Teeth Clicking?

[Katherin]

Hi fellow squirrel lovers!
I have a squirrel who is nearing on a year old and just recently started clicking/chattering his teeth. At first I thought he was just cold but then he became super nervous, hunched his back and came after me in full force. He stayed like that for about 24hours and then returned to his normal snuggle bug self. Last night he started up with the chatter again and this morning he stopped but was still nervous and still attacked. Is this a seasonal thing? How can I prevent it on the future if at all? Is there something I'm doing to promote or stimulate this behavior? What are some other signs I should look for to become more awake of when this change might occur again? Any advice at all will help. I love this little dude so much and there have only been these two instances that have happened to ever make me nervous. Thank you all so much for your time and any advice you can share!!!!
~Katherine

[Scott]

Hi Katherine,

I'm also a new member but I have been monitoring very similar situations to yours over the last month. It seems that most incidents are happening with the boys although I believe there has been one with a female.

First, what is his normal diet? What are you feeding him daily?

Can you provide a picture of your boy?

From what I have read and am beginning to understand, this is a time of year when because of hormones or winter preparedness the squirrels are going through some changes. Additionally, often the squirrels will react to some change in their environment.

This could include cage changes, another pet in the house and smells that are different on you. Perfume, soap, shampoos, or even aerosol sprays around or near his room.

The teeth clicking could be a warning signal, problems with his teeth, or something more serious.

Has his appetite changed or drinking habits? How does his stool and pee look?

My guess is there is no loss of love for you from your boy and this will pass. Probably seasonal and thankfully he is giving you some warning signals, unlike some of the others I have been reading about that have just been attacked without warning.

Please try to answer some of the questions especially about his diet. Hopefully one of the experts will chime in soon.

My thoughts are with you and love will find the answer.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Yeah, be careful when they do the teeth chattering thing. Tail flicking is another warning. It means they are agitated and an attack is imminent. I would definitely give a chattering, tail flicking squirrel some space. I would not try to engage them when they are doing this. Give them some time and space and let them 'get over it' whatever IT is.

If you try to change their mind when they are doing this there will be blood and it won't be the squirrels. :poke

It could be a new scent like shampoo or lotion, etc or your boy might be wilding up. Many do this and it's the first sign that release might be your only option if it's a releasable squirrel.

Are you the primary caregiver? They tend to attach to one person and exclude everyone else, including other members of the family. We have seen squirrels LOVE mom and be holy terrors to everyone else in the home.

Scott mentioned diet and I agree. Diet is critical for pet squirrels.

[Daisey007]

"Yeah, be careful when they do the teeth chattering thing. Tail flicking is another warning. It means they are agitated and an attack is imminent. I would definitely give a chattering, tail flicking squirrel some space. I would not try to engage them when they are doing this. Give them some time and space and let them 'get over it' whatever IT is."

DITTO!

[Katherin]

Hey Everyone,

First off thank you all so much for the help...I am completely open to all suggestions on how I can improve my little ones life.

I want to start off clarifying that I mistakenly assumed James was a boy because of a small bump as a baby that I assumed was a penis, but after further research I believe James is a girl. I'm not sure if females are more or less prone to particular behaviors but all the info I can give I will.

Her normal diet is ever changing. I giver her a bowl with greens (ether Kale, Spinach, Beet leaves, Brussel sprouts, Cilantro, Parsley or Romaine. Pretty much anything high in calcium.) She also has Alfalfa blocks, which are a dry block of greens. And she has a bed of Sweet grass on the first level of her cage, which is also edible. I also provide her with a piece or two of a berry or fruit. I usually take a bite of it myself so my sent is on it and then I sprinkle it with sesame seeds (cause they are high in calcium) they fruit changes based on what is in season or what I know she enjoys. (Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Apples and Grapes.) I also provide her with an additional veggie. (Currently it's Carrots, but I've also given Sweet potatoes, Sweet peppers, Zucchini, Cucumber, Broccoli and Celery. I typically leave an Acorn squash or small Pumpkin in her cage as well. She also has Acorns for the neighborhood and a mixed variety of nuts with their shells still on. (Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans, Brazil nuts and Chestnuts.) She also gets pumpkin seeds from time to time. She has a constant supply of filtered water and things in the cage that are available for her are bones, pinecones, cuttlefish bone and branches from the trees in the neighborhood.

I feed her daily, basically a mix of all the things from above. I have Oxbow Adult Rat Food but she doesn't eat it. So it's just a bowl with a variety of greens, fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Is that ok? Or is that bad? I just want her to be healthy, happy and safe. I only provide a small handful of greens, 1-2 berries, 1 grape, 1 slice of veggie and 6 nuts in the shell all sprinkled with sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds.

I will attach a picture and load it to my profile. She is a grey squirrel I found kicked out of the nest at 3aeeks old. She literally came with me everywhere until she was too big to sleep in my sports bra. She has a huge ferret cage which is 5' x 3' x 2' which she seems to enjoy but is now protecting. She is now 8 1/2 months old. And we live in Philadelphia, PA. So the seasons are changing here and I'm sure this might be partly hibernation.

