Buying a flying squirrel next weekend!

[Greg]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to this discussion site, so please bear with me as I get the hang of things.:)

Well, I just have a few questions regarding owning a flying squirrel. For one, I am homeschooled so rest assured she will be loved. But, my parents want to know if I can keep more than one in the same cage (i.e. same gender). They think it would be better to keep more than one. Now, I would be sharing the flying squirrel with my brothers so time isn't that much of an issue (hence the parent thing). :Pals Mainly, I want to know if they can keep each other company if we are gone for like a few hours and NOT fight. :injail :starwars

Is it possibly to keep more than one squirrel in the same cage if they are the same gender?

I'm OK with a bit of excrement on me, but do they "release" a lot on you when you take them out?


I've heard mixed results on both of those topics everywhere I've been.

Any tips for a first time owner? I've been researching about these guys for weeks!

Thanks,

Greg::popcorn

[Greg]

Is anyone there?


I really need to know if I can own more than one because I need to place my order soon....


:tilt

[TexanSquirrel]

Yes, you can keep more than one together and they probably won't fight (no promises though, they can be like people and one might not like another).


muffinsquirrel's got a whole colony! :Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon See if you can talk to her about the joy of flyers!

[muffinsquirrel]

Hi! I have lots of answers for questions you haven't even asked! Yes, you can keep more than one squirrel in a cage, as long as they get along. BUT....an 'only' flyer will bond to you much stronger than two will. Two flyers are more likely to form their closest bond with each other than with you. Usual advice is to have one squirrel for a year or so, then add another if you still want to. As long as you give your squirrel lots of attention, and plenty of toys, there should be no problem in having just one. I strongly advise getting him a Stealth Wheel to exercise and play in. They are not cheap, but they are worth the extra money because they are so very quiet. Flyers will usually run in their wheel most of the night, so a squeek can be very annoying when you are trying to sleep!

You will most likely get peed and pooped on quite a bit - it's one way they mark their territory. But pee will dry, and poop is just tiny chocolate sprinkles! They are not smelly animals. They do have one really annoying habit - they will cling to the bars of their cage to pee, thereby getting pee all over the wall. I just keep a sheet around 3 sides of the cage.

Where are you getting your flyer? Is it a hobby breeder, pet store or what? Where you get it from is very important, as some sources are known to trap babies from the wild and sell them. Your best bet is a hobby breeder - that way the babies are usually tame and loving. Even if you have to wait a little longer to get one, it will be well worth the wait.

Please visit NFSA, the National Flying Squirrel Association board. There is a lot of information there, and the people are very friendly and helpful, just like here. I post as Judy at NFSA.

www.nfsa.us/phpBB2/index.php

Have fun with your flyer - they are amazing, wonderful animals, and welcome to the world of the HOF (Human Owned by a Flyer).

muffinsquirrel

[Greg]

Hi! I have lots of answers for questions you haven't even asked! Yes, you can keep more than one squirrel in a cage, as long as they get along. BUT....an 'only' flyer will bond to you much stronger than two will. Two flyers are more likely to form their closest bond with each other than with you. Usual advice is to have one squirrel for a year or so, then add another if you still want to. As long as you give your squirrel lots of attention, and plenty of toys, there should be no problem in having just one. I strongly advise getting him a Stealth Wheel to exercise and play in. They are not cheap, but they are worth the extra money because they are so very quiet. Flyers will usually run in their wheel most of the night, so a squeek can be very annoying when you are trying to sleep!

You will most likely get peed and pooped on quite a bit - it's one way they mark their territory. But pee will dry, and poop is just tiny chocolate sprinkles! They are not smelly animals. They do have one really annoying habit - they will cling to the bars of their cage to pee, thereby getting pee all over the wall. I just keep a sheet around 3 sides of the cage.

Where are you getting your flyer? Is it a hobby breeder, pet store or what? Where you get it from is very important, as some sources are known to trap babies from the wild and sell them. Your best bet is a hobby breeder - that way the babies are usually tame and loving. Even if you have to wait a little longer to get one, it will be well worth the wait.

Please visit NFSA, the National Flying Squirrel Association board. There is a lot of information there, and the people are very friendly and helpful, just like here. I post as Judy at NFSA.

www.nfsa.us/phpBB2/index.php

Have fun with your flyer - they are amazing, wonderful animals, and welcome to the world of the HOF (Human Owned by a Flyer).

muffinsquirrel


Thank you! That is very helpful. Mainly, my brothers and I would be sharing the two so bonding is not an issue.

The peeing on the bars is also not an issue because of the cage variety we are buying (formatted for parroted who like to "fling" their food around). But, do they often pee in their bonding pouches/your pockets?

I was planning on buying a Silent Spinner Ferret Wheel for them because I've used them in the past with my other pets. They are very good quality, produce no noise, and can be cleaned very easily.

I'm buying my squirrel from a USDA and State certified breeder.

[muffinsquirrel]

I'm buying my squirrel from a USDA and State certified breeder.

