The new crown pneumonia epidemic is not over. In addition to a salesperson at the Little Boss pet store in Causeway Bay who was diagnosed with the Delta variant virus earlier, a female customer who had visited was also diagnosed, and 11 hamster samples in the store were also positive.
The Hong Kong government has decided to cull 2,000 related hamsters and small animals in Hong Kong.
Ms. Feng, a "senior" hamster owner with 15 years of breeding experience, criticized the relevant practices as ignoring life and questioning unreasonable "The life of small animals and hamsters is life. Can you make a hasty decision?" Ms.
Feng emphasized, At present, the investigation has not been completed, and the source of infection has not been confirmed. We appeal to the owner not to abandon it.
Ms. Feng has been fond of rodent pets since she was a child, and created a double bed space at home so that the guinea pigs can move freely.
(Photo by Zhang Haowei)
Ms. Fung currently keeps a total of 7 bear mice and guinea pigs. She described that each pet mouse has a different personality. Taking guinea pigs as an example, they are generally closer to people and like to be held and petted. They also like to be fed by their owners. They have close contact. "When they are in the house, they will try their best to sit and bury them together, and hold them in their arms."
The Hong Kong government announced that due to the outbreak of the epidemic in pet stores, two batches of nearly 2,000 hamsters and small animals will be culled.
She believes that the practice is unreasonable, and suggests that they should be isolated and tested first, so as to avoid "burial" of uninfected hamsters.
Worry about spreading infection to pets
Ms. Feng said frankly that she was not worried that pet rats would transmit the virus to humans.
She said that previous studies have also pointed out that the chance of animal-to-human transmission is relatively small, but she is worried that under the epidemic situation, after going out and contracting the virus, it will be transmitted to them.
Therefore, Miss Feng's family is often "on high alert". For example, she must wash her hands before petting them after going out. She also changes her clothes before hugging them. When choosing toys for mice, Feng also chooses cloth and plastic products to facilitate cleaning.
If you have a cold or pneumonia, you can check it first
Feng Xu said that although pet rats can get sick, they can catch colds, runny noses, and even pneumonia just like humans.
In the past, her pet had a respiratory infection or pneumonia, which required the use of a ventilator or oxygen machine, as well as aerosolized medicine, and eventually recovered.
She emphasized that pet rat owners should not panic. If they have kept pet rats for a long time, I believe that as long as the owners are self-disciplined, pet rats will not be infected.
As for new owners, if pet rats are found to have symptoms, they should take them to a doctor.
If you feel unwell, you should also keep your distance from pet rats.
+7
Pet rats are also emotionally urged not to abandon them
Ms. Feng also said that the outbreak of the epidemic in the pet store involved has not yet been confirmed. It involves human-to-human transmission of animals or animal-to-human transmission. She appeals to everyone not to abandon them. They are small in size and difficult to detect on the street. In addition, pet rats are different from cats, dogs and rabbits. There is no organized organization dedicated to rescuing them, and they can only rely on independent volunteers.
She said that all her 7 pet rats were adopted. Some people abandoned them for economic, family, immigration and other reasons, and they also tried to find them on the street.
According to her experience, pet rats have emotions, and they also feel when they are abandoned. "For example, the squirrels will bark when they are happy...and hide when they are unhappy. They are very emotional."
Humane Destruction of Hamsters｜Netizens cite that hamsters have dedicated themselves to helping the fight against the epidemic and criticize the government for "repaying revenge" to hamsters The Democratic Party criticizes the humane destruction of hamsters with contempt for life | Is humane destruction really humane?
AFCD's Humane Handling Approach in One Article