stress them out. Hence, you have to clean your hamster cage as often as possible to remove the soiled bedding. If possible, replace the bedding twice per week. But do not replace the bedding completely.
Hamsters can mark their territories with scent from their scent glands and pee. If you replace the bedding completely, your hamster will not be able to smell his own scent he used to mark the bedding. This can be stressful for your hamster, particularly if he has gone completely blind. So, while replacing the bedding, leave some of the old bedding as it is.
Play with your hamster (if his health permits)
An elderly hamster may shy away from exercising. But it is important for your hamsters to exercise. Since he is old, he may not be able to run on the hamster wheel as much as when he was younger. But exercising helps your hamster to be strong and healthy even in old age.
So, gently pick him up and keep him inside the hamster wheel and encourage him to run. Move the hamster wheel near his nest so that he can reach it easily.
You can also pick him up and place him outside in his playpen or sofa and play with him.
Talk to your hamster regularly
If your pet hamster is too old, he will not be able to play anymore. He might resist being picked up as well. But even if that is the case, you must interact with him regularly.
Don’t leave your hamster to die alone in his old age. Talk to him regularly. That way, your hamster might not feel depressed in his old age.
