my pet squirrel bites me........

[indianpalms]

He's friendly enough to take food from me but bites me sometimes......how do I stop this?

[skarabrae]

Use gardening gloves?

My squirrels are all being released in a couple months, but they sure do love to bite me! It almost seems like a love nip or an exploratory nip more than anything, but their little jaws are freakishly strong for their size (well, considering they can shred a shelled nut...). As far as I've read, it's very difficult, if not impossible to train a squirrel out of their natural instincts.

Hopefully someone with more experience with "tame" squirrels will come on and help you!

[jbtartell]

I never had a problem with sam biting me just other people.. how old is your baby and how tame? does he have run of the house or in cage. I think also my opinion is that when they bite hollor ouch. it may be just nips of affection or warning. maybe just trying to take over as boss.. lol when sam was a baby under a year she would nip me but never bite.. but I had to teach her the no word and she does know what no means..

[indianpalms]

thanks!but do you think using garden gloves for a while will stop them from biting me......?(as a matter of curiosity)

[Jackie in Tampa]

lightly tap nose and blow in their face..
say no no...sternly, not loud, just stern.

[jbtartell]

I agree with jackie. light taps. gardening gloves.. hmm depends on the severity of the bites.. lol I dont like gloves they are too cold..lol I have to feel my babies..lol unless you have on who will bits the far out of ya..lol then yes get gloves but you want him to know you are boss and it is just like training a dog not to chew or bite on you. they are smart and will listen.

[indianpalms]

thanks everyone!got it,tap their nose gently and blow on their face sternly.My baby is 6 months old and has got some real sharp teeth,I should have taught him the "no"word right from when he started nibbling me!

[jbtartell]

yep nooo nibling..lol even that can hurt.. all I had to do was tap her nose and say no and now all i say is no and she will stop what she is doing lol soo funny.. befor her ailments she was hearing no every day..lol soo is he in a cage when unsupervised? cage is pretty much a have to to keep him in his own space and safe.

[Cna.jrs2019]

My sweet little buddy I’ve had a few months & he’s completely stole my heart!! Recently he’s become aggressive & a couple days ago bit my pointer finger & im scared that it’ll get worse. But this is not at all like him he’s always been so sweet! I don’t know what to do. & my heart it’s broken! I’ve had him in a cage since the bite. The weather is to cold to have outside I feel. Any advice would be much appreciated. This little squirrel means the world to me but I don’t want to keep getting bit or be terrified he’s going to hurt me on a daily basis

[Mel1959]

Your once friendly friend is maturing and telling you it wants a life in the trees. Unfortunately this is how it begins. Squirrels are unpredictable about when they decide to attack and their attacks can be quite vicious. You’re right about temperatures being too cold currently to consider releasing. When temperatures warm and there are leaves on the trees is an ideal time. Here’s a link to the soft release process. https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-How-to-Sticky

And how to build a release cage. https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...r-release-cage

Unfortunately, you cannot be certain he won’t bite again. Take care when feeding him and accessing his cage. I hope you love him enough to let him live the life nature intended which is in the trees.

[olorin19]

I was overwintering Harry for May release four years ago. I had done this four times by then, and never had a problem.

But at about 5-6 months, Harrry got extremely aggressive and would attack me every time he was out of his cage - meaning twice daily for play time!

It was still mid winter, so while I could push up his release time maybe a month, it still seemed too cold to abruptly relocate him to a release cage.

So, for my own safety, I devised protective gear to keep me from getting bitten. This included a wire fencing mask, huge thick mittens with a leather shell, and many layers of clothing all over that were all tucked in so there was no way Harry's teeth could reach my skin.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...rotective-gear

This was an extreme situation, and you may not need to do the same - but just in case!

One thing that often happens: Squirrels who are happily handled at 3-4 months often reach a point at 5-6 months where they do not want to be held. They are happy to climb on you, perch on you, gently take food, etc. but they prefer for you not to hold them in your hands.

[olorin19]

Your once friendly friend is maturing and telling you it wants a life in the trees.

Very much agreed!

[TomahawkFlyers]

Do you think this is the point at which they are old enough make a connection between being held and the sense of being in the clutches of a predator? Granted, we are not predators, but the instinctual reaction can, I imagine, overrule any short-term friendly interactions with us ... just a thought.

