# Mouse Biting-ish



## maisymouse

Hi, my mouse keeps biting when I go to hold her, when I put my hand out for her to walk on she bites my finger, its not hard and doesn't draw blood but I can feel her teeth. I haven't chased her or forced her to come near me she comes up to my hand and does it, is there any reason she is doing this??? the others dont they happily have a sniff and walk onto my hand.

Thank you


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## moustress

Have you tried offering her the back of your hand to crawl onto? Some meeces are afraid of fingers that could grab them, and accept the back of the hand better. I have a young doe that won't let me pick her up and squeaks softly and scrambles when I stick my hand into the tank, but as soon as my hand is face down and stationary she jumps right up onto the back of my wrist and scampers up my arm.


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## geordiesmice

I had a Doe ike that she woud attack me if she had a litter,she is older now and She not do it anymore but she was guarding her young.As Moustress said put the back of your hand in or the fat of your palm she wil get used dont worry.


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## maisymouse

Hi, It doesnt matter which way up my hand is she still walks up and bites me  once I have her in my hand though she seems to be ok, I just wonder why she bites me


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## racingmouse

This can be a fear response more than anything. You will see a mouse close it`s eyes as it sniffs the hand before it nips. Sometimes mice will have a tester `nip` at a hand that is stationary. Cupping both hands around a mouse gently and allowing the mouse to step onto both hands is the best way. Even then if the mouse is nervous, it will jump away, so a lot depends on the mouses` character. If you need to get hold of her, either `cup` both hands under her and see how she reacts, but don`t lift her up too high incase she leaps and squeaks! Or let her walk into a toilet roll tube and gently lift her out and place her down again. Just cover the ends incase she backs out and fall from the tube.


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## AnnB

Some of my mice have a nibble at my fingers too. I think they see me filling their food bowls from my hand and also offering treats from my hand, either they can't tell the difference between food and fingers or they are trying to demand that I feed them.


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## m137b

I have several does of various ages[3 weeks -2 yrs] who will walk right up to my hand as soon as it's in the cage and sort of nip my fingers and hands, i feel their teeth but it is in no way painful or hard enough for me to actually be considered it a bite. It's almost like what my female rats do, when they pull my fingers/hand into their cage and try to groom me, it's just kind of a greeting.

I don't take it as an aggressive behavior, just a dominant one. They're mostly does that are very dominant within a group and very outgoing toward people, the ones that readily walk/climb right out of their cages if I leave the lid open and have a look around. I've also never had a buck behave that way though.


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