50 yuan to buy a hamster, 1,000 yuan to inject serum, why do hamsters bite people?

China Science and Technology News Network, January 12 (Jin Xi) Recently, Ms. Jiang from Quanzhou, Fujian spent 50 yuan to buy a hamster. Unexpectedly, on the first day after she brought it home, the hamster hugged and bit Ms. Jiang's finger. The pain made her cry. Finally, she had to go to the hospital and spend 1,000 yuan to get serum.

Hamsters, also known as cheeked rats and moving hamsters, are small animals with very small eyes and furry ears, and are often kept as pets. However, although hamsters look soft and cute, they are actually very strong solitary animals with a strong sense of territory. Moreover, the incisors of rodents have their own grinding function and the cross-section is very sharp. Many people will inevitably be bitten when raising hamsters. So what should you do if you are bitten by a hamster? Why do hamsters bite people?

If the hamster does not break the skin, of course no special treatment is needed. But if there is bleeding after the bite, you should squeeze out the blood first, then rinse it with clean water or soapy water, and then wipe the inside and outside of the wound with 75% alcohol or iodine for thorough disinfection. If the wound is still swollen the next day, you must go to the hospital for a tetanus shot.

As for whether you need to get a rabies vaccine if you are bitten by a hamster, according to the Technical Guidelines for Rabies Prevention and Control (2016 Edition), post-exposure rabies immunization is usually not required when exposed to rodents, rabbits or hares, but it is recommended that the wound be treated properly.

Hamsters have a strong sense of territory and may attack other animals or even other hamsters that invade their territory. Hamsters are also very sensitive and have a bad temper when they are sleeping, eating, pregnant, or lactating. They will retaliate against any external touch.

Hamsters don't have very good eyesight, but their sense of smell is very sensitive. If you feed a hamster with food in your hand, or approach a hamster with the hand that you have just fed it, the hamster will use its sense of smell to determine that it is food and will take a bite.

In addition, if the hamster is frightened or the owner plays with it for too long, causing the hamster to become impatient or angry, it may also bite the owner.