Biting

[sharpknitter]

Cashew is 13 wk old and I have to winter her over in VA. She is fine with me, but is getting rough with her teeth. My husband has been letting her run in the room for me and feeding her occassionally. However, Cashew broke skin on his finger and he refuses to help. My daughter went in to see her run around too and she tried to bite her finger, so I had her put gloves on and she bit the gloves. My problem is that I will be away for a week and I have a friend that is a vet tech who has agreed to take care of her while I am gone. She will come to our house and clean her cage, feed her and let her out once a day. I am worried that Cashew is not being very nice to the "help" though. Any suggestions? I have tried to find a rehabber, but no luck.

[NutmegsMommy]

When Nutmeg starting getting nasty with the bites, I discovered the art of distraction when I had to into the cage. I would put something half-way through the bars on the opposite side, a piece of fleece for example, and he would be distracted by that long enough for me to do what I needed to do. Another trick you can use is to let the squirrel out to run around and then when you want the squirrel to go back into the cage toss the squirrel's favorite shell coated nut to him. The squirrel should run back to the cage to bury the nut in its hammock - it works for me and another squirrel board memeber too who has a nasty biter on her hands. On days when Nutmeg is really acting up, I won't let him out and if I need to do things to the cage, like change a hammock out, I do it all through the bars with the help of needle nose pliers for griping the hammock and a long twig to move the material along. Hope these ideas help. Maybe someone else will post some other :thumbsup ideas :)

[LittleFootsMama]

With LF I would scold him with a firm AH AH! sound and immediately put him back in his cage - this worked pretty quick when he realized that biting meant no more playtleaving
my leaving the room

[mugzeezma]

Some Sq bite harder when they play. Ani my wild child is so very gentle and Finnagin is REALLY ROUGH!!!
I pick him up and the first thing he does is cock that little head with play ears back and open his mouth! The moment I move he plants one on me or just sets his teeth on me.

Watch the ears.
Play is folded halfway back and curled to the middle.
Mad is flattened ears all the way back. Sometimes you get a warning growl.

Also
Squirrels are very opinionated about who their friends are. It can change based on their whims. They are intelligent and can hold grudges. They also know that they can't hurt gloves but can hurt fingers.
They are every bit as smart if not smarter than your average dog.

[Kristal]

I wonder if a solo, hand raised kit would have the same gesture system as one raised with other squirrels? A lot of this is just instinctive, and then a lot of it needs to be developed through experience.... most of it is both, as far as I can tell.

[mugzeezma]

I wonder if a solo, hand raised kit would have the same gesture system as one raised with other squirrels? A lot of this is just instinctive, and then a lot of it needs to be developed through experience.... most of it is both, as far as I can tell.
I've had handraised singletons raised by other people AND multiples. They are the same but all of them nip and have similar gestures.

[virgo062]

I would venture to say it's all about instincts and not a lot of experience...here's why...I have two 8 weeks old I had since they were pinkys...We moved then to the big boy cage today. My dog decided to take a little smell and my little G came out of the house growling and lunging...Now, How would he know to do that? How does he know that my dog is a danger to him?:thinking They are smart little creatures and they just know....

[Kristal]

I've had handraised singletons raised by other people AND multiples. They are the same but all of them nip and have similar gestures.
I think you mean that they are not the same :)

[jo_schmoe]

I would venture to say it's all about instincts and not a lot of experience...here's why...I have two 8 weeks old I had since they were pinkys...We moved then to the big boy cage today. My dog decided to take a little smell and my little G came out of the house growling and lunging...Now, How would he know to do that? How does he know that my dog is a danger to him?:thinking They are smart little creatures and they just know....
My babies who are 4 months old now will lunge at anyone who tries to enter their enclosure except me. They are just wilding up.....its instinct. I know they are smaller but whatever you do....stay away from the nest. Thats got a fight written all over it!! lol.....but rest assured...its what they are supposed to do.

[Kristal]

I would venture to say it's all about instincts and not a lot of experience...here's why...I have two 8 weeks old I had since they were pinkys...We moved then to the big boy cage today. My dog decided to take a little smell and my little G came out of the house growling and lunging...Now, How would he know to do that? How does he know that my dog is a danger to him?:thinking They are smart little creatures and they just know....
I *wish* mine were the same. They have seen the dogs but not interacted with them, nor have I encouraged it. Rifa got into the room where I keep the dogs when I have the squirrels out yesterday. I went running in there, and my dog was chasing her much too excitedly for my liking. I growled at him to lay down, now!! And he did, giving her enough time to climb the wall hanging. I only had to coax her a little bit for her to jump on me and let me take her back to safety. They are a bit too curious about my dogs for my liking. I have started muzzling feisty when they are out, just to be extra cautious. He knows that they are mine, but he also has really strong instincts :(

[mugzeezma]

I think you mean that they are not the same :)
I actually meant
They are the same (play behaviors). All of them nip and have similar gestures.
The intensity varies but at this age they are more alike than not.
Play to animals is practice for becoming adult so it stands to reason that a successful squirrel will have skills that are well practiced in play.
It's hardwired into us all.
Nature
AND
Nurture
As organisms practice these behaviors they define and hone their inborn talents. They will also learn different tactics to survive in their particular environment by experience.

