SQUIRREL
05-01-2006, 11:44 PM
Hi everyone, I've been the proud owner of a female southern flyer for about 4 months, her name is Piper and she's been doing fantastically..until recently..when I purchased a second squirrel (male, about 7 weeks old).Having no real source of good reliable information on the subject, I wasn't sure how Piper was going to react, seeing as she had estabilished her cage (which is semi large, 5' x 2' x 4') as her territory long ago. So, when I came home with my new baby boy, I set him up all nice and cozy in a smaller, 1 x 2 x 2 cage, and got him comfortable.
After he seemed quite adjusted to his new environment, I took the small cage he was residing in ( with him enclosed in it) and placed it inside of Piper's cage. The second I did this (she was awake because it was rather late in the night) she got extremely excited, and after the cage had been place and I exited it, she began quickly exploring it, assumedly because she smelled or sensed another squirrel, or at least another animal in her cage. When the boy finally popped his head out of his nest,(whom I had bought from a pet store, unlike piper, who was from a breeder)he saw Piper, but paid no mind. Piper however, when the boy got close enough, pawed at him through the cage. I observed all the interaction for about 2 hours and eventually ended up taking the smaller cage out and setting it next to Pipers, so they could be close without breaching on piper's territory.
-During the time that the smaller cage was in Piper's, Piper would not let me pick her up, nor would she come to me, however, she did take a tangerine slice from my hand ;P
-She still seems quite angry, even with the baby boy sitting in his cage, which is now located a foot or so from Piper's.
Has anyone else here attempted to introduce a new squirrel to an estabilished squirrel pet? Preferably a solitary female, although I know that is probably a pretty rare situation... Any advice would be appreciated...I would hate to have to build another cage and keep them seperated for the span of their lives (though I would do it in a heartbeat rather than give him up for adoption).
Many thanks :D
After he seemed quite adjusted to his new environment, I took the small cage he was residing in ( with him enclosed in it) and placed it inside of Piper's cage. The second I did this (she was awake because it was rather late in the night) she got extremely excited, and after the cage had been place and I exited it, she began quickly exploring it, assumedly because she smelled or sensed another squirrel, or at least another animal in her cage. When the boy finally popped his head out of his nest,(whom I had bought from a pet store, unlike piper, who was from a breeder)he saw Piper, but paid no mind. Piper however, when the boy got close enough, pawed at him through the cage. I observed all the interaction for about 2 hours and eventually ended up taking the smaller cage out and setting it next to Pipers, so they could be close without breaching on piper's territory.
-During the time that the smaller cage was in Piper's, Piper would not let me pick her up, nor would she come to me, however, she did take a tangerine slice from my hand ;P
-She still seems quite angry, even with the baby boy sitting in his cage, which is now located a foot or so from Piper's.
Has anyone else here attempted to introduce a new squirrel to an estabilished squirrel pet? Preferably a solitary female, although I know that is probably a pretty rare situation... Any advice would be appreciated...I would hate to have to build another cage and keep them seperated for the span of their lives (though I would do it in a heartbeat rather than give him up for adoption).
Many thanks :D