# Being Bitten



## Babs

We're all animal lovers here, so I thought maybe I'd start a thread for the occasions when animal handling goes wrong! I'm sure we've all been there, realized the mistake as we're making it or just being taken by surprise and not understanding what you did to deserve it until later. 

To kickstart it, I've been bitten by rabbits at least twenty times because when I was a kid, I would let my rabbit run in the garden. Once it got dark out the neighbours cats were wandering, so we'd have to put the bunny back in. Cue a chase scene right out of a Tom & Jerry cartoon. Being the age I was (I believe about 7) it didn't occur to me that cornering the rabbit to grab her and put her back was a bad idea. Three nasty bites later, I finally learned that lesson and have never forgotten it: don't corner a scared animal (and don't chase the animal enough to scare it in the first place!) 

I was bitten badly by my brother's gerbil once. He latched onto my thumb and wouldn't let go, I've still got a scar from where I had to "unscrew" him from my finger! 

One of my many, many hamsters gave me a nasty nip to the inside of my elbow once. It bled like crazy, yet it was the smallest bite. 

When I was playing rough with my dog once as a kid, I went as if to steal his toy, knowing it would rile him up. Unfortunately, it riled him up TOO much. He leaped and grabbed my face in his mouth, and four stitches later I went home and apologised to the dog. He was the best, and I realized it was my fault and learned from that mistake, too. 

My lizard once was on an antibiotic, and I had to give it to her through an oral syringe. One time I was using one hand to pry open her mouth and the other to push the syringe in when my finger slid down the syringe and into her mouth just as she clamped down. It was the most painful bite I think I've ever experienced from any animal, and the sticky lizard saliva made my hand tingle for a long time afterwards. But she let go once she realized it was my hand, and I learned to be more careful when administering antibiotics or medicine. We're still friends, she and I! 

Rats. I've been bitten a few times, most aren't so bad because Norah doesn't break the skin most of the time, she just gives warning nips. But I remember on one memorable occasion I automatically reached out to scratch Scrabble's back and he, being the dominant male he is, took that as a challenge. He grabbed my hand with both of his and latched onto it for a while, spitting/hissing, then let me go. I've got a little tiny scar from that, but we're still best friends, he and I. 

Horses. I was tacking up Rua one day and wasn't paying attention when I tried to slip the bit into his mouth, the poor horse bit down on my thumb and we both got a fright! I've also been bitten by budgies for handling them wrong, again when I was a kid and didn't respect animals as well as I should have. I was bitten by a spider once. Oh, and when my cat was a kitten he was a feral little beast, always attacking my hands and feet and sinking those teeth right in! 



I think that's it though...I'm pretty sure. So does anyone have any tales to share of being bitten, and maybe learning from it? I think it's a harsh way, but probably one of the best methods of learning when it comes to handling any type of animal. I mean for example, the dog that bit me was a golden retriever! Any animal, no matter how gentle, can snap if the situation pushes them enough. 

I'd be very interested to hear if you have any similar stories to share


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## Peep

I have yet to be bitten by my ratties! (i can't imagine them doing this!) But my dog Charlie has been asleep next to me on the sofa on a couple of occasions and ive just accidently touched him as ive shuffled around in my seat and he's turned round and taken a snap at me! My arm had little bruise marks from where his teeth had been D: We no longer sit on the couch together XD Bless him, grumpy old sod! 

As they say, let sleeping dogs lie :X


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## elliriyanna

I have been nearly.bitten by 2 of my hamsters both Russian Campbell's ... this species is known to be cage aggressive and it was my.fault for trying to pick them up inside the cage. Instead I taught one that the tunnel ( which I would put in the cage to get him) means play time. The other is neurotic and o have accepted this and she will live out her life with all the care she needs but without the human contact she can't stand

I also got a very NASTY bite from my old boy Apollo when I first got him. It damaged my.nerves and took a month to fully.heal. I learned you have to be very careful with new pets especially that are frightened and never properly tamed plus offering your fingers is a bad idea they are very biteabl

Mei and Ember sometimes grab my fingers but that's because they got in the way of a treat so I hold it from behind and make sure they have a big enough piece to grab onto.


