# Hand Feeding



## Tristen (Aug 30, 2008)

How many people have actually experienced problems (mostly in the form of biting) from hand feeding their hedgies? I've seen several times that it shouldn't be done but its the only way Pokey will take his treats and its a rare occurence with just his normal food and it hasn't led to any problems with him biting. In fact, in the year and 2 months(give or take) I've owned him, I've had no problems with it.

Just curiousity


----------



## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

Personally, I hand feed all my hedgies and have never had any issues with it. 
I think the biting comes from them smelling food and wanting to taste it.
So if you can hand feed and not have issues, then there is nothing wrong with.

On the other hand, I have read where others have problems. 
Thus, if it becomes a problem...you just don't do it.  

Pixie


----------



## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I've never had a problem with being bitten because of food smells on my hands. I hand count Inky's kibble every day, and replace and count more, before taking him out. I usually don't wash my hands after that (though I do, before touching his food) and so I smell like cat food while handling him. He has never bit me because of that...


----------



## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've had a few that hand feeding encouraged biting. I don't hand feed babies but depending on the hedgehog, I do have numerous adults that I do. Others, I know I'd loose a finger. :lol: Some hedgehogs you can hand feed no problem but others will start to associate your fingers with food and start to nip/bite. It's much more difficult sometimes impossible to undo the biting, than to prevent it in the first place.


----------



## Melissa (Sep 19, 2008)

In my house, if you smell like food you are food. You dont get a warning bite. So I dont really hand feed. Ill put some kibble on my tummy during playtime.. But thats it. I try not to associate my fingers with their food.

They will every now and then bite one of my nails..and catch the tip of my finger.


----------



## Tristen (Aug 30, 2008)

Alright, thanks for all the responses.  

It was more out of curiousity, since I've hand fed Pokey since I got him and I've had no problems out of biting... except when he smells BBQ, and that was everyone else that held him, I got away without a tooth touching me


----------



## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I hand feed mine too, and there have been a couple that I won't hand feed. Most have been pretty careful to take mealworms from my fingers... but I have had 2 whose mouths would come charging in gaping wide open... I'm mostly fearful that they will catch a finger by accident and hurt a tooth than I am of being bitten. Rose is one of these two. She will be careful for the first mealworm, but any that follow she gets so excited that your fingers start to look like giant worms to her.


----------

