my new pet chipmunk viciously attacks me.. Please help

[amstalden11]

Hi
I am an animal lover and I got a chipmunk on craig list from this girl that said she is moving, just to found out she sold it to me because this chipmunk is extremelly agreesive. This chipmunk is about 2 years old. I spent a lot money on cage and toys, etc.. At first the chipmunk just explore the room and all in a sudden out of nowhere it started to bite me and attack me, ,chasing me everywhere when I try to ignore it. Since that the chipmunk literary will bite my hands arm whatever it can bite and not let go, and when you pulled it gentle and let go it comes back to bite some more, completely umprovoked, it is like this animal is mental, when I open her cage to let her lose she jumps on me attacking and btting with such a fury it is scary, and as I read it is not a normal behavior for an umprovocked and welll taken care chipmunk,.. there was a reason why this girl sold me it in such a good price..
When I bring food the chipmunk trust me enouhg to eat out of my hands, and to sit on me to finish eat or store it in her mouth, she runs on me once and by the second time, even though I am sitting still, she will start to viciously attack me for no reason.... until I bleed.
I know they can bite once in a while but vicious attack , unprovocked all the time, it is scary.. would you happen to know why???
Please give me an insight, I have no idea what to do with her, and I need to let her out of the cage, but every time I open it she flys on me and won't let go.. I only have her for 1 month.. She bites me when I freeze, she bites me if i stand up slow, she bites me when I touch her water botle to change, I mean she attacks me repeateadly until i put her back in the cage and lock her in... help!!!
any idea why this behavior??

[Nate]

Hi

You're right to think that this behavior is not normal, it is very unusual.
Contact the person you bought the chipmunk from to try to find out more information if you can. If she hasn't moved (her reason for selling) this would make me more suspicious.
I take it that you live in the States, so it's just possible this animal was caught in the wild, has been mistreated over a long period or has a more serious genetic problem from poor breeding.
I would recommend first that you find a vet with experience of treating chipmunks and have your pet thoroughly checked over to make sure she is not in any physical pain.

[tarcus]

perhaps it would be better to spend some time apart from the chip.
I know you say you like to let her out but this may be the problem, the fact that she wants to stay out or adversly stay in.
As nate says a vetiranarian with experience may help.
I also feel that aggressive behaviour is not normal for chips treated with love and care so feel your's may have been misstreated in some way.
The other thing that springs to mind is that this behaviour sounds very much like the condition in humans of bi-polar desease but possiblt brought on by some physical abnormality within the poor chips head, I had a relative who took to this kind of thing and it was discovered he had a tumor inside his head disturbing his brain.
I do hope that this is not the case for your pet.

One solution as well may be to try and introduce a freind to the chips life as she may just be lonely.

[amstalden11]

Hi
Thank you, I just wanted to know if that behavior was normal in chipmunks, (what I thought it isn't), as I grew up with many different pets my entire life, even munks,... I do live in US and the girl that sold me the chipmunk (Kika) she bought her in a petshop.
I don't know much about the petshop and is weird that she is not really moving as I found out, and her boyfriend kind of mention that Kika had that behavior before and then she would be calm for a while and then start the behavior again...
SO this girl sold me a badchipmunk.. I'll take to a vet to make sure there is not a tumor,,, but I am afraid to find out it is a generic condition or mental disorder... and she is beautiful.. it make me sad... but she bit me to the point that i was about to get one stiche, badly...

Thank you for your advice..

[Nate]

Hi

It's never happened to me, but I do wonder what sort of bite some of my larger chipmunks could inflict on me, when I watch them cracking open a hard nut. There's a lot of power in their jaws, and their teeth are a lot larger that is often on show. I've had the odd bite, but never anything serious.

From what you say it does sound as if the previous owner knew about this problem, as you say she did not move home after all. I suspect foul play here, in that your chipmunk may have been mistreated. If that's the case you have some hope, in that now she is with a loving owner she is likely to change in time.

As you've had chipmunks before you will know they do not deliberately attack their owners, only biting in defence if frightened or perhaps when you break up a fight between two of them. If you can get a vet to rule out any physical problems the signs are good that with patience you can get her to trust you.

I do recommend when you first get a chipmunk you keep them in the aviary for at least the first month. Doing so will give her a sense of having her own territory and make her feel secure, that's what she needs.