I was overwintering Harry for May release four years ago. I had done this four times by then, and never had a problem.

But at about 5-6 months, Harrry got extremely aggressive and would attack me every time he was out of his cage - meaning twice daily for play time!

It was still mid winter, so while I could push up his release time maybe a month, it still seemed too cold to abruptly relocate him to a release cage.

So, for my own safety, I devised protective gear to keep me from getting bitten. This included a wire fencing mask, huge thick mittens with a leather shell, and many layers of clothing all over that were all tucked in so there was no way Harry's teeth could reach my skin.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...rotective-gear

This was an extreme situation, and you may not need to do the same - but just in case!

One thing that often happens: Squirrels who are happily handled at 3-4 months often reach a point at 5-6 months where they do not want to be held. They are happy to climb on you, perch on you, gently take food, etc. but they prefer for you not to hold them in your hands.

[olorin19]

Do you think this is the point at which they are old enough make a connection between being held and the sense of being in the clutches of a predator? Granted, we are not predators, but the instinctual reaction can, I imagine, overrule any short-term friendly interactions with us ... just a thought.

That makes sense!

I had a neuro NR Ziggy who was perhaps the exception that proves the rule: Ziggy loved being held, massaged, scratched, etc. BUT only by a few trusted people.

Otherwise, I have never had a squirrel that appreciated being held past that 5-6 months stage.

I have given antiobiotics and inspected wounds many times on released squirrels. Before I switched to giving the ABs by mixing them with nut butter then spreading on a half pecan, this involved gently getting hands on the squirrel. No matter how comfortable they were to climb around on me, nobody wanted to be grabbed. My method was to go into the bathroom then wait until they ended up on my forearm or belly to where I could gently get a hand on them. Always stressful for the squirrel, and once I learned about the AB/nut butter/pecan method, generally avoidable, unless a wound needs to be inspected.

[olorin19]

Do you think this is the point at which they are old enough make a connection between being held and the sense of being in the clutches of a predator? Granted, we are not predators, but the instinctual reaction can, I imagine, overrule any short-term friendly interactions with us ... just a thought.

Is your experience similar with flyers? Or are there some in your "colony" that enjoy being held as adults?

[TomahawkFlyers]

Louie was the only one who really liked to be held and stroked as an adult. The three NRs now living inside with us - not so much. Jet and Franky will come running when I enter the room, leap and splat on my chest. From that moment on, I am merely a tree upon which they chase each other. Franky will eventually jump off, and Jet will substitute me for his playmate. The boys play hard, and Jet is a little nipper - who turns into a biter when he gets so excited that his back right foot starts thumping and his eyes bulge. He doesn't run away - he just likes to play rough. I have a pair of buffalo hide rancher's fencing gloves - they work well unless Jet is just out of control with excitement. Every once in awhile, his teeth make it through the gloves. It hurts!

Ollie, our little girl, does not like to be picked up either. She will come out at night after the boys have gone to their area for dinner, jump onto a hand, and then scoot and sit on a shoulder. She will sit there for quite some time, and shy away from even a light pet. She is not the ruffian that the boys are, so she stays out in our room at night. She does a magical thing almost every night. When we wake up in the morning we will find a block or a portion of a nut in plain view between our pillows. Not stashed, not partially eaten, but left out for us. Every once in awhile, I'll wake up at night to feel a soft, furry, warm lump sleeping on my pillow snuggled between my neck and my collar bone.

The wilds - they will accept being hand fed, they will do things to get our attention when they want something, (invariably something to eat,) and jump onto and play on us. They absolutely will not tolerate even an attempt to pick them up. I do think it likely that their reaction is a hardwired survival response and the act of picking up an adult is just too similar to what happens when a predator seizes them.

Jamie

[olorin19]

Louie was the only one who really liked to be held and stroked as an adult. The three NRs now living inside with us - not so much. Jet and Franky will come running when I enter the room, leap and splat on my chest. From that moment on, I am merely a tree upon which they chase each other. Franky will eventually jump off, and Jet will substitute me for his playmate. The boys play hard, and Jet is a little nipper - who turns into a biter when he gets so excited that his back right foot starts thumping and his eyes bulge. He doesn't run away - he just likes to play rough. I have a pair of buffalo hide rancher's fencing gloves - they work well unless Jet is just out of control with excitement. Every once in awhile, his teeth make it through the gloves. It hurts!

