my squirrel has turned savage

[rachaelA]

Hello guys,
does anybody have some advice about what to do with my little dorothy?
she came into her first full season in early feb (2009) during which time she was exteremly aggressive, with swollen nips. I believed she would calm down after a month or so, i couldn't get close to getting her out- she just attacked me; drawing a lot of blood!
well nearly 3 months on i have had to buy gardening gloves to put my hand in her cage. She still comes over to see me and moves around her cage to follow me around the room- purely to attempt to bite if i get within grabbing distance!! she is a far cry from the sleeping-in-my-top and nibbling-the-corner-of-my-lip little darling that she was, she even looks bigger! dark edge to her eyes and much larger, all developed during this aggressive period. All i wish to know is, will she get over this? will i get my adorable little darling back? if so how do i go about it? i cannot handle her, even with the gloves- she just savages them. I have noticed that her nips are still rather swollen. I do tell her off for biting in hope that she will get the idea, this used to work when she she was her former self. if anybody can share their knowledge, please please do
i look forward to hearing from anybody who can advise me!!
thanks, rachael xxx

[Joan]

Rachel, this is a very interesting post. In addition to the usual raging hormones, it seems she might have pseudopsyesis (false pregnancy) ... the first I've heard of in a flyer. The size change is typical in females after a pregnancy. Any chance she really is pregnant? Size increase stayed? Look forward to your answers.

[lynn]

Piper had all the signs of pregnancy earlier this year, (minus the biting) but wasn't. Weight gain, change in eating patterns, personality fluctuations, 'hiding' in the nestbox, cravings, the whole bit. I kept her in a separate cage for well over the 45 day gestation; she finally got back to normal @ approx. 60 days. Interestingly, I knew that she had been out with one of the boys, otherwise I would have been very confused!

[rachaelA]

thank you for your replies, sorry i havnt replied earlier i have had exams. There is no possibilty that she has had contact with a male, she is an only flyer. she is still rather aggressive, i have had to buy gardening gloves to put my hands in the cage! just incase she is just on a power trip i have been telling her "NO" firmly when biting. i have also been offering nuts (with the gloves on) in attempt to make her a little more sociable. she is still far from the gentle little girl that she was.
it is interesting u say about the phantom pregnancy, as my mother said it appears that is what seems to be happening.
i have noticed that she jumps at the bars making a clicking noise and thumping her hind legs on the bars (mostly in the evening) she never used to do this to me before.
Another behaviour that i didnt notice before that i see her do often now is burying nuts, like wild squirrels do. she does always come over when im near her cage, she still puts her arms out in attempt to grab me.
im still hopeful in getting her to be cuddley again.
thanks again for your replies xxx

[rachaelA]

Hey guys! i have great news!! Dorothy is over her aggressive turn, she seemed to have just snapped out of it. She is being really friendly; very keen to take nuts from my hand, i havnt got her out of her cage yet as i am a little nervous because of her seizures in the past.
She is still much larger, before she was rather slight in build, now she is quite stocky- bless her. im am so very pleased with her change in behaviour, it really does seem like i have the old dorothy back again
if anybody has any questions about this, or if anybody experienced anything similar i would be glad to hear from you.
xxx

[rachaelA]

Hey guys! i have great news!! Dorothy is over her aggressive turn, she seemed to have just snapped out of it. She is being really friendly; very keen to take nuts from my hand, i havnt got her out of her cage yet as i am a little nervous because of her seizures in the past.
She is still much larger, before she was rather slight in build, now she is quite stocky- bless her. im am so very pleased with her change in behaviour, it really does seem like i have the old dorothy back again
if anybody has any questions about this, or if anybody experienced anything similar i would be glad to hear from you.
xxx

[Moca]

I had the same problem...A dog whistle works wonders.
Nugget would run to the whistle and bang on it with his hand.

[flyer_1]

I'm glad she's over It. Scary though my girl hasn't gotten to that stage yet and I have a feeling I'm going to be in for a shock

[rachaelA]

Oh dorothy, bless her. she goes back into season very quickly, literally 6-8 weeks of being able to handle her (although she wont settle on me as she used to) she turns vicious again. Im starting to accept that she will always be this way and she will no longer be a cuddley pet, as i dont want to stress her in attempting to tame her again between her hormonal stages. She gets very territorial when she is hormonal and jumps at me sticking to the bars with her back legs twitchy and thumping on the bars whilst making a clicky noise (at her worst) the inbetween stages she is just a bossy headstrong little diva, who snatches treats! i dont believe now that she will ever be the way she was but she is adorable the little stroppy diva that she now is.
Does anybody have any thoughts on whether buying her a mate would be beneficial, although castrating would need to be an option as i dont want to be responsible for babies i cannot look after (as utter adorabl as they are, i have viewed them on youtube!)
thanks rachael and dorothy

[Joan]

She showing you who the dominate female is in your house.

[rachaelA]

haha, yep i think so- its quite clear who won! xx

[rachaelA]

Hey! I think its important for anybody else getting the same difficulties as Dorothy suffered to read our story. The vet told me that the dramatic change in personality was due to the seizures she was having. According to the vet each one left some damage to her brain, this is probably what caused her to become so aggressive after having been so loving and affectionate. Very sadly her seizures returned as she became older and finally meant her end after suffering a huge one only two days ago. I would like others to be aware of what we went through as I found it very difficult to find information on seizures in flyers when Dorothy suffered from them, if anybody else is searching for info on this i would love for our story to help them.
She has left a massive hole in my life and in time i will learn to manage my pain, but i am comforted that every moment i had her i did everything i could to give her the best life.