???

[jbtartell]

I know she has her own thread but every one is usualy here soo i wanted to get some quick advice.. today I was cleaning her cage as I usualy do and she usualy is fine and seemed fine. well this cleaning was somewhat different due that I was taking out her blankets and pouches to wash.. they are looking worn and smelling dirty.she usualy would come out and crawl all over me and her cage. well she did not. half way throught the cleaning she agressively grabbed my hand and layed in to my finger and crunched to the bone.. {{{CRYING}}} my heart is broken and i am scared to handle her. I have tryed to pet her but not hold her and she let me pet her but I was soo scared.I had to apply alot of pressure to her jaws to get her off me..and I did tap her nose good and told her NO! I dont know what happened she has never had this behavior to me or anyone for that matter. MY Sam never bit me but once and even then she she was after someone else.. And it was one tooth that went in,,, My dear sweet Analiese laied in with all her teeth and I felt it crunch to the bone. I was soo shocked and scared and hurt.why would she bite her mom this way? it was very agressive. here is the pic.u cand see where3 went in at the base of my finger and she tried again and one got the tip. why would she attack me this way? {{crying}}:dono :Love_Icon my heart is broken and now I am scared to hold my Sweet Analiese, :Love_Icon

[jbtartell]

I was just wanting some advise on how I should handle this.. with a releasable squirrel I would let them be unless feeding. but she is my baby and an NR. soo scared to put my hands on her now.:dono

[skippy]

Oooohhh..
That looks painful.
Do you have a current tetnus vaccine?
You just cannot take for granted that a NR is not going to be driven by it's wild instincts sometimes.
Did you have hand lotion on or a new soap on your hands?
Had you hugged someone that had on perfume or cologne?
Is she feeling okay?
I always leave a smelly blankie with them so they have their own scent with them.
Did you get close to a stash of nuts?
Perhaps you startled her.
I don't know your squirrel's story but as dear as they are a majority of the time, they do have their off days. Especially if they are not feeling well or near their cycle.
Were you feeling tense when you went in there?
Your energy is sensed very well with animals. Set your intention for peace and love and calmness when you are with and around her.
Feel better. :Love_Icon

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

That is strange if she's never has done that before. When Chi Chi was Alive She'd be Very Protective of her Nest Especially at night. She would Grunt at me when i would check on her.She has bitten me VERY hard too. I learned not to stick my hand in her nest as she got older.I'd always have to "Sense" if she was grouchy. All i know is that with squirrels,you have to give them a long lead,and back off sometimes because of their moods. Chi Chi would let me know when she was interested in affection or food .knowing the difference in which was the trick. I'm so sorry about that bite.i'm sure it'll be sore for awhile,but will get better.:grouphug :grouphug

[TessiesMom]

My Tess (NR, now six years old) did this to me when she was a few months old - bit HARD out of the blue, and broke my heart. I found out she can't stand it if I've just had a bath or shower. She is sweet and loving otherwise, I've just learned to keep my hands out of her way for a few hours until I smell like Mom again. My vet thinks that squirrels use their sense of smell for identification, and when you have washed all of "you" off they don't recognize your hands as part of Mommy. Could this be the problem? I'm so sorry this happened - I remember the feeling all too well.

[Jackie in Tampa]

yes as others have said, maturity leading to privacy..
or she is in pain..
these would be my guesses.

Laura you must handle her..if she is in pain, you need to know what's up,
if she is grouchy, you and she must make up.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Sorry, I don't know the squirrel's story, why is she NR? If she is truly a NR then I'd encourage you to handle her often, you have no reason to encourage her to be wild so it's OK to give her attention and let her run on you, etc.

I have a semiwild NR squirrel and he very much likes his own space, if I handle him I need to wear gloves and usually have to net him. He is a friendly little tyke though, and will come up to me and take peanuts from my hand and hops around my feet happily when I'm in the cage. If I had known he'd be NR when he was younger, I would have spent more time with him and found someone to take him who could give him the love and attention he needed, but he looked like he'd be releaseable so I moved him outside with his brother (who was just fine). Mikey turned out to be a little too neurological though, he startles easilly and just jumps and runs in a circle if he's in a panic, or climbs and starts this weird barking that I've never heard from another fox squirrel. Plus he is hilarious if you give him straw, he carries it one piece at a time into the corner to try and make a nest and then he'll sleep there on the like 20 pieces of straw :rotfl.