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## Raturday

I work at PetSmart, so I've been bitten by more than 20 dwarf hamsters, a corn snake, a Jenday Conure, mice, anole lizards, gerbils, a cat, several parakeets, and that's all I can remember for now, lol. I still have a small scar from where the conure bit me! He didn't even break skin, just pinched extremely hard. He was pretty bipolar, as was the cat who bit me! Both were really nice as I was petting them and then just out of nowhere bit me D:

For the most part the animals I work with are nice, but there are a select few who are just out to bite! I've learned to "test" the dwarf hamsters before picking them up to see if they're grumpy by imitating the petting motion gently on their back with a wood chew. Luckily I have never been bitten by a rat - I've only met nice ones.


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## RatzRUs

I was bitten by my dog one time because I was 9 and I thought I would lay my head on him when it was summer time out and it was hot...never lay your head on a hot dog! ...he wasn't happy. I was bitten by my many hamsters for waking them up by accident. And then my rat midnight when he was in aggressive mode and I had petted my other male before him....shoulda washed my hands first  lol and that one he would NOT let go even though I screamed my head off.


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## norvegicus

I was bitten by a grumpy gerbil once, but he let go quickly and it was a clean puncture so it didn't really hurt that bad. I had a hamster who I actually think was evil once, his sole enjoyment in life was to bite the heck out of my hand whenever he could. I was pretty young when I had him so looking back it was probably largely my fault for not working with him enough. It scared me at first but eventually I got used to it and when I expected it it wasn't so bad. I've also been bitten by (pet) fish, but since they don't really have much in the way of teeth it doesn't hurt at all. 

As far as rats go I've only been bit twice, both times involved food, and both times were completely my fault. I had a rat who got really excited when he saw food, and I made the poor decision of putting food in my palm. He was overexcited and just lurched forward, grabbing my palm with the food. I learned after the second time and always made sure to feed with my fingers and make sure there was plenty of food for him to grab. 

The worst time I was ever bitten was when I was four, and I was attacked by a territorial neighbor dog. I was in the dog's yard, so its hard to blame the dog for what he did, really, but I also understand why his owners had him put down after. He attacked my face and to this day I have scars from the attack. I couldn't be in the same room as a dog until I was 8, and I wouldn't touch them until I was 12. I'm a lot calmer around dogs now, but I still don't trust them until I get to know them, no matter what their owners say to me.


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## Flora

One of my gerbils bites alllllllll the time! He is so mean!


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## RatzRUs

I also forgot to mention my mouse bit me when I was trying too give him an antibotic. Cause he had a URI but it didnt bother me any


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## Jfaye92

I have been bitten on countless occasions by my boyfriends African Grey Parrot Alphy. He is quite the prude. As my boyfriend describes it, "We have an untouchable bromance, and sometimes you threaten that" haha. He loves that bird just as much as i love my ratties.


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## Awaiting_Abyss

I've been bitten a few times by a gerbil I had recently. She had a biting issue when I first got her, but I trained her not to bite. However, suddenly she started biting again. It is not normal for gerbils to ever bite, and I also had issues introducing her to another gerbil on two different occasions, which is also not favorable that the introductions failed due to her aggressive behavior. I ended up rehoming her to someone who was aware of all of her unfavorable traits. I decided not to breed her and pass on any of those traits.

The only other time I've ever been bitten by a gerbil is when I was really young and I put two different gerbil clans together and I picked up an agouti after fighting with another gerbil. He didn't mean to bite me though. He was just wrapped up in the moment. 

I've been bitten several times by one of my rats. No matter what I try to do to tame her, she never seems to like me. The times she has bitten me the hardest is when I'm trying to open the cage. She'll squeeze her mouth through the bars and lunge at me.

