# taking a poll.....getting freaked out



## sugar (Feb 3, 2009)

Is there ANYONE out there who has a hedgie that has NEVER been bitten. I am not talking about a completely painless nibble or lick; I mean a bite. I have to tell you that when I start reading posts about hedgehog bites I get really freaked out!!!! It makes me scared to try to hold her. At this point there is not a lot of holding going on because she is quilling and does not want to be held. When I do pick her up she is really puffed up so I have to use a small fleecie to protect my hands from the pricks. She does crawl up my chest to my neck and hair but because of the quilling I have to put her down in her playpen to play. 

Anyway, going back to my original question, I really want to know if anyone has never been bitten and if so, how long have you had your hedgie?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I have been bitten, but I want to post a response to this anyway. I have had hedgehogs for well a very long time and I believe I can count the number of times I have been bitten on 1 hand. One was a hedgehog who was in a lot of pain, another was a known biter who had been mistreated in his prior home, and the other was extremely stressed out (her cage mate had died recently and she wasn't feeling well) and my finger just happened to take the wrath of her stress. 

Otherwise bites have been limited to nips from interesting smells being on my fingers.


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

The only time I've ever been bitten (knock on wood) was by one of our rescues the first day we got him. Which is understandable.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I've been bitten before... Inky only bites after his bath if you upset him, he will roll up and chomp. But that's a "quick release" and he never holds on.

I've held another, a female, who did not like the smell of the hand sanitizer I used before picking her up. She held on for a few seconds but it didn't break the skin, just caused a little bruise.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Lily has bitten me before, but only three times, I think. The first time was because my hand had food or something on it that smelled good. The second was because she was trying to ball up and I was trying to put some flaxseed oil on her bald spots, and I was trying to keep her from balling up, so she bit me. And I congratulated her, lol. And the last time was when I was waking her up one last time to put her away after her vet visit, and my finger was right in front of her face, so she thought she'd let me know how much I was annoying her. :lol: They were all just little pinches, nothing very bad. She's never held on either.


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

I've been bitten before, but each time it's been my own fault. I was feeding Quentin some chicken, and stupidly didn't go wash my hands before I reached to pick him up so he thought I was chicken. Another time I got my finger in the way of a mealie, so that was my fault too. He's never bitten just to bite. He's never held on for too long and yes it hurt a little but it wasn't that bad of a pain.
Don't be afraid to hold her. Any animal can bite--my cat randomly attacks my ankles all the time. If it happens, it happens but it really is not all that painful and hedgehogs aren't snapping turtles so they likely won't hold on for *too* long if they do. Just keep an eye out for signs of biting and don't have a stupid moment like I did with chicken, and you should be fine.


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## sugar (Feb 3, 2009)

okay, so far everyone that has responded as all been bitten due to their own error?, ie food or putting your finger near their mouth or during a time when they are agitated. I am still waiting for someone to respond with "no never been bitten"! LOL!!! Anyway, so far this really helps my fears. Still want to hear from some more people! I am always good about washing my hands, I don't try to un-ball her. She is really most loving after a foot bath. I agree that any animal can bite but I guess it is fear of the unknown. 
Also, I read somewhere that if you get bitten you need to seek medical attention?


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## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

i have not yet been bit by vex, but with all the stupid stuff i do around his mouth, im surprised he hasn't. He does however like to chew on my hair and pull it with his little feet. He also likes to bite clothes, and may get a little skin if you wear a tight shirt.


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

sugar said:


> Also, I read somewhere that if you get bitten you need to seek medical attention?


Where did you read that? And what context was it in (hedgies in the wild, perhaps...?)
If you were bitten by a wild hedgehog then yes I would seek medical care in that case, but a domestic hedgehog is another story. Most of the time a hedgie bite won't break the skin (MOST of the time). If that's the case there's no harm done so just wash your hands with soap and water and don't worry about it. If it does break the skin, put some rubbing alcohol or peroxide on it to kill any germs, and maybe put some antibiotic cream on it if you want. They don't carry rabies naturally and shouldn't really be exposed to other animals that could give it to them, so that's not normally a factor you have to worry about. Alcohol usually takes care of just about anything bacteria wise, so you should be pretty safe then if you're worried about germs.

Like I said before, don't be scared! Most hedgies aren't aggressive biters. You get a few of those sometimes (and sometimes they will bite if really sick and not feeling well), but odds are she would already have bitten you by now if she was aggressive. Bites that aren't aggressive are normally preceded by licking, and those are just little taste nips that are startling when they haven't happened before but they are not all that painful. If you're watching what you're doing when it comes to smelly treats, and being careful during stressful times I don't think you have anything to worry about.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

I have been bitten - mostly playful, painless nips. But a couple have been fairly ouchy chomps... my fault, of course. I chose to smell like a swimming pool, food, etc... 

