Tips On Keeping a Pet Squirrel


So you found an orphaned baby squirrel in your yard. The first priority is to keep the squirrel alive. There are many other web sites that give advice and instructions on caring for the immediate needs of a baby squirrel. You can find help here, or here, among others. As these sites point out, the ideal outcome will be to reunite the baby with its mother, but this is not always possible.

In most cases, the next best alternative is to locate a wildlife rehabilitator who can care for the baby and ideally reintroduce her to the wild. If you need help locating a wildlife rehabilitator, you can call your locale humane society or a nearby vet's office.

Before we met my wife Karen worked as a wildlife rehabilitator, and has experience caring for squirrels including a blind male squirrel that she kept as a pet. After our son Kaleb found Beebz in our backyard, orphaned, cold and dehydrated, we made the decision to keep her. While we are happy with this decision, and Beebz is a loved and treasured member of our family, nevertheless this is not something that I would recommend for everyone.

In the interest of fairness, I should point out that there are some people who will argue that a healthy squirrel should never be kept as a pet, and that the goal should always be to return a squirrel to the wild. Here is one web page that makes the case against keeping squirrels as pets. Whether you agree or not (and obviously I don't), the argument is well-intended and should be considered. On the other side of the coin, here is a page that argues that in at least some cases, squirrels can be kept as pets. And here is a page with some advice about caring for a pet squirrel.

If you do find yourself caring for an orphaned or injured baby squirrel, and think that you would like to keep it permanently, please, above all, consider--very carefully--this question:

Am I willing to commit to caring for this squirrel through its entire life?

A squirrel can live in captivity for up to twenty years. The longer a squirrel is kept in the house, the less likely it will be that it can be rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Once a squirrel has become used to being around people and has lost its fear of us, to return it to the wild will likely be a death sentence. This is even more so if the squirrel has been around other pets like cats and dogs. If you find after a few months that caring for your new pet is more trouble than you had expected, don't think that you can just turn it loose in the backyard or local park. It will not have learned the behaviors and skills that it will need to survive.

That having been said, here are some things to consider before taking on the responsibility of keeping a squirrel:

  • You will have to provide a cage. This is non-negotiable--well, with one exception, if you have a spare room that you are willing to turn over to your squirrel. It would have to be squirrel-proofed, meaning no electrical cords, containers of anything toxic, or other objects that would be dangerous if chewed on. The main point is, you can not simply give a squirrel the run of the house, as you would a dog or cat, for several reasons: (1) Squirrels are intensely curious. Your squirrel will explore every place that she can get to, and they can get to just about any place. (2) They are incredible athletes. Anything that you see squirrels do outside--climbing, jumping, running--they will also want to do inside. This also includes (3) chewing on anything and everything, which is the biggest reason you will need a cage. Even if you don't mind teeth marks on your furniture and possessions, chewing on electrical cords or electronic gadgets such as cell phones will always be a danger. It is extremely important that you provide things for your squirrel to chew on, as a squirrel's front teeth grow continuously and must be worn down by chewing. This can include sticks and branches, and a piece of bone or antler, which has the added benefit of providing calcium in the diet.
  • The cage will  have to be large enough to provide a humane living space. Beebz lives in a cage that is four feet tall, four feet wide, and three feet deep. I would not recommend anything much smaller than that for an adult squirrel. This gives her space to climb and jump. There should also be a nesting place. For Beebz, we hung a canvas shopping bag by the straps from the top bars of the cage. We have also provided plenty of nesting material: old socks and t-shirts are good. We gave her a stuffed animal that she took the stuffing out of to give additional nesting material. Her cage is in the living room, where she gets plenty of attention, next to a window.
  • You absolutely must give your squirrel plenty of attention and regular, frequent, and supervised time outside of the cage. My goal is to take Beebz out of her cage for play time every day. This gives her a chance to run and climb and jump. She will climb around on my arms and shoulders, leap from the top of the dresser to my hand or shoulder, or just go tearing around the room in circles. And often she will climb up to my chest so that I can pet her. Even when she is in her cage, I make a point to pet her and talk to her frequently. Her cage is in the living room near the couch, so any time someone is sitting there reading or watching TV she has company.
  • Be ready to deal with some bites and scratches. Squirrels are not aggressive creatures, but they do carry some very sharp objects. They can not be declawed. And your squirrel will likely see you as the closest thing to a tree that she has access to. My hands and arms are pretty much permanently scratched up. And because a squirrel can not see things directly in front of her face very well, she may mistake a carelessly placed finger for a nut, resulting in some painful if accidental bites. Even during playtime, Beebz will now and then deliver a "play bite" which, while it is not hard enough to draw blood, can be a little bit painful.

Squirrels sometimes like to play rough


I'm not writing all of this to dissuade anyone who is ready to make a serious commitment to raising and keeping a squirrel. Beebz is friendly, happy, and healthy, and having her as part of our household has been and will continue to be a fun and deeply rewarding experience.

To be sure, there are some excellent benefits of having a pet squirrel:

  • I don't have facts to back this up, but a squirrel's belly has been scientifically proven to be the softest substance in the universe.
  • If you have oak trees in your yard, a pet squirrel will help you to dispose of all those acorns that litter your lawn in the fall. The same goes for any other kind of nut tree, of course.
  • Squirrels are not expensive to feed. A healthy adult squirrel will need to eat about one pound of food per week. A varied diet is important. Beebz eats a combination of compressed woodpecker blocks, which contain sunflower seeds, other seeds, and peanuts; fresh vegetables such as kale, sweet corn, the top parts of red bell peppers (she loves the pulpy part that has the seeds attached); and nuts. In the fall, as I said above, we collect acorns from the oak trees in our yard.
  • Squirrels are intelligent, attentive, playful and affectionate. Beebz loves to be petted and talked to. If I am sitting on the couch in the evening watching a basketball game, Beebz will often lie on her stomach on the upper level of her cage next to me and watch the TV. When she is playing outside of her cage, if I extend my hand and just nod or motion to her, she will almost always jump onto me and run up to my shoulder.
  • Squirrels' poops are tiny and hard like little pebbles. They do not smell and are not difficult to clean up. Squirrels are generally very clean animals, and create very little odor. However, they are messy eaters, and can scatter nut shells, fruit peels, etc. over a large area.

Beebz watches to make sure that I do a good job
cleaning her water dish

Diet:

I already sort of touched on this above. I think the most important thing is to provide a variety of healthy foods for your squirrel. Nuts are, of course, a favorite. Any hard-shelled nut such as walnut, hazelnut, or pecan, or of course acorns, will be appreciated. Peanuts are okay but are not nearly as healthy as other varieties and should not make up a large portion of a squirrel's diet.

In spite of the stereotype, squirrels like to eat much more than just nuts. You can also give sunflower seeds and corn, especially a fresh ear of corn on the cob. Beebz loves to tear the husk off the ear of corn. For a treat she also loves the millet sprays that are sold in pet stores for birds, and which cost very little.

Vegetables are very important. Among the fresh vegetables that we give Beebz are kale, cabbage, turnip, carrots, and sweet peppers. As I mentioned above, Beebz loves the top part of the bell pepper, especially a red bell, with the stem and the pulpy seedy part on the inside. Fruits are also an excellent food. Beebz loves apple slices, grapes and strawberries. I also give her a deer antler to chew on to help wear her teeth down (very important) and to provide additional calcium to supplement her diet (see update  below).

Reading this list of foods may sound expensive, but it really isn't. As I noted above, an adult squirrel needs about a pound of food a week. Most of the vegetables can simply be leftovers of whatever you and your family might be eating. Or if you aren't big on veggies in your own diet, you can easily get enough fresh vegetables and fruit from the produce section of a supermarket to feed a squirrel for very little money.

Update May 2013:

It has been quite a while since I have read over this page. A lot has happened since I wrote this. Last year we moved from North Carolina to west Texas. Beebz made the trip with me in the car and has handled the journey and the transition beautifully. It is hard to believe that this August she will be three years old.

I have noticed that this page has been getting quite a lot of views recently, and I think I should at least briefly address the recent comments regarding calcium. I have been aware of the need for calcium in a squirrel's diet, and have researched the means available to meet this requirement in Beebz's diet. In addition to regularly giving her calcium-rich food such as kale, I also provide her with a deer antler that she loves to  chew on. This is one of the ways that squirrels in the wild get calcium. Pieces of antler are available in most pet stores, including PetSmart. Another option is cattle bones that have had the meat removed, also sold in pet stores. I have offered this to Beebz, but she clearly prefers the antler pieces.

I do not believe that expensive calcium supplements that must be ordered online are necessary. After all, wild squirrels do not have these supplements.

Someone also asked about whether Beebz has any toys. We do give her a stuffed animal that she likes to  roll around with. Usually this is something from the Dollar Tree store, since the toy usually won't last very long. 

397 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. They also "HAve To" have magnisium; Which like the calcium, They get naturally from the outdoors. We provide ours in the form of Nutballs; A recepie that can be found on Clarissa summers webbsite (a rehabber we were fortunate to have found) TKP

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    2. My squirrel is a female, about a year old, and I am her 'mother'. When she first opened her eyes, I was the first person she saw, and she is VERY protective over me. She stopped scratching me so much when she got a little older and realized that it was hurting me, and now she mostly licks me and sucks on my fingers, she's a very cuddly, sweet, squirrel. Well, to me anyway.... She doesn't like strangers.

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    3. You actually Have to feed them puppy formula ( the powder kind) if you want them to survive I have experience in this but there has to be the right ratio of fats and stuff. Idk what the right ratio is, look it up. But do not feed them formula with egg ingredients, they HATE it and will not eat it. Mine actually liked and thrived on puppy formula until she started teething, when we gave her a supplemental thing meant for baby bunnies and other young animals to help with teething and vitamins. She is now a very happy, healthy squirrel.