[LittleFootsMama]

I *wish* mine were the same. They have seen the dogs but not interacted with them, nor have I encouraged it. Rifa got into the room where I keep the dogs when I have the squirrels out yesterday. I went running in there, and my dog was chasing her much too excitedly for my liking. I growled at him to lay down, now!! And he did, giving her enough time to climb the wall hanging. I only had to coax her a little bit for her to jump on me and let me take her back to safety. They are a bit too curious about my dogs for my liking. I have started muzzling feisty when they are out, just to be extra cautious. He knows that they are mine, but he also has really strong instincts :(

LF has me worried, I can count on one hand how many times he's been exposed to my dogs since his eyes opened.. the other day I let him ride in the hood of my sweater to refill his water dish and Killian ( on of my dogs ) snuck into LF's bedroom... As soon as I walked back into his room, LF jumped from my shoulder ONTO Killians back.

I am SO glad that Killian is quite possibly one of the calmest and kindest creatures I've ever known, she just stood there looking at me like " Mom, whats that and why is it standing on me? "

Im wondering if LF is just used to their smell from it being on me all this time? I'm terrified he's going to go nose to nose with the first fox or wolf he sees in the wild like Hey! Wanna play?!

[mugzeezma]

LF has me worried, I can count on one hand how many times he's been exposed to my dogs since his eyes opened.. the other day I let him ride in the hood of my sweater to refill his water dish and Killian ( on of my dogs ) snuck into LF's bedroom... As soon as I walked back into his room, LF jumped from my shoulder ONTO Killians back.

I am SO glad that Killian is quite possibly one of the calmest and kindest creatures I've ever known, she just stood there looking at me like " Mom, whats that and why is it standing on me? "

Im wondering if LF is just used to their smell from it being on me all this time? I'm terrified he's going to go nose to nose with the first fox or wolf he sees in the wild like Hey! Wanna play?!

Not fox. Fox are rather musky.
I would worry more about dogs and especially cats. I don't know if he's releasable if he's that cool with dogs. I kept Mugzi because of that but then Zinnia the Jackal puppy came along and taught him fear again.
He would run up the curtains and bark at her! :rotfl

[LittleFootsMama]

Not fox. Fox are rather musky.
I would worry more about dogs and especially cats. I don't know if he's releasable if he's that cool with dogs. I kept Mugzi because of that but then Zinnia the Jackal puppy came along and taught him fear again.
He would run up the curtains and bark at her! :rotfl

He shows absolutely -0- fear, the few times they snuck into his bedroom he literally ran up to the bars and stuck his nose out ./facepalm

After all the effort to keep them completely and totally apart :dono

[Kristal]

He shows absolutely -0- fear, the few times they snuck into his bedroom he literally ran up to the bars and stuck his nose out ./facepalm

After all the effort to keep them completely and totally apart :dono

Yea.... Feisty once got into their room because I had absentmindedly not left the obstacles in front of the door. When I went in, Feisty was backed up against the wall wagging his tail and Squeaky was hanging on the inside of the cage as close as he could get to Feisty looking at him with a perfectly calm and plainly curious expression. Feisty normally shows anxiety around them and gives them a wide berth. It's not because he has any fear of them whatsoever, but rather because I have drilled it into his head that if he ever harms them the consequences will never be the same ;p

Anyway, yes, me too. No natural fear of dogs in my squirrels, apparently. *SIGH*

[Kristal]

Yea.... Feisty once got into their room because I had absentmindedly not left the obstacles in front of the door. When I went in, Feisty was backed up against the wall wagging his tail and Squeaky was hanging on the inside of the cage as close as he could get to Feisty looking at him with a perfectly calm and plainly curious expression. Feisty normally shows anxiety around them and gives them a wide berth. It's not because he has any fear of them whatsoever, but rather because I have drilled it into his head that if he ever harms them the consequences will never be the same ;p

Anyway, yes, me too. No natural fear of dogs in my squirrels, apparently. *SIGH*

Well, maybe I spoke too soon. I was inside the little back room and my dog was pushing on the door. When they heard him they all scooted back into the house :thumbsup So hopefully they are growing into common squirrel sense on the dog issue.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Cashew is 13 wk old and I have to winter her over in VA. She is fine with me, but is getting rough with her teeth. My husband has been letting her run in the room for me and feeding her occassionally. However, Cashew broke skin on his finger and he refuses to help. My daughter went in to see her run around too and she tried to bite her finger, so I had her put gloves on and she bit the gloves. My problem is that I will be away for a week and I have a friend that is a vet tech who has agreed to take care of her while I am gone. She will come to our house and clean her cage, feed her and let her out once a day. I am worried that Cashew is not being very nice to the "help" though. Any suggestions? I have tried to find a rehabber, but no luck.
Maybe you need to reconsider Farm Mom...she really is da bomb...
Your sweet little feller will be in great hands and released on a most beautiful farm...where everything is good and happy...:Love_Icon

Sq do bite...I know, I must own part of Johnson & Johnson by now!:D
I wear bandaides like some wear rings!...on every finger sometimes!:sanp3