Can hamsters give diseases to humans? Are they safe for my family?

No, it's not possible for a hamster to get the same type of virus that causes the common cold in people. Generally, the diseases that can cause an upper respiratory infection in people are not the same that hamsters can get and are not transmissible from people to hamster, or vice versa. I hope that helps and you feel better soon.

If your hamster is older and has never been ill, he is less likely to have a contagious respiratory illness. If the hamsters have all been near each other for a long time, this also decreases the chance they could spread illness. If you have recently gotten new hamsters, they are more likely to transfer something...it could be spread through the air or from you touching one cage then another. Wash your hands between handling and handle the sick hamster last. He should go to the vet to get checked out and see what might be going on with him.

Hello. Probably not, but why take a chance. Don't forget, if you are sick, your immune system is compromised & you do not want to catch something ( again, unlikely ) from your hamster. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is a great question, and I am so glad that you are considering this prior to getting new pets! There are some diseases that can be passed from hedgehogs to sugar gliders, and actually, they can be passed to humans as well! The first is Salmonella, a bacteria. Hedgehogs can harbor this bacteria as part of their normal bacterial population, or flora, and may not have any signs of illness associated with it. But, sometimes they can pass this bacteria along to other animals or humans, and those animals or humans may get sick. I would advise washing your hands thoroughly after handling your hedgehog or when cleaning up after him/her (or the cage, food/water dishes, etc.). This can help to decrease any chance of bacterial spread. The second is dermatophytosis, or ringworm. Again, hedgehogs can harbor these fungal organisms and not have any signs of carrying them. Most of the time, people or other animals do not "catch" this from hedgehogs if they are healthy or don't have immune compromise. But, it can happen, so again, please follow the same guidelines as outlined above to help keep everyone safe. I hope this helps, and thanks for your question!

Hamsters are not vaccinated, and there are no recognized vaccines as being safe for use on them. No, it is extremely unlikely that Bibi will have lepto; in fact, while hamsters have been used in research studies on lepto, it is not a disease found in hamsters. It is found in mice and rats.

Cat bites can be very nasty so I always recommend antibiotic therapy and pain management to animals (and to people) who fall victim to their feline. If you decide to hold off and take a wait & see approach, rodents often hide their illnesses until they are very sick - this is a defense mechanism as they are prey animals. They will stop eating, become highly lethargic, and may develop a high fever. As for your cat and the hamster bite, I am less concerned about this but would need to see photograph of the affected area to render an official opinion on the matter. Hope this makes sense.

I am not sure what you are worried about exactly. Are you talking about them physically harming them or transmitting diseases to them? A mouse physically harming a rabbit is unlikely. Transmitting disease is possible but not likely unless there is a lot of direct contact. The most common thing for them to transmit would be external parasites (mites, fleas, etc) but transmitting respiratory diseases is also possible. If this doesn't answer your question you are welcome to post again. Be as specific as possible so we can help you better. Thanks!