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    4. You actually Have to feed them puppy formula ( the powder kind) if you want them to survive I have experience in this but there has to be the right ratio of fats and stuff. Idk what the right ratio is, look it up. But do not feed them formula with egg ingredients, they HATE it and will not eat it. Mine actually liked and thrived on puppy formula until she started teething, when we gave her a supplemental thing meant for baby bunnies and other young animals to help with teething and vitamins. She is now a very happy, healthy squirrel.

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    5. We've now rescued 2 very young babies, one about 4 weeks and the new one you just received were guessing around 10 weeks. We've used kitten formula on both and have had healthy happy babies. When Skipper, our 14 mth old got older we did switch to puppy for a short time before weaning. We also have 2 box turtles we rescued and we sprinkle the same calcium powder on all their food. Skipper actually loves it and will lick it off the nuts! We are having an aggression problem with Skipper however. He has bitten us both quite badly and he clacks his teeth and kinda growls. We are sure he is an alpha and wondering if anyone has any ideas for us. There is absolutely no chance he can be turned loose and he is absolutely my husband's baby. He sleeps inside his pillowcase every night! lol Does anyone know if neutering will help? Also, is there any chance of integrating this new baby with Skipper? Right now they are in 2 separate rooms as he is aggressive toward the baby and I'm certain would hurt him We are in dire need of some help PLEASE! We love our babies and want to try to address these issues the best way possible!

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  2. Great article although it's not mentioned the high propensity for your squirrel to get MBD from lack of calcium, especially with the diet you described. The diet you described will certainly lead to a painful death of your squirrel and probably loss of use of tail and hind legs. They must have calcium. Please see recommended diet on www.thesquirrelBoard.Com. The rest is about right, although a proper diet is expensive.

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    1. While half the time TheSquirrelBoard can be very helpful, most of its senior members are rotten, rude, and unhelpful. I would recommend going there for most things, however, I find that a vet is way more helpful. And yes you can find vets for squirrels, in most cases it's illegal, but a lot of vets will stick their necks out for squirrels because they just love all animals. I have a vet for my baby, he just doesn't report that a squirrel came in to be treated.

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    2. I've found www.thepetsquirrelboard.com to be a lot better. Everyone is very nice there.

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  3. I'm sure he knows what he's doing. The squirrelboaard about killed my squirrel suggesting Esbilac .....

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    1. Esbilac is working GREAT for my 3.

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    2. I used Walmart brand and it made my baby very weak and unactive . Then I tried esbilac and it works better it has a higher fat content.

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    3. I am a good friends with a rehabbed, Who had it not been for her, Petey Pie would not have made it. You see, Squirrels are not carnivorous, They are NOT meateaters, Which by the way, Esbilac type products contain meat by-products. This product will normally kill the squirrel early on. What you do is simply this; Take regular cows milk, Vitamin D cows milk, Oh, lets say 2 cups, Don't boil it, But bring it to the point that is getting ready to boil. (This kills the enzymes in the milk, Which in turn, Are hazardous to squirrels. Next, Add 2 drops of Vitamin E to the milk (you can get the vitamin E in capsule form, The liquid in the capsule. After this, Watch your squirrels energy, Ours actually had muscles on top of her muscles, LOL.... We couldn't believe it, And had we continued with the puppy formula, Petey pie Jenkins wouldn't be with us today.

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    4. I have raised and released dozens of squirrels and have been trained to do so. Feed baby squirrels KMR (kitten milk replacement). NEVER feed them puppy milk replacement, cows milk or human baby formula. They all have ingredients that will eventually kill a squirrel. When they are able to lap formula from a bowl, start mixing in walnut or pecan butter, (which you can find in health food stores) and pureed fruits and veggies. When they get used to that, start offering soft fruits, like grapes or berries. Don't give them baby food fruits or vegetables because they have too much iron in them. I have a baby squirrel now that will probably become a pet. It has an injured foot. If that foot doesn't heal well, it probably wouldn't survive outdoors.
      I'm looking for advice on acclimating my cat and dog to living with a squirrel. They are natural predators so I think it will challenging.

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    5. I have rehabbed several baby squirrels, some my cats bring me as babies and some my vet calls on me to take in. I always start out by letting all my pet babies smell and see me taking care of any baby animal. This includes them in their care and they learn to love them also. I always hold my babies as this is happening so they can't suddenly decide to attack him. I always put their cage where they can see each other and watch each other play. I would never leave him running loose or allow him to roam freely because it is a natural response to go after squirrels and I have to keep him safe.

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    6. I am a licenced Wildlife Rehabilitator from TN. Esbilac is the correct formula to feed infant squirrels. Human milk does not have enough fat in it to substain a growing squirrel. KMR is used on Raccoons and Opossum. If you want to kill a baby squirrel go ahead and feed it goat milk, human milk, cheap puppy milk or any other ridiculas form of milk. More important than feeding a baby milk is to make sure the baby is keep warm and then hydrated. I use Pedialyte and a small syrigne(without the needle) and warm the liquid to room temperture. If you really care about the baby you will call a licenced rehabber and turn it over to their care. Squirrel do not belong in cages for the rest of their lives! How would you feel being locked up waiting for someone to feed you and not doing what comes natural, the act of procreation?

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    7. Totally agree. I'm in the process right now taking care of a orphaned squirrel at first I hydrated him and I am using the Esbilac for puppies and so far all is well , right now I do have him in a dog cage because we have a dog who will play with him ,I have put some rocks,pinecones leaves and twigs in there too . What I need to know is while giving the milk to the squirrel can I also give him water , he has a cozy little bed which I change daily and a blanket that I put over him to keep him warm , the trouble I'm having is he moves so much and it breaks my heart not to let him roam around in the wild ...I totally need a wildlife rehabilitor because while taking care of baby squirrel I am also taking care of my grand-children but there is no one around here and I don't drive ,but I don't want to just let the poor baby go that is just not an option that I will take....NEEDING HELP.

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    8. you need to look up a rehabber and ask a friend who drives

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    9. I called every rehabber in my city, every outlet for abandoned wildlife and nobody would take my boy. Now I've taken care of him for almost a month. I've done everything by the book. Up every 3 hours feeding him. He is doing everything he is supposed to. So screw the wildlife rehabbers where I live. They didn't give Rocky a chance. So I made the very big decision to take him,in and raise him,on my own. I didn't do it for a fun time..let's be honest. It's hard work! But I wouldn't change it. I love him now..and if some rehabber who thinks they know better came now and tried to take my boy, they will get knocked out. Atleast they get at chance at life...if it wasn't for me he would have been left to die. So yeah, he's not gonna get to live his full wild life, and yes that does make me sad, but atleast he gets to live A life..with a family that loves him like crazy and will do everything for him to have the best life he can have.

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    10. I was in this exact situation. Took an injured baby to the Audubon Society and they said all they could do for me was Euthanize Him, just because he was not a Native Species. I couldn't go through with it, so I took him home. I don't want to ruin his chances of Surviving in the wild by raising him in my home, but what else am I supposed to do when the only Rehabor in the Area wants him dead?

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    11. We were in the same situation, every rehabber full and the SPCA would euthanize him as well. He's healthy. We ordered nut balls online, have rodent block, pine cones veggies, fruit, greens. He's loose when we are home has a seven foot home made cat Tree made from trees, and a huge ferret cage inside and also has one outside so he can be with us and get used to the outdoors sounds and fresh air! We love him!!

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    12. Again, same here. Found 5 weeks old Acorn and hydrated her and sent her to Audobon the next day. They cannot take her in in unless humanly euthananize her. Took her home, 1.5 weeks now and she almost doubled in her weight as today. Getting used to us (which is not good bc they need to be afraid of humans). Still in big box and Milk replacer from GNC which works great , she love walnut and pecans... just dont know what to do next... we love her so much though we know she is better off in the wild...what to do?

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  4. you can put a calcium block (pumice) in the cage for them to nibble on. plus some of the squirrel (rodent/ferret) foods have vitamins as well. I've read not to overdo it with the nuts or they'll get fat. Mine gets downright possessive with a pecan-I gave her one and reached in the cage a while later & she growled at me and kinda ran at my hand as if to say "back off!" she is a lot of fun though and I love seeing her grow up and play. She's a real sweetie but the claws & teeth can be a pain (literally) sometimes. but I wouldn't trade her:)

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    1. We Rcvd our red squirrel a few weeks ago she had 3 owners n was eating only peanuts when we rcvd her she's about 3 months old. I immed started giving her carrots walnuts almonds I gave her a grape I had to make an opening in it for her n I heard the chittering of mine mine mine so cute the pecans got the same chittering reaction so funny. She can't leave us cause her teeth are not sitting right she will never be able to chew hard pieces her jaw was jury at birth. We have to trim her teeth every 2 weeks n she let's us doesn't like it but lays on her back n allows me to trim them. She will be with us forever she has a number of toys an old wooden bird house with a comforter for a blankee n is in a 4ftx5ftx3ft tall on a rolling platform she loves to run in circles end to end then being held n then goes in circles summersaults in my hands bites my nails n hangs from my hands to play I wiggle my fingers n away she goes end over end she'd be in gymnastics if she was human haha I love her more people would be shocked no scent no poopy messes a perfect pet if she wouldn't chew electric cords etc if let loose. Gr8 pet. Kimmi

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    2. Kimmi, I recently aquired a baby (6-8wk old) and she is doing well, i have her on esiblac goats milk mixed with water and heavy whipping cream ( per about 4 other sites ive found) im nervous its not the right thing for her but thats why im now trying to do some more research on what to be feeding her. ive had her for just over a month now and she seems to be doing Fantastic zooming all around her cage and loves to come out and play, very friendly. She loves grapes but wont touch anything else, she also has a stuffed animal squirrel we gave her that she loves to cuddle with and carries around with her even though its almost double her size. She will not be able to be re released eaither due to 2 birthdefects she has and we are trying to overcome she has what seems to almost be a cleft palet her one side of her left nose doesnt open all the way and her mouth seems to be a little off too and her toe has a huge red bulge on her joint. im assuming the mother kicked her out of the nest becasue when she was found her nose was bloody and her little finger was very swollen. I was able to get her home and nurse her back to health with the help of some antibiotics for a pretty nasty cold she had on top of it. Ive had her for a month and i cant get her to eat hard foods at all, i dont know if she will permnatly be on soft food and formula but im thinking maybe her teeth have something to do with it- so my question is this. How do you trim her teeth? i watched a few you tube videos and we trimmed them once with sharp cutticle cutters but i need some advise if this is ok or not. This is my first time with a little squirrel and i need to make sure im doing whats best for her so can you just walk me though your teeth trimming process? it sounds like you have a fair amount of experience and your squirrel clearly doesnt hate you after! lol thanks!
      Angel

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    3. We have a squirrel that is 8 months old now, I started him out on Esbilac as recommended on some articles, however I quickly ordered FV formula for him, and he thrived on it. I would say that it was worth the cost, We only had to purchase 3 lbs. before he was weaned, I spent way more trying other things. All of the others I tried gave him a real runny stool. I knew that couldn't be good for him. Nick at FV was very helpful.

