Got my first good bite tonight..

[NutmegAndGinger]

I gave him a block today, which he buried and then attacked me for sitting to close to it (my fault). I moved to a different chair, far away from his stash, but he attacked me again. When i went to put him in his cage for time out he bit me REALLY good on the thumb and caused quite a bit of blood.

What is concerning for me is that he bites me every single time I put him in the cage. Normally it's just a nip but he has been biting harder each time. How do I correct this? I give him a tap on the shoulder with a stern no, but if he has the opportunity, he bites me again before I get him in the cage.

Him and his brother have a very beautiful cage that they love playing in. I know that they don't want to be in confinement regardless of how big the cage is.. however, at some point I have to go to work lol.

Basically, what is the best way to get him in the cage without being bitten? And what is the best way to correct biting behavior?

Thanks in advance!

Edit// he is only 3 1/2 months old

[Rhapsody]

I gave him a block today, which he buried and then attacked me for sitting to close to it (my fault).
I moved to a different chair, far away from his stash, but he attacked me again.

The reason he attacked you is right there "his stash" --he was guarding his STASH!!

You need to clean out his cage and get rid of all the extra food (stash) and from this point
on on only give him what he will eat in once setting at a time, blocks & vegetables included.

Beware of NUTS!! --a squirrels will attack and do damage over a precious nut.

[NutmegAndGinger]

The reason he attacked you is right there "his stash" --he was guarding his STASH!!

You need to clean out his cage and get rid of all the extra food (stash) and from this point
on on only give him what he will eat in once setting at a time, blocks & vegetables included.

Beware of NUTS!! --a squirrels will attack and do damage over a precious nut.

thank you for your reply! I was actually curious about the very mean and aggressive bites I'm starting to receive while putting him in his cage.

I just assume tonight's bit was meaner and more aggressive because silly mommy sat too close to his stash before hand!

I'm just wondering on appropriate ways to train or discipline him once he bites and also some tips on getting him into his cage without being bitten!

[HRT4SQRLS]

Yes, the biting is a problem. It's best not to let them have stashes because they do get very protective of their stashes. I had an overwinter last winter that was a pistol. She hated to go back in the cage. When out of the cage, she went berserk ... running around the house, climbing everything including me, launching off the furniture, etc. She would rip around my body leaving scratches in the aftermath. Yes, she was a biter. I was so happy to see spring arrive so I could release her. She is VERY happily in the trees now. She greets me most days when I get home from work. Just today, she rode on my shoulder into the house to get her nuts.

There was only two ways that I could get her back in the cage. (1) Trick her with a nut but that became less effective as she would grab the nut and take off. (2) The other way was with small pieces of fleece. I would catch her by throwing fleece over her and bundle her up and put the bundle (squirrel & fleece) in the cage. As release time approached, I let her out of the cage less often. She was killing me. I released her in February. (Florida). The weather was beautiful and she was more than ready to go.

As as far as teaching them not to bite, uhmm ... they're squirrels. Those that have the 'biting nature' will continue to bite. I doubt you can train them otherwise.

[Rhapsody]

I'm just wondering on appropriate ways to train or discipline him once he bites
and also some tips on getting him into his cage without being bitten!

After you have made sure all his extra stash has been removed from his house
and from any other hiding places then you start to teach him no by giving him
a firm NO each time to tries to bite. I even go as far to tap them a little on the
tip of their nose or bottom when I say NO --which ever end I can get to the
quickest when they are trying to bite me or are playing a little to rough.

Good Luck -

[NutmegAndGinger]

After you have made sure all his extra stash has been removed from his house
and from any other hiding places then you start to teach him no by giving him
a firm NO each time to tries to bite. I even go as far to tap them a little on the
tip of their nose or bottom when I say NO --which ever end I can get to the
quickest when they are trying to bite me or are playing a little to rough.

Good Luck -

Thanks for all replies! My fiancé and I are fortunately very diligent about clearing out their stashes. We clean every time they go back in their cage. Maybe they see us doing this and made ginger think I was going to take it.. I'm not sure

Does the fleece trick make them more angry when it's cage time?

After he bit me today I had a very hard time getting him back in the cage. The door is about waist high and I'm trying to scrap him off my thigh and into the cage haha and while dripping blood everywhere.. it was a sight!

I'm just so sad because he such a loving and cuddly boy who gets a nasty temper when it's cage time!

