meghan
Member
I don't want to ignore it so then she will think its okay to bite, but I also don't want to take my hand away because she will think that if she doesn't want to be held, she can just bite me and get left alone...?
How do I respond to biting?
- Thread starter meghan
- Start date
Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:
greychins
NWI Chinchillas
If you ignore it and show no response, sooner or later she'll realize, "hey, I bite her and it has no effect" and she should stop biting. If you were to put her down every time she bit you, then she'd realize ok I can just bite her and she puts me down. But if you ignore it, then she'll realize that regardless of the bites, you're still gonna hold her or pet or whatever. 
meghan
Member
thanks!
Jenn
ZooKeeper
I agree with above. My chin rarely bites me, but I tell her in a gentle voice "no bite" and don't make a big deal about it at all. Reaction gets reaction. She'll soon realize that she isn't getting extra attention from biting you and will bite less frequently. My chin doesn't bite aggressively, but will groom me, and sometimes a bit too rough. So I just remind her to be gentle.
rainey
chinchuckles
I'm confused about this too..My new boy chin bit me for the first time today when I picked him up (it was his playtime with my other chinchilla and they started fighting so I picked him up kind of suddenly). He bit me really hard, was it because he was mad at me for interrupting his "chase," or maybe I scared him when I picked him up? Just wondering if it meant anything. I got him a few weeks ago to keep my older male chin company, since his mate recently passed away.
greychins
NWI Chinchillas
It could be a sort of transferred anger... like how you hear "don't get between two fighting dogs" - you know why? because they may bite you. It's possible you just picked him up at a bad time and he bit. It's possible you scared him as well, it's hard to say. Sometimes they just bite to bite. And they don't have little chinny voices to tell us their reasons...
chinchillalover0927
to many chin chips??
agreed..it was an accident most likely.
I was recently trying to intro some of my females together and they began to fight so i went to get my bv female out and when i did she chomped on my arm because she was on guard and thought i was a chinchilla attacking her. I was not mad at her at all. It was my own stupidity and she was only doing what was natural. IT HURT though lol
I was recently trying to intro some of my females together and they began to fight so i went to get my bv female out and when i did she chomped on my arm because she was on guard and thought i was a chinchilla attacking her. I was not mad at her at all. It was my own stupidity and she was only doing what was natural. IT HURT though lol
rainey
chinchuckles
Alright that makes perfect sense thank you!
Bostongirl'sChin75
Stephanie: Zoo Poo Gal!
If they are fighting, you need to keep an eye on it; Chins fighting can turn deadly in just a few seconds. Keep an eye out for hair pulling, biting, and scratching among other things. if it continues, you may need to have separate play times, separate cages etc.
About him biting, you could have startled him and he reacted that way. Or he could have been still in fight mode with the other chin and reacted by biting you when you picked him up. I have a chin who bits when I wake her up or somehow startle her.
mommyslittlechins2010
Well-known member
I agree as well !! my chins that i bought home in june would bite and they do bite hard. i had blood comming out. it was cause they were scared and it was new for them. also if you have a sent of food on your hnds or fingers they will bite too. when i went to pic up lady gwen she bit me and i just had mc donalds prior to picking her up that they. buttons did the same thing. now i can hold lady gwen and she won't bite me anymore. if the biting contimues get gloves that have thick rubber on them and wear them till you feel safe enough to hold him without them. that's waht i did for the first few weeks. and now they don't bite me anymore. lady gwen gets the back legs moving when hold her and she tries reaching for my fingers but i tell her in firm but soft voice "no bite" then she stops moving and fussing. i can't get lady gwen like maisy to lay on my shoulder but that will take pratice and time. buttons too is the same way. So the bitig will stop eventually. but if they feel like your a threat but don't stop putting your hand in the cage. i think i made that mistake with buttons. buttons comes to my had but won't get in my hands to be held. so i'm back to square one with buttons and making her trust me again... good luck and remeber if you need to get gloves with thick rubber on them and wear them while holding your lil guy for awhile. them they get the hint ok i have to stop bitting my mommy.but just have paicents and you'll be fine. Maisy out off my chins is the clamest and the most held... so she is good chin and a friendly she goes to anyone. and it helps too your lil guy will see your other chin comming to and think hey he trusts her so can i.and then he'll come to you as well ... good luck