Anyways, I have always checked on my squirrels (wild babies too) in their nestbox every day or at least every couple days to make sure that everyone is OK. My squirrels can tell my scent and are OK with it (I learned that they don't let others stick their hand in there when I told a friend she could pet them since they were sleeping- they made the angry noise and lunged at her, but she got her hand out quicker luckily!). However, they do NOT allow me to take anything from their box. If it's pine needle and branches changing time, I grab them all out of the box or tip it and get them out before taking the old bedding out.

I've only been bitten by my NR one time in the 3-4 years that I've had him and it was most definitely my fault. He had an eye issue so I put ointment in and had him with one hand and put the ointment in and was opening and closing his eye and not paying any attention to my grip (he's a big fox squirrel and this was winter, so he was probably 1200 grams, not really small enough to hold with just one hand) and he bit into the thumb of the hand putting the ointment in (which did NOT have a glove on). He bit me good and I had to pry his jaws open to get him to let go. It was just instinct for him, though, and I wasn't upset with him or afraid of him afterwards. He is a wild squirrel and will do what wild squirrels do.

So, you need to learn your squirrel's boundaries and I'd say touching nest material is a huge boundary for all squirrels. You should wait until he is out of the box to change the bedding. Your choice with the nest is 1 of 2 things and you should choose and stick with it: 1. you can make the nest box fair game for interacting with your squirrel (let him know that you will be opening it to check on him and pet him in the box and pick him up and pull him out of the box and he should learn to be OK with that (that's how my NR is)) or 2. You will not disturb him in the nest box and stick to it, let him know that that's a place he can go to be by himself and you won't disturb him (that's what I do with my NR cottontail, he has a little hut and he knows that I won't disturb him in there (although if visitors are over I will and I think he's learned that when he hears others then he's coming out to say hi because he stays pretty calm).

If you disturb your squirrel in the nestbox like I do with my squirrel, you have to provide a place for him that is somewhere where you won't bother him. For Mikey, it's his log, which works out really well because I can still see him and make sure he's OK, but he knows if he runs in the log then I'll leave him alone. He rarely does that, but sometimes when I'm chasing him he will and I leave him be in there because that's his place. He usually doesn't hide for long though and is back out to see if I've brought anything good in no time.

Oh and one last thing, and I'll stop rambling, tapping the squirrel on the nose is not the best way to let him know that what he did is not good and you want him to let go. He's likely to feel like he's being attacked and will bite down even harder! I know it's hard, but the easiest way to get them to let go is to relax and not respond. You have to remember that as much attention and love you give him, he is a wild animal.

[sassysquirrel]

When I clean my cages - I take my squirrels out and put them in another "holding" cage - clean everything and put fresh bedding inside - and then put the squirrels back inside

Please don't be so upset - Analiese loves you - she may be just having a off day - or she was protecting her nest or stash - you know what to watch out for next time

[pappy1264]

Is this the first time you removed all the blankies (as you said they were looking worn and stinky)? I also remove any of my babies from their cage to another when I am doing a really good cleaning on their cage. This is THEIR STUFF, and they don't see it the way we do (as trying to make it nicer for them). You have to handle her, you have to get this out of your mind. And you have to stop comparing her to Sam. Sam is Sam, she is Analiese. She is growing up, it happens.

[Squirrel Girls Mom]

Oh my goodness, Laura, what a surprise, huh? I'm 100% sure that it was because you were taking out her pouches and "invading" her very personal space, so to speak. She's not old enough to be in season yet, is she? She probably doesn't even realize how hard she bit, she just wanted you to stop. When Lucy started getting really agitated when I cleaned her cage, I put her somewhere else to do the deed. She had gotten to the point that she would jump on my arm and wrap her front paws around my wrist and fuss at me. That's when I knew the next step was going to be a big 'ol bite.

I don't think you should take it personally at all. Remember that she is a small wild animal and can't say, "hey, get the hell outta my stuff". You made her angry and she communicated with you the only way she knew. I'd talk to her like you always do and let her come to you when she's ready. Next time put her in another cage out of site to clean.

I'm so sorry this happened. :Love_Icon

[jbtartell]

she is going through something for sure held her this morning and after I put her back she was makig that loud screeching noise as if to cry.. while I was hilding her she was not her usual lovy self.. but no bites..whewww she is I think going on 6months old or close.. she is not her self but dont see anysigns of pain just aggitated.. dont know. she did put her mouth on me but did not chomp me this time..

[Jackie in Tampa]

sounds more like something else is going on rather than invasion of nest...
if being vocal is normal for her, I guess i would not be concerned, but if it;s not,,,hmmmm,I would be.
A nip is one thing, a bone bite is altogether horse of another color.

