Cimanim, oh my gosh, that’s so cute XD

This kind of chewing/biting behavior isn’t uncommon among Edgy Bitties, actually. They tend to be biters in general and like to chew on things.

The fact that it happened when you first adopted him, then stopped, then started again points to some kind of stress. Sometimes our bodies know we’re stressed even if we don’t consciously think we are. This kind of chewing can be a way to self-soothe or calm oneself, lessening the stress. (It also can be applied to things like chewing gum, smoking, nail biting...)

So even if he doesn’t think he’s stressed, it might still be stress... he just might not be processing it as stress in his mind.

For now, my biggest suggestion is to see if you can get him a chew toy or a chew necklace or something like that. At least this way, he’ll be chewing on something safe and he’ll always have it, as opposed to accidentally hurting you by chewing on your finger or potentially gnawing on something dangerous.

Of course, if it’s stress and he hasn’t identified it as stress, the chewing behavior is going to keep happening.

So, get the chew things so that he’s chewing on something safe in the meantime, but my biggest question is: has anything changed around the house recently? New Bitties, new roommates in general, moving house, a loss, anything like that? A big change is often stressful even if you think you’re doing okay adjusting to it.

Well, I recommend starting with a Tale or Swap variant for first timers, but that’s only viable if someone else doesn’t seek them out when in the shop.

A bitty can feel when a good soul for them is close by. If someone who would take good care of them and work well with their personality comes by, they’ll approach on their own and try very hard to impress that person.

So a first time owner might come in looking for a basic tale or swap and end up going home with someone completely different. But that’s all up to the owner and what makes them comfortable, also. Compatibility doesn’t override boundaries, after all.

Hey, thanks for asking! He's a classic Papyrus, Papy-type?

I mean... it's possible that there's cause for concern with him, but if it's the way he's always been, it might just be his personality. Even though Papy Bitties are known for being over-the-top and energetic, it's not a hard and fast rule. (The main one I knew as a kid, Boots, was very mellow and shy, though in that case it was due to abuse.)

You said he likes to garden and play with the cats, so, does he seem to be able to move okay when he does choose to move? Sometimes a lack of movement, especially certain kinds of movement, can indicate pain, either because a part of the body has been injured or because of an underlying condition. If it were that, it would probably be some kind of chronic pain since you say he's always been like this.

But if he's able to move just fine, doesn't seem to be in pain when he's moving, that likely isn't an issue. If he's generally honest with you and doesn't hide things, you can ask him whether or not he's having any pain.

Clinically depressed individuals also tend to not move much and keep to themselves, and often they mask their depression with cheerful attitudes. There would be other symptoms, though - difficulty getting out of bed and/or excessive sleeping, struggles with personal hygiene, lack of appetite. It's also an ongoing, chronic illness in most cases, so it has the potential to have been affecting him since before you two met.

When it comes down to it, the fact that you're asking about this means you probably are a little worried about him already. (Which is good, because it's healthy to be concerned about the people we care for!)

My professional opinion is this, though: it's unlikely there's anything to be seriously worried about if none of this is new behavior, because every Bitty is different. But, there are potential reasons for his lack of movement and low energy besides just personality.

Since you seem a bit concerned, I'd honestly recommend bringing him somewhere for a checkup if he hasn't been to the doctor in a while, and let the doctor know about your concerns. This way it's a routine exam to make sure everything's okay, and any good doctor should be able to tell if there's anything more than just a chill personality going on.

Hm, he’s a Sansy? A lot of anxiety of any kind is unusual for that type; they’re usually very chill and unbothered.

So, you said this is pretty recent, right? A few weeks, a couple months? It’s possible this is a temporary thing, but separation anxiety in adults can point to an anxiety disorder.

If this goes on for more than six months, I’d suggest making an appointment with a psychologist to see if that might be a possibility. Anxiety disorders going untreated will only result in more and more anxiety, so, if he doesn’t seem to be doing better after the six-month mark, it might be something deeper.

(Obviously I’m always here to make appointments with, but I know there are other psychologists in the area who aren’t Bitty-specific! So if you do need to make an appointment, you can schedule one with me or I can give you a reference to someone else.)

However, separation anxiety in adopted Bitties specifically might be a temporary issue because of new surroundings. Who knows how long his old owner had him? He’s probably used to his old home and is clinging to you because his surroundings now are unfamiliar.

So, for temporary things to try until he feels more comfortable in his new home, I do have a few suggestions!

Sit him down and gently talk to him about the anxiety. Don’t push, but ask if there’s anything in particular that he’s anxious about. (Common scenarios that people with separation anxiety think of include being afraid that he might get hurt, that you might get hurt, etc. anytime you’re away from each other.) Identifying those things might help him understand why he’s getting anxious, and if he understands why, sometimes it’s easier to talk him down by reminders that it’s anxiety, those things aren’t likely to happen.

