Need help with biting.

[celia]

We have had our squirrel for about a a year (estimate him to be around a year and a few months old). We have had him since he was a baby and lately he has been lashing out sometimes and biting quite hard (breaking skin, biting through fingernails, etc.). Is there anything we can do for him besides release?
We love him very much and would rather not release him if we do not have to.
Any help would be appreciated.

-Celia

[stepnstone]

We have had our squirrel for about a a year (estimate him to be around a year and a few months old). We have had him since he was a baby and lately he has been lashing out sometimes and biting quite hard (breaking skin, biting through fingernails, etc.). Is there anything we can do for him besides release?
We love him very much and would rather not release him if we do not have to.
Any help would be appreciated.

-Celia

Squirrels are by all nature, wild animals. He is just doing what comes natural at this age, wilding up. He may very well be telling you he wants to go be what he was meant to be. Unless there is a reason he can't be released, why would you not want what is best for him? I do understand you love him, how could anyone that has ever been close with these babies not love them. But that love needs to include wanting what's best for them even when it hurts...
In saying that... Tell us a little bit about your relationship with him, how he came to you, how you've raised him, etc.
And pictures, TSB loves pictures.

[veganhead1]

Squirrels are by all nature, wild animals. He is just doing what comes natural at this age, wilding up. He may very well be telling you he wants to go be what he was meant to be. Unless there is a reason he can't be released,why would you not want what is best for him? I do understand you love him, how could anyone that has ever been close with these babies not love them. But that love needs to include wanting what's best for them even when it hurts...

That was very eloquently said. :thumbsup

[celia]

Squirrels are by all nature, wild animals. He is just doing what comes natural at this age, wilding up. He may very well be telling you he wants to go be what he was meant to be. Unless there is a reason he can't be released, why would you not want what is best for him? I do understand you love him, how could anyone that has ever been close with these babies not love them. But that love needs to include wanting what's best for them even when it hurts...
In saying that... Tell us a little bit about your relationship with him, how he came to you, how you've raised him, etc.
And pictures, TSB loves pictures.

My roomate last year was walking home about 7am and she was walking through the sprinklers and found him curled up in a ball shaking (he was very little), We named him Sulu. I did not take to him well but grew to love him over the last year. I understand that he does this to protect himself, but on occasion they almost required stitches and I'm most likely going to lose a nail this time. He lives in a large cage in our room and has constant attention and never had this issue before we moved. I am very reluctant to release him because he is very used to cats (another reason why I may think he is biting) and dogs and I would feel he would be picked off quite soon. I would love to keep him with us, mostly we were wondering if there was anything we should be doing to make sure he is happy and know he is safe.
Sorry for the bad pic quality.
Thanks!
http://i.imgur.com/lRGkZ.jpg

[stepnstone]

( "I am very reluctant to release him because he is very used to cats (another reason why I may think he is biting) and dogs")

Not quite understanding what is meant here?? Used to seeing them/being around them or interacting with them? Since your move are the cats and dogs no longer around?

Sorry you have been bitten but that is part of having a squirrel, we all have scars, trust me on that one. The move could very well be part of it, not accepting the change. I don't want to come off like challenging your knowledge, but are you sure of it's gender? Because the female gender tends to protrude slightly, many times they are mistaken for males is why I ask. If it is a male, it is around this time they get their testosterone kick and it is a mating time of the year. If female, she could be going into heat which could also explain the aggression. Squirrels not only bite to protect themselves, they bite when they are in pain and are very good at hiding that pain as well.

What is the size cage he is in? What do you use for bedding and have you given him a snuggle buddy? What is his diet like? Does he get some type of rodent block? Proper nutrition is very vital not only to a squirrels physical health but their mental health as well. Do you give him branches to chew on, what is the condition of his teeth? They need to chew in order to keep their teeth filed down otherwise they become too long and become a very serious problem for them which could also kill them.

Sorry for all the questions but in order to understand your fuzz butt a little better we need to know more about him.

We here at TSB are dedicated to the welfare of our wildlife, if release is not going to be an option (and it is still possible) we would like to help you in caring for the needs of this little one. We have many forums on squirrel care and nutrition on TSB, please look them over and feel free to ask any and all questions or concerns you may have.

Thanks for the pic, cute little dude...

[celia]

( "I am very reluctant to release him because he is very used to cats (another reason why I may think he is biting) and dogs")

Not quite understanding what is meant here?? Used to seeing them/being around them or interacting with them? Since your move are the cats and dogs no longer around?

Sorry you have been bitten but that is part of having a squirrel, we all have scars, trust me on that one. The move could very well be part of it, not accepting the change. I don't want to come off like challenging your knowledge, but are you sure of it's gender? Because the female gender tends to protrude slightly, many times they are mistaken for males is why I ask. If it is a male, it is around this time they get their testosterone kick and it is a mating time of the year. If female, she could be going into heat which could also explain the aggression. Squirrels not only bite to protect themselves, they bite when they are in pain and are very good at hiding that pain as well.

What is the size cage he is in? What do you use for bedding and have you given him a snuggle buddy? What is his diet like? Does he get some type of rodent block? Proper nutrition is very vital not only to a squirrels physical health but their mental health as well. Do you give him branches to chew on, what is the condition of his teeth? They need to chew in order to keep their teeth filed down otherwise they become too long and become a very serious problem for them which could also kill them.

Sorry for all the questions but in order to understand your fuzz butt a little better we need to know more about him.

We here at TSB are dedicated to the welfare of our wildlife, if release is not going to be an option (and it is still possible) we would like to help you in caring for the needs of this little one. We have many forums on squirrel care and nutrition on TSB, please look them over and feel free to ask any and all questions or concerns you may have.

