Posted By: glidermumma
Bonded, But Still Biting - 10/03/19 03:22 AM
Thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to assess my situation.
My little boy Valentine is quite possibly the sweetest glider I have ever handled... to a point. There are times when he’s comfortable enough to lie in my hands with his belly exposed, happily snacking away on a treat without a care in the world; however, this is not always the case.
He’s always been grabby, which I know from personal experience bonding with him, grabbing leads to biting, so I do my best to avoid drawing too much attention to my fingers and keeping his focus elsewhere, and more often than not, things go very smoothly. Unfortunately, there are also times when he will grab ahold of me before I even know whats coming and chomp down, immediately breaking skin. No matter how much I “tsst,” he will not let go. There is no crabbing or anything, just glider teeth in my finger. I would be more patient if it wasn’t so emotionally draining, especially after just losing my little girl (I’ve already begun writing an email to a trusted breeder so he won’t be alone. The biting was commonplace even with her and luckily her passing hasn’t been too hard on him, but I digress).
If anyone has any sort of explanation for why he still does this, any insight would be most appreciated. I’m ashamed to admit I’m reaching my wits end.
My sister and I have suspected there may be something neurological, given that some of his physical features are unusual, his face being a bit smooshed and his tail somewhat shorter than the average glider, but there is no way to be certain of this. He’s very anxious, yet his curiosity often overrides his nervousness it would seem.
Please, I know I’m rambling, but I love him so much and it would mean everything if I could get some advice, and again, thank you so much.
My little boy Valentine is quite possibly the sweetest glider I have ever handled... to a point. There are times when he’s comfortable enough to lie in my hands with his belly exposed, happily snacking away on a treat without a care in the world; however, this is not always the case.
He’s always been grabby, which I know from personal experience bonding with him, grabbing leads to biting, so I do my best to avoid drawing too much attention to my fingers and keeping his focus elsewhere, and more often than not, things go very smoothly. Unfortunately, there are also times when he will grab ahold of me before I even know whats coming and chomp down, immediately breaking skin. No matter how much I “tsst,” he will not let go. There is no crabbing or anything, just glider teeth in my finger. I would be more patient if it wasn’t so emotionally draining, especially after just losing my little girl (I’ve already begun writing an email to a trusted breeder so he won’t be alone. The biting was commonplace even with her and luckily her passing hasn’t been too hard on him, but I digress).
If anyone has any sort of explanation for why he still does this, any insight would be most appreciated. I’m ashamed to admit I’m reaching my wits end.
My sister and I have suspected there may be something neurological, given that some of his physical features are unusual, his face being a bit smooshed and his tail somewhat shorter than the average glider, but there is no way to be certain of this. He’s very anxious, yet his curiosity often overrides his nervousness it would seem.
Please, I know I’m rambling, but I love him so much and it would mean everything if I could get some advice, and again, thank you so much.