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    4. i think your doing pretty good with he but not sure about the teeth clipping ill have to look around for information on that maybe try getting some rodent block what i do is i mix some all natural honey in water then put that with the rodent block in order soften it up but really you shouldn't ween till about 11-12 weeks old I've heard which is when i started weaning so just wait a bit longer and don't give her any hard foods grapes are fine but hard foods at such a young age increase the risk of choking -hope this helped out :)

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  5. Thanks for writing this article, I have a squirrel myself and your information was very helpful. Does you squirrel have any toys or things to play with? what do you recommend? is there anymore advice that you can give for having a squirrel?

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    1. Do not give them toys with plastic eyes. Make sure the eyes are just embroidered on.

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  6. my brother just got a squirrel because the mother was killed and the brother died due to improper raising without the mother... and I've been reading so much stuff about raising a squirrel and everyone is different... some say its impossible to litter train a squirrel... others say it's not. I just hope we can keep this squirrel alive... he means so much, his name is Chester... and your information means everything because we need the knowledge. Thank you and please... if you have anymore information or advice I would LOVE it!

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    1. To the above comment on May 26,2013.

      Keep the squirrel warm.

      Give the squirrel "plenty" of warm sugar water to keep it hydrated. They like the sweetness of the sugar so they will take it in.

      Make a account at www.thesquirrelboard.com. They helped me with ours that was super skinny from our lack of knowledge.

      They also saved his life by my reading a previous post about "Why my squirrel is not moving and gasping for air." We thought we lost our little guy, but thanks to that site he is back to normal and gaining 2-3Grams a day.

      Oh and get a scale that weighs in Grams. Ours is 5 1/2 weeks old and weighs half of what he should before we got the "GREAT" advice from the senior users on the squirrel board.

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    2. for any questions use this site http://www.squirrelnutrition.com/squirrel-formula.html its got the right formula to use and you can email this guy your questions he will probably answer since he answered me also for weaning your squirrel you should maybe try what I've been doing with is using some honey in water solution (be sure its all natural not honey flavored syrup!!!) then i took that solution and poured it on the rodent bock making it all mushy and not hard to chew plus its healthy and it must taste good my squirrel goes nuts over it also try room temp. grapes too but be sure not to use too many treats as this will cause your squirrel to only eat treats not the rodent block with has the real nutritional value and that kind of treats only diet will end with a very unhealthy squirrel

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    3. We have 2 squirrels. One 14 mths, one about 10 weeks. We've used kitten milk replacement on both and they have thrived. My question is about my 14 mth old male. Has anyone experienced aggression in a young make? 90% of the time he is sweet as can be. Although my husband is certainly daddy and he has definitely imprinted on him. I can not handle him anymore unless daddy is home. Luke I said most of the time he is the sweetest thing. But lately, he has started this growling kinda noise and chattering his teeth and just outright biting to the point you feel under attack. I'm assuming at his age and beind a male, and we believe an alpha male, that it is hormone related. But we've both been bitten pretty badly. Does anyone know if neutering will help? We absolutely can not turn him loose, it would surely be a death sentence. We've had him since we'll before his eyes were open and he knows no one but us. And while he's not big on strangers, he doesn't have the fear of humans or animals if prey. Not to mention he'd starve. But we are in serious need of help. And now we've just taken in a 2nd, about 10 weeks old or so. Is there any chance of integrating them . Right now the older one appears to be very aggressive toward the baby. The older one sleeps in my husband's pillowcase every night if that gives you any indication of how bonded they are. That's why we are so confused and upset about this recent behavior. PLEASE HELP US!!

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    4. Oh also he is 100% potty trained! Only goes in his cage! Never has an accident outside the cage. In fact I was cleaning the cage the other night and my husband was holding him. He started squirming and we couldn't figure out why. The minute I got his cage clean he zoomec in there and pee peed and pooped!

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  7. Hi,I am from India, and my husband has found 2 baby squirrel, about 18-20 days ago, out of which 1 died may be because of wrong eating method, and he was injured also. But his sister could manage to live, we are feeding her from past 20 days, I am not sure about her age, but she has got some small hairs now and has got two lower teeth, so after reading many articles about squirrel, I am assuming her is about 2-3 weeks not sure probably.

    I am giving her lactogen (human infant food) (whey protein predominant formula), and she was doing good so far, she was active and the stool was also yellow in color which I think is normal, but from last 2 days she has got loose motions, watery green fluid comes out of anus, please help me, if I am feeding her correct food or anything else went wrong, may be due to I changed her cage, the earlier cage was darker that have a lid, and 2-3 holes in it, but now I have shifted her to open cage with a cotton peices in it. I am not sure what went wrong please let me know where I have mistaken and yes the squirrel is healthy and active, she play well over my hands, the only thing which worries me is her stool.

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    1. THAT's the WRONG food! They need Esbilac (puppy formula) they can't handle the enzymes and fat in human baby formula (or any cow's milk)

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    2. Actually, you want to give them scaleded cows milk. Puppy and kitten formula will cause digestive problems.
      I learned this from my wildlife rehabilitator friend when I started raising my squirrel over 2 years ago

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    3. First of all, this person is in India. They most likely won't have commercial milk replacers. I don't like scalded milk. There are too many problems associated with it. I prefer a goats milk formula. There is a recipe for it on TheSquirrelBoard.com and there are other Indian members, too. The only thing you need to be careful of is some of your native squirrels have a much different diet than native squirrels in the U.S.

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    4. I always use kitten milk replacement for any baby squirrel and so far have never lost one. Mine love dried cat food as they get older, grapes, pecans, peanuts , deer antler to chew on , small carrot pieces, small pieces lettuce or kale. I put a heating pad under cage or carrier so they stay warm but can't chew up. I include baby blanket and a stuffed animal to sleep with. They naturally burrow under blanket to get to the warm spot. I love every one so much and they are really so sweet to play with. Mine usually come from my cats bringing them to me as babies or my vet calls me to rescue. I never know what new baby will be arriving.

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    5. Best formula is Fox Valley, they have different fat balance for different ages, and sell the correct nipples and syringes of various sizes as they grow. Website is also called FoxValley, Nick is super helpful. Formula is made for squirrels, just like Henry's Healthy blocks when they get older, another good made for squirrels product. My guy is super cuddly and loving with me but will pace if he isn't getting human contact, a very social creature, happiest out four or more hours per day out and touching people. He also growls and violently bites strangers and other animals and will jump back to me and chitter at them like he knows I will be on his side and help like a little bully, so good thing I am anti social because he will hurt people. He isn't neutered and is big, so I bet it is an Alpha thing. Pees a bit to mark 'his' spots too.Chews the heck out of the wood trim in my house, but he will stop biting or chewing or jumping to a place he shouldn't if I clap my hands and then give training sounds-so I have to be there and watching. He responds to sharp, staccato commands, or clapped hands to 'stop' or 'come' and purring and chewing when cuddling. Very receptive to learning sound based training, communicative little guy.

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  8. Funny Dog PicturesMay 31, 2013 at 4:31 AM

    Be careful about bytes! But cute pet! :) I have collection of dog pics, just check it!

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  9. Funny Dog PicturesMay 31, 2013 at 4:32 AM

    oh i mean bites!

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  10. oh..i don't know about all this..Squirrel diet is a good idea..

    from
    Squirrel Food

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  11. we have a sight impaired squirrel that comes every day to eat. He has one eye that looks as if it has a gray haze covering it. The other eye looks like it was maybe pecked by a bird. He also has some holes in his one ear. He barely sees. He uses the scanning movements from side to side. I have gotten within inches of him and he responds mainly to sound. We are getting ready for vacation and I hate to leave him without his food. I read that just peanuts aren't good, but initially were just giving them to "our" squirrels as a treat. It has been nearly 100 for a few days and he comes up to our stone porch and spreads out I think to try and cool off some. Any general suggestions?

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  12. For the sight-impaired squirrel in the previous comment... You are right, that peanuts are not the best for a steady diet. While you are out of town you might want to leave a large woodpecker block that you can get any place that sells wild bird food. Also, when you are in town, you might offer fresh veggies like kale, tomatoes, sweet peppers, etc.

    Also, since the temperature is so hot, please leave a source of water. If possible a pan of water with a hose slowly dripping into it, to keep it fresh.

    Thank you for caring for your squirrel friends!

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad I found your website,very informative. I found 4 babies back in Feb. only Earl survived, I bottle fed for bout a month and then he decided he was done. He has a indoor cage and I also got him a chicken coop for outdoor play, and of course he runs free in the house alot too. My arms and shoulders look alot like yours, although he has never once bit me, just others. He knows I'm his momma. Thanks again..