Her stool and pee are normal, she mainly does her business in the cage but when she does pee or poop outside of the cage it's all very healthy. Nice firm dark stool at a consistent and appropriate size and her urine is yellow but on the fainter side.

Her appetite seems to be the same but she gained weight almost over night at the end of Sept. The seasons are crazy here right now, yesterday it was sunny and 71 but today is overcast and down to 43 and windy. So I'm sure that isn't helping.

I am her primary caregiver and until yesterday she has never attacked me. Needless to say I care less about being bit and I'm more just broken hearted that I made her scared enough to bite. 💔 I also have a turtle and a pitbull. She never interacts with the turtle but she does play with my pitty, who has been super sweet to her since day one. But she was also very aggressive towards him yesterday.

Please help!!! I want her to have the best life she can possibly have. She is incredibly sweet and special and I love her with all my heart. If anyone needs anymore info please ask and if anyone has any ideas please keep them coming!!!

Thank you all so much!!!
~Katherine

[Max7zero]

If he's got REALLY aggressive just in a day (not gradual normally) you sure he's male? My squirrel is female but didn't figure it out till she went in heat a few weeks ago. If it's just the every now and then don't touch my pecan kinda stuff he'll probably be a little worse because it's winter. Even friendly tame squirrels have giant attatudes so if he's tail flick just step back a minute and chances are before the minutes up he'll be on your shoulder.

[Daisey007]

Just as a rule of thumb, if you're in doubt about the sex of a squirrel... it's a 'female' because you will definitely know a male when you see one! :grin2



Hey Everyone,

First off thank you all so much for the help...I am completely open to all suggestions on how I can improve my little ones life.

I want to start off clarifying that I mistakenly assumed James was a boy because of a small bump as a baby that I assumed was a penis, but after further research I believe James is a girl. I'm not sure if females are more or less prone to particular behaviors but all the info I can give I will.

Her normal diet is ever changing. I giver her a bowl with greens (ether Kale, Spinach, Beet leaves, Brussel sprouts, Cilantro, Parsley or Romaine. Pretty much anything high in calcium.) She also has Alfalfa blocks, which are a dry block of greens. And she has a bed of Sweet grass on the first level of her cage, which is also edible. I also provide her with a piece or two of a berry or fruit. I usually take a bite of it myself so my sent is on it and then I sprinkle it with sesame seeds (cause they are high in calcium) they fruit changes based on what is in season or what I know she enjoys. (Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Apples and Grapes.) I also provide her with an additional veggie. (Currently it's Carrots, but I've also given Sweet potatoes, Sweet peppers, Zucchini, Cucumber, Broccoli and Celery. I typically leave an Acorn squash or small Pumpkin in her cage as well. She also has Acorns for the neighborhood and a mixed variety of nuts with their shells still on. (Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans, Brazil nuts and Chestnuts.) She also gets pumpkin seeds from time to time. She has a constant supply of filtered water and things in the cage that are available for her are bones, pinecones, cuttlefish bone and branches from the trees in the neighborhood.

I feed her daily, basically a mix of all the things from above. I have Oxbow Adult Rat Food but she doesn't eat it. So it's just a bowl with a variety of greens, fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Is that ok? Or is that bad? I just want her to be healthy, happy and safe. I only provide a small handful of greens, 1-2 berries, 1 grape, 1 slice of veggie and 6 nuts in the shell all sprinkled with sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds.

I will attach a picture and load it to my profile. She is a grey squirrel I found kicked out of the nest at 3aeeks old. She literally came with me everywhere until she was too big to sleep in my sports bra. She has a huge ferret cage which is 5' x 3' x 2' which she seems to enjoy but is now protecting. She is now 8 1/2 months old. And we live in Philadelphia, PA. So the seasons are changing here and I'm sure this might be partly hibernation.

Her stool and pee are normal, she mainly does her business in the cage but when she does pee or poop outside of the cage it's all very healthy. Nice firm dark stool at a consistent and appropriate size and her urine is yellow but on the fainter side.

Her appetite seems to be the same but she gained weight almost over night at the end of Sept. The seasons are crazy here right now, yesterday it was sunny and 71 but today is overcast and down to 43 and windy. So I'm sure that isn't helping.

I am her primary caregiver and until yesterday she has never attacked me. Needless to say I care less about being bit and I'm more just broken hearted that I made her scared enough to bite. �� I also have a turtle and a pitbull. She never interacts with the turtle but she does play with my pitty, who has been super sweet to her since day one. But she was also very aggressive towards him yesterday.

Please help!!! I want her to have the best life she can possibly have. She is incredibly sweet and special and I love her with all my heart. If anyone needs anymore info please ask and if anyone has any ideas please keep them coming!!!

