Can hands to your face make Trooper like my wife??

[Trooper]

Hi board: I though of asking this one again, because my wife is really hurt; emotionally that is and physically as well, being that Trooper has imprinted on me and she gets continually bitten by him, and really bad.

In fact I should call her a trooper or trouper, whichever fits bets; for being so patient and forgiving Trooper for his indiscretions. Yet, we are a family that doesn't easily gives up, so we tried several tactics to see if she can earn Troopers confidence.

She has fed him his favorites (nuts and avocados) when I am not home, tried to play with him when he is wrestling with me, yet in those instances is when he innocently approaches her like he wants to play with her too, and whamm! he gives her two or three bites in 2.5 seconds flat! The faster bitter I've ever known.

By the time I realize what happen or my wife yelping in pain, he has been in-and-out and left her bleeding. I've read in a post a while back, that hands and feet are not connected to faces by squirrels. I know this is possibly true as he has never bitten me or scratched my face, but last Christmas I was barefooted and he gave me a taste of what my wife is going through.

So I had the idea to see if she would approach Trooper while he is in his cage with her hands close to her face, kind of like saying: "see these hands go along with this face", that might make Trooper connect the two.

What do you think? Do we have a prayer?

Thanks,

Trooper's dad:)

[CritterMom]

I don't know if this is just a Mister P-ism, but I have to be careful with my hands around my face - I can't rub my face around him, can't walk into the room rubbing cream on my face for example, or he will attack my hands. I believe he thinks they are attacking my face! He is never aggressive to me unless I do this. Now he may be a bit of an oddball, but I believe Trooper is probably being affected by the fact that your wife is afraid of him - it is hard to be a good enough actor to get past that... I suggest gloves.

[stosh2010]

My squirrel Rama Rota, was a Softie Boy for about 14 months..that one face attack--
The 5 more months of Softie Boy and WHAM...
Machine-Gun Face and Hand bites...So Fast...

----and so for the past year and a half, its gloves and helmet to play with him---NO Exceptions for me...
Even when I approach his cage( castle ) he lunges for me.It's a Male thing. But I INSIST on Playing and interacting with him every day... with protection.

NOW this is just my experience,,,each fuzz-head is unique...but I took several bite attacks--and I can't ACT BRAVE...Wish I Could !!!

[Nancy in New York]

I have a feeling that Trooper is a one person squirrel. Most of them are. Guess you haven't read Rama's thread:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27141
Here's a picture of Rama's Daddy
http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/TSB%20photos/DSC_08282520Small.jpg

Here's another member, this is the way she had to feed her three little darlings she raised from babies....:D
http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/TSB%20photos/105349.jpg

Here's another thread that you might be interested in, and perhaps you can add your wife's photo....:dono :)
OUCH
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20833

Edit....I see Stosh beat me to it!!!!! :rotfl

[stosh2010]

I have a feeling that Trooper is a one person squirrel. Most of them are. Guess you haven't read Rama's thread:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27141
Here's a picture of Rama's Daddyhttp://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/TSB%20photos/DSC_08282520Small.jpg

Edit....I see Stosh beat me to it!!!!! :rotfl
Nancy--Notice the IMPROVEMRNTS in my helmet--- ( compare the two photos ) over the last year---Its a real CUSTOM job...Ha !

[Nancy in New York]

Nancy--Notice the IMPROVEMRNTS in my helmet--- ( compare the two photos ) over the last year---Its a real CUSTOM job...Ha !


Oh I see Stosh, you are covering more area too!!!:rotfl

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/TSB%20photos/DSC_08282520Small.jpg http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/TSB%20photos/DSC_0261-120Small.jpg

[stosh2010]

[I]
Oh I see Stosh, you are covering more area too!!!:rotfl

]
[B]Especially the JUGULAR area....

[SammysMom]

I had the same trouble with Sammy and our hands. For some reason, if I wear gloves (the very lightweight knitted kind that stretch to fit anyone) he is fine. I mean like night and day. If I hear him clickety clacking his teeth or if he looks aggressive, I slip on a pair of the "magic gloves" and the situation is totally diffused. I just bought 6 pairs at the grocery store as they were in the clearance bin. I would be happy to send you a pair or two to see if they help. Just PM me your name and address and I will drop the into the mail!

[Trooper]

Thank you all for the advice and case studies, especially Rama Rota (I guess he must have fallen from a broken tree branch with that name, right?).

The gloves thing, well I ordered a pair of Kevlar gloves used by wildlife people to handle cobras and the like. I tested it with an ice pick and it really stops the puncture penetration (yet you feel the blow anyway, just like a bullet proof vest). Trooper tried to bite into the gloves but he gets frustrated because he can't make any dent into it.

The problem with these gloves is that they are stiff and very thick, so no dexterity to play with them at all. Just as an emergency, like if my wife has to pick him up when I am on a trip.

The stretchy cotton gloves I have in my lab, so I will try them tonight. problem is, Trooper will never bite me with or without gloves, so I don have a guinea pig to try them with, and my wife is still recovering from last attack. She even threatened not to cook until they heal:rotfl .

