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AvianWondersTLC
10-06-2007, 11:00 AM
I'd like very much to hear from someone who's actually been bitten. Yesterday I screwed up. I gave PeeWee cheerios ( 1st solid food in his life) from my hand. I don't know what possessed me to do something so stupid. I wasn't thinking I guess. While attempting to hold it for him, he became frustrated and stuck the whole O in his mouth. Of course I panicked, thought he was going to choke on it, and tried to reclaim ownership of it. It got ugly. Then he got nasty about it! He swatted at me a couple of times, and when that didn't work he added screaming at me to the swatting! I know, if I'd been bitten I deserved it. The moral to the story, I'm assuming, is that NO food is to come from the hand because our ultimate goal is release and fear of humans. In the back of my mind I knew that from day one, but it's been so easy to forget while he's so helpless, dependent and sweet. Yesterday he reminded me that he is still a wild thing on some level.
Today my face is bleeding. While giving him his formula, he apparently decided that the intermission between syringes while I refilled his syringe was too long. He 'oinked' at me several times, chattered, and then shot up out of the towel and caught me dead in my face with both front feet. They run 'up' naturally, I know, and my face was just the first thing he caught. His intentions weren't malicious in nature, I realize that, but that doesn't alter the fact that when I realized I was bleeding I had blood all down my shirt. I'm fine, really. How do I continue to hand feed him now, should I take the syringe to his cage and allow him to eat there instead of on my lap? Gloves can protect my hands, not my face!
I'd like to hear from someone who's been bitten because I know it is always a possibility. It's been in the back of my mind for weeks now, and I would REALLY like to know how bad it's going to be if it happens. For example, do they bite you once and run...do they keep biting you...do they bite like a pit bull and refuse to let go? I am afraid of those teeth, I won't lie. I do know that I can't let HIM know that I'm nervous about that. I've been bitten by lots of things. A half grown squirrel is not one of them. I don't know much about the effects of squirrel teeth, but I can tell you first hand that six week old squirrel claws can slice your face open like a ginsu knife! It ain't pretty.

pamela lee
10-06-2007, 11:20 AM
Peanut (raised and released) never bit me but he did bite my DH and BF (because they touched me while he was in my lap). He held on, I had to get him loose while telling them to be calm. Easy for me to say. They bled quite a bit and left scars.

pamela lee
10-06-2007, 11:39 AM
Most of the time the biting is part of the growing-up and wilding-up. You can just offer the food through the cage, even the syringe.

Buddy'sMom
10-06-2007, 01:25 PM
So sorry that happened ... it sounds familiar, though. There are more thoughts in this thread, in case you haven't seen it yet: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=112202#post112202

My sweet, adorable Buddy (now released) bit me twice. Once was when I sat down to feed him but got distracted and didn't get the syringe to himm fast enough. :shakehead So, similar story .. except he bit instead of leaping.

As an aside, if you still want to feed him on your lap, you can fill multiple syringes and put them in a mug of hot water so they are ready faster. If you can put aside your fear, that will still work. I wasn't really able to trust Buddy so much and started feeding him through the bars of his cage, which worked out pretty well. It also gives you a good transition to release, since you aren't handling him as much. (I tried gloves once but that spooked him worse, which made me more nervous; not good)

THe bites do hurt ... a lot. And may be deep (VERY sharp teeth) and bleed a lot. But the bleeding can be stopped with pressure. Clean it as you would any cut. A bandaid or butterfly bandage to hold it closed. It heals quickly. May be a scar. Just be mentally prepared, as I said in the other thread, so you don't make it worse by jerking your hand.

My recollection is that Buddy did not keep biting. It was just one bite, not multiple ones. And I think he was as startled and scared by it as me. But there have been other posts where the squirrel did keep biting and was hard to pull off. Remember (or try to!) that he won't be biting out of anger or meanness, but out of fear or frustration. With the food thing, as soon as they see it, the food becomes theirs -- anything you do to impede that and he will get frustrated ... and react in the only way he really knows how to. It's survival of the fittest out there and they need to protect "their" food.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

pamela lee
10-06-2007, 01:46 PM
There have been a few members that were bit to the bone, even chipped the bones. Not trying to scare you just answering your ?.