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  13. Recently, I have bought a flying squirrel. >What are the different type of food flying Squirrels eat?

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  14. My baby squirrel is almost 5 months i can tell his winter coat is starting to grow but he has a bald spot in the middle of his back any ideas of what could be wrong?

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  15. I have a question seeing as you have raised them from babies.. No matter how I try I can not get the 3 1/2 - 4 week baby we found orphaned (thanks to my cat catching his mommy)to go to the bathroom. I have tried the warm q tip thing and it's just not working.. What do I do?

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    Replies
    1. I have a 6 month old boy squirrel, named blue. I got him a couple of days after being born. I feed him esbilac puppy food replacement. His now looks full grown. I bottleathsd feed him with a syringe, and I gave him bathes in the sink at about 3 weeks, I always rubbed his butt and pepe, with a tissue, and he would go to bathroom. Or if water ran over his privates, he would go. So everytime I feed him, he got a rinse off, with warm water, and went potty. So now he always potties after eating and goes in a little litter box.but remember to keep them very warm at all times.i dried him allthe way, too. Just keep ticckling his privates he will go

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    2. Raising my baby boy right after feeding him i would take toliet paper or a paper towel moistened with warm water and hold him with my hand wrapped around his back and under his front arm pits exsposing his stomic and gently but slightly firmly move it up and down over his little ...... and his hinney. He then urinates and poops within a short time.
      You must keep doing this till he goes to the bathroom or your baby will die not being able to rid itself of the waste. Do this after every feeding also.
      A nice warm bath in shallow water or a warm wet wash cloth could help too. Make sure to dry them and keep the baby warm during its bath and afterwards.

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  16. I have a pet squirrel too..they are wonderful..

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  17. nice article. good advice and useful tips. thanks

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  18. Really great information ...thanks. oh please keep posting helpful information.

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  19. Thanks for writing this, its been so helpful, I have a rescued squirrel that is only 7 weeks old and I got in touch with local wildlife rescue. Somehow they convinced me to take care of her myself and told me what to get at the petstore ,formula for her.
    Now,I'm getting extremely attached!
    The wildlife rescue here,amazing to talk someone into doing it themselves when I don't do this year round like them and emotionally used to letting them go eventually. But apparantly they are overwhelmed with orphaned litters.

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    Replies
    1. My husband found a 4-5 wk old squirrel in the yard in Sept while he was mowing...I also called squirrel rescue. They said they have too many and gave me great tips on feeding/rehabbing. I used the Ebsilac formula per bottle then used a dish until he refused it. He loves all nuts, apples, cheerios at times, sweet potatoes, tree bark and seeds. Trying to get him to eat more veggies.
      However, I too have become attached to our baby Rocky, an Eastern Gray. He is like a cat-dog-monkey in one! He plays tag, runs after nuts and wrestles with a small stuffed animal.
      I don't like to see animals caged and began taking him outside for 2-3 hrs daily, staying out with him. On Nov 8th, 2013 he went up a tree and wouldn't come back. I cried, bribed and begged him. We put up 5 wooden tree houses. We made them and put about 20 ft up in trees. I filled them with pillow stuffing and food. He stayed out for about 24 days.
      The Ohio weather began to get really cold, then snow. I then brought him back in. He is the sweetest. He does require lots of attention: feeding, cleaning cage, water bottle, fresh foods, play times out of 'cage'/pen. He gets out in a 26' x 5' mudroom to play for hrs per day. I keep the shade open on a floor length window on the back mudroom door. He looks out often but doesn't seem sad. He seems happy to be in a warm place with food, although he gets bored at times. His cage is 4ft x 4 ft-we had purchased a larger one every few months as he grew. I'm looking for some wooden balls bigger than marbles so he can play and roll them around.
      My goal is to release him in late Spring. He will have the 5 apartments by the pond to chose from...haha...and we will provide food and monitor him daily.
      He has been a great joy and gift for us empty nesters! We never realized the personality or affection that squirrels have/give.
      BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF YOU REHABING/RAISING THESE AWESOME LOVING RODENTS :)

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  20. My little one is about 8 weeks now, I think she was about 5 weeks when my hasband saved her. Kiki is doing wonderful and seems just as happy as can be. We have started introducing new real food to her and she is taking them well and also still being a little piggy when its milk time. I have read just about every article I have found so I know what she needs. However, I am not sure when I should take her off formula? Even though she is eating food she still acts like she is starving at milk time. What age should she be weaned off milk?

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    1. I fed mine milk until he didnt want it anymore. The milk has alot of good vitamins they need. Now he is 5 months, looks full grown and has all hair. He eats everything vegs fruit and nuts.

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  21. It's been over a month since we saved our
    Rocko. I've been reading alot about grey squirrels and learning alot as I go. So far I haven't seen anything about which states where its leagal to have one. I love my lttle guy and I know he loves me. I live in California is it leagal to have a grey squirrel or what ? I couldn't bear of loosing him !

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    1. I Have One And I Also Live In California. I DidSome research And Actually It Is Illegal To Have TheM But My Family And I Are Way Too Attached To Our Dearest SkittlE. We Rescued Him When He Was About 2 Weeks Old..Last Month He Turned 3 And I Don't Regret Saving Him.

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  22. It's been over a month since we saved our
    Rocko. I've been reading alot about grey squirrels and learning alot as I go. So far I haven't seen anything about which states where its leagal to have one. I love my lttle guy and I know he loves me. I live in California is it leagal to have a grey squirrel or what ? I couldn't bear of loosing him !

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  23. It's been over a month since we saved our
    Rocko. I've been reading alot about grey squirrels and learning alot as I go. So far I haven't seen anything about which states where its leagal to have one. I love my lttle guy and I know he loves me. I live in California is it leagal to have a grey squirrel or what ? I couldn't bear of loosing him !

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    1. I to am trying to figure out what states it is illegal to raise a squirrel and have not found anything. i live in the united states and can not find anything on it.

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    2. I live in Ohio and it's illegal to raise wild animals here since that idiot in Bainbridge killed himself after releasing a variety of wild animals, including lions, bears...they all were shot. Very sad.
      I guess you could check google with your specific state. GOOD LUCK...I love my Rocky~he is our secret family member-until Spring, if he wants to be released.
      They will fine us and euthenize him if found out! Terrible!

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  24. Wali was brought in by the cat, just a few days old I raised him by bottle feeding him and nursing his wounds. I tried to release him when he was about 5 months old. The other squirrels beat him up and he came running back. Well this past Easter he escaped for 4 days, when he came home he was terrified.. drank a lot of water, ate and slept for a day and a half. A few days later he had a sore under his arm. I treated it but it wouldn't heal...turns out its a Bot Fly....I watched a you tube video and removed it.. He has always been so lovable..My problem is he bit me a couple of days ago and now yesterday he attacked me. He always came to me when I called him but he doesn't come now.. What do you think I should do I'm heartbroken

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    1. The aggressiveness you are seeing is common in male squirrels, because they like to take their place in the herarchy. He is trying to challange you for dominence.Squirrels reach maturity at 5 1/2 months old.You might consider neutering him, as soon as his testicles drop (I would have him done.) This will help with aggression as well as help prevent testicular Cancer we often see in rodents. Good luck !!

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  25. i would like to know if it is illegal to raise a squirrel in the united states. i have a baby squirrel that is about 6 wekks old and has attached itself to me. and would like to keep him, but not sure if i can here.

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    1. I think the animal control website is where I learned which states would be illegal to raise a squirrel. I know it is ok here in Alabama.

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  26. Loved the article!! As I write this my 5 month old male eastern grey squirrel is sitting on my shoulder watching me read and occasionally type. Just wanted to say for those who have never raised a baby squirrel before you hit the nail on the head as for how to do it. Pibble(my daughter named the squirrel lol) is a VERY ACTIVE animal that loves to get into absolutely any and everything he can. When I first got him he slept in a 100 gallon fish tank complete with branches large rocks etc etc. As of now he has a metal cage similar to what you described, although he spends very little time in it. he actually sleeps in the bed on my pillow with my wife and I. He's like a second son. As for his diet I haven't found much that he wont eat. Almonds and white grapes are his favorites though. When he was still a wee little baby I used an eye dropper and fed him Esbilac, that mothers milk replacement worked wonders. When Pibble was found he was dehydrated and in my honest opinion not far from dying. I immediately started him on the Esbilac and in two days he did not look like the same animal I had found. I also found as he started getting to the age where he could eat solid food that toddlers teething biters biscuits was a nice treat, he still eats 1 daily. Well I'll quit rambling now, again I want to say what an awesome informative article you wrote. Great work

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    1. Hi Mark,
      Where are you located? I am looking for a squirrel to use in a TV show. Can you contact me?

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    2. Did you find one to use? Where do you need one? I have one herein Alabama that would love a job!

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    3. Belinda i live in alabama myself..my husband noticed something flopping around in the yard by the shed....baby squirrel....im not sure how old he is...he has all four chompers and he has all his fur...his tail is longer than he is...i think there is something wrong with his eyes though...they both have this gray haze over them...looks like cataracts...do you know what could be wrong???

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    4. Try coconut oil or coconut in the raw. It's squirrel medicine. Cleared up my Mama 's eye fast

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  27. rsteffens60@gmail.comOctober 14, 2013 at 11:12 AM

    your article is very helpful.I have 2 babies about two and a half months old.1 male 1 female.I have taken one to the vet because he was blowing out his nose almost like he was sneezing.they put him on antibiotics.he is doing great now. I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep both of them.at what age should I split them up or would it be better to keep them together if possible?

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    1. Keep them together female only bonds to one male in a lifetime.

