Please help me I am so desperate! My squirrel, Earl, has started attacking me.
He's been a bit defensive/territorial over his food in the past, but nothing more than some chattering noises if I (or my fiancé) touch him while he's eating. But the day before last I was home alone with him and we were just playing and I handed him an almond and he got very defensive and started barking at me and ended up scratching my face and biting my hand quite hard. I yelled "NO" and gave him a flick and put him away in his room.
Last night I had him out and again gave him a nut and he started getting defensive so this time I froze, hoping he would calm down and just hop off me and run off with his nut. Instead he started REALLY freaking out and bit my hand so I yelled NO and then he bit my thumb so hard I truly felt his teeth hit my bone. I needed stitches and my thumb is double in size. He clearly intended to hurt me.
So, I'm just baffled. He has always been the sweetest boy and my hand to God I have NEVER hit him or been mean to him, we're very close. I have had him since well before his eyes were open and bottle fed him myself. He is on a healthy diet of Henry's Squirrel blocks mixed with veg and fruits and he gets a nut every day. I just don't understand this sudden aggressiveness and I just have no clue what to do.
Has anyone else had a squirrel that seemed to suddenly become very aggressive? Was it just a phase? He is about 9 months old, if that helps.
I feel like my only option is to start rehabilitating him to the outside, but honestly I'm scared to even touch him... I don't know what to do.