# Won't stop biting



## tut (Feb 27, 2011)

Hey everyone, I don't know if you guys can help me out or not, but here it is. My hedgehog Henry doesn't bite anyone except for my dad. He started biting him from the third day of having him. It started out as a little nible, as if he were tasting a new food for the first time, tasting but not chomping. It has gotten progressively worse. For example, today he bit him again within the first 30 seconds of seeing my dads skin, he always bites on the fingers, that's it. So today he got a really good grip on it and wouldn't let go, finally after pulling him off I saw my dads finger was bleeding. I cleaned his finger up and disinfected it, he's okay now, but there is still a mark from where henry bit him. I am at a loss for why he bites him. We tryed him washing his hands before, to get rid of scent. I am wondering also why it would be just my dad he bites and not anyone else. If my dad pets him under the chin he will bite, but if i do the same exact thing, he won't bite me. Help?

Sorry if i misspelled anything


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

If your dad had something on his hands the first few times he met him, and the hedgie bit him, he hedgie will associate your dads smell, with food, or a good taste. Which means it doesn't matter if he washes his hands, he has recognized your dad as yummy. To curb the biting habit I've heard blowing in the hedgies face will deter them. But you also might just end up having an oral hedgie with your dad. Keep making sure he has unscented soap, and don't GIVE him the opportunity to bite.


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## tut (Feb 27, 2011)

Thanks, i'll keep that in mind, but i"m still stumped on why when he bites he won't let go, still need all sugestions, keep em comin!


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

He won't let go because that's his instinct. In the wild, hedgehogs ate bugs. If they let go too soon, their dinner ran away. It's one of the most frustrating things that hedgehogs do, but if you try to yank your hand away before they let go, their teeth can actually get stuck in your hand and come out.

If your dad insists on handling your hedgie, you should get him a pair of gloves. The bites get infected pretty often.


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## tut (Feb 27, 2011)

Thanks, ill remember that the next time he decides to really chomp and hold on. i really do not want him loseing a tooth! My dad is a little stuborn, so i dont know if he will use the gloves(It's his hedgehog, he paid for him, but i am the real owner).


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## nibletsmom (Dec 20, 2010)

Niblet used to bite me a LOT when he was a baby. We chalked it up to the fact that he thinks I use some pretty awesome smelling body wash...lol. Well after much advice from the forums, I tried the blowing in the face trick and I also started not giving him the opportunity to bite me. For example, I stopped putting my fingers anywhere near his face/mouth. He eventually stopped chomping on me every time I held him.
...Now he just anoints EVERY TIME he smells me!! :lol: 

I have heard that hedgehogs think that weird smells are tasty smelling also....for example, smoke, etc. I am not sure if your dad is a smoker but that is a smell that can't be erased off your skin with a little soap and water. Its just a thought. Also like previous post said, if he smelled tasty upon their first couple of meetings, then he has associated him as smelling tasty.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

It could be like nibletsmom said: s scent that doesn't go away with washing. Does your dad do anything with chemicals/oils (like a mechanic, for example) or plants (cooking or gardening) or cleansers (janitor) etc etc etc There may be a smell that's not going away just from washing.


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## tut (Feb 27, 2011)

It might be something like that, he works in an office so no scent from there. but he does smoke the occasional cigar. however, so does my uncle and he never bites him when he holds him.


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## Ava loves hedgehogs.4 (Jan 3, 2015)

*My hedgehog won't stop biting!!!*

My hedgehog is now 7 months old and won't stop biting me!!! I got her in December and she loved me... Now every time I pick her up she bites super hard! I was holding her today and snuggling but when I started walking her back to her cage she bite right through my sweater! I'm scared and worried, what do I do?


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## Peedletuck (Dec 5, 2014)

My daughter's hedgehog is doing the same thing. He bites, not just on the finger but on the soft part of her hands too. Last night he was walking around the couch exploring and walked over and bit her hand with no warning. We got him as an adult and the breeder said he was super snuggly and gentle. But we're kind of afraid to snuggle him if he bites us every time we hold him. He didn't bite for the first two weeks of having him, but now he bites just about every time he is held. I'm thinking of trying different soap and hand sanitizer to see if that helps but its getting kind of stressful to hold him, because he bites anywhere. He has also bit through clothing.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

This thread is 3 years old. Please start your own thread with your question.


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