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  28. Need a pet or unreleasable squirrel, perhaps one used for education for a TV episode.
    Sorry to be anonymous, just don't have an account on this blog.
    gleanna@rhodescollar.com

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    1. Why are you needing one? To raise as your own?

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  29. i have the same situation as anonymous in Aug 22,2013 with my male grey squirrel. He is about 7 months old and have spots of baldness (real short hair) on his back too. He can be walking and all of a sudden chews. No fleas, no red skin either.

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  30. My squirrel is about 10 weeks..still on esbilac..but he won't drink water! What can I do??

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    1. Eye dropper and leave bowl of water in cage and give him apple slices.

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  31. Keep feeding until he is ready for water leave in cage...

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  32. We have raised our squirrel for 5 months now. I found him after he fell from a tree after a bad wind storm and by the grace of God I decided to cut my grass that morning for some reason and he was laying on the ground with ants on him. We have learned a great deal from him and it breaks my heart to leave him in a cage all day while we are at work. He gets some time out in the morning from a family member who comes over and lets him out of his cage, and in the afternoon until late in the evening he gets to play in the house until we go to bed. He has grown on us and I realize at this point he wants to go outside but I know he would not make it because he will approach humans and pets. He has his own personality and is very special and caring although he is a wild animal and it shows at times. I know the right thing to do is let a rehabilitator take him and train him to live outside, but it will break our heart to let him go. Any good advice???

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    1. Your concern about your squirrel being too used to humans and pets is legitimate. I think the most important thing to consider is how much space you can give your squirrel. His cage should be at least 4 feet high and 4 feet wide, with levels so that he can jump and move about freely. It is good that you are giving him time out of the cage every day. As long as the cage is big enough, your squirrel should be fine!

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  33. Your article is very helpful. I have a brother and a sister squirrel. The male is very aggressive. He been attacking my man's face, my face, and the dog's. The female has a hurt front leg that makes it hard for her to do certain things. She is sweet. The male don't attack me as much as everyone else and he has been humping him sister a lot. His testicles has not dropped yet. Thinking about start taking him outside everyday so he can get use to it. Will letting the male go make my female depressed? Love him lots had him since he was six weeks old. I just can't have him biting and scratching our face. Have a vet that will neuter him but I don't know if that will stop him from being that aggressive. What do you think. Plus I'm worried about him surviving winter.

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    1. Squirrels almost always nest alone, so I would not worry about separating your squirrels. I would definitely be concerned about the aggressiveness that your male is displaying. Rather than taking him outside and trying to get him used to the outdoors, you might try to contact a wildlife rehabilitator. This website can help you find a rehabber in your area: http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/rehabilitators/directory-us.html

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  34. If I keep my squirrel indoors for winter, will I be able to release him in the spring and expect him to do well?

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  35. Would like to know the same as Belinda Hopkins.. located in Ontario. My Rocky is around 3 months now.

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  36. I have a rescued squirrel, his momma left him. We left him in the spot we found him for two days and momma never returned to get him. We are not sure if his mom got killed or not but i could not leave him there any longer cause he needed to be fed, He had just opened his eyes when i got him so he was roughly 5 weeks old, I gave him puppy formula for a few weeks then he didnt want it anymore and went to water and solid foods. A friend of mine is a wildlife rehabilitator and told me how to care for him to be healthy. He is almost 5 months old now and doing very good. His diet consists of rodent block which has the calcium and nutrition he needs, acorns and yes i spent 3 hrs picking enough acorns to last the winter,black sunflower seeds, he eats carrots, kale, and grapes once or twice a week. once in awhile he will steal a cracker lol but he is doing amazing. I am planning on keeping my peanut because we would love to see him live a long life without being harmed and killed. He is in a cage 5 ft high 4 ft long and 3 ft deep. has a tree branch from top to bottom that we cut down for him.We bought him a small pet bed that sits to the top of the cage on a shelf plus gave him old t shirts and he loves paper towel that he shreds up to add to his bedding.We also bought him animal cotton bedding, and he tears up newspaper. he loves playing with paper towel rolls and he has many wooden chew toys and stuffed animals to play with. We take him out of his cage to play every night for a couple hrs and he is such a good boy. He reminds me of a ferret, very playful and will wrestle with your sleeve or fingers lol. They are alot of work and yes his nails do hurt and he does have a habit peeing on the floor out of his cage sometimes, but I would NOT trade him in for the world. He has become a part of the family...=)

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  37. How nice ! that really nice topic how to care our pet squirrels. I like this very much.


    _______________________________________
    Choostix Chicken flavour

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  38. My neighbors brought me a newborn baby squirrel in Aug of 2011. I had him 27 days before he opened his eyes. I fed him every 2-3 hours for months, and worked up to 4 hour feedings and finally got him eating "big food" but he still would find his syringe and lay down and try to nurse from it until he was like 6 months old. I have offered him freedom many times and he always runs back in the house to his cage, So Payne will be 3 years old this August. He has a large cage on the screened in porch, complete with a/c and heat. He comes in every night and sleeps with me. He doesn't like or accept anyone else. He has never bitten me but the toenails are another story. He has learned over the years to be really gentle and rarely scratches me anymore. He gives me licks and nibbles on my face for a couple of hours while I rub his belly until he goes to sleep. and he holds my finger while he sleeps. He eats a variety of nuts, vegetables, and fruits. His favorites are raw corn on the cob, avocado, scrambled eggs, plums, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, and cherries. He eats most vegetables pretty good. I clean his cage every couple of days to get out any food that is old and could spoil and make him sick. I pick up acorns and green pinecones for him when they are in season. I also give him leaves and insects, he loves crickets and grub worms. People always ask me what do I want with a pet squirrel and I tell them to love him. They are smart, loving and very loyal to their person. I can't imagine my life without my guy. I hope to have him for many many years. So if any of you ever find one, think thru it because it is a lot of work raising them but they are so worth it in the long run. Payne is housebroken and uses a pee pad for dogs. When he was little , I kept him in a small bathroom and put pee pads down and he would crawl out of his wicker basket and pee and poop on them, so as he got older, I would take one away every couple of weeks and we ended up with one and now as long as his paper is down, he uses it. I wipe him every nite with a wet washcloth and he loves it. I rub baby lotion on his feet and he really loves that. So if you happen to find one, raise it and it will love you forever......

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    Replies
    1. Wee Wee (my grey) does the same kinda things and when i let him and his 2 sisters out to live in the yard he came right back in. He is by far the best 4 leg companion i've ever been lucky enough to know. He spends time with me all the time. Goes outside and runs beside me while i walk to the garden. He is pretty much my child and i would trade him for nothing in this world.

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  39. Very cute pet! Great story and quite informative. You sure take good care of Beebz. She sure is lucky to have a loving owner.

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  40. 3 years ago we found 2 orphaned squirrels and named them Rocky and Isabella. They must have been 8 weeks old. We read up on raising them and 4 weeks into it Rocky passed away. More attention went into raising Isabella. We couldn't lose her. I was the first person she saw when she finally opened her eyes. She thinks of my girlfriend and I as her parents. We read somewhere that squirrels don't show love, loyalty our can be trained. BULLSHIT !! Finding her was a blessing. I couldn't imagine coming home and her not here. It is a lot of work keeping a squirrel as a pet but well worth it. I hope she lives 20 years with us.

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    1. I found mine that fell out of a gutter at about 2 weeks old, I fed him every 3-4 hours for weeks and when he opened his eyes he only from then on as his daddy. His name is buddy and name says everything. He knows only me and my girl but loves her but does not want her to hold him, but me he never wants me to put him down. He Never bit me or tried. I like you would not know what to do if something happened to him, I have 2 cats and dogs they love buddy and play chase and sleep with him. Honestly a very good pet.

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  41. I have a Gray squirrel. I rescued him 8 years ago! Hes is so loveable,smart and really is part of our family!! All of a sudden lately hes having loose stoole's and can barely bite a nut open... We are terrified to lose him! He coo"s a lot more. He's been such a lil baby and weak. WHAT DO I DO???? I need him better : ( Im not sure what is happening with him. He has been healthy his whole life. Ive had him since his eyes were closed. Poor lil guy! Please help!!!

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  42. I love squirrels and would love it if I found one to care for

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  43. This is my first time i visit here. I found so much entertaining stuff in your blog, especially its discussion, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! Keep up the good work.

    Pet Wellness Packages

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  44. I wish that I should have squirrels because I love them !

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  45. Hello. I found your blog and I'm trying to get informations everywhere. A friend recently started to pet a Korean squirrel (it's younger than 6 months). It got out accidentaly of its cage and hid in a tiny hole in the wall. As we tried to take it out, a bit of its tail fur fell and we could see a bit of blood. It doens't let anyone get near (it doenst trust us yet) and spends much of its time inside its box nest. It eats and leaves the nest but not with people around. We don't have any vet near by that can treat this animals and we don't know if we should get really worried. Can you advice me?

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  46. I hope you get this message since I am looking for answers. My husband and I found a baby squirrel on someone's yard under a tree.It definitely did not land on grass. The owner of the house said that the baby had been their for hours before we found it. We tried to take it to a vet, but no offices were opened. We ended up taking it home assuming that he probably wouldn't survive since he was breathing heavily and his eyes were closed. We put him in a shoe box with warm cloth, and turned on a space heater for him. To our surprise,he survived and seemed to be improving. He started eating fruits and drinking formula more and more.He seemed to grow a little bit as well. He could not walk well when we found him. He kept falling over and walking backward, but he seemed to be improving every day when he was with us. It seemed like he was able to find his food after sniffing around and his mouth finally touched the food. We believed that he was blind. As mentioned, he seemed to improve a lot, but he just did not seem strong physically compare to squirrel his age, which is about 5-6 weeks old. He was not that fast.The night before he passed, he was able to cling on to our arms, and walked up and down. We were really afraid that he was going to fall off due to his leg. He ate a lot. He also slept a lot that night after we fed him. He pooped and peed normally on days that we was with us. Overall, I must say that he slept quite a lot. He usually woke up to eat and stayed up for no more than 20-30 mins, and he would be sleeping again. He was not as active comparing to other squirrels his age from my research. Today was his 6th day that he was with us. He was still sleeping when I woke up, so I didn't think that anything was wrong. He didn't want to eat today. He was no as active. Closer to noon time, he was breathing heavily through his mouth and laying down in an unusual position(he did not lay down in this position before from what we had seem) . Before we knew it, he passed away. To me...it seemed like he had a seizure 20 mins before he took his last breath. Did we do something wrong? I mean...how come he just died all of a sudden with no signs or symptoms besides his weak legs and blind eyes????? I'm very sad and I felt like I did something wrong that cause his death. :( Please help me!

