Question:
I have never ever had a problem with this before, but lately, Buddy has started to bite me (not just nibble, but really bite). And it's strange because he doesn't seem in any other ways to be aggressive. In fact, if nothing else, he seems to be more social than ever! Whenever I walk by his cage, he runs up to the door, and puts his little paws on the door, and watches me, but when I open the door, and try to interact with me, he just chomps down on my hand. And again, it doesn't seem all that malicious...it's almost like he is playing with my hand, but his bites are not playful! They really hurt! Robert says that he's not biting him, so I am guessing that it must have something to do with me. Robert thought that maybe I smelled different, but I can't think of anything that I have been using on my hands...I do put smelly cream on my face in the morning, but I usually only try to play with Buddy at night so it can't be that...
Anyone have any ideas?????!!!!!


Answer:
Hmmm...I can't really explain why he would be biting you but I can help you train him to stop.
First, as hard as it may be, try not to pull your hand back right away. On the off chance that he is trying to actually bite you, pulling back will only show him that it works. Secondly, try blowing in his face or saying "no" firmly as soon as he bites you. Then, close the cage and walk away for about 1/2 hour.
Is there anything that has changed in your house recently? You're right, it doesn't sound like he means too...but it's strange that he is biting and not nibbling like they normally do.


Answer:
Well, nothing changed in our house, but his house changed completely...I originally thought that it might of had something to do with his new cage until Robert said that he wasn't being bitten.
I don't usually pull my hand away immediately, but he just keeps on biting! He doesn't bite the same place though-he moves my hand around like it was a toy and bites different places...
I will try the blowing, but I'm not sure if it will work because he seems to kind of like being blowed on...


Answer:
i dont know why they do this but I know when I had Diego he started this,,it got to the point that when I put my hand in the cage to feed him he would bite my arm if it makes you feel better,,,he adventually stopped doing this


Answer:
good luck Danielle...
I will try this advice too.. Lucy has a tendancy to bite also.. but she is just a baby so I thought that maybe that was the reason why.. but when Gypsy was a baby (by the way she is almost 1 yr old now... good grief) she never bit.. so I will try the suggestion from Candy..
Danielle let us know if it helps Buddy stop biting..


Answer:
I was once bitten by Secret when she was grooming / playing with me. I immediately made a high pitched squawk in imitation of how a chinchilla sometimes sounds when they are being groomed too hard. Secret understood and immediately eased off and has never bitten me again.
I don't think Buddy is doing this maliciously and is more likely not even realizing he is hurting you. My guess is that in his mind he is just playing with you or grooming you. Since there hasn't been any feedback that his actions are too rough he doesn't know not to do them. He might even continue to 'bite' harder and harder since he, himself, may enjoy being groomed rough.
I would suggest providing some sort of feedback that his actions are too rough and to take it down a few notches. If you've heard the chinchilla outrage cry you can try and mimic that or you could try some other device - such as blowing on his face or even a sharp "No!" or "Ouch."
Good luck!


Answer:
Thanks guys! Carrot, I had never thought about the fact that maybe he was trying to groom me too hard...I've never seen chinchillas groom each other, and Buddy has never really tried to groom me before...
I will try out your guys' suggestions, and we'll see if that helps stop the biting...it is just really weird because we have had him for almost a year and a half and he's never done this until now...it's also weird because he's only doing it to me.


Answer:
How's Buddy doing now, Danielle?


Answer:
I honestly have been so tired after work lately that I haven't really played with him much...I know that the last time that I played with him, he was a bit better, but he wasn't as hyper as usual.


Answer:
Well, I had thought that Buddy had gotten better but twice this week, he has bitten me so hard that it has drawn blood to the surface. Right now as I type, I have a really sore pinky finger because he bit me while I was trying to feed him...it is so frustrating because he isn't aggressive but yet, he occassionally bites me and he bites me hard...