But you have to put biting in perspective. My hedgie hasn't drawn blood, whereas my guinea pigs, mom's dog, and human brother have. 

Note: my brother does not currently bite, but he did as a young kid.


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## hedgieMate (Aug 28, 2008)

I've NEVER been bitten by our Geoffrey.

He has licked and tried to nibble on our fingers/hands a few times in the past (often as a prologue to self-anointing), but never a real "bite". I don't admit this often out of fear that some people may get the wrong impression of hedgehogs, but I've always hand-fed G from Day 1. Luckily for us, he never developed the bad habit of associating food with human hands and biting.  

If you must know, I stick my finger in his mouth when he's yawning, yet I've never been bitten! You may be thinking, "Why anyone would do such a thing to a poor hedgie?" Don't fret, it's done in good humour and G seems to know I'm just teasing him. He gets annoyed, but he is like, "I asked for it by yawning right in front of your face, didn't I?" and just walks away. No protest huff or retaliatory poke or bite.  

I think biting depends on each hedgehog. Probably the majority of hedgehogs do bite if they feel threatened or got annoyed enough. G is rather rare in this respect. 

One thing I want to point out to you is that hedgehogs are extremely tuned into human emotions and moods. If you're scared or nervous, your hedgie will pick up on it and often react in a negative way. In fact, if you're so nervous about being bitten, your hedgie may actually bite you by picking up on that negative energy - you're self-fulfilling your own prophecy in a way. So it's very important that you'll remain calm and relaxed when you're handling your hedgie.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

I think, you mean a tetanus shot. But that's pretty much for any sort of bloody bites/rusty metal injury, but 1 shot lasts a few years, so if yours is up to date, then there's not much to worry about. 

I've been bitten lightly once. Mostly because he was napping with me on my bed and I reached in his snuggle blanket to wake him up and he got annoyed at being woken up. 

I also have a tendency to reach in with my finger first to let him sniff me before petting him, as he then knows it's me and he lets me stroke his head.

Also, he'll huff and pop a few times, rather than actually bite. There's not really much to be afraid of, and your hedgie will sense your fear, and then things can be worse. Like owning any other animal, there's always a chance of getting bitten. My cat will bite my wrist when I scratch a certain area of his back, but it's also in play.


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## drowsydreamer (Aug 28, 2008)

I've never been bitten. The occasional "hey look you smell yummy" nibble, but he's never BITTEN me. 

However, he did BITE my mom when she was hedgie-sitting for me. She woke him up early because he didn't run on his wheel the night before and she wanted to make sure he was ok. He latched onto her finger and wouldn't let go. However, that was also a time of a lot of stress for him, and he'd never met my mom before, so I can't really blame him. Scared the daylights out of my mom though.


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## Mallasfamily (Feb 6, 2009)

My hedgie has "bitten" both my husband and I. Not the chomp one that broke skin but a bit and as it seems the theme of this thread it's our own fault. Got our fingers caught when she balled up and in her ball. If you want to know: it reminds me of when you have a clip (chip clip, memo clip, etc.) and it clamps down on your finger. It almost doesn't even hurt, just kind of smarts.


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## Callie255 (Dec 24, 2008)

I have never been biten by my hedgie. I have only had him since mid December. He has never tried to bite me. When he is about to annoint he chomps on whatever it is but it has not been on me. 

Your hedgie can sense your fear. So when she huffs and pricks up you have to just go about whatever you were doing without being affected by her. If you are picking her up you just need to pick her up and you will get used to the prickly feeling. I have never picked Bruce up with a blanket, no matter how prickly he was. He huffs at me everytime I wake him up to come out of his cage and he puts all his quills up. I just reach in and scoop him up. I always talk to him so hopefully he will know its me. He has stopped huffing so much and as soon as I pick him up and put him on my chest he starts to put his quills down. He is getting used to me and it is something that takes time.

If you want to bond with your hedgie you still need to be handling her just as much, even if she is quilling. I think she will come around to you more if she gets to be around you more. You can't be afraid of her or she will take advantage of it.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

As a breeder, I have a herd of hedgehogs and have never been bitten by my own hedgies....not even any of the pregnant or nursing mothers have bitten. However, I once had a 'stud service' male in my home and he 'nipped' at me several times. But I chalked that up to him being in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar people and smells. After a few nips, I just left him alone and let him do his thing with my female.....then I returned him to the other breeder.