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    Replies
    1. Seems like he had MBD....metabolic bone disease. When they don't get enough or cannot absorb enough calcium. Feeding them food too high in phosphorous blocks the ability to absorb the calcium too. Seizures, not being able to walk are symptoms. What you feed you squirrel is EXTREMELY important.

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  47. My sister in law found a baby squirrel yesterday I did a placement at a wildlife center and studied Veterinary medicine however this little guy is approximately 5.5-6weeks, I originally was worried he would pass away so I put a heating pad under a towel for him and placed a towel around him as sort of a nest. He survived the night is eating, drinking and playing around. However his one back leg aplears to be broken or something I palpated to feel for a fracture and test to see if he would react however was unable to find anything that appeared out of the normal. We do not know how long he was lying outside but he has really improved however he does notuse his leg he simply drags it behind him. We calked wildlife centers and vets the rehab centers are all full and the vets said euthanize, but he really does not seem to be suffering as heis eating, drinking, playing and alert. What do people reccommend? I dont feel euthanization isan option as in my experience he does jot appear tobe suffering, his other back leg is fine and so is his tail. Should we keep him? We have accessto a big enough cage. Please help with any suggestions. Cheers

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    Replies
    1. Get him calcium asap!! Sounds like MBD (metabolic bone disease) Caused by an improper diet unfortunately. Poor lil guy. Get calcium into him, and he will recover quickly. There's tons of info on MBD on Google...read it before you decide to try to save another.

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  48. 8 months ago we rescued our best friends Baby Boy and Spider-Man. Never in a million years did I think 2 squirrels would bring such happiness to our lives. They come everywhere with us. We have a carrying cage that they come to work in the morning, have their own work cage and back. At our office (we have our own business) the ladies have adopted them as family as well. They are the babies! It is no longer a shock to customers, UPS delivery and mailmen to encounter our boys when they come in, if they are lucky they may even get jumped on by one of them, which they almost entertain now.

    We struggle with our travel though... Even though I have the health certificates, even a prescription from my doc saying they need to travel with me (yes that's how much we love them) and the Vet's ok to fly... We (and our vet) are somewhat hesitant to bring them in the air. Squirrels can develop ear problems and our boys don't have them and we are afraid they will develop problems. Why risk something when they are so healthy, right? But try and find someone to take care of your squirrels THE WAY YOU DO, so you can go away... Any ideas????
    I'd love to post some videos and pics, let me know how.
    ~Karen

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    1. Karen, are your squirrels friendly with eachother ? We are trying to figure out if squirrels have friends. If so, we're they friends when you got them ? Would really appreciate an email. KeeKeeTheDog@gmail.com

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  50. Thank you for your site. And Nutz are newly rehabbed brown squirrel pet thanks you 2.

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  51. Halo am from india, I have two pet squirrels.one male and other female.the male scratched and bit his own body creating wounds which he would never allow to heal.wat should I do.and can I leave them at home for 4 days to go on a vacation

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  52. Just wondering....do squirrels make friends with other squirrels ? OR...bunnies ? Or hamsters ? ( should we try to find our paraplegic pet squirrel a friend ? )

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  53. Hello I'm a mommy of a baby squirrel......I'm guessing Lolly (that's her name) is about 13-14 days old? Her eyes are not open yet but she is eating good and doing very well........Well I'm a little worried.....I have grown to really love this little girl and I want was is best for her....so I have a few questions. Can I love on her and still turn out in the wild when that time comes? I would like to get her big and find a place where she would be with other squirrels......(can I even do that?) would love to keep her as a pet but I worry about that to.......is it pretty easy to take care of a pet squirrel? Please help me! I would love to here for you...thank you and God bless:)
    Angi

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  54. Nice blog, keep it up, ;)

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  55. Hi. Thank you for your website. Early this month in 8/8/2014, we found 3 baby squirrels in our yard that fell from a very very high nest. One was dead but 2 were alive. 1 if the 2 live ones appeared to have a head injury (half of skull was purple). We brought the 2 inside and tried to warm them up (we live in Fort Bragg, NC, so it is very hot and humid outside anyway). We immediately looked up squirrel info on the internet. The squirrels appeared to he a week old, very pink, ears looked to be about to separate from their heads, very fine almost undetectable fuzz on the mouth. Gave both squirrels 1 ml each plain pedialyte with a tiny syringe, and then again 2 hrs later. Then put them in a warm shoebox with no top, and went to Petsmart to get formula. It was the weekend and so no vets or wildlife rehabilitators were open. We had no option for squirrel formula. Had to get the best puppy formula possible. We got 1 can of GNC goat milk formula - it was Petsmart' s top brand. Also bought a first aid rubbery hot water pouch. When we got home, the squirrel with the head injury had died. :( We put it aside and fed the last surviving squirrel 1 ml puppy formula mixed with filtered water (warmed). He seemed starving. After feeding, we buried the other deceased squirrel in the backyard. Fed the heakthy squirrel like this every 2.5 hrs till the next day. Then on day 2 we fed straight puppy formula 1.5 mls without diluting with water, same schedule. We took him outside fir a couple hours to see if his mama would return, but she didn't. :( That day, I got online and ordered Fox Valley Squirrel formula. It took 4 days to arrive. Once it came, we diluted the Fox Valley with the GNC puppy formula so as not to shock his intestines. Then the next day fed just the Fox Valley formula and have been ever since. He eats 2 mls every 3 hrs now and he is 3.5 wks old with fine fur on his head and tail, and a grey back. Sometimes we give some purified water just incase he's not getting enough. He poops and pees regularly throughout the day - we help him do this by putting his lower half under warm water and wiping his man parts with a q-tip till he goes. We refill the hot water pouch and put a pillow case in it every time he eats. He loves the warmth and spreads out like he's doing jumping jacks, we make sure its perfect, not overly hot. We tried to contact every wildlife rehabiltator in our area and every one turned us down. :( NOT ONE of them were accepting new animals. We don't want to throw him out in the woods, so we're just gonna raise him until we figure out what to do. If we never find a willing rehabilitator, I guess we'll be having a permanent pet squirrel. My question is... once he gets old enough to eat solid foods, how often and in what manner do we feed him? Should it be scheduled feedings, like a human with 3 or 4 meals a day, or is it like a free for all, where we just put food in the cage all day long and he eats whenever he feels like it? Seems like he would get fat with the latter. Because he was a lone survivor, like Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, we named him Mark. We are nervous about raising a squirrel because it is the "unknown", but also warming up to the idea. Obviously we'd prefer if a rehabilitator was willing to help him so he coukd have the life he was meant to have. Thanks for reading my long comment. :)

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    Replies
    1. My squirrel is 14 months old and have raised him since he was 5 weeks old. I fed mine human baby formula from Walgreens with a bottle for small animals. This was the powder I mixed with water. He ate this twice daily because I work. I also gave him cantaloupe which he can get liquids. Now he eats peanuts that are non salted and roasted. Walnuts that fall from the tree. He loves almonds. He still eats cantaloupe and honey dew. Another melon he likes is watermelon. I also have a water bottle that is attached to the side of the cage. He is a great pet. Loves to lick your hand and sometimes neck and face. I hope you have fun with the little guy.

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  56. I tried giving my 3 month rescue squirrel Esbilac puppy formula, but she became very dehydrated with runny stools. We gave her pedialite in between feedings and switched her gradually to a Fox Valley formula. She got much healthier right away with perfect stools and grew hair and her ears popped out in 24 hours after starting the Fox Valley one. We also keep her on a heating pad (for humans) set on low covered in a jersey knit pillow case with a rumpled jersey knit pillow case that she snuggled under. She's in a glass aquarium with a metal screen lid. We also wipe her abdomen and privates with a warm wet cloth with every feeding to help her go. It seems to be working! We feed her in a upright position with a rodent nipple over a syringe about 1 teaspoon of formula every 3 hours. We let her go for 6 hours at night without feeding. We keep her nose wiped frequently during feeding and hold the nipple at a 45 degree angle pointing up to her mouth. It takes two of us to do it. One to hold her and the other to hold the nipple on the syringe and push the formula slowly. I used a tack to puncture several holes in the nipple. I got the syringe (without the needle) in the baby section at a drug store. For water I just use filtered water. )I learned in nursing school that it's really bad to drink distilled water) I'll keep you posted! - Sara F.

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  57. My son is an arborist, and has been forced to relocate squirrels from hazardous, dead trees. We have had a number of nests with very young babies which I have raised successfully. I use the formula directions prescribed in the Squirrel Wildlife Rehabilitation website with great success.
    There are also directions about the gradual introduction of solid foods. Use Pedialyte for rehydration, and heavy whipping cream mixed into the Esbilac following the direction on the Squirrel Rehab website, and your babies will be fine. I feed half, help them void, then feed the remainder. Currently have 2 thriving litters.