AvianWondersTLC
10-13-2007, 03:45 AM
Oh boy....I feel so much better now....NOT. :poke I had a funny feeling ya'll were going to tell me exactly what ya told me....*sigh*.... I guess I could have tattoo's from worse things. I DID get bit by an eight week old opossum once. That lil joker bout sent me to another planet with those teeth!

squirrelsrule&bunniestoo
10-13-2007, 08:46 AM
The opossum that bit you couldn't have been only 8 weeks old. They are just opening their eyes at that age and the seal on their mouth is starting to open up. I know what you mean about opossum bites though, I got bit by one at the wildlife center where I volunteer, it HURTS! You gotta be tough to be a wildlife rehabber!

kimbia
12-26-2007, 06:54 AM
my Gricko( Chewy on english) sometimes bites me ,not of aggresion more like of tasting ,when I give em food though the cage he runs so fast jumps on my finger and he doesnt grab the food but my finger, and I have to admit it HURTS! like a little vampire:rotfl :crazy

Rhapsody
12-26-2007, 11:49 PM
IMO -
Food and Unlikable Scents seem to be two of the main reasons a squirrel will bite - family & foe.

And my 17 year old says it hurts worse than any other bite he has received so far - from pet animals.


* * * * * *

squiggs
12-27-2007, 09:16 AM
Squiggs never bit me as a baby, but now I have learned that when I put her bowl of fresh food in her cage, to just clear out, she is extremely food aggressive and will chatter and lunge in her cage, last week for a dumb reason I decided to let her out during this time, she lunged bit be in 3 places drawing blood, I went to her cage touched things, then she flew in her cage like what have you taken I hurried and shut the door. Later when I came home from work she loved me again, after she buries everything and is fool she is loveable, also I took her to my parents house for christmas, and she didn't think anything was her territory so she was very loveable with me, now at about 5 months old she started hating everyone but me, she is 10 months now soon to be 11, I hope she stays loveable when she is fool.

Expect more bites I think your baby is always going to think of you as a rival with her food now...

kimbia
01-17-2008, 07:01 AM
I had the today case today:crazy
I wanted to opet the cage door for Stripe(my chippie) to get out for a while to run a bit...
but the thing is I accidentaly open the cage and I think it was chewy who jumped on my finger!! he just hang on it !!!
omg it is very painfull:osnap it bleeded:hurt :sanp3
I dont know whats gotten into him, hes like a vampire lol!
no woder I gave him the name chewy:P
like I knowed that hes gonna bit me ...
hes I bit smaller than stripe and probably younger, but he has a nasty bite hehe

squiggs
01-17-2008, 08:33 AM
Maybe you have to test his mood first, I will slowly put my hand up to squiggs she always sniffs, but if she is in a bad mood me keeping my hand there will make her mad, when she is nice she will come and sniff again. So far we have a thing, in the morning, pretty much during the day I leave her be, then early dusk/evening I will let her out, which works with my sched to. When I come home from school or work around 8 30 she will get out of her den when she hears me and do her I'm excited dance cause she knows its playtime, and she has already done her chores for the day of guarding her nuts and burying them, and adding to her den. So maybe you need to find a time that works for chewy when he isn't in a bad mood or feeling territorial. :thumbsup

toasty
01-17-2008, 02:06 PM
Rowdy has bitten my husband twice. Both times Rowdy literally attacked him! :shakehead He bit him once real quick and ran, then came back to do it again. The second time was just yesterday and when I went to get Rowdy off my husband's hand, Rowdy bit me! And drew blood! (I don't think he realized it was me) But it must not have been too bad cause it really didn't hurt too much but my husband said it hurt bad. My husband smokes and I think that's what does it, he smells...lol....!!! :osnap This last time, my daughter was on the computer and my husband walked up and was standing beside her chair w/ his arm on it, talking to her. Rowdy came dashing across the couch and jumped on his arm, ran up and around, down his other arm (he had on long sleeves) and attacked his hand closest to my daughter. It was kinda scary but Rowdy has NEVER attacked me or my daughter:nono , even if he has something that I'm trying to take from him. He will cuss and growl and swat but he never tries to bit. :tilt

Apple Corps
01-17-2008, 11:20 PM
I have become very experienced in getting bit - I now avoid it most of the time. All our fuzzers are free in the trees but do eat out of my hand. The bites I have received all involve multiple, very very rapid bites to the end of my fingers - just mistakes on my part - no aggression. They do tend to be deep and they dooooooo bleed. My first aid is simply letting the finger bleed under running water in the sink - some polysporin - a bandaid - all healed up in about three days.

