# AGGRESSIVE BITING BEHAVIOUR PLEASE HELP



## marlo (Dec 12, 2012)

Hello all, Marlo the hedgehog and I are in a tough situation. One of siblings bought her three months ago at a pet store, by now I believe she is a little over four months old. At first, she was very sociabl, trusting, friendly, and cooperative. Gradually, she began aggressive biting behaviour, it’s hard to say exactly when and at what rate because she is not my hedgehog. I would handle her sometimes too, and as far as everyone goes she would lick and nip sometimes, that wasn’t a big problem. Almost always however, it would escalate from that into aggressive, bruise inflicting bites, sometimes even with enough pressure to draw blood. Or else she’ll skip the tasting entirely and get straight to hard biting.
Now, this has made her scary. My sibling has somewhat abandoned Marlo; she still lives with us but the original owner no longer looks after her or socializes with her. I didn’t really want to take on the responsibility. I do like Marlo but I’m also dealing with clinical Anxiety and Depression, both are moderately severe and debilitating and I don’t think I’m consistent enough for a pet. I don’t want to let Marlo waste away though, I take care of her essentials and bring her out at least every couple days for half an hour or more. I handle her but only with my sweater sleeves (which she also bites and tugs at) but she doesn’t seem to like that. I feed her meal worms each time she comes out to try and get her to enjoy the experience. It takes a lot of bravery to put my fingers around her and I don’t do it often. Each time I do she bites them hard not right away, but it is almost inevitable, and with my anxiety I can’t calm down. I’m worried I might hurt her if she bites me. They’ve already incited a panic attack once before, but luckily I was able to keep my cool just long enough to get her away from me. Marlo is very aggressive and I’m not sure why, either that or she is only kind of aggressive and also loves to bite things. Either way, if you’ve been patient enough to read this long post please help me understand what to do.


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## aydree (Oct 19, 2012)

Well putting mario up after a bite is kind of just giving in to what mario want. If mario is biting to be put away that is. Maybe you should consider rehoming the pets. Animals has helped with routine and depression patients before but hedgehogs need routine, daily socialization and frankly a lot of patience which is something you probably can't offer with anxiety. And if the hedgehog arent being taken care of otherwise its only right


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Hedgehogs bite for a few reasons.

1. Interesting/yummy smells, which creates a "food" association. This biting is almost always preceded by licking, and usually is a little nibble or nip, though it's possible for them to form a biting habit if the lick-then-bite behavior is allowed, and then they can go straight to biting.

2. Fear. They can bite if stressed or afraid for whatever reason. This can become a circular habit if the person bitten has a strong reaction, especially if the biting gets the hedgehog returned to the cage. By returning the hedgehog to its cage and leaving it alone, the biting is being "rewarded", thus encouraging the behavior to be repeated, and eventually turning it into a habit. Sometimes if a hedgehog has been very poorly socialized, or not handled at all, they will be so fearful of people that they will bite on reflex whenever they get the chance.

3. Territoriality. This isn't very common, and so far I've only seen it in males. We have one boy who's very social and friendly, but he's particular about places that are "his". His cage, his sleeping bag. If he feels that they're being invaded, he'll occasionally attempt to bite. When he's out of the cage, he doesn't have a biting issue whatsoever.

It's hard to tell where the biting might have started, but it sounds like it became habitual. The best way to break the habit is to 1. not let the biting happen (limit exposed skin, handle the hedgehog with a small blanket or fleece), and 2. don't react when it does happen.

#2 is easier said than done, but it's better to grit your teeth while dislodging the hedgehog's mouth, rather than being very vocal and reactive when it happens. One option is to wear gloves (close-fitting leather or knit ones, not large bulky ones, because those will just trigger more of a fear response). This is the only situation where using gloves to handle a hedgehog can be a good idea. If you have gloves on and you're bitten, you won't react because it doesn't hurt. Over time the lack of reaction can make your hedgehog discouraged and break the biting habit.

If you don't have one, invest in a carry bag and sleeping bag. A sleeping bag can let you have her out for bonding time without direct contact - she'll feel more comfortable, and you'll avoid getting bitten. It also will let you pick her up out of the cage without direct contact, by just lifting the bag out when she's asleep inside of it. A carry bag is the same idea, but will let you work on socialization by carrying her around the house with you, hands-free.

You should definitely try to have her out of the cage every day. I know she started being handled less because of the biting, but leaving her alone in the cage and not having a regular schedule of handling means she's not as well socialized and not as accustomed to being handled, both which definitely won't help break the biting habit. You want to try to bond with her and make her trust you more, which will make the biting habit easier to break.

If you don't think you're in a position to be able to give consistency to a pet, you might want to consider rehoming her - but with a biting problem she would have to go to someone with hedgehog experience. Where are you located?


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## marlo (Dec 12, 2012)

Thanks for all the great advice, that was a lot more informative than anything I've come across researching it online. I don't think I can keep myself from reacting when she bites, it's not just the pain but a lot of built of apprehension too. I can try to take care of all of the reasons you've mentioned by getting her a sleeping bag, not letting her near my bare fingers, and taking her out more often. I've thought of getting her a pen so that I could keep her out for a longer amount of time without having to commit to socializing with her for all of it. I think seeing her out and about would remind me to pick her up.

re-homing her does sound like something else I should consider, only I don't know how I would go about that. I live in Western British Columbia, Canada. If you know of any options that would be great.


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## cardiologineer (Sep 29, 2012)

I just wanted to express my support. I also suffer from depression and anxiety and am fairly prone to panic attacks. I haven't had any caused by my hedgie, but I know what it's like and it certainly isn't fun. 
I think that a hedgehog can be a great help in dealing with anxiety, depression, etc. But for me, it took me quite a lot of thinking to be sure that I was able to take care of her on top of taking care of myself, and being sure that I could commit to caring for her every day. When I have days where it's hard to get out of bed in the morning, I've found that knowing I am responsible for refilling her food and water, cleaning her wheel, checking on her, etc actually helps since I've become so attached to her and know how much she depends on me for her well-being. But at the same time, I was prepared and eager to be getting her, so it may be different for you, not having made the choice to take her and only stepping in out of necessity. 
That said, if you think you could manage to keep and care for her, then go for it and try out these tips. You can always change your mind and try to rehome her later if it isnt' working out.
One possibility for re-homing is the Hedgehog Welfare Society. Here is a link to a form you can fill out if you wish to give her up. http://www.hedgehogwelfare.org/relinquishment.asp
You can also make postings in this forum, somewhere there is a section for hedgehogs looking for new homes. 
Best of luck to you with whatever you decide. Just make sure you're doing what you feel is best for yourself, and in the end, that is probably what is best for Marlo, too, because if she's too much work for you (or causing you a lot of panic attacks, anxiety, etc), then you may both be better off with her at a new home. Good luck.


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