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  58. In my previous post I said 3 month when I meant to say 3 WEEK. oops
    - Sara F My squirrel is doing very well. Her eyes are open now and she's up to almost 2 teaspoons every 4 hours. I am concerned about her going crazy as a pet, and about getting killed immediately if we let her go next summer. I would like to hear from people who have kept squirrels for a long time like Beebz. - Sara F

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  59. Sara F here again. My squirrel is still doing very well. We upgraded her digs to a used ferret cage someone was throwing out. It's a little small, still. My husband is building a big one that's 6' by 5' by 3'. We put the heating pad under half of the cage and lined it with fleece that we wash every day. She just started chewing on Henry's squirrel blocks and I gave her water in a bowl filled with marbles that is submerged in one of the cage's platforms. She is so sweet. I would really love to keep her as a pet. I joined the squirrel board but I'm not so sure about it. I'm planned on soft releasing her, but I want to give her the option of staying with us if she wants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sara F here. Mystique is doing great. Spring is here. I'm afraid of releasing her, but I don't want her to be alone in a cage her whole life. It's a big beautiful cage with a large cat tree, a hanging ferret bed and all the best food and vitamins, but it's still a cage...Any advise?

      Delete
  60. I am currently raising a baby squirrelthat fell out of its tree at the end of July. He was 3wks old cause he opened his eyes 2wks later. He is now eating mostly solid foods such as spinach, walnuts, natural and dried bananas, apples, and is coming his formula and pedialyte from a bowl now. He's been playing in his tree for about a week now and stayed in it almost all day today nut came back in in the evening. He has a covered 5ft cat tower in my bedroom and stays in the living room all day with me. Going from room to room with me as I care for my other animals. He's never been I'm a cage and plays with my husband and I all the time.

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  61. I recently found a 7 week old squirrel and so far so good i have been feeding him esbilac every 4 hours sometimes he goes a little longer but never longer then 8 hours . He is eating grapes and broccoli . I bought him sweet potatoes . Kale . Carrots .tomatos .but i think he is still too young as he cant hardly bite the fruits or veggies he just licks he might just be starting on solid foods i will introduce him to monkey biscuits soon and rodent blocks for added nutrition and calcium .. i am trying to get him to drink water but he does not like it so for hydration im giving him pedialyte out of the syringe. I still dont know if i would like to keep him as a pet or release him when he is ready to live outdoors. I have a dog ,2 cats, a 3 year old son and one on the way.. But for now i have been taking good care of him. Im getting attached to him but i know things will be diffrent when the baby is here ..how can i prepare him to live outdoors without getting himself into danger? And how can i get him to start eating more solids ..should i puree the food slowly in till he gets the hang of it and start leaving chunks?

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  62. Hello, I have 2 northern flying squirrels 1 is male and the other might be a female (not sure yet) Just the other night my male Chaos was out of his cage playing in my room and managed to get his right hind leg caught in a door hinge, I was able to help him get unstuck but the outcome was not good. Now it looks like its broken and im really worried about him and want to do everything I can to help it heal but I domt know what to do. Also Chaos I believe is now 4/5 months old and the female Bella is atleast 5/6 weeks old and Chaos seems to not like her, should I be concerned about them 2 being together in the same cage? and if Bella isn't a female will chaos and the other start to fight and try to kill eachother???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Broken limb = a visit to a Vet at the least..

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    ReplyDelete
  64. I found a baby in back yard after they cut a tree down next door,,,from what I could tell from reading on line was about 5 weeks old and I had to feed with a dropper .....I already had a large cage from a prairie dog I had for 12 years.....Mojo is doing great,,,started eating nuts and veggies now....and is getting real curious about her world outside of the cage....I plan on keeping her......:)

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  66. I love my squirrel. Had him since he was a baby. My experience with my pet has been very similar to the article.

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  68. Oh my goodness, that squirrel did some terrible damage to you! I think I'll pass actually.

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  69. Black squirrel named marty has been the greatest little friend to us since the invention of the dog.
    Potty trained at 16 weeks "pee pee anyway" which if we could have only one or the other I would've chose pee pee.
    Aslong as he has alot to play with and you keep up on physical contact, he is just like a 4 month old kitten "very playful".

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  70. About three months ago one of our cats "dragged home" a baby squirrel that couldn't have been more than a week or so old; it was the size of my finger excluding the tail, and had almost no hair. It was alive but I left it on our deck hoping for the inevitable. After several hours I heard a high pitched scream and found the little guy crawling blindly. Couldn't take it so I wrapped him in a cloth and gave him some milk thru an eye dropper which he drank enthusiastically, most coming out the nose lol. Fast forward three months and we have the happiest, healthiest looking young squirrel in the forest. I purchased a "squirrel house" from a reputable manufacturer which he loves and has made his home. He eats pecan halves, acorns of course, my many deer antlers, and whatever squirrels find in the outdoors as thats where he spends most of his time. He plays with other squirrels that look to be his own age but prefers our company, and doesn't appear very popular with the older squirrels. We live in a very wooded community in rural VA.

    I suppose what I'm wondering is, has anybody had any experience with a hybrid environment like ours? Will he "fit in" with wild squirrel society, mate, etc even though he likes to come home several times a day to eat pecans? Plus hes started sleeping inside our house since its gotten cold. I've allowed this because I've read that late summer born litters (the anomaly) generally winter with the mother for obvious reasons.

    Questions, concerns, comments, bad dreams AND nightmares greatly appreciated!

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    Replies
    1. Just in case anybody is interested our little guy has taken up with two other juvenile squirrels and only comes back to the house in the morning to "say hello". He'll only eat a few bites of what we give him but still runs around our legs and up and down like "old times". Hes bigger and browner but apparently misses his adopted mom and dad every day. Everything I've read so far says you cant raise a squirrel from a baby that will adapt to the wild. So much for everything..........

      Delete
    2. This website has been of no help other than a place to vent but TY regardless

      Delete
  71. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  72. I have a squirrel that nests under my grill every year. He/she has had the same nest there for at least 4 years, and twice a year there are babies there. I pet them and once in a while pick one up, but always put it back.

    First, if the squirrel is an adult, what are the chances to 'taming it'. I put all sorts of food out for them, chips, bread, meat, nuts, they eat it all.

    Also, what would be the effect if I took one of those babies, say after 3 or 4 weeks, and tried to keep it as a pet? Would the squirrel become domesticated? I had a baby one bite me once. Also, would the mother notice it missing?

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    Replies
    1. I would definitely not recommend taking a healthy baby squirrel from its nest. The mother will definitely notice it missing. A squirrel is a wild animal, no matter how domesticated it seems, and should only be brought inside if it is orphaned or injured and would die otherwise. It's great that you have a squirrel that nests so close to you, and trusts you enough to let you handle its babies.

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  73. Our squirrel, Rocky is 5+ years old. When he was around 2, he started loosing hair and his beautiful tail had gotten slender. We were worried about him so I did some online searching and decided it was lack of calcium. I purchased a powdered calcium with D3 for reptiles and sprinkled it on his food. It worked remarkably well and he returned to his healthy full coat of hair and beautiful fluffy tail in a very sort time. We have kept this supplement up and he has never had this problem again. He does not bite us and we keep the tips of his nails trimmed, therefore we don't get scratched as much. We discovered if we don't trim them from time to time, they will grow around into his paws and become ingrown. It does not have to be done very often, at least, not like our dog. Rocky is a lot of fun and you can tell he loves my husband. My husband is the one that takes care of him the most and you can tell Rocky knows that! Rocky's favorite foods are pecans (we try to give him only the ones that are not shelled), acorns, corn, sunflower seeds, and carrots. We experiment with lots of fruits and vegis. He's a good eater! No problem there. On the rare occasion his water bottle runs out, he lets us know by banging it around on the side of his cage. We love Rocky but it's like any pet and does require work and expense. We did not set out to keep him on purpose. His nest was over 20 miles from our house so when I released him, he sat in the same spot in a tree in our back yard. When I went near the tree he would come back to me like he did not know what to do so I took him in and fed him. If we had not taken him to begin with, he would have died. He had hair but was really wobbly. I was scared he had later became too reliant on us and too people friendly to release.

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  74. I have raised a squirrel for the pasty 16 months. She is nice and plump from eating too much. I would like some advice on how to help her lose some weights. She loves to eat and pecans are her favorite. I love the little girl and do everything I can to make her happy which includes a 10 foot cage outside for her to play in. However, her weight is not good because she has been spoiled. Advice would be helpful because she is a chewing and eating machine.

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    Replies
    1. I would suggest feeding her fewer nuts and more vegetables. Kale, broccoli, and red bell peppers are favorites with my squirrel. It's good that your squirrel has a big cage to play in. Pecans should be a treat, but not her everyday food.

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  75. My squirrel is losing hair around the inside of his groin (upper inner thighs) I give him a diet of mixed nuts, some fruits and veggies. He's very active and has hair everywhere else. Please help!
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  76. There is a black squirrel that comes to my door , I give him peanuts and he leaves me rocks. If I do not give him a peanut fast enough he takes his rocks away. Is this normal for a squirrel to do ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Try to sing jingle bells. He will dance for you and juggle with the rocks.

      Delete
  77. We found a injured adult squirrel in the back yard. It can not move its back legs. We have it in a box on a hot had. I have called for help but no one will help. We don't know what to do with it. We cant just let it die but have no idea what to do or even if it just is to injured to live. Please help. My email add is jscmreanier@hotmail.com.

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  79. I rescued a baby squirrel 3 months ago and had FULLY planned to keep him until he was strong enough and big enough to go back into the backyard.

    I'm now so head over heels in love with this little guy that the thought of him trying to sleep in a tree, cold and alone and scared!, would keep me awake at night.

    Jelly is 4 months old now. Our screened in patio is almost as big as the house and there are trees inside he climbs and other squirrels he plays with on the screen and occassionally other squirrels get in and they play all day.

    But what about when he's old enough to mate? Will he be miserable?

