Hamster_Wize
03-06-2004, 08:51 PM
I just got a female hamster for my male. I asked the owner how old she is. She said she didn't know. She has grayish-white hair on her face, is that a mark or is she old?? What do you think?? Also how do you tell how old she is??:)
redsox9
03-15-2004, 02:18 PM
H_wize,
All that I know is from my hamster experience too. When our longest-living hammie, Chance, was an elderly gent, he had gray plumes behind his ears. Chubby, our most recent little guy, also developed gray behind his shoulderblades. If your female is quite a different color from her facial markings, it may be a sign of age. But, I have seen so many different kinds of markings & colorations... best way to tell an elder (for me) is to observe the hamster's activity level and sleep habits. If she sleeps a lot during the night, she's probably getting on in age. If she is raring to go in the evening, she probably is between several mos. to a year & 3 mos. Another sign for me is teeth. Hamster teeth are usually orangey or kinda brown anyway, but if they look unusually gucky it can also be a sign of aging. Also painful teeth eg. she won't eat crunchy things. If you have a small animal vet or hospital in your area, you might want to ask if they can age a hamster (inexpensively) for you. Good luck, hope I helped a bit!
guineagirl
06-08-2004, 02:17 PM
Gray hair does not nessarily mean your hamster is old. My friend has a pair of hamsters who are gray and they are not old. Checking with a vet is a good idea though. Good luck with your new hamster :D