squirly claws and neutering

I have a baby squirrel that I have raise from about 1 week old. He is doing very well (about 5 weeks old). I am choosing not to release him because he was a single squirrel and is probably too imprinted to release. Also, if I was to try to let him out around my neighbourhood, I know a few neighbours who hate squirrels and set out traps. I plan on getting him a big ferret cage (one of the really tall ones).

I want to know about their nails and how sharp they get, do they claw at things like cats? I would DEFINATELY not declaw but should I get an electric pet nail filer? or are their nails not that sharp?

I also want to know if I should get him neutered or not. I know male cats have a VERY distinct urine smell if you don't neuter them and they pee everywhere to scent mark. Do squirrels do the same?

Five weeks is waaay to soon to decide that a squirrel is non-releasable. As he grows older, the chances are 999 out of 1000 he will wild up, regardless of how imprinted he seems now. It has nothing to do with the care you have given them, or the bond you have developed - it is just their nature. They are born to live in the trees, and their natural instincts will kick in. There are a very few that prefer life with humans to life in the wild, but even these are not really good pets. They tend to tolerate only one person, and will bite and claw anyone else. Therefore, you can forget about vacations, because you have to stay home to take care of the squirrel. They will not be happy in a cage - you will have to turn over one of the rooms in your house to him. And you will also have to let him have the run of most all of the house quite a bit, to play with him. You will have to have some way of getting him into the sunlight every day, and having him in front of a window won't work. If you can't do this, you have to provide a Full Spectrum Light for him. They have to have a wide variety of foods, which can get very expensive.

I could go on and on, but I'm sure there will be many others with views on this. Good luck, whatever happens.

muffinsquirrel

muffinsquirrel you said it all. VERY few squirrels who are healthy actually choose to live with humans. There is what some of us refer to as a "toggle switch" that flips sometime around five to six months old in a squirrel....last night they were your cuddly little cutie-pie and this morning they are tearing your hand up, or your kids' hands. It was meant to be this way. Also, squirrels do not "imprint" the way some ducks, geese or other animals do. When they hear the call of the trees, they GO and often never look back.

We have a singleton too and we're definitely very attached to our cuddly baby. But rather than planning to keep him, which I believe is unfair to a healthy animal, we're trying to figure out ways to best support him in his outside life.

I too am deathly afraid of neighbors and cars (we live in the suburbs) but if I follow that reasoning too far I wouldn't ever let my own child get on the school bus every day. I have to let Frank live the life he was meant to live if his own mama had raised him.

please don't cut his nails and don't have him de-clawed either!! That will be horrible for him and he will be unable to do what comes natural... climb! :multi

Wait a few more weeks before deciding to keep him, he WILL change, mine are already crazy! And they are only 10 weeks old today!:D I already feel terrible that I have to keep them confined to my house until spring, I can see them looking outside through their window and they look so inquisitive, like they would have a blast if they got out there.

When I release them they will be adult and I'm sure very wild...:wahoo

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Originally Posted by littlesquirt

I also want to know if I should get him neutered or not.

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Castrating a squirrel, Ouch :(
I'm so Not an expert, but that seems so...
no words to follow that.:(

JFYI, Fluffytailnut has Bean and he has not been Castrated and seems to be happy and healthy.

Good luck.

Rowdy Hellboy Rowland is a year and a half male, and he's perfectly happy and sweet to us, and he still...um...God this is awkward...is a fully equipped member of the male gender.

as they should be............... :tilt

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Originally Posted by WickedSquirrel16

Rowdy Hellboy Rowland is a year and a half male, and he's perfectly happy and sweet to us, and he still...um...God this is awkward...is a fully equipped member of the male gender.

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WickedSquirrel16—So glad that your Rowdy Hellboy Rowland remains fully equipped. Castration sounds so—sorry don’t have words to follow that.

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Originally Posted by whopoopwrasse

as they should be............... :tilt

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Whopoopwrasse—Yes!! Agree.

hello, hello, hello. i'm new here. what a wonderful site. i too have been wondering about spaying a female squirrel, clipping nails, and also release. my baby's name is daisy and she is about 4 and a half months. i aquired her when a friend who owns a service station found several babies that had fallen from a tree at about 2 weeks while searching for there mother who sadly was run over. he found a vet who took in two, he wasn't quite fast enough to get one before a hawk did and the vet refused to take in another soooo ofcourse i couldn't refuse. although never having taken in a squirrel baby before i probably did the wrong thing by socializing her. she is very sweet and seems to be accepting of everyone. my dilema here is if she should be released or not. i have read alot of conflicting info on the subject.and lots of people i've spoken to have actually had some wonderful squirrel pets for years. would spaying her calm her some before she goes into that dreaded heat cycle, and is that even an option?? i feel so sad when she looks out of the window and actually paces sometimes i think longingly. but i have alot of cats. 4 who live outdoors who know she is here and would love nothing more than to have her outside. there are squirrel hunters where we live and i fear that because she has no cause to fear humans that could also be cause of her demise. i feel sort of selfish and guilty keeping her but if she can be a happy healthy squirrel pet i would love her always. i am quite scratched up so i've been wondering about filing her little nails. any input here will be greatly appreciated.