Also, does anyone have opinions on spraying them with water from a bottle? I'd rather not tap them and make him feel like my hands are threats to him

[stosh2010]

How old is your "BITER" ?
Squirrels can "wild up" as they mature.. my Rama Rota ( male Costa Rican tree squirrel) decided that I was the enemy and my wife is the hero...at age 13 mths.. No matter how many seeds or treats I give him ( daily) he still charges the cage as I walk by. He would and has bitten me on the rare occasion that we meet outside his cage. I LOVE him and understand that is just his natural instinct.

P.S. I wear a home made helmet and welders gloves when dealing with Rama...
.
See helmet in bottom right corner....

[HRT4SQRLS]

Does the fleece trick make them more angry when it's cage time?

Not really. The fleece has to be the right size because too much is too bulky and too little and they will bite you through the fleece.

I would slip up behind her or wait until she was on my shoulder (preferably near the cage) and I would quickly wrap her up in fleece. You have to be fast. It usually worked. It sure beat bloodshed.

I'm sure she didn't like it but I doubt she would have liked a spray bottle either. You could try it.

[MollyBear361]

Maybe he just doesn't want to go back in the cage just yet? If mine feels like she hasn't had enough "out " time she gets cranky when I put her back in her cage. Like when I just let her out and something happens and I have to put her right back in for whatever reason....She didn't get to be our her usual lengthy amount .....Mostly a bunch of squalloring and grumbling...but when she really doesn't want to go in there she has put her teeth on me. Fortunately for me, she has never bit me...just kind of opens her mouth on me like she really really wants to.....I guess I'm just lucky so far....

[NutmegAndGinger]

Well we had a good couple of days without any biting and a lot of cuddling minus today. He bit my finger again about 5 minutes ago.

I think his issue this time was that his brother was already in the cage so ginger knew he was going in there too.

Ugh.. guess I need to purchase some gloves!

[Cesta]

I have to reply to this... So sorry your guy is biting you! My 'sweet buddy' Jasper- also 3.5 months old has started flipping out over his favorite foods. What makes it funny is he starts before I even hand him the nut or boo ball (those are his faves and the only things worth guarding). So I'm coming towards the cage, and he smells something he likes, and starts getting riled up. I open the door enough to hand him the first item, hoping that will distract him while I put another couple boo balls in the cage. Doesn't work anymore... Luckily he can't bite me with a nut or a ball in his mouth, and he sure isn't putting it down because he KNOWS I'll steal it (Ummmm Jazz, I JUST GAVE IT TO YOU A MILLISECOND AGO!!!). But my hands look like... Well like they've been torn up by the claws of a deranged squirrel.. But I love him anyway. Oh, and I tried the quick flick on the butt to show disapproval and I was lucky to escape with my hand still attached. Try that one at your own risk. And to think, on the squirrel nutrition sheet it says to offer nuts as treats to promote bonding.

[NutmegAndGinger]

Just in case anyone was curious... I changed up his diet (and daddy also gave ginger a good talkin to about being nice to me) and he's been nothing but snuggly and loving since then! My sweet boy, just trying to tell me he wanted more/different food!

Guess he's ready to be done with formula!

Also- he's still pretty grumpy when it's cage time... but not even close to what he was being! Momma can deal with that!

[SammysMom]

Wonderful news! Just be prepared that they can turn on a dime and be prepared for it. I find that pulling my hands up into my sleeves when there is a chance of attack sort of puts him off of the idea.

[NutmegAndGinger]

Wonderful news! Just be prepared that they can turn on a dime and be prepared for it. I find that pulling my hands up into my sleeves when there is a chance of attack sort of puts him off of the idea.

Yes! That's what I do with my hands too. Sometimes when I let him out he's just grumpy for whatever reasons squirrels are grumpy.. so I just pull my sleeves over my hands and shove them in my pockets. Seems to deter him thus far.

Ginger hates when I brush my hair back so I've gotten into the habit of wearing it up when I have him out. It's funny.. his brother has never bitten me or my fiance.. not even in play!

[JLM27]

Maybe they just don't like cages.

[RobinTN]

From what I can tell, some squirrels are just biters. We've got two 4 month olds (not related), and Cassie has never bitten either of us (knock on wood!), while Sly seems to almost make a game out of seeing how nervous he can make us. LOL it really is like he's teasing us... he almost always bites hard enough to break the skin, but only twice has he caused any major bloodshed. He's as sweet as can be, he just bites. We accept that, but obviously still try to avoid his teeth. Oh, and far as pulling hands up in our sleeves? Just last night Mr Sly let me know he was onto me by biting right through my shirt sleeve! Got me dead-on, too, lol, little a*hole, like he could see exactly where that finger was! Honestly, it's probably just something you're going to have to learn to live with.