Ollie, our little girl, does not like to be picked up either. She will come out at night after the boys have gone to their area for dinner, jump onto a hand, and then scoot and sit on a shoulder. She will sit there for quite some time, and shy away from even a light pet. She is not the ruffian that the boys are, so she stays out in our room at night. She does a magical thing almost every night. When we wake up in the morning we will find a block or a portion of a nut in plain view between our pillows. Not stashed, not partially eaten, but left out for us. Every once in awhile, I'll wake up at night to feel a soft, furry, warm lump sleeping on my pillow snuggled between my neck and my collar bone.

The wilds - they will accept being hand fed, they will do things to get our attention when they want something, (invariably something to eat,) and jump onto and play on us. They absolutely will not tolerate even an attempt to pick them up. I do think it likely that their reaction is a hardwired survival response and the act of picking up an adult is just too similar to what happens when a predator seizes them.

Jamie

Wow, Ollie sounds like a sweetheart!

Do flyers gift each other food? I have never seen an eastern grey share food.

What is quite common is for them to hide nuts on me somewhere - in my pockets, in my hood, tucked up into the bottom of my sweatpants, etc. But I do not think this is sharing with me - more just me being part of their environment and thus providing more options for their stash.

I use these thick wool mittens (fleece lined) with a leather shell on top. Even if the teeth make it through the leather, there is enough material so the teeth never reach my skin.

I had a release named Dustin who twice ended up back inside for extended periods due to bite wounds. He loved to play fight with me, and worked out that it was okay to bite the mittens. I would have several layers tucked into the mittens. One time, the sleeves got untucked and he accidentally bit me on the wrist. Quite a decent bite! Anyways, I went and bandaged myself up then came back to resume playing. Dustin immediately climbed onto my forearm and untucked my shirts to see for himself that I was okay. My wife was there, and we were both on the edge of tears, it was just so sweet.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Do flyers gift each other food? Ha! Nope. They are lightning fast at grabbing food away from each other and then either running off or turning away and chowing down. As hard as they play, they never hurt each other; and when it is bedtime, they sleep together piled up on each other. Craig has some videos of the latter - heart melting. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/23Z23dZp2Hw

Do you have a link to those mittens?

Jamie

Wow, Ollie sounds like a sweetheart!

Do flyers gift each other food? I have never seen an eastern grey share food.

What is quite common is for them to hide nuts on me somewhere - in my pockets, in my hood, tucked up into the bottom of my sweatpants, etc. But I do not think this is sharing with me - more just me being part of their environment and thus providing more options for their stash.

I use these thick wool mittens (fleece lined) with a leather shell on top. Even if the teeth make it through the leather, there is enough material so the teeth never reach my skin.

I had a release named Dustin who twice ended up back inside for extended periods due to bite wounds. He loved to play fight with me, and worked out that it was okay to bite the mittens. I would have several layers tucked into the mittens. One time, the sleeves got untucked and he accidentally bit me on the wrist. Quite a decent bite! Anyways, I went and bandaged myself up then came back to resume playing. Dustin immediately climbed onto my forearm and untucked my shirts to see for himself that I was okay. My wife was there, and we were both on the edge of tears, it was just so sweet.

[olorin19]

Do flyers gift each other food? Ha! Nope. They are lightning fast at grabbing food away from each other and then either running off or turning away and chowing down. As hard as they play, they never hurt each other; and when it is bedtime, they sleep together piled up on each other. Craig has some videos of the latter - heart melting. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/23Z23dZp2Hw

Do you have a link to those mittens?

Jamie

I have actually had these mittens since the late 1970s - used to do winter camping regularly back in New England. Probably came from LL Bean...

...yep, here they are -

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/6031...=mittens&pos=1

[TomahawkFlyers]

Thanks! I wonder why you can't buy these in the People's Republic of California ... In Wisconsin, the word would be "Those look great! Buy two pair!" Thanks again.

Jamie