BTW - I've also learned to NOT pull my fingers away once the teeth go in - that just makes them bite harder and creates a more shredded finger. It takes some real control but they recognize that the finger is NOT what they are really after :-)

Did I mention how sharp those orange nut crackers are??????



mjs mjs mjs mjs

squirrelmanxx
01-18-2008, 12:56 AM
if you play with squirrels, intentional and unintentional bites and nips come with the territory.
use antiseptic.

i started a thread on here a few months back:
search "worst bite??"

kimbia
01-18-2008, 06:56 AM
I noticed that Chewy is a very shy chippie ,and very scared when he sees my hand in front of him,who knows how did those guys at pet shop keep him, strange is that he doesnt have one finger(maybe they pulled him or somethin,poor guy)
his ears just kinda go down when I put food in my hand in front of him.
like he saw an owl or cat trying to hurt him,:( :eek:
but hes such a sweet little guy! in his little wheel omg he just runs in it all the time :D :rotfl

rico3151
01-20-2008, 11:12 AM
I've had similar experiences with Moxie. He gets upset easily at feeding time and occasionally bites me if I happen to get between him and the food. His teeth are like like little razor sharp chisels and being bitten, usually but not always, ends up with me bleeding a little. He treats me, my wife, and our Chihuahua like he would treat other squirrels at feeding time. He scolds and chatters and swats the dog. Once he has eaten, its time for play and he usually doesn't bite. But he is, afterall, a wild animal and somewhat unpredictable. We recently got a southern flying-squirrel and named him Secret. He is still a baby but he is alot like Moxie at feeding time. Getting bitten is part of the fun of being a squirrel parent. :thumbsup

nubbynicksmom
02-08-2008, 03:28 PM
:wave123 My guy bit me once when I grabbed him quickly to put him back in his cage, totally my fault. Since then no biting. I feed him each morning and have a play time with him for about an hour or two. We have so much fun! He climbs all over my hands and tumbles around them, looking for a tummy scratch! Then I will give him a mushroom :thumbsup for a treat. He loves being fed by hand. If I continue this will he not be ready for release? I want him to go back to the wild but he is to much fun now. I really don't know how old he is. Found him Christmas day, he had his eyes open, was covered with soft fur, but was so tiny, fit in my palm, and just wanted to sleep. So I have had him just over 6 weeks. When is the time to let go?

I got off track, he has bitten my husband and my brother in-law. Maybe doesn't like men??? :dono Bites do hurt and bleed, alot. :flash3

pamela lee
02-08-2008, 03:47 PM
:wave123 Found him Christmas day, he had his eyes open, was covered with soft fur, but was so tiny, fit in my palm, and just wanted to sleep. So I have had him just over 6 weeks. When is the time to let go?

I got off track, he has bitten my husband and my brother in-law. Maybe doesn't like men??? :dono Bites do hurt and bleed, alot. :flash3
If his eyes were open he was probably around 4 to 5 weeks old. You start preparing them for release around 12 weeks and can be released around 14 weeks depending on how their doing. Playing with them and loving and cuddling them doesn't make them an unreleasable.

fotheloveofsquirrels
02-08-2008, 03:55 PM
Believe it or not, my beloved flyer Stalker bit me the other day and I know it was because he smelled the new babies on me. I went in for his usual head scratch and he just reached around and bit me hard on my finger. I was shocked, but quickly realized he was angry. He started to do a little back foot stomping and looked very aggitated, so I put him back in his cage. The next day he was back to himself. Since then I am very careful to not have any strange smells on my hands. OWEEEEEEEEEEE!!!:D

FLUFFYTAILNUT
02-08-2008, 05:29 PM
Aww..sorry about the biting..action..
I can fortuantetly say..I HAVENT been bitten yet..by Bean my almost 8 month old grey..to the point of BLOOD..he play bites all the time..though..:dono :)
SOme greys ARE VERY>>MINE<< when it comes to food.
I could take an acorn right away from..him.
I think each squirrel is different.
I raised two..that lunged and growled EVERY time I went to feed them..THEY made excellent releases..NEVER saw them again.
They took off into the woods...and thats all she wrote..:Love_Icon
THEY wanted nothing to do with human companionship.:dono

macytree
02-09-2008, 08:16 AM
He loves being fed by hand. If I continue this will he not be ready for release? I want him to go back to the wild but he is to much fun now. I really don't know how old he is. Found him Christmas day, he had his eyes open, was covered with soft fur, but was so tiny, fit in my palm, and just wanted to sleep. So I have had him just over 6 weeks. When is the time to let go?

