What Should You Do If a Hamster Bites You? Vaccination and How to Tell Males from Females

When you keep a hamster, being bitten is unavoidable. Many people panic after being bitten, worrying about whether there are bacteria, whether they need a shot, and so on. So what should you do if a hamster bites you? Do you need a vaccine? How do you tell males from females?  

Why hamsters bite

They are unfamiliar with their owner, get startled or disturbed, mistake a finger for food, or are ill, among other reasons.

What should you do if a hamster bites you? Do you need a vaccine?

1. No wound: if the hamster only nibbles, without breaking the skin or with only a tiny break, this generally needs no special treatment.

2. Bleeding: if the bite draws blood, first squeeze some blood out, then wash it with soapy water; if you are really worried, you can apply a little alcohol around the wound to disinfect it.

3. Swelling at the bite site: if the bite site swells up the next day after you have treated the bleeding, you need to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot.

How can you avoid being bitten?

Try not to disturb your hamster while it is sleeping; it is best to wash your hands thoroughly before handling it. You can gradually build closeness with your hamster by hand-feeding it food.

If a hamster that is already very close to its owner, or has always been very friendly, suddenly starts biting its owner one day, you need to check the hamster's health; generally, if a hamster is sick or uncomfortable, it will also start biting.

Other points

Many people ask whether hamsters carry bacteria, viruses and the like. But please think about it with basic common sense: no matter where you are, there will be bacteria and viruses. Generally, domestic hamsters do not carry disease-causing germs, unless the home environment is also very poor. At present, there is no information or experiment that can prove hamsters carry the rabies virus.

When you are bitten, please try to stay calm, and try not to reflexively fling the hamster away because you are startled or in pain. This can cause the hamster to be injured in a fall or frightened, making it even harder to get close to it afterwards.

Except for the case where the bite site swells up, no shots of any kind are needed.

How do you tell male hamsters from female hamsters?

Male hamster: it has testicles, that is, two red lumps below the anus and a drooping bottom; the reproductive organ has a protrusion about 1-2 cm above the anus.

Female hamster: there is no obvious protruding reproductive organ 1 cm above the anus, because the vagina and the urethra are very close together.

How do you keep a hamster?

The first thing to pay attention to is the hamster's living environment.

(1) Temperature: the most suitable living temperature for a hamster is 20-28°C, and you should make sure the temperature does not change too much; if the temperature difference within a day is 10 degrees, it is extremely unfavorable for a hamster, because hamsters are very sensitive to temperature.

(2) Avoid direct sunlight: unlike many animals, a hamster cannot be exposed to direct sunlight; if it is exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, abnormalities easily appear.

(3) Avoid direct drafts: some people think animals should be placed where the wind blows directly, but hamsters cannot be; however, you should also pay attention to ventilation and ensure normal air circulation.

(4) Keep away from televisions, computers and the like: hamsters are also very sensitive to radiation and noisy environments; they can hear sound waves that humans cannot, so keep them away from radiating appliances such as televisions and computers.

Feeding a hamster:

1. Foods suitable for hamsters

Vegetables: leafy greens, carrots, spinach, cucumber, cabbage, etc.

Seeds: sunflower seeds, peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts, etc.

Fruits: apples, strawberries, cherries, etc.

Grains: chicken feed, bird feed, wheat, corn, millet, etc.

Plants: dandelion, kudzu, plantain, etc.

Animal protein: beef, chicken, boiled egg white, cheese, milk, yogurt, mealworms, superworms, etc.

Of course, there are also special hamster foods on the market. However, even if you feed commercial food, you should also pay attention to feeding some vegetables and fruits.

2. Foods unsuitable for hamsters

Some foods are very harmful to hamsters, such as chocolate, sweets, fresh milk, star fruit, pungent fruits and vegetables, and so on.

3. Feeding amount and frequency

Generally speaking, each feeding amount for a hamster is one small teaspoon, once in the morning and once in the evening each day.

4. When to change the water

This mainly depends on the water quality; you can hold it up to the light to see whether the water is cloudy. If it is cloudy, change it.

Supplies for keeping a hamster

Cage

There are now special hamster cages on the market. Sometimes a hamster will grab the wire mesh and climb upwards, which creates a risk of falling, so the cage should not be very tall, and the bottom of the cage should be covered with wood shavings, cotton and the like.

Food bowl

Generally, cages come with a food bowl built in. Generally, the food bowl should be hard to tip over, and its edges should not be too high, otherwise the hamster will have difficulty eating; of course, you can also substitute some common household items, such as a glass ashtray or a small bowl.

Water dispenser

Like the food bowl, the water dispenser is generally built in; when buying, test whether it leaks. Never use a bowl directly, because a hamster easily gets wet and then catches a chill and gets sick.

Toilet

This is simple: just get a plastic box and fill it with cat litter, but you must remove the clumped cat litter or replace it all every day, because hamsters also like to be clean.

Bathing house

Hamsters love to bathe in the cat litter in the toilet, but that is not very hygienic; you can set up a special bathing house and put bathing sand in it. Of course, the bathing sand needs to be disinfected beforehand; the disinfection method is to wash it clean and then dry it in a microwave.

Running wheel

Cages generally come with a running wheel built in, because hamsters love to exercise, and normal exercise can make a hamster sturdier and healthier.

Bedding

Wood shavings are generally chosen as cage bedding, because they are relatively clean and easy to get; some people use paper bedding, and here you need to be careful: never use printed paper, because the ink is toxic and the hamster will be poisoned.

Chew stone / chew stick

Everyone surely knows this: for a hamster, not wearing down its teeth is equal to suicide, because a hamster's teeth keep growing, so a chew stick is needed to wear down the overgrown teeth.