I've also been bitten by a leopard gecko that I got from craigslist who was supposed to be "tame and friendly," but it had obviously not been held or feed very much at all. 

I was bitten by my adopted cousin's dog when I was young. He latched onto my hand and I still have the scars from it. I should have gotten stitches for it, but I ended up just using butterfly bandaids to make it grow back up.

I've never been bitten by my hamster surprisingly (though he now lives at my parent's house). He's a dwarf winter white and I picked him out at Petsmart because he seemed to be the sweetest.


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## unlikelyfather

I was bitten by my friend's gerbil when we were about six years old. I reached down into the cage because she told me to. She laughed as it dangled from my finger. Never trust a gerbil, learned that that day - no one can convince me that they aren't evil. I had several hamsters growing up but none ever lunged at me that I can really recall, though I did have a female who was extremely territorial when she had her litter (accidental - got her from a pet shop and she turned out to be not a he, and also pregnant).

Other than that, I've been bitten by numerous bugs (I'm sure no one cares about those) and Zombie, my painted turtle. He's quite the little flesheater even though he's no longer hatchling sized - he loves eating mealworms. Yum, I guess?

When one of my dogs is over excited, I have to correct her behavior. She was taken from her mother much too early (not my decision, I got her from someone who'd been given the puppy at 6 1/2 weeks old - she was infested in fleas and terrified, and barely 7wks when she came to me) so her disposition is rather nervous. One time when I corrected her, I spooked her a bit too much and she snapped just the slightest amount of skin on my hand. I knew she didn't mean to do it, she's just one of those dogs that you can't back into a corner - she'll do anything if that nervous.


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## Keelyrawr

What's with gerbils biting?! Just a few days ago my I went over to my nieces house. She talked on and on about her gerbil being the sweetest thing in the world. I let it sniff me, and it LATCHES ONTO MY FINGER and will not let go. I had to literally pry its mouth open.
Other than that I don't have a lot of animals that bite.. My rats have never bitten, my dogs don't bite, and my cat only play-bites.


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## Awaiting_Abyss

Gerbils aren't evil. Trust me, I'm a registered gerbil breeder. They aren't supposed to bite. 
The main reasons for gerbils biting (assuming you're holding them correctly and didn't just pick one up after a fight) is if it is a lone gerbil, if the parents weren't specifically picked out because of their great personalities or if they came from pet stores. Lone gerbils will often be aggressive because they are supposed to live with other gerbils. Also if gerbils are kept in a small hamster cage they will be unhappy and it will result in an aggressive gerbil. Gerbils should always be kept in tanks. If you really want to use a hamster cage for your gerbil, then use it as a tank topper and fill the tank up with bedding so they can tunnel. 
Gerbils bred by breeders who care for their pups and for the parents won't bite and will crawl or jump into your hand when you place it in their tank.


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## unlikelyfather

All right.. I'm _maybe _willing to consider trusting you on that. But you must admit that most people don't get their gerbils from reputed breeders, they get them from stores and keep them alone in cramped cages. It seems like a recipe for violent, evil little monsters. And I'm willing to believe that it's the environment that got them that way but those beady little eyes are just NOT for me. No thank you, I'll stick to rats and mice.


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## Jfaye92

Hmm i have also been bitten by the family dog when i was younger. It was completly my fault the bulldog (the one who ended up biteing me) was lungeing at our pug. When i pulld back on the dogs collar he turned and gave me a quick bite. It had to have 7 stiches, but really didnt damage my realationship with the dog because after all it was my fault.

