Odd Biting issue, any out of the ordinary treatment needed for squirrel bites?

[Skyblader]

Hey guys,

We are having some issues with our baby Amber. My wife's parents came to see us this week and Amber has hopped on her mom and dad a few times. That's not really an issue as all she does is run around and try to dig a bit. It scares them so my wife tends to try and grab her off of them pretty quickly. Every time she hops on one of the parents and my wife try's to grab her off, she bites her pretty hard. She has bitten straight through 3 different fingers on the wife so far, and through one of mine(talking top and bottom teeth connect through).

Now we understand shes wild and will bite from time to time, and we aren't mad at her for it as its not her fault. However, we find it odd that she only bites when we are trying to take her off of people she doesn't know. Heck, we can take her squirrel block away from her and she just grumbles at us, but trying to remove her from an inlaw's shoulder leaves you with wounds.

Is there any particular reason for this behavior that we could try and help her get past? Also as the bites are pretty nasty is there anything we should do to clean them other than the standard hydrogen-proxidie rinse and a epson salt soak for the swollen ones?

Sky

[JLM27]

Because they are puncture wounds you must be sure that your wife is up to date on her tetanus shots. Squirrels do not carry tetanus; it is always around, but it needs an anaerobic environment in which to grow, which is provided by a puncture wound. Tetanus is usually fatal, so do not fail to get a shot if itis not up to date.

[4skwerlz]

Squirrel bites, even deep ones, tend to heal cleanly, thank goodness. I found Rescue Remedy Cream was wonderful for the pain.

If this is a squirrel you're keeping as a pet, then you need to discipline this. She should NEVER be allowed to bite like that.

There's a good thread about this (called "Can Squirrels be Defanged?") started by someone who was having problems with biting. A lot of good discussion and some techniques you can use.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14505&highlight=defanged

[Skyblader]

Thanks a ton for the link to that thread. The discipline thing we will defintely start right away. We are just confused as to whats going on with the biting. Amber just moved in to a new stage I guess you could say. Before she used to sleep in a pouch or in our shirts all day and wake up to play for a bit then go back to sleep. Now taking her out of the cage and just trying to get her to sit still is impossible as shes constantly running around like a crazy person, and she doesn't seem to want much affection.

It just seemed odd that she would leap onto a strange persons shoulder and leave them alone but then try to bite the people she knows when we go to get her, even if we pick her up slowly. Also, she NEVER bites us when we are taking her off each other, only off of strangers.

[whopoopwrasse]

I think the answer to all your questions is simply that she's a "squirrel" :D
Which is why most of the babies that are found are raised then released in the following spring :tilt
By next spring assuming she follows the direction she is taking, you won't be able to handle her at all and like you said it's not her fault it's normal squirrel behavior :thumbsup

[4skwerlz]

Whopoopwrasse is right. The biting could be a sign she is wilding up.

The discipline techniques are only for NR squirrels and permanent pets.

When a squirrel enters new territory, they are wary and defensive....so perhaps your guests are considered new territory? Perhaps she is "claiming" them as her own. It's not logical, of course, but likely it's just instinct kicking in.

IMO, any squirrel that will go so far as to bite you to the bone may not be "pet material."

[Jackie in Tampa]

If she is wilding up, you will see her almost 'hunch', maybe chit chatter her teeth and perhaps stomp her back feet...when they start to hunch up, be very careful...it is a defense and a strong indication she is going to bite.
There are two types of serious behavior bites...one is quick and forgotten as far as sq concerned...the other is seriously dangerous to both of you...If she ever starts to bite and comes back for more...do not swat her off. Many a sq has been injured and killed due to human fending off attacking sq! Be careful...
My advise is ...sqs are usually one person animals, put her in a different room or her cage while you have visitors...for everones sake.
Very few sqs can be pets!
The reward is in the release! Making them skybabies, as they were meant to be.:Love_Icon
NRs seem to know that they will not be released and adjust to their handicaps and being kept! If you are looking for a pet...let TSB know and eventually a NR will become available for adoption!
Good Luck!
I have been biten 185,342 times! j/k...but alot!:D No stitches so far!:thumbsup

[whopoopwrasse]

Ha, I was wondering when you would put your 2 cents on this, I've seen your hands in a few pics and I believe you when you say you've been bitten 185,342 times!

Right now my 3 babies are running loose in their room for exercise but when I put them back I have it down to an art. I can't pick them up to return them to the cage so I had to change from what I said last time (I thought feeding them first would make them more calm and sluggish :tilt ) Now I let them run around and expend their energy for a couple of hours and when it's time to go back in the cage I enter "THEIR" room with a big bowl of food, let each one of them sniff it but not to close because they'll actually try to bite my hand to make me let go of "THEIR" food, then I put it in the cage and they all follow in, I close the doors and Voila!!

Same with clean up, one of them HATES the broom and the dust broom too, can't use it while he's watching cuz he attacks, so I have to wait til he's busy wrastlin' with is brother ans sweep fast in little bursts.

[Skyblader]

Thanks for all the info guys.

We will have to watch for the wilding up behavior mentioned like the hunching and such. Right now she doesn't do anything like that, heck we can take nuts right out of her mouth and all she does is grumble. Same with putting our hands in her nestbox and pulling her out or petting her, she actually seems to enjoy that.

However, when shes on the inlaws the biting she does isn't like something that shes prepped and waiting to do. It's more of a she hops over to one of them and we go to grab her immediatly and when your hand touches her she whips around and bites. As soon as we pick her up(we don't jerk back or let go when she bites) she stops almost as if she realizes its us.

I think after reading the thread on defanging that it could be because shes on unfamiliar territory and we try to pick her up from behind(I think someone mentioned that this is where predators come from) I think for future use we will only pick her up from the front and start out with the hand going under the belly as suggested, to see if that helps.

[momofsquirrelly]

A number of good responses to your question. Hopefullly you are planning to release them to enjoy their life amoungst the trees....If so, perhaps it's better they be put away before the inlaws come over.