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## doug (Aug 28, 2008)

I had Milo for three years and was never bitten. He tasted my finger with a nibble a couple times when I fed him worms by hand. But he never bit me.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've been bitten and bitten really good but it's a very rare occurrence and of all the hedgehogs we have had between, pets, rescues, breeding and babies only a couple have been biters. Most would not bite no matter what. 

Any animal can bite. Hamsters are nasty little biters. I would say hedgehogs are one of the least likely to bite species of animal.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

Nancy said:


> Hamsters are nasty little biters.


Gezzzz.....you aren't kidding there! Especially the little dwarf species. We bought one for my son, and a week later the darn thing bit me and would not let go. I finally shook my hand so hard that I slung it across the room, before it released its bite. It drew blood and took forever to heal. Needless to say, it did not survive the flight across the room and impact with the wall.

*Nasty little boogers!* We also have a snake.....and I was GIVEN a large amount of the dwarf hamsters by a pet store that had decided to no longer sell them -- due to them biting too many customers. The standard way of putting rodent FOOD to sleep is to put them in the freezer. I did so and a week later opened my deep freezer to find only a few hamsters.... STILL ALLIVE! They had canabalized the rest of the hamsters and just smiled at me when I opend the freezer door. :roll:


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Oh my god...lol. I just knew I made the right decision when I wanted to get a hedgehog and not a hamster! :lol:


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

I had a dwarf hamster that wasn't allowed to come out of his cage... ever. Mostly because I couldn't pick him up without his biting me. Which is a shame because I felt bad and he was pretty cute. It's also sad because I was 18 when I got him :lol:

EDIT: I'm sure Pixie's intent wasn't to kill the hamster. Her reaction was probably that of panic and I highly doubt that sort of reaction would be the same if a hedgie bit her finger. But I'm not going to speak for her; it's just my opinion. Although it is sometimes fairly easy to forget there are various age groups on this board. Although it is sometimes fairly easy to forget there are various age groups on this board, I agree that it isn't the best story to post. I'm sure we'll all be extra cautious in the future with what stories to talk about on this board-- at least I will.


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## Cimredopyh (Oct 13, 2008)

I am not terribly fond of hamsters, and yes i had them, yes they bit me, but I do not find it humorous at all.....
To put it into perspective, imagine someone doing that to a hedgehog that bit and would not let go.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Hamsters bite, anyone who has done much research will find that out. 

I don't find this funny. She flicked an animal across the room and killed it because she got bit. What is funny about killing an animal?


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## doug (Aug 28, 2008)

I agree. That's awful, not funny.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

PixiesExoticHedgies said:


> Nancy said:
> 
> 
> > Hamsters are nasty little biters.
> ...


I found this post sickening and makes me wonder if that is going to be the fate of any hedgehog that bites you and hangs on.

While I realize that putting small rodents in the freezer is the standard way to kill them to be used for snake food, I still find it disgusting and don't find it at all appropriate to post on a forum that children are a part of.


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## Cimredopyh (Oct 13, 2008)

sebian said:


> I had a dwarf hamster that wasn't allowed to come out of his cage... ever. Mostly because I couldn't pick him up without his biting me. Which is a shame because I felt bad and he was pretty cute. It's also sad because I was 18 when I got him :lol:
> 
> EDIT: I'm sure Pixie's intent wasn't to kill the hamster. Her reaction was probably that of panic and I highly doubt that sort of reaction would be the same if a hedgie bit her finger. But I'm not going to speak for her; it's just my opinion. Although it is sometimes fairly easy to forget there are various age groups on this board. Although it is sometimes fairly easy to forget there are various age groups on this board, I agree that it isn't the best story to post. I'm sure we'll all be extra cautious in the future with what stories to talk about on this board-- at least I will.


Obviously it was not intentional, what horrifies me about the post is the total lack of remorse in the wording. Either way it is still not funny.


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

Cimredopyh said:


> Obviously it was not intentional, what horrifies me about the post is the total lack of remorse in the wording. Either way it is still not funny.


Fair enough. I suppose I didn't read into as much as I should have before posting.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

*Of course it was NOT intentional! * I've been bitten by birds, snakes, pregnant/nursing rats (as I used to breed them many years ago). People call me the "bird whisperer" because I can break a biting bird in a short amount of time, since I'm not afraid of getting bitten by them. I've had people bring me their biting birds to me so I could hand tame them. I will withstand any bite from any bird, and my hands will have tons of cuts on them.....but the birds always let go. My snake bit me by mistake when I was feeding it, but it did not continue to put pressure and knaw at my finger like the dwarf hamster. So I sat calmly and waited for it to let go.