As I say if the vet can give her a clean bill of health it's the long process of undoing what's been done to her in the past. She is so lucky to have found someone who really cares about her now, and you can undo these behavior problems in time.

Let us know how you get on from if you get time.

[amstalden11]

Hi Nate I do hope she will change, any tips that is usefull to help her cope .. I'll take her to the vet to rule out any biological defect.
Her coat is shyni, and her eyes are bright, she is very active, she does come to my hand and takes food from me, when I sit still she sits on me and eats or clean herself, she goes on top on myhead and dig on my hair, and all in a sudden she comes down and starts to viciously attack my hands, arms, to the point I have to put her back in the cage, otherwise is like she will try to kill me LOL..
When I gentle scoope her in my hands and hol her softly talking to her and explaining why is she going back t the cage, she trys to bite some more and than she gives up.
If there my son is in the room with me and holds a peanut, not moving and not startling her, she still will also attack my son unprovoked, when you sit still...
I am trying to tak to her, I am keeping her in her cage now, and I do need to clean her pi and I am affraid to open it because she is really biting me all the way to flash.
I have even taken the day off from work to make sure she was ok, and observing her..
Kika is almos 2 years old and I hope she will improve this behavior.. I have pics of her on myspace, and facebook...
thank you again

[amstalden11]

   Hi it is me again... sorry.. to bother you guys.. I am Brazilian and here in Florida people have no clue what a chipmunk is LOL...

The girl that sold Kika to me, said Kika never liked the wheel, and she never used it, so today after the attak and bites gooten worst, for the first time I decided to not take Kika out of her cage, I have being talking to her and bringing reats to her and siting close to the cage, and when I left al she did was stay in the wheel.. she has being in the wheel all day.. is it normal?

and is it ok to leave her in acgae for a entire day?? her cage is 48 Inch.. and spacious with a lot clibing and toys and everything
thank you again you guys are awesome

love and light

Cintia

[Nate]

Hi Cintia

From what you say, it sounds like you know your stuff about chipmunks, and it's good to read that she has a healthy coat and bright eyes.

It is very strange that she can take food from your hands one minute, but the next seem to attack you. I cannot think what would make a chipmunk do this, hence my suggestion of a trip to the vet.

The size of her cage is about the smallest you could have, but if you have room try to get a much bigger one. I know people don't always have lots of room for a big aviary, but it does help make her happy.

I notice you say she bites when you put her back in her cage, and you haven't had her for very long. I think it would be best if you can keep her in her aviary for a month, without letting her out. Letting her out too soon will make her confused as to what part of your house is hers, and she may even feel when she is out of her cage that the whole room is hers, hence the attack on you and anybody else in the room. I know it can be hard to keep them confined to their aviary for a whole month, and she will be biting at the wire to try to get out but you have to try and be firm. With a bit of luck you will have her for very many years, so a month is not a long time in her lifetime with you.

It's quite normal for a chipmunk to spend all day on her wheel running, I've had quite a few do this. Most chipmunks love wheels if it's the right size for them, and you have only just given her the wheel so she is bound to be thrilled with it as it's new, chipmunks love anything new. When she gets older you will notice she won't use the wheel so much.

[jennyb]

Hi, oh dear i have never heard of a Chipmunk attacking someone, when i first got Asriel he did nip me for the first few weeks when i brought him nuts while he was getting used to be fed by hand but now he doesn't do it, i now can put my hand in his cage without him biting which is good, although he never bit too hard. It could be she doesn't know you and that is why she is biting but i can't say for sure. I agree with Nate, keep her in her cage for the first month because if she doesn't know you she will most likely hide when you let her out or maybe attack you again. I would start by visiting her at her cage and quietly sitting down by the cage, talking to her and feeding her nuts through the bars, she may not take them at first or might try and bite but if you do it everyday she will get used to you bringing food and maybe will start to come over. That method seems to work with mine. Once they learn you bring nice treats they will look forward to seeing you. Eventually hopefully she will calm down, once she is taking food out of your fingers and hands without attacking you can then let her out of the cage and try again, hopefully she will not attack.

My old male Ginger loves his wheel, he still spends all day on it, has since he was a baby, Asriel spends alot of time on his wheel throughout the day, Hazel occasionally uses the wheel. My two new Chipmunks haven't used the wheel at all, i really thought they would but they didn't have a wheel in their existing home so are probably not used to it.

I wish you good luck with your Chipmunk and hope she will settle down.