# Bitting won't stop, any suggestions?



## JLF1995 (Jun 22, 2011)

Hi, I just got my new hedgehog about a week ago and she has a nipping problem. 
It is not agressive and she only does it if I am not looking it seems! :lol: 
What she does is sniffs my hand intently and just starts nipping, it does not hurt but it is not something I want her to keep doing. 
Yes I wash my hands and I even wash my arms to get any weird smell of it and the soap is not sented.
My other hedgehog 'Hedgie' never bit me and this behaviour is quite weird to me. 
In a book I got when I got my hedgehog says 'that if your hedgehog bites you ether blow into its nose or squirt them with water using a plant spirtser.' I don't know if I should believe it but it was releast in 2002. 
Does anybody know if the habbit will pass or will I have to disaplent her...I hate to disaplent her is that is the only way. :shock:


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

Don't squirt her in the face with water :shock: ! Blowing yes, water no. When you bath a hedgie, you have to make sure they are completely dry before you put them in your cage, so they don't get cold. So spraying her in the face with water, could cause problems (ie, hibernation = death).


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2011)

Celeste has this problem but her bites were aggressive and Nancy gave me some sound advice in a topic.

Here is what I recommend:

1) Don't place your fingers near your hedgies nose/mouth for awhile it will only reinforce it at this time just try to keep you fingers out of his/her sight during bonding.

2) It could be due to scared, nervous, stress, even s/he is hungry and thus biting, especially if you have ever handfed your hedgehog or was before you got him/her/

3) I don't much believe in either the blowing in face, water, or q-tip idea, with animals negative reactions don't work the same as humans. They just associate it it with fear and danger, remember they are a prey animal and striking back may help them see you as more of a threat, if all else fails I'd go with the blowing in their face. (This is just my opinion on it, I know others will differ)

4) It could also just be shes very cranky at certain times of the day/night some hedgehogs are very particular of a routine and interrupting that might get them into a very strange mood. Try different times for your interactions with this hedgie and see if anything changes.

5) Its very rare they are biting because they are chronic, so more then likely one of those should be it but I am certain there are more explanations. From what I have read while trying to figure out my girls biting its very very uncommon to have a biting hedgehog that won't stop, it might have even just been biting because of strange weather patterns.

Please note these are my gathered information from some of the more seasoned and experienced breeders and owners on this site and some research I did elsewhere and talking to my vet as well. It doesn't make them fact but could be one of the paths that might help you resolve your issue


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

CanadienHedgie said:


> Don't squirt her in the face with water :shock: ! Blowing yes, water no. When you bath a hedgie, you have to make sure they are completely dry before you put them in your cage, so they don't get cold. So spraying her in the face with water, could cause problems (ie, hibernation = death).


Not to mention that if you spray her in the face with water, there's a chance of her inhaling some. I know that inhaling water into the lungs can cause pneumonia for humans, so I definitely wouldn't even try it with a hedgehog.


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## JLF1995 (Jun 22, 2011)

I thought the water thing was not safe... thanks that is all I need to know! She is getting better on not bitting, I think it could be the weather because latly it has been storming in michigan and she started acting strange. The weather should clear up soon!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

Do you commonly have lotion or anything on your hands that would attract a hedgie to nibble? try using a non-scented hand soap before handling??


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## JLF1995 (Jun 22, 2011)

I posted earlier that I used non-sented hand soap, and I havn't been using lotion in years know if I think about it! :lol:


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Maybe try a different soap, just in case? Inky has one smell that drives him to a licking, nipping, frenzy: my face soap. It's not scented either, he just loves it! I always have to handle him before my showers. :lol: Maybe the soap you're using does the same thing. It'd be easier to change soaps than go through trying to prevent your hedgie from biting every day.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

Soaps still carry a residue, as well as hand sanitizers and other things you come into contact with, food, other people ect. Washing your hands prior to handling could really help unless the soap you are using is the problem, sounds like this issue will simply have to be a trial and error for you.


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## mewa_ashika (Jul 30, 2011)

My hedgie does the same thing, he bites on me but also on my clothes! he will especially bite the my underarms, sides of my skirt and like the under breast area ( sorry do not know how to describe it otherwise xD ) and he will go into high efforts to get to those places too!
he is not violent - he is sort of just chewing on it.

Why is this happening?


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2011)

Do you use body lotion, perfume, or scented lotion?
What deodorant do you use?
Do you use a scented detergent or spray and body spray on your clothes?

A smell may entice your hedgehog to bite to certain places, I suggest if any of the above are true to lose the scents for interaction or change the scent to something they won't like.

The clothes is typical of hedgehogs they like to nibble on cloth sometimes, some times it even to anoint have you ever seen your hedgehog start to foam up and lick their quills with the foam substance when they try to bite these areas? If so don't interrupt once they anoint to something they usually will not again.

It is very rare a hedgehog is biting for anything more then curiosity or hunger from a delicious smell


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## JLF1995 (Jun 22, 2011)

I tried other unsented soap and it did not work untill I found this soap that had a sent of cotton and I used it because she would not stop bitting but as soon as i used the soap and picked her up. She did not bite me! We keep on using the soap and she continues to not bite us. Can somebody explain what this could be?


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## mizgoldstein (Feb 12, 2011)

hedgies are very, very sensitive to smell so that's no surprise to me that your hedgie had two totally different reactions to the type of soap you were using!

I use Method brand soap - the "sweet water" soap that they make for everything for my hedgie - washing my hands, washing her food/water dishes, washing her toys, etc. and she obviously has no problem with that soap and for that matter, I feel she is comforted by the scent as she associates food and water and mommy and daddy with that scent 

on the other hand, at night, my boyfriend's mother uses dove soap to wash her face at night and anytime she comes to play with Lulu after washing her face, Lulu goes crazyyy for the smell of that soap! sometimes she'll just do a lot of licking but sometimes she'll nibble on her fingers (not hard bites, just lots of nibbiling in between licking)

this is, IMO, normal hedgie behavior so yay!! for finding a soap that your hedgie likes!! your biting issue should not resurface if you stick to that soap


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## Jiperly (Jul 31, 2011)

Should you do anything to discourage biting(ie give them a tap)?


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2011)

Jiperly said:


> Should you do anything to discourage biting(ie give them a tap)?


There's a debate on opinion of this matter, animals do not respond the same to negative reinforcement the same as humans especially prey animals a hostile reaction of any sort can sometimes only cause them to trust an owner even less however this isn't always the case.

Some people recommend blowing into their face when it happens and other are more radical saying place a Q-tip with alcohol on it to their nose after a bite both of which I do not agree with in the slightest.

I have a biter and I've learned to handle her in a way which I don't get bit yet still have bonding type she is perfectly alright once in explore mode to let me pet her quills with little exception I just am careful to avoid flesh near her as even with washing my hands thoroughly in hot water she still wants a taste.

My opinion is they are having a natural response so matter the reason aggressive or nip to biting you and its their personality, sometimes you can correct it I think some biting has even been linked to hormonal imbalances in an animal sometimes which probably is more common in inbred families then lineage hedgehogs in my opinion and Celeste did come from a pet shop, yet she is still a sweetheart when she wants to be in fact a lot of people absolutely adore her here for her grooming video ^.^


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I agree also that it's best not to use any kind of punishment for biting. It would be too easy to injure them accidentally, cause them to mistrust or further aggravate the situation since they may not understand what they are being punished for. There's way you can pick them up and hold them that would help keep from getting bitten (picking them up with one of their fleece blankets and always keeping your hands from being directly in front of them). Keeping exposed skin away or wearing long sleeves can help also


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