The problem with the dwarf hamster was that it would not let go of my finger. Nothing I did would get it to let go, as it was knawing and digging in deeper. After blood started pouring from my hand and I was in excrutiating pain, I felt I had no other choice to but to shake my hand as hard as I could and hope it would let go. It was a gut reaction! In doing so, the hamster flew across the room, along with a chunk out of my finger. I called my husband at work, crying about the situation. He and I were both thankful that it happened to me and not my small child.

*No, the story was not intended to be funny.* It was posted as an extreme WARNING about these monsterous rodents. I have heard many many stories about the dwarf hamsters and I personally think they should be banned from the pet stores.

As far as them cannabilzing themselves inside the freezer, that story is no worse than the story and pics that were posted by LizardGirl when her mice were cannabilized. It's simply the way nature works! Putting them in the freezer IS standard practice for rodent FOOD breeders ...it is not just something that I personally chose to do. I'd even spoken to my vet to make sure this was the easiest way to preserve them as snake food. It's not any worse than feeding your hedgehog LIVE worms. It's a part of nature and my snake must eat. I do what I have to, in order to properly care for her.

Don't twist my words around and make this into more than it was meant to be. Children or not, people SHOULD be warned about dwarf hamsters. They are very dangerous 'pocket pets' to own! I gave the hamster ample time to let go of my hand before taking extreme measures. So until you have a rodent knawing into your finger and continuing to knaw deeper and deeper, don't judge my posting and think the intent was to be funny. If my honesty stops just one person from purchasing a dwarf hamster, then I'm glad I wrote the truth about my experience and did not sugar coat it.

Pixie


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Interesting how some of the posts have been edited and initial comments and opinions changed. 

It is so easy to simply dunk your hand and hamster in water to make it let go rather than fling it across the room. Less damage to your hand and the worst that happens is the hamster gets wet and usually royally pee'd off. Being a "gut reaction" with the hamster is understandable but makes it even more concerning there will be the same "gut reaction" if a hedgehog does it. 

I 100% agree that dwarf hamsters should not be sold as children's pets. Problem is as babies they are nice. Adults are another story but any research into dwarf hamsters will show they are biters.


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## sugar (Feb 3, 2009)

I like how my question turned into posts COMPLETELY off topic! LOL. All animals need to eat. The fact that she did what she needed to do to get the little thing off of her finger is a part of life. We are at the top of the food chain list and I believe that as snakes are a rodents predator I am not sure that putting a rodent in freezing temperatures is less painful then putting a live one in the mouth of a snake while it slowly suffocates it and bites down with its fangs. Let's all get back to reality here. Listen, something is hurting me BAD; not sure if I would be able to run down the laundry list of "let's see what I can do to lessen the severity of pain to the "thing" that is eating me"! 

So.........the best way to get a hedgehog to let go is...............???


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## Cimredopyh (Oct 13, 2008)

Please look into the easy and inexpensive Co2 methods of humanely killing feeder rodents that are intended for freezing. Freezing them live is not a humane or practical method ( as you have seen with your own two eyes). It is simply a 'preferred' method because people don't like to have to watch the death happen, out of sight, out of mind. 
Even 'monstrous rodents' intended for feeder purposes do not deserve to die a prolonged excruciating death in the freezer.


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

Yes I edited. Yes, upon further reflection, my opinion changed. My original thought of it being "funny" was not that the hamster died in such a way, but that something like that actually happened-- it's something that I've seen on TV, but didn't think actually happened in real life. That being said, I sincerely apologize for offending anyone. I do not, however, apologize for changing my opinion or editing my post, nor should I be expected to. I am human and I do make mistakes and I do have revelations and I do whatever I can to fix said mistakes by using what I've learned from said revelations-- just like everyone else. Furthermore, in the future, I will take into greater account what everyone's reactions could possibly be to my opinions when I post them on this public forum and be sure to word them accordingly. I'm not out to offend anyone and I'm also not out to make myself look like a jerk and I realize that I've done both within this thread (hence my editing my post). 

With that said, I have nothing more to productively add to this thread other than I've only been bitten by my hedgie ONCE when we first rescued him. I apologize for anything offensive and I apologize for adding to the off-topic-ness of this thread.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

sugar said:


> So.........the best way to get a hedgehog to let go is...............???


Mostly, I've found you need the cooperation of the hedgehog.