Hi Temple, sorry if i am threadjacking, but this is more important than squirrel claws.
Please do check our squirrel nutrition forum!

* Squirrel Nutrition

** Especially: Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels

We do NOT want your little one face any calcium deficiency problem, this may lead to DEATH!

:wave123

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Originally Posted by temple

hello, hello, hello. i'm new here. what a wonderful site. i too have been wondering about spaying a female squirrel, clipping nails, and also release. my baby's name is daisy and she is about 4 and a half months. i aquired her when a friend who owns a service station found several babies that had fallen from a tree at about 2 weeks while searching for there mother who sadly was run over. he found a vet who took in two, he wasn't quite fast enough to get one before a hawk did and the vet refused to take in another soooo ofcourse i couldn't refuse. although never having taken in a squirrel baby before i probably did the wrong thing by socializing her. she is very sweet and seems to be accepting of everyone. my dilema here is if she should be released or not. i have read alot of conflicting info on the subject.and lots of people i've spoken to have actually had some wonderful squirrel pets for years. would spaying her calm her some before she goes into that dreaded heat cycle, and is that even an option?? i feel so sad when she looks out of the window and actually paces sometimes i think longingly. but i have alot of cats. 4 who live outdoors who know she is here and would love nothing more than to have her outside. there are squirrel hunters where we live and i fear that because she has no cause to fear humans that could also be cause of her demise. i feel sort of selfish and guilty keeping her but if she can be a happy healthy squirrel pet i would love her always. i am quite scratched up so i've been wondering about filing her little nails. any input here will be greatly appreciated.

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So I have decided to not neuter my little squirt, I looked at bean's thread and he seems like a perfectly adjusted squirrel.
As for my squirt, at about 4 months of age he is still as sweet as ever with no sign of a temper in sight. He is accepting of everyone who comes to see him and he doesn't know what biting is, he does chew everything in sight into little bits and peices but he has never bitten to inflict pain on a person.

As for the nails, I am filing them down when they get too long. He does protest but if he gets a pecan to pasify him he will just grunt a little and then go about eating it while I file away.

such a good thread on the "release." i just go "day by day" on the release of my NOS. i am planning on march per my vet's discussion. i try not to even think about it as it makes me so SAD but have to do what is right for NOS! if i believe he will NOT make it in the wild for any reason, i will be hesitant. i will wait until that day arrives. my little guy has sure touched my heart! he is such a delight but have to think about him. i will wait until the arrival of march to see what spring brings. my main concern is that NOS will go to anyone. he is unafraid. i live in a condo, and he cannot do that on the outside. they will most certainly have him removed. will just hope for the best and wait until spring's arrival.

again, NOS & I are so grateful for this board!

hi farm mom .
You have so mane pets. I like them in their natural places. I do not make them pet or bought pet.

hey guys i am new on here and i have a baby squirrel:) he has a hurt leg (front) i really want keep him , but would he be happy? and i really want to let him go , but would he know what to do to survive? my parents are divorced so i go back and forth all the time.my mom is happy to take care of him when i am gone :) he is really active and thats why i think he would happy in the wild. i sometimes live in the suburb and next to a road and it is really really busy all the time:( and i also sometimes live on a big farm, but my dad lets hunters hunt there:( WHAT DO I DO?????????? please help me:shakehead

I just want to chime in and say that we discussed neutering our 1 year old male with our vet (who studied "Lab Animal Science" in school), and decided against it. Neutering is designed to prevent procreation, and not actually "fix" any behaviors. The behavioral changes are just side effects, and unpredictable. You may wind up with a neutered squirrel who hates your guts, and won't be able to reproduce if you have to release him.

@Walter: I'm sure he's very happy now, and my boy came to me with broken legs and is happy to live in captivity. However, as he grows up he will become more attached to a caretaker. If you aren't with him 100% of the time, it's sort of a guarantee that he won't attach to you, but rather your mother, which might break your heart. Traveling between 'rents houses would be very stressful on him.

If you find a rehabber in your area, or research doing it yourself, it sounds like your dad's place is a good place for him to go. If he's rehabbed properly he'll learn to be suspicious of people again, and won't approach the hunters. He'll definitely be able to learn to live on his own, but not if you just go outside and let him go one day when he is big enough...

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Originally Posted by Walter

hey guys i am new on here and i have a baby squirrel:) he has a hurt leg (front) i really want keep him , but would he be happy? and i really want to let him go , but would he know what to do to survive? my parents are divorced so i go back and forth all the time.my mom is happy to take care of him when i am gone :) he is really active and thats why i think he would happy in the wild. i sometimes live in the suburb and next to a road and it is really really busy all the time:( and i also sometimes live on a big farm, but my dad lets hunters hunt there:( WHAT DO I DO?????????? please help me:shakehead

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