# Biting



## Alecia (Sep 15, 2008)

Let me say that I read the previous post about biting and took all of those things into consideration before posting. I have a new hedgie (4 months old but I have had her a week) She is starting to lunge and bite. She will actually go after my hand if I do not pay close attention. I have been holding her in my lap with my hands in the general area so that she just gets used to them, but 3 times she has actually charged across a 2 foot space and snapped at them. Last night I added a tp roll to her area just to see what she would do with it. She ripped it to shreds with her teeth within 2 minutes! I took it out because I was afraid she was going to choke on the pieces of it she was tearing off. 

I started washing my hands in tea tree oil based soap to make sure it was not that my hands smelled edible. If my son puts his hands within visual range she will go out of her way to try and get a mouthful so I feel it is not just me. 

Anyway - all this to ask - what is a hedgie safe way to correct/discourage this sort of behaviour? I do not want to be jumpy but sheesh - she is a savage little thing when she gets her mouth on!


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## drowsydreamer (Aug 28, 2008)

Do not use tea tree oil anywhere around hedgies (even if its just on your hands) it is toxic!


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## Alecia (Sep 15, 2008)

Oh poop! Good thing it is actually a shampoo - I won't do that anymore.... I have to find a way to discourage her from biting that is not toxic but tastes bad. We used to get the dogs to stop by actually coating our hands in jalapeno or tabasco. I was sort of hoping for a similar natural remedy. Certainly can't thump her on the nose.  To see her lunge and shake her head furiously - I should have named her Badger!

At 4 months - is she already through her quilling or is there some to come? I saw one quill on the floor last night but nothing otherwise. I can live with the cranky but the biting has to stop.


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## PinnyMommy (Sep 16, 2008)

I have resorted spraying mine in the face with water, he then opens his mouth because he thinks he is getting dunked.


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## suivezmoi (Sep 24, 2008)

she might not of gone through quilling I really can't remeber the times when they do, but if she hasn't then that could be a reason. Grim would always lunge for me when I left my hands near him especially when he was in a hoodie pouch haha he was a little terror sometimes. Really I'm not sure of any good ways to stop it sorry I just kept my hands out of his way and he seemed to grow out of it :/ or distracted him with mealies though that could of originally caused the problem


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## AllQuills (Sep 19, 2008)

Just be careful when spraying them with water because it could lead to a respitory infection.
I read that you're supposed to blow in biting hedgie's faces when they bite. Mom tried that with me, but it didn't really effect me...maybe other hedgehogs would mind it more, though, so it would be more of a punishment.

Juni


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## Chewy (Aug 29, 2008)

AllQuills said:


> Just be careful when spraying them with water because it could lead to a respitory infection.
> I read that you're supposed to blow in biting hedgie's faces when they bite. Mom tried that with me, but it didn't really effect me...maybe other hedgehogs would mind it more, though, so it would be more of a punishment.
> 
> Juni


 Blowing in the hedgies face doesn't work. Its just going to make him even more scared. Just calm down and keep handling him after he bites. Another thing is just keep your limbs and such away from his face. You would be suprised how many people complain about their hedgies biting but yet they're always sticking their fingers in front of their face. :| :roll:


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## drowsydreamer (Aug 28, 2008)

Blowing in Turbo's face works for me. I just do one puff of air and his face scruntches up and he gives up. I've only had to do this twice, although he's not really a biter anyway. I think prolonged blowing in the face would be scary, but a puff or two of air isn't going to matter much, at least in my (limited) experience.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

The only time I have been bitten by Inky was when he was scared and upset at me for trying to trim his front nails (he's a little stinker). I know that if I were to blow of him when he did that, it would have scared him more. I think it really depends on the situation.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Chewy said:


> Blowing in the hedgies face doesn't work. Its just going to make him even more scared. Just calm down and keep handling him after he bites. Another thing is just keep your limbs and such away from his face. You would be suprised how many people complain about their hedgies biting but yet they're always sticking their fingers in front of their face. :| :roll:


Exactly what I would have said.


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## roseykrh (Aug 30, 2008)

It could easily be crankiness caused by quilling. When several new quills are pushing through the skin simultaneously it can be a bit painful and your little girl may be telling you that she doesn't feel like being picked up right now. If she's not quilling then it may be related to a scent.

My Bella started lunging and biting at me last month so I know how depressing it is when you begin thinking you have a pet that doesn't like you. But Bella's biting problem has stopped, so I'm here to tell you there's hope for you and your little hoglet. I started suspecting she might be reacting to cigarette smoke on my hand. Since they have such a strong sense of smell then anything that stinks is gonna stink 10 times as bad. I am a social smoker and only smoke when I'm around certain friends. I hadn't smoked at all for the first month I had her, but my friends came into town and I started smoking at the same time she started biting. I started taking a shower and changing into clean clothes before handling her. I also changed my hand soap and started using unscented fabric softner. One of those things worked, she stopped lunging and biting. 

My point is, there's a great chance this is related to a scent. Everyone knows that they may bite your hands for smelling like food, but they will also bite you if a smell offends them and they want it to go away. At least that's what I learned. Try changing some things, especially the tea tree oil. That would be my first guess as to what's causing the problem.


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## Alecia (Sep 15, 2008)

*Re: Biting - Update*

Maddie has stopped biting at least for the time being. We started using germ x on top of unscented soap. She is not much interested in the Germ x. I also use the shirt I slept in or wore to work that day to dry my hands until I just smell like me vs smelling like and alcohol bath...  Truthfully when we started doing foot soaks to clean her feet off, she started getting friendlier. She has quickly learned that human hands are the only way out of a bathtub when you are ready to be done!!!

She is still very huffy and pops and hisses at everything, but I see baby step size progress in her allowing human contact. My husband thinks I have lost my mind....


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## roseykrh (Aug 30, 2008)

That's great news! Thanks for keeping us updated.


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