Just be very careful who you buy from - 'USDA and State certified' doesn't mean all that much except that they meet a standard for cage size, cleanliness, etc. The safest way to do it would be either to post the name of the place here or on NFSA, and see what kind of feedback you get, or do a search in both boards and see what has been said about them. Ratkateers, now doing business under the name Brighton Farm, is definately one to stay away from, and there are others that are just as bad. Helen's Little Critters is one of the better ones, but I understand that she has been very ill lately, so may be hard to get hold of. Anyhow, do some research on the breeder you are planning on buying from - it might save you some money and heartache in the long run.

muffinsquirrel

[Greg]

Just be very careful who you buy from - 'USDA and State certified' doesn't mean all that much except that they meet a standard for cage size, cleanliness, etc. The safest way to do it would be either to post the name of the place here or on NFSA, and see what kind of feedback you get, or do a search in both boards and see what has been said about them. Ratkateers, now doing business under the name Brighton Farm, is definately one to stay away from, and there are others that are just as bad. Helen's Little Critters is one of the better ones, but I understand that she has been very ill lately, so may be hard to get hold of. Anyhow, do some research on the breeder you are planning on buying from - it might save you some money and heartache in the long run.

muffinsquirrel
I'm buying mine from Helen's Little Critters.

My mom and I have decided to wait at least three weeks to place our order though (and if she is sick then she will hopefully be better by then). I'm trying to find the very best possible cage, toys, diet, etc for my squirrel - so I want to shop around. I also have to go to some volunteer thing for the next week, very sudden (and kind of annoying) so I want to be able to buy my squirrel when I will have no interruptions for the following two/three weeks (I want to spend almost the entire day with her for bonding :)).

Plus, if you love something you are willing to wait. ^_^

[muffinsquirrel]

Get the very biggest cage you can afford - the more room, the happier they will be. And make sure the bars are no more than 1/2" apart. Although you and your brother are each going to bond with your own squirrel, they may very well bond closer with each other unless you have them in separate cages.

You are wise to wait until you can spend all of your time with your flyer - the more you are with them, the closer they will bond. Enjoy your flyer - they are almost magical animals.

muffinsquirrel

[Greg]

Get the very biggest cage you can afford - the more room, the happier they will be. And make sure the bars are no more than 1/2" apart. Although you and your brother are each going to bond with your own squirrel, they may very well bond closer with each other unless you have them in separate cages.

You are wise to wait until you can spend all of your time with your flyer - the more you are with them, the closer they will bond. Enjoy your flyer - they are almost magical animals.

muffinsquirrel
The cage we are buying is 2' by 3' by 5 1/2'.

It will also be right next to my computer, so the squirrels will have someone next to their cage almost constantly during the day.

If they bond closer together, I assume that you still need to give them hours of attention, correct?

(Other sites said that if the squirrels bond closely together you don't need to give them as much attention. :()

I'm squirrel proofing the computer room in our house. Hopefully, they will enjoy that.

[muffinsquirrel]

The cage we are buying is 2' by 3' by 5 1/2'.

It will also be right next to my computer, so the squirrels will have someone next to their cage almost constantly during the day.

If they bond closer together, I assume that you still need to give them hours of attention, correct?

(Other sites said that if the squirrels bond closely together you don't need to give them as much attention. :()

I'm squirrel proofing the computer room in our house. Hopefully, they will enjoy that.

That's a nice size for a cage - about the same size that I use. And yes, you do still need to give them all the attention possible - they will be happier and so will you. Hey, something just occured to me - you ARE aware that these are nocturnal animals, aren't you? And that after they get past the 'pup' stage, they may not care to come out and play during the day? Some squirrels, even when adult, will still sleep in their human's pocket or shirt during the day, but some want to be left alone to sleep in their own nest box or pouch.

I am really glad to see that you are learning as much as possible about flyers before you get one. They can live to be around 15 years or more, so a flyer is a big committment. Also, make sure you have a vet that knows about exotics lined up before you get yours - always better to be safe than sorry.

muffinsquirrel

[Greg]

That's a nice size for a cage - about the same size that I use. And yes, you do still need to give them all the attention possible - they will be happier and so will you. Hey, something just occured to me - you ARE aware that these are nocturnal animals, aren't you? And that after they get past the 'pup' stage, they may not care to come out and play during the day? Some squirrels, even when adult, will still sleep in their human's pocket or shirt during the day, but some want to be left alone to sleep in their own nest box or pouch.

I am really glad to see that you are learning as much as possible about flyers before you get one. They can live to be around 15 years or more, so a flyer is a big committment. Also, make sure you have a vet that knows about exotics lined up before you get yours - always better to be safe than sorry.

muffinsquirrel


Yes, I am aware that they are nocturnal. I stay up until midnight almost every night.... so that isn't exactly a problem. In addition, even them not wanting to sleep in my pockets after they get past the pup stage isn't a problem. I was slightly worried about that, because I can't take them everywhere with me after the first three/four weeks (so if they end up not liking my pockets them sleeping in their cage is fine). For example, I can't exactly imagine my local grocery store allowing me to walk in with it. I'd actually be able to give them more attention at night than during the day!