Relaxation techniques especially if the anxiety involves physical feelings like heart beating faster, erratic breathing, shaking, etc. Some techniques I think might help him are breathing exercises, counting, and interrupting the anxious thoughts. When either of you notice him starting to become anxious, get him to a quiet room to help him practice these things. Breathing exercises are particularly effective when one places a hand on the chest and one on the stomach, takes a slow, regular breath, and watches the way their hands move on their chest and stomach as they breathe. Often focusing on breathing like this can help lessen the physical feelings of anxiety, which can be a huge help. Counting is pretty much what it sounds like ― when the anxiety spikes, have him count out loud to 10. If the anxiety is still there, try another set and have him count to 20. Counting is good because it’ll give him something to focus on other than the anxiety, and it’s a great technique when you’re out and about since it’s easier to do than some of the others. Interrupting the anxious thoughts works in a similar way, to break the train of thought the anxiety is riding on. There are a lot of different ways to do this; breaking out into a silly song or telling jokes, focusing on a better thought (like something he’s looking forward to later or a nice memory), or reading a book.

Keep a routine if you’re able to, or as much of one as you can. Waking up, having meals, and doing outings at the same time every day is one of the best ways to help him feel secure. Once he settles into a routine, it becomes familiar, and he’ll start to relax and feel more comfortable. It also helps to show him that you might leave at a certain time, but you also come back at a certain time. That can be a comforting reminder that might help lessen his anxiety.

Guided exposure and facing the fear. Whatever he tells you he’s afraid will happen is probably not going to happen, but anxiety isn’t logical. So it usually helps quite a bit to actually ‘prove’ that what he fears isn’t going to happen. Now, you definitely don’t want to do this without warning, but after talking to him and reassuring him that you won’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to do, exposure is an incredibly effective way to help gradually lessen the anxiety. Start with little steps, like walking away to the other side of the room and staying there for a few minutes. He’s almost certainly going to experience anxiety, and the idea is for him to ‘sit with’ those distressing feelings and ride them out. Once the anxiety starts to lessen and he feels almost ‘bored’ by it, he can start to understand that his fear isn’t going to come true, because it didn’t happen during the exposure. You can slowly escalate the steps, like going into a different room for a few minutes, leaving the house for a few minutes, etc. etc., until he gets to the point that he can successfully manage his anxiety whenever you’re out of sight.

Imagining exercises, if he’s not quite ready for the exposure. This is similar to the exposure, but instead of actually exposing him to your leaving, you’ll help him through imagining it. As if he’s watching a movie that involves whatever makes him anxious, visualizing it in his mind is sometimes the first step before actual exposure. It’s not a real situation, but it still allows him to experience the anxiety and stay with it until it starts to come down.

Teach your other Bitties some of these techniques, for sure, if they’re willing to learn! Having someone else around who can help, whenever you’re not there, is often a big comfort. He might think you’re the only one who can help him because the separation anxiety is centered around the two of you, but if one of the other Bitties can utilize the techniques you’re using with him, he might feel better about you not being there, because he’s still with someone ‘safe’.

Make use of praise when he successfully gets through an anxious situation! You can praise him, or he can actually give himself some praise. Things along the lines of “I’m proud of you for getting through that” from you or telling himself “I was brave for doing that and I should be proud of myself” or getting a special treat after doing something that made him anxious are powerful tools. Praise often makes people happy and reinforces that whatever they did was positive, motivating them to do it more. Lots of cuddles after a stressful situation also doesn’t hurt!

Being patient even as you try these things is also key. This kind of stuff surrounding lessening his anxiety is a skill, and it takes practice. If the two of you don’t practice it whenever the anxiety crops up, even once he starts to feel better, it’s a ‘use it or lose it’ kind of deal.

You should start to see improvement in a month or two, if this is a temporary situation! If he doesn’t seem to improve in six months, definitely make a psych appointment; separation anxiety after the six-month mark can be indicative of a bigger anxiety disorder, and often medications are the best way to get those under control initially.

The best way to get along with them is just to let them be close to you. Share your interests, try out new ones together, watch movies, read books, draw pictures, anything as long as you’re together.

NAGAS

Moccasins - neurotoxin - makes nerves affected burn with pain, very serious, antivenom recommended.

Rain Vipers - somnolent - knocks prey out with a powerful sleeping agent, not serious.

Ceasar - corrosive - causes bleeding and damages flesh, semi-serious, antivenom as necessary.

King - paralytic - blocks nerve response, semi-serious depending on location of bite, antivenom as necessary

MERS

Conesnail - anticoagulant - stops blood clotting, semi-serious depending on location of sting/bite, antivenom as necessary

Ring - neurotoxin - causes nerves to misfire, causing convulsions, semi serious depending on sting location, antivenom as necessary.

Monsters have always considered bitties as people, and once they’re biggies, they don’t really have a different opinion. Humans are the ones who get things mixed up with bitties, unfortunately.

When they’re little, the humans act like they’re pets, or objects even, and treat them badly. I’ve never heard of a monster owner abusing their bitty, but it happens far too often with humans. But if they ever find out a biggie’s origins, they treat them terribly. They refuse to believe their accomplishments are their own, or that they’re “real people” at all. 

They keep the secret as long as they can, yes.

But when the ones who I adopted out come in here? Oh they’re so good for the little ones. The bitties recognize their magic and start cheering, and the biggie will usually go over and talk with their old friends.