I got off track, he has bitten my husband and my brother in-law. Maybe doesn't like men??? :dono Bites do hurt and bleed, alot. :flash3

We kept our Hunny from 4 weeks to 5 months and she played on us, ate from our hands, and rode around on our shoulders the whole time. I was terrified she wouldn't be able to be released and contemplated keeping her but she did great when it was time to go. We didn't even have a release cage she went straight from our house to being an outdoor squirrel, with a couple of overnight visits in the beginning. So don't worry too much about release.

As for when it's time to let go, Hunny pretty much let me know. She was miserable in her cage and wanted to be out all the time. When she was out she started getting mean, and would lunge at my face. She was doing that for about a month before we finally released her. My husband was "her person". She adored him and was a big love bug until the end of that last month. Then she started getting aggressive even with him so we knew it was time for her to go. With him she was only aggressive when there was food around, with me she'd go for my face and hands for seemingly no reason. So anyway, that's how we made the decision to let her go.

As for the not liking men thing. They just attach themselves heavily to one person and don't always like others when they get older. Hunny always preferred my husband even though it was me who took care of her. I assume it's because her cage was in his office so even though it was me who bottle fed her and all that, his smell was all around, and she spent more time in his presence even if she was in the cage. When she was little it was a joke that she liked him better, she'd sit on his keyboard or his shoulder and wouldn't come to me for anything. The older she got the more pronounced it got, to where like I said she was biting me for no reason.

She didn't seem to care that hubby didn't even want her. He was mad as could be when I brought home a squirrel. It only took him an hour or two to warm up to her but still.. she was a little traitor.

sammy4ever
03-12-2008, 06:30 PM
i,ve been bit many times. hurts alot. disinfect and let it heal as if u got cut with a razor blade. food is very important to squirrels as they spend most of their time looking for it. do not feed them cheerios by hand. u may get bit accidently. squirrels will get aggresive about eating. have more than 1 syringe with formula ready to go incase he or she gets impatient. rap him in towel etc. to feed him formula. try not to hold him upside down like a human baby when feeding to prevent formula going into lungs. in short, let your squirrel eat his cheerios by himsef

FLUFFYTAILNUT
03-12-2008, 08:25 PM
i,ve been bit many times. hurts alot. disinfect and let it heal as if u got cut with a razor blade. food is very important to squirrels as they spend most of their time looking for it. do not feed them cheerios by hand. u may get bit accidently. squirrels will get aggresive about eating. have more than 1 syringe with formula ready to go incase he or she gets impatient. rap him in towel etc. to feed him formula. try not to hold him upside down like a human baby when feeding to prevent formula going into lungs. in short, let your squirrel eat his cheerios by himsef
Yes...never try to reclaim ownership..of the cherrio..it could get..ugly....:grouphug FTN....
:Welcome sammy4ever..WELCOME..to The Squirrel..BOARD:Welcome
Tell..us a little about your self...:wave123
FTN..:wave123 FLUFFYTAILNUT......:wave123

sherbear59
04-22-2008, 01:51 PM
I'd like very much to hear from someone who's actually been bitten. Yesterday I screwed up. I gave PeeWee cheerios ( 1st solid food in his life) from my hand. I don't know what possessed me to do something so stupid. I wasn't thinking I guess. While attempting to hold it for him, he became frustrated and stuck the whole O in his mouth. Of course I panicked, thought he was going to choke on it, and tried to reclaim ownership of it. It got ugly. Then he got nasty about it! He swatted at me a couple of times, and when that didn't work he added screaming at me to the swatting! I know, if I'd been bitten I deserved it. The moral to the story, I'm assuming, is that NO food is to come from the hand because our ultimate goal is release and fear of humans. In the back of my mind I knew that from day one, but it's been so easy to forget while he's so helpless, dependent and sweet. Yesterday he reminded me that he is still a wild thing on some level.
Today my face is bleeding. While giving him his formula, he apparently decided that the intermission between syringes while I refilled his syringe was too long. He 'oinked' at me several times, chattered, and then shot up out of the towel and caught me dead in my face with both front feet. They run 'up' naturally, I know, and my face was just the first thing he caught. His intentions weren't malicious in nature, I realize that, but that doesn't alter the fact that when I realized I was bleeding I had blood all down my shirt. I'm fine, really. How do I continue to hand feed him now, should I take the syringe to his cage and allow him to eat there instead of on my lap? Gloves can protect my hands, not my face!
I'd like to hear from someone who's been bitten because I know it is always a possibility. It's been in the back of my mind for weeks now, and I would REALLY like to know how bad it's going to be if it happens. For example, do they bite you once and run...do they keep biting you...do they bite like a pit bull and refuse to let go? I am afraid of those teeth, I won't lie. I do know that I can't let HIM know that I'm nervous about that. I've been bitten by lots of things. A half grown squirrel is not one of them. I don't know much about the effects of squirrel teeth, but I can tell you first hand that six week old squirrel claws can slice your face open like a ginsu knife! It ain't pretty. :Sorry i know how painfull it can be. I have a 11 yrs stevo and Lucy is also 16 weeks . So , I once gabbed steveo like a cat and then was bring up my other hand to cup him , well he grabed my thump and clamped down blood was flying my hubby was freakin and i just calmly said bequiet and he let go, i really do not think he new he hurt me, it was a bad bite,all the way to the bone it swelled up and hurt real bad. I toughed it out and soaked it in epsom salt it's better and my fault. Sudden noises can scare them and they will panic . I usually handel them at night and no one else is around . :peace

