BEIJING -- A sudden spike in the demand for pet rodents, inspired by the start of the "Year of the Rat," has forced the price of hamsters up by as many as six times in China, state media reported Wednesday.

Prior to the Lunar New Year, hamsters went for as little as five yuan (70 US cents) each, but now they cost as much as 30 yuan, the People's Daily said in a report posted on its website.

"More people want rat-like pets," Yi Xiaoran, an online hamster trader, told AFP. "I've got at least twice as many customers looking for hamsters now than before Lunar New Year."

However, medical professionals warn about the public health risks involved in the sudden interest in rodents.

"Hamsters and other rodents have extremely sharp teeth, and they may be carrying rabies," the Xinhua news agency warned.

Time is traditionally ordered into 12-year cycles in China, with each year represented by an animal.