I was bitten by my pet hamster as a kid as well again my fault. I had her up in the air makeing super man sounds when she latched on and WOULD NOT let go. She was such a good girl though and lived a long happy life.


thqts really it i think. I have also been nipped by a horse (that REALLYhus)


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## achackysac

I was bitten 4 times in a week by a mis-trained rat that I got from a Petstore. She would go for my hands, in the cage and out, and did the vicious "tearing" bite where they slice their incisors in the aggressive way. The work was when I had my hand in the cage working on their water bottle that leaked. I had a glove on that hand, and my other hand was outside of the cage on the opposite end to keep it from moving. Daisy stayed by my hand that was on the water bottle and bit the glove, then went to the bottom of the cage and I lost sight of her. Next thing I know I feel a bad sting on my pinky. I looked to find that Daisy had stuck her head through the bars as far as she could and took a chunk out of my finger... I've never had a rat that was so focused on biting :/

I also have a scar on my hand from an endangered parrot that I met in Honduras. She really hated girls, but for some reason wanted to get up on my shoulders. At some point she realized I was a girl, and got agitated I put my hand up for her to step down onto, and she grabbed on with her beak to climb on. She then changed her mind and bit down deep into the side of my hand... Then realized she actually did want off and stepped onto it anyway. I don't really like birds.... >.>


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## Awaiting_Abyss

I forgot that I've been bitten by budgies/parakeets like a million times. My family used to have a pair of them and we could never figure out how to tame those things. :s


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## LightningWolf

Lets see. Numerous Times by my cat, she's Six years old so I've been bitten and scratched more then I can count. She's kind of bi polar. She'll want you to pet her but once you stop petting her she'll attack you. Oh well, the rats chase her to get back at her for that.

I've been bitten by my guys a few times. Not aggressive bites. my rat Einstein (RIP) I swore was blind, I don't mean poor eyesight I mean Blind literally. I had food on my hand one time and he bit me. Drew a small amount of blood but not enough to worry about. He drew blood again one time when I had tooth paste on my hand. my rat Storm who is a jerk, but not aggressive, has also "bitten" me a few times. He's a sock demon, so if you have socks on (Shoes are ok, bare feet are ok) He'll bite on your feet trying to pull the sock off. Also for those wondering, Don't touch a sleeping rattie through the cage bars. yeah, they might bite you. 

I think I've been bitten by a Hamster and a chihuahua but can't remember.

Now lets talk about scratches. I actually have a scar from when Charles (RIP) was on my arm and lost his balance, and so clung on to my arm and dug his nails in my arm. so now I have a 3 inch scratch mark scare on my arm. At lease now I'll always remember him, and remember to put more bricks/tiles/lava ledges in their cage.

Abyss, you have my respect. I don't like gerbils, I mean I know that they can be nice pets, easy to care for, I heard that you only have to clean their cage once every two weeks. its just their tail. Yes gerbil tails creep my out. I mean, its like they couldn't decide if they wanted to be a chinchilla or a rat. Maybe one day, from a good breeder. someone I knew had gerbils that would always bite. Though I actually haven't heard many stories of biting gerbils till this. I've also never been bitten by a gerbil so.


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## jd882

Sorry to those who have gerbils but I have never met a gerbil that didn't bite me so they are my least favorite of all the animals I've owned. I owned two of them (from a petstore many years ago) and they always escaped and always bit my fingers like mad.

Out of my two rats, Cecil is my biter. I have a couple nasty holes in my fingers from where he bit so hard he drew blood. I just chalk it up to him not being handled correctly from where ever he came from. Whether he likes it or not, I'm still working with him to get him to trust me and one day I know he will see that I am the boss! 

Lastly, my worst biter of all was my son when he was younger! After being bit countless times by those tiny razor sharp child teeth, biting doesn't phase me much anymore... LOL


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## Ratsanctuary

I have been bitten by birds, rats, dogs, cats, hamsters, just about any animal except a reptile. Im just waiting for my snake to bite me we are trying to tame her down and im praying i dont get bit by her.


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## Ratmaster

Ive been bitten by several animals but more often than not i am victim to the chickens!!! LOL! They peck me when i dont feed them fast enough and even when i do feed them... I still love all 6 of my babies! <3


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