sherbear59
04-22-2008, 02:01 PM
:Sorry i know how painfull it can be. I have a 11 yrs stevo and Lucy is also 16 weeks . So , I once gabbed steveo like a cat and then was bring up my other hand to cup him , well he grabed my thump and clamped down blood was flying my hubby was freakin and i just calmly said bequiet and he let go, i really do not think he new he hurt me, it was a bad bite,all the way to the bone it swelled up and hurt real bad. I toughed it out and soaked it in epsom salt it's better and my fault. Sudden noises can scare them and they will panic . I usually handel them at night and no one else is around . :peace
And you can trim their nails i try to do all cleaning and handeling when they are sleepy, although they can wake up and get startled. With my baby Lucy i started timing her nails right away so she learns that it won't hut her Stevo is not so easy I found a great vet that taught me. Stevo's teeth have to be cut every so often also. He won't crack is nuts anymore so i hit them with a hammer slightly. Maybe he is spoiled! He Loves dried banana chips, pecans and corn,sunflower seeds,berries, and once in while a liitle peice of a hot:peace dog

muffinsquirrel
04-26-2008, 05:02 PM
Just figure that into each life some squirrel bites must fall. If you don't have tiny little squirrel scars all over your hands and arms, what will you have to talk about in the old folks home? You'll just be condemned to sit there and hear about everyones gall bladder operation! BUT......with squirrel scars, you can keep them entertained for hours. And you can 'embroidery' the stories all you want to - what are the chances that anyone else knows anything about squirrels? So be proud of your squirrel scars, and remember, it is your duty to entertain your fellow members at the Shady Lawn Retirement Home!!!

muffinsquirrel

TexanSquirrel
04-26-2008, 07:24 PM
:rotfl :rotfl :rotfl

Isis
04-27-2008, 02:15 AM
I'm the one who was bitten thru my thumb knuckle & the bone was chipped... this was a real nasty bite... Bitty (almost 2 yrs old at the time) had fallen off the top of the entertainment center & I'd run over instantly picked him up... I doubt he knew it was even me as he was stunned (my floors in the cabin under a thin wool carpet are a concrete slab). After getting Bitty into his cage I ran to the bath & let it bleed under running hot water... then literally soaked it in alcohol... applied an antibiotic cream & bandaid... after a few days it was still so sore & began to swell... I knew I had an infection. I soaked it for days in espsom salts & the hottest water I could stand... ended up having to go to the clinic & got simple low dose antibiotics. After another few days it just got worse... my hand swelled up like a baseball mitt! :eek: Went to the Doc where he wanted to put me in the hosp instantly for immediate surgury! I had a systemic infection in the bone... Doc even told me I could possibly lose my thumb!!! :eek: :eek: Turned out I did not have surgury... Doc decided after consulting an orthopedic specialist to try a stronger antibiotic (cipro 500 mg - if I remember right) which I took for 6 weeks!

Most scratches & bites I've read of were simple & healed fine with no infection... think mine was so bad because it went thru the knuckle & bacteria got into the bone where it was chipped.

After this experience I tried wearing gloves to handle Bitty, but he hated them so bad... I stopped & just used more care when approaching him to gage his mood first & a couple of months later set him up so he could go out to the forest & still come back into his INside the house cage whenever he wanted... :thumbsup He hasn't bitten me in over a year now & still allows me to reach in his cage when he's in & play-fight wrestle & massage him all over...

Sorry this was so long... was just wanting to impart how serious a squirrel bite can really be... before my bite Bitty had begun stalking & attacking my honey... scratching & biting at lightning speed & then racing off...

Hope my story helps... keep in mind each squirrel has their own distinct personality & each situation is totally unique. Wishing the best for you & your little one :Love_Icon :grouphug :Love_Icon