Thank you all so much!!!
~Katherine

[stepnstone]

By now if your little was a boy it would be quite evident, baby girls are often mistaken to be
male due to their vaginal protrusion. Females definitely wild up and or get attitudes too, it is
not gender related.
Looking over your squirrel's diet I understand you think you're providing the needed calcium but that's
not going to happen with vegetables and all the nuts and seeds your allowing is counter productive as they
deplete calcium. Also, we never feed Brazil nuts to squirrels! You do need to make some serious changes!

Are you aware of MBD? I fear the supplement of nuts and seeds your feeding daily is only serving to set
him up for this condition. MBD is serious, crippling and deadly!

Once a squirrel is weaned the first and only solid food they should be given is a good quality rodent block.
They should be eating that and eating it well before any other solid foods are introduced. Then comes
vegetables. Nuts and fruit are treats and nuts especially need to be limited.
Please look at the attached Healthy diet for squirrels and keep in mind you have a "captive" squirrel.
Unlike a wild who knows what and how to eat to balance it's nutritional requirements, captives have to depend
on us to know what and how to feed to balance their daily requirements. They eat what we feed them and their
health and lives depend on what and how we're feeding them.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

[HRT4SQRLS]

Katherine, I do have some suggestions for you.
First, 6 nuts per day is way too many. 1-2 per day as a treat is more in line with a healthy diet. The inshell nuts are particularly bad because they won't go to the trouble to open 6 nuts so she might eat 1-2 and she stashes the rest. A squirrel with a stash of nuts in the cage will become VERY aggressive protecting it. You mentioned she is protective over her cage. She is not protecting her cage, she is protecting her nut stash. That will be the first order of business. Let her out of the cage and clean out the nuts. When she goes back in there will be no stash to protect. That alone should help with the aggression.

No one here feeds alfalfa blocks. Squirrels do eat a lot of plant material but are not hay eaters as a rule. A lot of squirrels will not eat the Oxbow rodent blocks. I would say a rule of thumb is that if they were not raised on them they will not eat them. I think you should buy the Henry's health blocks. I would buy the Picky eater block. The base is pecan so many squirrels actually like them. They are considered a supplement block. They are packed full of protein, vitamins and minerals so 2 blocks per day is the recommended serving unless it's a large fox squirrel and then it would be 3 per day.

I would reverse your servings. The largest portion should be healthy vegetables. Fruits and nuts would be treats in lesser portions. For a squirrel to remain healthy in captivity the block is essential. Try the Henry's block. Your girl might just like it. You do seem to have a good grasp on the need for calcium in the diet. A calcium deficient diet will lead to Metabolic Bone Disease and its best to avoid that. It is not caused by just a low calcium diet. It is also associated with high phosphorus in the diet. Nuts and seeds are high in phosphorus so they should be limited because of this.

Let me get the links for the healthy diet and the Henry's picky eater blocks.

[HRT4SQRLS]

I see step already posted the Healthy diet so here is the link to the Henry's blocks.

http://www.henryspets.com/picky-blocks-adult-formula/

I would definitely clean out any nut stashes and the aggression problem should get better.

[Curtlawyer]

My Rocky was just doing the teeth clicking thing, before attacking my fingers ferociously. Turned out, unbeknownst to me, my wife had switched the scent of Axe Body Wash. The new scent was called, appropriately, Anarchy. Apparently, the pheromones were causing him to attack like another male was intruding onto his territory. As soon as I switched to ordinary unscented Ivory Soap, the clicking and attacking ended. Rocky is 10 months.

[Katherin]

Thank you all so much!!! This has all been an incredible help!!!
Katherine

[Curtlawyer]

Update on Rocky:
I have experimented to diagnose the source of his irritation and biting- He always chatters his teeth before he attacks, so there is a "warning"- but its only about 2 or 3 seconds of warning to shove my hands under my arms or they will be bloody. He was only doing it in the morning, and I diagnosed that it was only after I showered. The first 4 mornings, I discovered was due to Axe Body Wash Anarchy scent (appropriate, I know). I switched to Ivory soap, and all was well for 4 mornings. Then 2 more mornings of teeth chattering (And preventing attack by wrapping him in a towel as soon as the chatter started) even after using Ivory soap. This morning I took him to his outside cage before I showered. we were playing normally up to that point. After my shower, I went out to his cage and put my hands against the wire and his teeth started chattering and he tried to attack through the wire. Just to make sure time of day has nothing to do with it, I am going to shower this evening after our normal evening playtime and see if he gets upset. I think the initial scent change triggered him- (pheromones are supposedly in the AXE) and then after a few days, he started to associate the lack of MY normal scent with danger. If it has been 2 or 3 hours since a shower, I can handle him, play with him, and he is as "gentle" as ever- still play-fights, but doesn't bite hard enough to break skin. For Rocky, he loves me only when I am my stinky all natural self.

[niapet]

I smiled when i read this thread. Teeth clicking means WATCH IT BUB, I just might bite you!