[Pebbles82]

Yes it's just like a scissor cut really on the top of one finger. Nothing serious but bled quite a bit!

Yes I think it's his history. Whatever that was. He does look a bit mean just before he does it - quite sort of grumpy. I don't get as far as actually picking him up!

On this occasion he was doing the thing of digging the carpet in the corner of the playpen. So I stroked him on the back and said no don't do that in a gentle voice. No reaction. He stopped then started doing it again. Did the same thing again, with the odd stroke in between. I then gently tried to guide him away with my hand on one side of him and he moved away then suddenly turned his head and bit me. It just seemed bad tempered really.

After that I didn't see him for a few minutes as had to go and wash my finger and put a plaster on. When I came back he was coming up to the side of the playpen and looking at me and meerkating and looking sweet as pie and I was talking to him and telling him that was naughty - he did seem to look a bit guilty! Then went off and ran in his wheel.

But each time he has nipped he has looked quite mean! Now when he is eating or chewing a chew stick in the playpen, he is quite happy to be stroked on the back! No reaction at all. He will also come up and sniff my hand and fingers from the front and just look interested.

I think with my hand edging round the sides he maybe thought I was going to try and get hold of him.

I'm kind of reluctant to go back to gloves because at some point he needs to get used to the scent of my hands holding him.

Wondering about doing out of cage feeding now. Instead of putting food in his food bowl in the cage, feeding him by hand when he's in the playpen. I've had to do that before with a hamster but for different reasons (that was with our first hamster who wouldn't come out, so he had a good reason to want to come out).

Of course then I risk being bitten when he's feeding from my hand!

I read about something like that somewhere else - the idea being if they bite when they're feeding from your hand, you withdraw your hand with the food. Obviously they do need food though, so I guess it's a case of trying that with gloves first if you have to keep putting your hand back in with the food on.

Can't see that would be good for too long as then they want to go and hoard the food in the cage. So maybe something to do towards the end of a playpen session before putting him back in the cage.