The fact that some of these critters will or will not attack with certain garmets on, indicates to me that is not totally an olfactory driven thing or even visual, as the hands look the same just covered with something new. Shape then is not the driver, like would e with a dog for example. maybe is a combination of scent, familiarity with the shape and coloring that would make them attack one time or not the other.

I wish there was a more scientific answer or one that would make sense, my wife is really sad that she cannot play with Trooper anymore.

Thanks to all for the help!

Trooper's dad

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

I have very thick fleece gloves i got at Wal Mart . They work great, he can bite but not enough to break skin, plus i don't jerk when he tries, it just scares him more.
I always have something in my other hand also, fleece pieces, to give him to grab and bite or just hang on to if I have to pick him up for any reason

[stosh2010]

Thank you all for the advice and case studies, especially Rama Rota (I guess he must have fallen from a broken tree branch with that name, right?).

Thanks to all for the help!

Trooper's dad
Exactly...Broken Branch is the translation of R.R. he fell over 15 meters and landed on some thick grass... he's a MIRACLE Boy...

[Trooper]

I have very thick fleece gloves i got at Wal Mart . They work great, he can bite but not enough to break skin, plus i don't jerk when he tries, it just scares him more.
I always have something in my other hand also, fleece pieces, to give him to grab and bite or just hang on to if I have to pick him up for any reason

That's a great idea too. I should try them as well.

Thanks,

Trooper's dad

[Trooper]

Exactly...Broken Branch is the translation of R.R. he fell over 15 meters and landed on some thick grass... he's a MIRACLE Boy...

Then trooper and Rama Rota are cousins. I named him Trooper because he fell 21 feet from his nest when it was being raided by crows. He bounced through the branches like a "paratrooper" falling from a plane in their parachute. He had several bad cuts and punctures all over his body and everyone thought he would not make it trough the night. I said he was a "Trooper" and he would, and so he did, and the name stuck!

Regards,

Trooper's dad

[Darwin's Momma]

I feel for you guys (Trooper's parents) on this one. My mom was always able to play with Darwin and feed him until one day he just started attacking her. I think as he got older more of his instincts started kicking in. She still loves him and wants to bond with him but she can't, she gets too beaten up. I even catch her sneaking him a grape or two in the morning through his cage in hopes to bond with him. You guys got me thinking now with those pictures of the gloves and helmets though!

I dunno about the hands to face thing. Darwin still doesn't recognize that my hands are part of me sometimes, and def not my feet! I paid the price for not wearing socks once! I would just be nervous that he would go for her hands and end up getting her face too?

[IrishHarps]

I'm not sure if this has been suggested or tried already, but is it possibly something on your wife's hands that has a smell Trooper doesn't like? Like a perfume or hand lotion?

Personally, I use cocoa butter, and Momo love love loves it. She likes to jump on my hands and try to lick them after I've put lotion on. I think it's because it's all natural and smells like chocolate/vanilla, so she likes it.

Maybe if your wife tries cocoa butter as a lotion for a few days? Or even just changes her lotion? I'm not sure if Trooper liking the taste of her hands is a good thing ;-) but if he's licking them instead of biting...?

[Darwin's Momma]

I'm not sure if this has been suggested or tried already, but is it possibly something on your wife's hands that has a smell Trooper doesn't like? Like a perfume or hand lotion?

Personally, I use cocoa butter, and Momo love love loves it. She likes to jump on my hands and try to lick them after I've put lotion on. I think it's because it's all natural and smells like chocolate/vanilla, so she likes it.

Maybe if your wife tries cocoa butter as a lotion for a few days? Or even just changes her lotion? I'm not sure if Trooper liking the taste of her hands is a good thing ;-) but if he's licking them instead of biting...?

I think its very funny that you mention cocoa butter lotion! I have a bottle of it that I have to hide or Darwin will try to eat it!

[Trooper]

Cocoa Butter??? What a wonderful idea. Trooper likes chocolate and vanilla since he loves Fox Valley milk for that 'nilla' smell it has. Maybe my wife could rub vanilla or cocoa butter which I have raw and organic for when I make truffles for Xmas.

By the way, yes she uses cream on her hands and one time she cooked Indian curry food, which tastes delicious but impregnates your kitchens and house with that curry spice scent; and after that meal, she was caressing Trooper and she got bitten really bad. I always said that Trooper must have bitten her because of the curry smell. Who knows?

I am relieved to hear that someone else has the same problem with feet. Last night I forgot I was barefooted (with socks on) and he lunged to my left foot upper arch like a mad pig (I say mad pig because when he does that attack, he grunts like a mad pig. I also say mad pig because he is a bit overweight since he came back from his AWOL, so the name matches the picture).

Well, I am determined to find a solution. The $130 Kevlar gloves were too stiff, so I returned them for a $45 one that offers some "puncture resistance" and some dexterity flexibility. The factory that makes them are very interested in a full report from me so they can offer the gloves to wildlife caregivers.

So my pet is a squirrel and my wife a guinea pig!:rotfl

Thanks all for the ideas. Keep' em coming, it aids the brainstorming!

Trooper's dad:wave123