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Thread: Squirrel crying or "Cooing" noise. What does it mean?

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  1. #1
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    Default Squirrel crying or "Cooing" noise. What does it mean?

    Sometimes Cherry will be looking out the window or something and just start making this terribly sad sound like "Coooooo" or mewing / crying noise in a few second intervals. It'll go on for a minute or two and then she's back to normal. I wish I could record a video of it but I don't have anything that can.

    Anyway does anyone know what this noise means? Is she just alarmed at something she saw outside? Or sad / in pain? Perhaps bored or lonely?

    Thanks in advance!
    Zoey - Florida

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    Default Re: Squirrel crying or "Cooing" noise. What does it mean?

    I know that noise! Sammy did it for the first time when he spotted a hawk outside the window. It is a VERY "sad" noise, but I think it is a warning noise. It went on for at least 20 minutes when he did it that first time. I think he sorta got "stuck" in the moment... The hawk was long gone (Sammy's Mama went flying out shouting and waving her arms ) and he kept at it!
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    Default Re: Squirrel crying or "Cooing" noise. What does it mean?

    That's the alarm call. Sometimes it's a whine or a "coo", other times it's a bark-and-whine like "CHK! CHK! Wheeeeeeeeeeee". She heard or saw something that she perceives as danger, and she is alerting everyone around her that it's there. Once they start alarming, they really can't stop immediately. They seem to go into a trance-like state for a few minutes. Sometimes I like to hand mine a nut when they are doing that, so I can hear them go "bfk! bfk! wfffff!" with the nut in their mouth....
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    Default Re: Squirrel crying or "Cooing" noise. What does it mean?

    Quote Originally Posted by island rehabber
    That's the alarm call. Sometimes it's a whine or a "coo", other times it's a bark-and-whine like "CHK! CHK! Wheeeeeeeeeeee". She heard or saw something that she perceives as danger, and she is alerting everyone around her that it's there. Once they start alarming, they really can't stop immediately. They seem to go into a trance-like state for a few minutes. Sometimes I like to hand mine a nut when they are doing that, so I can hear them go "bfk! bfk! wfffff!" with the nut in their mouth....
    It is very funny to hear them whine with a mouthful.
    Willie will take a couple bites, whine, chew, whine chew.

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    Default Re: Squirrel crying or "Cooing" noise. What does it mean?

    does it sound like this?

    http://s1279.beta.photobucket.com/us...b7f33.mp4.html

    that is Flip "chirping" ... I have one of him barking too when he was scared. we gave him some banana thinking we could bribe him to calm down and he just kept doing it in between bites. I was a little concerned to start with but it is kinda funny lol. I felt bad for him!

    http://s1279.photobucket.com/albums/...ingwbanana.mp4
    S4D


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    Default Re: Squirrel crying or "Cooing" noise. What does it mean?

    RE: Sage4dylan
    It sounds closer to the first video, a somewhat prolonged "Chuuuu.."

    Anyway thank you everyone for putting my worries to rest. The sounds itself sound so heartbreakingly sad that I was worried something was wrong. I'm glad to hear it's just a normal thing they do when they see something scary outside.

    about giving them a nut when they do that! I might have to try it, because right now hearing it makes me want to cry. Turning it into something funny is a good idea


    Quote Originally Posted by island rehabber
    Sometimes it's a whine or a "coo", other times it's a bark-and-whine like "CHK! CHK! Wheeeeeeeeeeee".
    Hahaha! That is the perfect way to describe the other noise she makes. That one at least sounds like an alarm or like she's yelling at someone, so it worried me less.
    Zoey - Florida

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    Default Re: Squirrel crying or "Cooing" noise. What does it mean?

    When I hear that cry I often find my neighbor's cat lurking somewhere (hate that cat) then I scare cat off and then all my babies eventually quite down. One afternoon, I found a pretty grey fox lurking about & all my wilds were calling a "fox alert". I think it is cool how they alarm each other. However, I do have two spoiled rotten boys who will sometimes sit up there & cry when they are hungry. It makes me feels so sad, because I feel like a rotten squirrel moma that didn't teach them how to find thier own food. I give them a nut & sometimes they continue to whine while eating; it does sound funny. I tell them that can't cry and eat at the same time, but they don't listen. Spoiled rotten boys!

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