I talk to mine softly while gently pressing back toward her rather than pulling away. I don't know if the talking actually helps, but at least I feel more calm and in control that way. And if I'm cool, she'll pick up the vibe.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

sebian said:


> Yes I edited. Yes, upon further reflection, my opinion changed. My original thought of it being "funny" was not that the hamster died in such a way, but that something like that actually happened-- it's something that I've seen on TV, but didn't think actually happened in real life.


Everybody posts something at some point in time or another that upon later reflection, they realize was not worded the way it was intended.

Usually by the time someone edits their post it has already been read by numerous people and usually replied to as your comment was. To edit the post then makes it appear that the poster realizes the comment was not going over well so changes it into something different.

It's looks far better to post again, stating that the original post was not worded the way it was intended and explain what was really meant, as you have now done.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

Nancy said:


> It is so easy to simply dunk your hand and hamster in water to make it let go rather than fling it across the room. Less damage to your hand and the worst that happens is the hamster gets wet and usually royally pee'd off. Being a "gut reaction" with the hamster is understandable but makes it even more concerning there will be the same "gut reaction" if a hedgehog does it.


For petes sake, I'm not some sort of animal abuser! The thought of dipping a biting hamster in water, never crossed my mind as it was knawing into my skin (nearly to the bone). And since hedgehogs don't tend to bite and hang on (as is reputable with the hamsters), then it is highly unlikely that you need to be concerned for any of my hedgehogs. Stop it with the ridiculous accusations and incenuations.


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## HedgeMom (Nov 7, 2008)

PixiesExoticHedgies said:


> For petes sake, I'm not some sort of animal abuser! The thought of dipping a biting hamster in water, never crossed my mind as it was knawing into my skin (nearly to the bone). And since hedgehogs don't tend to bite and hang on (as is reputable with the hamsters), then it is highly unlikely that you need to be concerned for any of my hedgehogs. Stop it with the ridiculous accusations and incenuations.


Sure sounds like it. And, for the record, I have been bitten by a hedgehog who balled up on my thumb and proceeded to try to gnaw it off.

I've been bitten by chinchillas, hedgehogs, sto, hamsters and rats. Nothing hurts as much as a rat bite. Mine went to the bone. And no, I did not fling him across the room and kill him.

I'm sorry, that shows a blatant disregard for the hamster's life. You had plenty of time to think through your options, so that means it's NOT a gut reaction.



> Nothing I did would get it to let go, as it was knawing and digging in deeper. After blood started pouring from my hand and I was in excrutiating pain, I felt I had no other choice to but to shake my hand as hard as I could and hope it would let go.


And yes, I would worry about your hedgehogs because a husbandry mistake is a husbandry mistake. Anyone who keeps small mammals knows you NEVER FLING THEM ACROSS THE ROOM. Unless, of course, you think more of a hedgehog's life than a hamster's life, then it all becomes perfectly clear.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

Cimredopyh said:


> Please look into the easy and inexpensive Co2 methods of humanely killing feeder rodents that are intended for freezing.


I was emotionally upset after the bite and then became disturbed by what I found in the freezer a week later. Thus, I immediately stopped breeding feeder rats and now I purchase frozen rats from a local dealer.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

HedgeMom said:


> Sure sounds like it. And, for the record, I'm sorry, that shows a blatant disregard for the hamster's life. You had plenty of time to think through your options, so that means it's NOT a gut reaction.


I'm sorry you feel that way. Contrary to what you might think, I've received a couple emails from members stating they understand what happened and even explained that similar things have happened to them with similar results. Normally people on HHC appreciate the truth and honesty, without standing on soapboxes and making accusations.

I think it's time to close this thread as it has gotten way off topic.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I have dwarf hamsters, and yes they can bite, but I still love them enough to have respect for their life. I have one right now who is an absolute sweetheart, but ate her cagemate last year. They are naturally weird like that. People who own them should know this beforehand.

I am offended Pixie brought me into this arguement. By posting pictures of the cannibalized baby mice, I was trying to get a point across to any backyard breeders. I didn't kill them and I certainly would never put an animal in a freezer to kill it. My feeder rodents are humanely euthanized by Co2 gas. 

I'm sorry your thread has been taken over, Sugar. I hope one of the admins will come and straighten this out.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Lizard, don't worry. I don't think anyone is going to consider your pictures of cannibalized baby mice as being the same as deliberately putting hamsters in the freezer. 

Sugar, don't let the small chance of getting bit turn you off hedgehogs. The majority of hedgehogs do not bite and of those that do, most of the time it is just a little nip without breaking the skin and much like a pinch. 

This thread is no longer productive. I'm closing it.


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