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  81. I feed mine charlie chinchilla, I have many chinchillas as well. I read ingedients in the blocks its all in their, + he gets his nuts & fresh food hes about 18 weeks now I guess. hes a great baby.

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  84. Your poor arm, those squirrels look absolutely ruthless!

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  85. I've found that there are a lot of different opinions on the proper diet, but I think this just about nailed it. By the way, sugar and salt are bad for squirrels.

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  86. Hi,
    I live in South Africa. I have found an orpaned squirrel 10 days ago. From what I have researched so far, it looks like a Smith's bush squirrel approximately 6-7 weeks old. I have been feeding it Royal Canin Baby Cat Milk formula every 4 hours and a few days ago started giving it grapes, apples and avocado. Do I still need to stimulate it in order to urinate, etc?
    I live in town with not much trees around, therefore I would like to release it back into the bush. The problem is that our farm where we found the squirrel is a 3 hour drive from us so I will not be able to check in every now and then.
    Can you please give me some advise on proper diet, age to release and how to go about in order to releasing him?

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  87. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  88. They sound a lot like pet rats actually. Similar diet, similar attentive needs, the occasional bites and scratches (they don't mean too, but a rats vision is poor and once they bite they try to run with whatever is in their mouth which can hurt). I'm not suggesting that their care would be the same, but I feel that my experience with rats would help a lot if I were to try to care for a squirrel.

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  89. Congrats for saving this precious life, I love feeding my squirrels in my backyard they brought me so much pleasure. but the all died cause of a stupid fox which I can't seems to be able to get red of. Enjoy yours, and hopefully my problem will find so resolution so I can still admire these beautiful little creature.

    ReplyDelete
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  91. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  92. July 5th it will be two years when we found our Rocko. She was only days old when we heard her screaming all covered with ants. I rubbed her down with coconut oil and held her in my hands nearly all night. I truly didn't expect her to make it through the night. I started her on puppy milk ,kept her warm and continued to put the coconut oil on what I counted to be 50 to 60 ant bites. Today she is a loving healthy squirrel. We let her out to run the spare bedroom about three times a week. Her cage is in the living room so she gets and demands our full attention. We have our Pit/Boxer Ducky that loves to rub noses with her through the cage .She eats lots of veggies and nuts as well as the rodent food. We do enjoy her so much. I never knew squirrels were so smart and loving.

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  93. I too have a lovely squirrel as my pet name charlie.he is very cute.I brought him when he was just3 week but now he is 6 month old squirrel with a beautiful tail.

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  96. I am so overjoyed that i found this blog. We rescued a pair of twin boys back in may. We figure they are about 16 weeks old and have become a huge part of our family. My husband and i have been debating on whether we should consider releasing them, which would break my heart, or keeping them as pets. They are fat and healthy and we have found a vet to provide for their medicall needs. After finding your blog we are definatly keeping Waylon and Willy with us from now on.I am VERY selective with their diet and have been from the beginning. We love our little boys and they love us. They run to the cage door when we get home every day because they know its "play time" and they are allowed the run of the house with supervision of course. We are native texans and i have always wanted a pet squirrel, i wasnt expecting to get my wish times two. Thank you for sharing your squirrels and i hope to continue looking to you and the other bloggers for advice.

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  100. My rescue squirrel got outside and I can't find him he has never been outside he is about 8 months old and I have had si'nce he was less than a week old will he come back to me?

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  101. I was just given to babies 2 days ago but both little boys can I house them together without fighting when they get older?

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  102. I studied on google, that life span of them is 2years, ur pet s gonna be 3, u said.
    How s that?

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  103. I have saved a male baby squirrel.I've had him one week .he's been living in my bathtub I've made him a great habitat in there.but I have 5 dogs.I am going to give him to a lady who has 2 other male babies.will they all get along? I'm guessing mine is around 3 months old.I haven't seen hers yet

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  104. I have saved a male baby squirrel.I've had him one week .he's been living in my bathtub I've made him a great habitat in there.but I have 5 dogs.I am going to give him to a lady who has 2 other male babies.will they all get along? I'm guessing mine is around 3 months old.I haven't seen hers yet

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  105. Do squirrels get along with others from another litter.I have to give mine up because of my ,5 dogs.he's going to a good home I'm just worried other squirrels will be mean to him

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  106. Do squirrels get along with others from another litter.I have to give mine up because of my ,5 dogs.he's going to a good home I'm just worried other squirrels will be mean to him

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  107. This is my second "go" with squirrels. Last year we had 4 babies, this year we have one. We named him "Bear" because he is black and looks like a mini black bear. The 4 we had last year were easy to rehabilitate, they were together, learning, playing keeping good company. "Bear" on the other hand is a lone ranger.. I am the only thing that he knows as a family member. I have been feeding him a milk replacer that I purchase from Fox Valley Nutrition and he absolutely loves it. Have had NO problems at all with feedings. This Fox Valley milk replacer is highly recommended by many rehabilitators.
    I am very scared for "Bears" future because of his attachment to me. I truly believe that I have a new baby and will have to care for him for the rest of his life. I would rather see him wanting to be a squirrel and so far at 9 weeks, he is still very dependent on me. He wants nothing to do with the outdoors at all.

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  108. Hi, I'm new to your blog and I was wondering if you or anyone could offer me some help. Ive been taking care of an eastern grey squirrel for a couple of months now. I think she's around 13 or 15 weeks old. Shes been very playful, jumping around the house and furniture. very playful and outgoing. However, two days ago, she had an accident. She accidently jumped from one furniture to another but landed on the ground instead. After this incident, she hasn't been the same, she gets really nervous when shes out of the cage, she sleeps more and she rarely wants to get out of her cage. I don't know what to do. Don't know if this has to do something with the fall. She eats the same quantity of food as always but I'm just worried about this change in her behavior.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. does she move funny or shows discomfort anywhere? you might have to find a vet that will look her over.

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  110. Okay so I have two 8 week old, sibling male squirrels(Nigel and Rocky). So far things are going well. My question is when they reach sexual maturity will they fight even though there are no females around and they're brothers? We let them play in the house all day(someones always there to supervise) we got them a huge cat climbing thing and they love it, and their large cage is on its way in the mail. They are eating formula, apples, walnuts, and almonds. I've introduced blocks and they have chewed a little on them but have never fully eaten one. I got them antlers but they don't seem to chew on it(any advice on that?) They are very active and loving. I plan on keeping them because all rehabbers said they could only euthanize so please don't say " you need to take them to a rehabber". Is there any advice you could spare for me? I am sticking with the formula I have because I haven't read a straight answer and my little guys are doing well on the one. Thank you guys so much!

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  112. Very informative post. Was led here following a Google search after watching a Vet Ranch episode where Dr. Matt rescued orphaned squirrels. Specially value your personal insights on actually caring for one. Warm regards to Beebz.

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  114. We found a baby squirrel brought home.we feed him cow milk and nuts.was very health and very cute. His name was Bantu , he use to sleep with us in our bed just like a human baby. He almost kept him for two month. He understands whatever we say him. But few days ago when I was pampering him he suddenly bite me very hardly and was unconscious, after sometime he started breathing very fast couldn't move properly still got off the bed crying very badly and died after sometime. It really hurt us alot as he was just a child for us and my hubby too was very attached to him. We cried a lot still miss him a lot, can't forget him. May his soul rest in peace . LOVE YOU MY BABY BUNTU.

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  115. I love this page, it has been so helpful to me.Thanks

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  116. I have a male squirrel about 5-6 mnths old. His name is rocky and he is a part of our family. I fed him kitten milk and he is healthy and active. I have 2 cats and he chases them thru the house. They don't try to hurt him and never cause him any problems. He loves to be petted and have his mouth rubbed. He will wear your fingers out rubbing his mouth. Can't figure out why he does this but as long as he is healthy and likes it we will continue doing it. He has a nest in the curtain in out living room and basically roams free.

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  117. Dumb Question, but is there and or if there is what is a way to get a squirrel to stop nipping or bitting at your fingers. its not real hard but I feel if it gets any older it will only bite harder.

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  118. Hello: I have had a squirrel for three and a half years now, and he is having problems having a bowel movement and I don't know what to do, he is still drinking and eating minimally but he is acting differently. If you could help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Merry Christmas

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  119. Ok. I know I'm new here but as far as I can tell, I'm raising my orphaned squirrel just the way you are. She will be a yr old in April. She's already went through a heat cycle in which changed her behavior for just a couple of days then she was back to normal but recently I rearranged the room she stays in cause its hers and I had to move things to find all of the nuts she had buried behind them. The next morning after I rearranged, she turned so evil towards me when she's usually loving and playful with me. It kinda broke me heart cause I have no idea why she was like that. I've had her since before her eyes were opened. Her mother was killed by loggers so I had to save her. Ive been her momma and now all of a sudden this aggressive behavior makes me very sad 😢 is this normal once you've "messed up their habitat" by cleaning and rearranging? If so, I'll just clean from now on without moving anything

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  120. I have a 4 year old squirrel. Sophie. Just as was written in the article they are a niche pet for certain people. I am single and have a house. Sophie my squirrel has a very large cage and I do everything that is mentioned in the article. She is a big part of my life and I can't imagine life without her. She is my kid basically and that's how I treat her. She is 100% devoted to me and can have her moments but for the most part is very sweet. Having a pet squirrel is a big commitment and requires a lot of time, research, and energy. I devoted all of this to my Sophie. She has a wonderful life with me. I do give her a calcium stick used for birds and she chews that up daily.. It is a yellow thick size that attaches to the side of the cage. She is non releasable as I have to trim one tooth every few months or so.. If she was in the wild the tooth would kill her and grow into her brain. But with me she is a VERY happy squirrel..

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  121. If you are walking your dog every day or a couple of times a day, make sure you keep an eye on the temperature. my lost pet alert

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