Thanks for the pic, cute little dude...


It's alright for all the questions, we just want to help him out. We are giving him rodent blocks along with different types of fruits and veggies everyday. We also make the sort of "nut balls" we found recipes on the internet for. We actually give him willow sticks in order to keep him chewing on something to help his teeth. Also since we did move, we came from a home with 2 pretty odd cats (which he didn't like them but would leave them alone) to a house with 3 cats that leave him alone for the most part and an 8 year old boy.
We have given him numerous stuffed animals to snuggle with but he doesn't really take to any of them sadly. His bed is actually a hammock we hand made for him and let him fill it with the things he wanted.
His teeth look like they are in good condition but are longer than I remember.
Also we are pretty sure of his gender. He is in a cage that is 4' long about 2 1/2' wide and about 4 1/2' tall. Places for him to jump to and a lot of room for play on the bottom.
Thank you for your help, you have helped greatly so far!

[TessiesMom]

Something else to consider -
My five-year-old non-releasable squirrel Tess is completely friendly and sweet UNLESS I have had a bath or shower within a few hours. Then she goes after my hands like a rabid wolf and will bite hard as you described. I have to wait until I smell like "myself" again before I can go anywhere near her - I even have to put treats on a piece of cardboard and drop them into the cage from a safe distance!

[rusty's mom]

I know you want to keep him because you love him but you have to understand this is his nature and wants his freedom to be what God meant him to be. Letting go is the hardest act of love there is.

[stepnstone]

It's alright for all the questions, we just want to help him out. We are giving him rodent blocks along with different types of fruits and veggies everyday. We also make the sort of "nut balls" we found recipes on the internet for. We actually give him willow sticks in order to keep him chewing on something to help his teeth. Also since we did move, we came from a home with 2 pretty odd cats (which he didn't like them but would leave them alone) to a house with 3 cats that leave him alone for the most part and an 8 year old boy.
We have given him numerous stuffed animals to snuggle with but he doesn't really take to any of them sadly. His bed is actually a hammock we hand made for him and let him fill it with the things he wanted.
His teeth look like they are in good condition but are longer than I remember.
Also we are pretty sure of his gender. He is in a cage that is 4' long about 2 1/2' wide and about 4 1/2' tall. Places for him to jump to and a lot of room for play on the bottom.
Thank you for your help, you have helped greatly so far!

So he's had some adjustments to make along with the different environment, 3 strange cats and a stranger. (young boy) I know with mine and I've heard this from other's as well that some squirrels don't take to strangers. Mine gets skittish and a little aggressive with me when someone is here she is not used to, she does come around but the time is on her own terms. Could be part of what you are experiencing and he just needs his own time to adjust and feel safe in the new environment.
:poke You also mention the new ("cats that leave him alone for the most part"). Not good! :nono They need to be kept away from him! Cats are natural predators, squirrels can sense this. He trusted you, now he don't. This could be another factor with the change in behavior and his aggression with you. These particular cats are most likely causing him a lot of stress which is resulting in aggression to protect himself.
It sounds like you are doing well with his nourishment so far but if you have concerns (if) he's getting the proper nourishment TSB has a really good forum that details a squirrel's nourishment needs.
I'm not personally familure with willow sticks to even know if they are adequate to help him keep his teeth filed down but there are other hard woods he would enjoy as well easily obtained from outdoors, they also like to chew on deer antlers. At some point if possible you can get a picture of his teeth it would be helpful to determine if they are a concern, sometimes their teeth have to be trimmed. Once you are able to handle him again :D if you can get behind the teeth coming in from the side with something like a popsicle stick to get a picture it would be helpful to determine the length.

[celia]

Thank you so much for all the help. I do occasionally get him sticks from the yard but I was always weary of that in fear of me getting something poisonous for him. Willow is pretty hard to chew but I'll look into different things. I really think it is a safety thing because he will never act out when our door is closed to the room, but will when it's opened. I had a conversation with my husband about it and he thinks it may be when he doesn't feel safe when the door is open. The 3 cats that are in the house, one will sit about 3-4 feet from his cage and just observe and the other two are too skittish to even come upstairs. It's a huge improvement over the last cats we roomed with that would swipe at his cage and stalk him if I didn't know they were in the same room with us (I generally tried to keep them away from the squirrel).

[celia]

Something else to consider -
My five-year-old non-releasable squirrel Tess is completely friendly and sweet UNLESS I have had a bath or shower within a few hours. Then she goes after my hands like a rabid wolf and will bite hard as you described. I have to wait until I smell like "myself" again before I can go anywhere near her - I even have to put treats on a piece of cardboard and drop them into the cage from a safe distance!

Interesting, it could be that but I'm unsure. I usually do not take him out after I get out of the shower in the morning. Could be the last few days I have worn a different perfume...and my husband did get bit after he changed to a different lotion. Thanks for the heads up!

[stepnstone]

Thank you so much for all the help. I do occasionally get him sticks from the yard but I was always weary of that in fear of me getting something poisonous for him. Willow is pretty hard to chew but I'll look into different things. I really think it is a safety thing because he will never act out when our door is closed to the room, but will when it's opened. I had a conversation with my husband about it and he thinks it may be when he doesn't feel safe when the door is open. The 3 cats that are in the house, one will sit about 3-4 feet from his cage and just observe and the other two are too skittish to even come upstairs. It's a huge improvement over the last cats we roomed with that would swipe at his cage and stalk him if I didn't know they were in the same room with us (I generally tried to keep them away from the squirrel).

:osnap If I were a squirrel the thought of having a cat come into the room when the door was open and be sitting there staring at me giving a subliminal message on how tasty I'd be, think I'd have trust issues too! Give him his own space, keep the door closed...