Give her a once over laura, tug on all her limbs.. pull on her fingers and toes.. mash her belly.. feel her teeth with your fingers...
make sure she is okay physically..
:grouphug
very few sqs are vocal for no reason.

[Nemehoto]

Biff and Whiskers get upset when I clean their cage. They have "stashes" everywhere. squishy green beans, a few peas here and there and HHB's... here there and every where else. If they chitter when I get close to a stash I pull one piece out and give it to them (they will run off and stash it again some place on my bed or in my room.) That shows them I am not stealing it, and I found it and am giving it back.

When I clean the cage, I give them out of cage time, (loose in my bedroom) one or the other will be sitting on my head or my shoulder supervising the tear down of the cage. They don't like me cleaning their pouch much but they tolerate it especially when I give them some paper towels or toilet paper to remake their bedding.

When I put the cage back together I mix it up a little. (basically they get a "new" cage layout every week) I move limbs around, the grass nest, place their pouch in a different place in the cage, add something or take something out. I do this to prevent them from being "bored" with their surrounding, and give them a chance to "explore" and taste "new" items and I also think it helps them to be a little less territorial and more accepting of terrain changes. As well as giving them plenty to do for a day or two making it "right" they way they want it.

To be honest I have been bitten hard twice (and that is in the last week), drawing blood to the bone. Once out of rowdy rough play, and once out of fear. I get nipped and nibbled daily and licked 10x more than that. I've kind of accepted that as the course of being sqammy. Even our own children bite, hit, and kick as they exert themselves and learn social boundaries as they grow.

Don't be afraid or resentful, just because you've been bitten doesn't mean they "hate" you. Just as any two year kid says "Mommy I hate you!" it lasts an hour or two then it is over and they come over for a hug and say "mommy I love you!" One thing you must be careful about is showing fear around the one that bit you. You project that nervousness in voice and actions the squirrel senses something is wrong and will be more defensive.

Hiss like a cat, a tap on the bridge of the nose, or a pinch on the "carry handle" at the nap of their neck is usually enough to get your point across that you are displeased with their behavior. Once they do the right thing "let go" or stop the unwanted behavior praise them immediately. Biting is a natural response if you get angry or scared when they bite and immediately put them away and don't pet or interact with them it is very confusing to the animal. They don't know what they did wrong. Most will think you're mad at them. They become agitated or nervous around you. You must reassure them it is their behavior and not them that we are displeased with or disciplining. Gotta realize in the wild... Mom would never let her kids draw blood on her. Wounds can = death in nature.

We as humans have a tendency to project our reasoning abilities to animals. They think a whole lot differently than we do. The hardest thing is to breach that bond between what's natural to them and what we think is right. Quick discipline, and equally quick reassurance (very important even if we are in massive pain or feel betrayed) will teach the animal that we are upset with what they just did and not with them. Prying a jaw open if they are biting is terrifying to the animal and they will fight harder, it shows them they are powerless and even their best defenses can't save them. If you want a biting squirrel, let them get away with it once and be angry with them long term or show fear around them. That anger, fear and sense of betrayal is a 2 way street. You must remember, using their mouth is very much in their nature. It is defense, (biting) it shows affection (grooming, licking, nibbling), it feeds them (chewing).

What I would suggest if you aren't interacting with him right now is to call him over in the cage, rub his nose, through the bars, hold a long treat out (don't give it to him, just let him eat from your fingers) and talk to him reassuringly. Let him know mommy doesn't hate him. It will rebuild trust between you. Such an incident is as terrifying to him as it was for you.

[pappy1264]

Do you mean the warning call? Before she bit you, was she sounding off at all? I am wondering if she is hearing or smelling another squirrel or something that has her very upset? But also agree with Jackie, give her a thorough going over.

[jbtartell]

Do you mean the warning call? Before she bit you, was she sounding off at all? I am wondering if she is hearing or smelling another squirrel or something that has her very upset? But also agree with Jackie, give her a thorough going over.
nooo not when she bit me.. she was making like a crying noise this afternoon she bit me yesterday..lol I checked her over and she seems to be great today..she is much better now that the little devil is gone and my sweet Analiese is back.. lol she is coming out to me and back to the sweet smacks.. And yes it broke my heart bad.. but after she let me pet her she was remorseful I think or just forgot about it.. I am soo glad too.. scared me more than it hurt but I did hear the tooth on bone and it really hurts today.