Hamsters are very fast animals that are active and on the move all the time. But sometimes unfortunate situations happen where we can step on our pet.
What happens if you accidentally step on your hamster?
Accidentally stepping on your hamster can cause injury to its body and internal organs. If you step on it just a little, there may not be any serious injuries, but if you step on it harder, it can cause body fractures and bleeding from the mouth.
When you accidentally step on your hamster, you should not panic and immediately check if there is any injury or change in its behavior.
The hamster can be under mental and physical trauma and therefore you have to be careful with it.
In today’s article, you will find out what happens if you accidentally step on your hamster, what to do, and how the hamster will behave after such an unwanted situation.
What should I do if I accidentally step on my hamster?
Hamsters have small and fragile bones that can easily break if stepped on by humans.
Stepping on your hamster can cause:
- injury to his vital organs
- bruises on the body
- cuts
- fractures
Sometimes when you step on your hamster the consequences can be fatal or life-changing. So here are some things you must check if you step on your pet.
See if the hamster has any visible injuries
First, see if the hamster has any visible injuries such as fractures or bleeding from its body.
If you step on the hamster just a little, there may not be any serious injuries, it is more likely that it will be in shock.
Whereas if you step on the hamster hard then there can be internal injuries and bleeding from the mouth or nose.
In any case, an examination by a veterinarian is inevitable, regardless of whether there are minor or major injuries, because sometimes internal injuries are not obvious.
Veterinarian examination
As we said, sometimes the internal injuries will not be visible and you will have to take the hamster to the vet for an examination.
It is best for everyone that the hamster has no serious injuries because if there are serious injuries, the veterinarian can also suggest euthanasia if there is no other way out.
In any case, the vet will do everything he can to save your pet’s life. When you take your injured hamster to the vet, put it in a cardboard box and plenty of bedding to make it more comfortable and to protect it from worsening its injuries.
Hamsters need rest
If you accidentally step on your hamster just leave it in the cage so it can rest and calm down.
He will surely be under a lot of stress from the injuries and from the scare that he will experience.
Do not touch it or take it in your hands because at such a moment the hamster will be afraid of you even though you hurt it unintentionally.
How do you know if a hamster is hurt when you step on it?
When you accidentally step on your hamster and get injured, your pet will show some signs that it is hurt.
Here are some of the signs:
- breathing problems
- there will be swelling and bleeding
- he will not want to eat
- he will hide in the cage and not come out
- he will sleep much more
- he will be aggressive and may start biting
- may make crying sounds
- he will curve when he walks
All these signs indicate that the hamster clearly has an injury and you must immediately take it to the vet to be examined.
Are the hamsters aware that you accidentally stepped on it?
There is no way to know for sure if the hamsters know that you accidentally stepped on it.
Maybe the hamster will know that you accidentally stepped on it because before the accident you took care of it and kept it in the best way, but it will still be careful for a certain time.
When the hamster starts to heal and feel better again the trust between you and your pet will be back to what it was before.
How will the hamster behave after you accidentally step on it?
When you accidentally step on your hamster it is normal for him to change his behavior toward you.
He can try to bite you, be aggressive, and do other things that we will look at in more detail.
The hamster will try to bite you
When you accidentally step on your hamster it may start biting you as a reaction to your step.
This can be especially noticed if he did not bite you before, and after being stepped on, he suddenly starts to do so.
But don’t get too nervous because this is a completely normal reaction that will pass in a few days.
He can try to run away
When you accidentally step on your hamster it may start trying to escape the cage.
This is a completely normal reaction of hamsters who do not feel safe in those moments and therefore try to run away.
He will look for a way out of the cage, thinking that his life is in danger, but after a few days, he will calm down and won’t want to run away.
More or fewer activity
hamsters may become very active and run more on the exercise wheel or dig in the bedding more often.
Sometimes the opposite happens, they become lethargic and less active, and they hide more in tunnels and hiding places.
However, these are completely normal reactions when you step on your pet, which does not last long.
Read more: How To Save A Choking Hamster? All Answers You need To Know
Will my hamster forgive me for accidentally stepping on it?
It depends because some hamsters will forget about the unfortunate event and after a few days they will want to play with you again.
But there are also cases when hamsters never forget what happened to them and may not be the same as before.
But in any case, you should try to do everything you can to restore the trust of your pet and make him happy and cheerful again when you are near him.
Related Questions
What happens if you accidentally drop your hamster?
If you accidentally drop your hamster from your hands, it can seriously injure itself.
When hamsters fall from a height greater than 25 cm, it can be fatal for their lives, the higher it is, the more dangerous it is.
That’s why you have to be very careful when holding the hamster in your hands, it’s best to sit on a bed or be close to the floor to avoid injuries.
Read more: Why Your Hamster Moving Slowly? Find Out Now
Do hamsters hide their pain?
Yes, hamsters hide when they are in pain or when they are injured, they are experts in such situations.
Hamsters hide when they are in pain because they are afraid of being discovered by predators in their moments of weakness and being attacked.
Hiding pain is very bad for hamster owners because they can’t always see when their pet is sick.
Read more: What To Do If Your Hamster Is in Shock? (Find Out Now)
Conclusion
If you accidentally step on your hamster, it can suffer minor or serious injuries to its body.
You should immediately take him to the vet to be examined because sometimes the injuries will not be obvious.
When you step on the hamster in the future, you should be careful not to repeat such an incident, because the hamsters may be afraid of you.
Sometimes after you step on the hamster he will be aggressive and may bite you or run away from you, but this will change in the coming days and he will usually be happy again when you are together.
Read more: What Happens When a Hamster Falls? How to Prevent
