Advice for catching a baby squirrel

[jplaya023]

I have located a nest high up in a tree and the only way for me to access it is to toss up a rope and climb up. The only problem is I have no idea if there are any babies in there and i have no idea if the mother or father will attack me if i get too close. I need some advice because i would really really love to have a pet squirrel and i am prepared to do whatever it takes without risking injury. Thanks for your help! :)

[Tomo]

I hope you take this in the practical way it is given. It's not meant to offend you. Squirrels don't make good pets, every rehabber will tell you that. Most of us have come by squirrels by accident, not on purpose and we release them as soon as they are able to go. Don't hold anything against it's will. You wouldn't like it if someone climbed into your bedroom window and carted you off against your will and nature to be free.

Instead of just wanting a baby squirrel, why don't you become a licensed rehabber? Then if you are supposed to have a squirrel as a pet and one comes along that can never go into the wild (because of illness or injury), you will have your opportunity - given keeping squirrels is legal where you live. It's not legal to own a pet squirrel in most states.

But more to the point, you will be seriously injured if you go up that tree or any tree to capture a healthy squirrel. If the mother doesn't get you, then the baby sure will!! Besides there many pets you can have. Don't steal from nature what doesn't belong to you.

[Tomo]

BRAVA GAMMAS BABY! Truer words were never spoken!

[tatcat]

way to reply to this guys...:thumbsup

[NaturesGift]

:goodpost :goodpost :goodpost

I think a hamster or a ferret or a Rat. would be far better pets than a squirrel.

We release or releasable fuzzers b/c we love them. Every squirrel has a wild instinct. some ppl on her have fuzzers as pets but not b/c they went out of ther way to make their squirrel a pet. its just something that happens.(or they have an injury that prevents release) It takes a special person to be able to meet the needs of a squirrel. they are alot of work. and feeding them cost alot expecially in winter. they are not like any other "pet" there is no premade mix. You have to abide by surtain rules or you kill the squirrel. and they die a painful death.

Please think this through b4 you go through with what you want to do. and think of what the squirrels want.

[wheezer]

I just can't let this go by without adding it is VERY wrong to take a baby from it's mother. I would venture to say no one here got there squirrels in this manner. Along with what Gramma's Baby said which is right on, it just isn't right to steal babies from mothers.

[NaturesGift]

If not, what will you do if your "baby" becomes ill? Very few vets will have anything to do with them.

not to mention the vet bill...now thats alot of $$$$

[NaturesGift]

I just can't let this go by without adding it is VERY wrong to take a baby from it's mother. I would venture to say no one here got there squirrels in this manner. Along with what Gramma's Baby said which is right on, it just isn't right to steal babies from mothers.


Diddo! its cruel and inhumane

[Mrs. Jack]

Perhaps someday you will have a child.. and you go to the store, and you turn your back for two seconds and when you turn back, your child is gone. and the person who took her says "but I just have always wanted a child..."

[jplaya023]

WOW Mrs. Jack... I didn't realize this was a tree hugging squirrel lovers society. Ive heard numerous cases of people catching baby squirrels yet when i ask, im apparently the devil. Either way im still going to try, but thanks for not helping me whatsoever. hippies

[Cleo_13]

You know, I really wish people would not come on, pretending to care about squirrels(his profile does say he loves them) but with intentions that show that they really don't care at all. jplaya023, What Mrs. Jack said made sense. What you said doesn't, and sorry for saying this but I hope you don't come back.

[island rehabber]

WOW Mrs. Jack... I didn't realize this was a tree hugging squirrel lovers society. Ive heard numerous cases of people catching baby squirrels yet when i ask, im apparently the devil. Either way im still going to try, but thanks for not helping me whatsoever. hippies

:thankyou jplaya, I can't think of many things I would rather be called than a Tree-Hugging Squirrel Loving hippie! :thankyou And damn proud of it, too.

You've made your intent clear -- that you wish to kidnap a healthy baby squirrel from its nest and raise it "as a pet". We've made it clear that we neither condone nor recommend anyone EVER doing this under any circumstances. End of story. :D

[Jackie in Tampa]

WOW Mrs. Jack... I didn't realize this was a tree hugging squirrel lovers society. Ive heard numerous cases of people catching baby squirrels yet when i ask, im apparently the devil. Either way im still going to try, but thanks for not helping me whatsoever. hippies
Hey Buddy...stop it...go look in the mirror! do you really see a monster, a monster that would hurt a squirrel...a happy little squirrel that doesn't deserve to be disturbed...Buddy , it is really a waste of time to be THAT monster...move on....

[Tomo]

WOW Mrs. Jack... I didn't realize this was a tree hugging squirrel lovers society. Ive heard numerous cases of people catching baby squirrels yet when i ask, im apparently the devil. Either way im still going to try, but thanks for not helping me whatsoever. hippies

Wow is right! I'm going to be very rude right now, and don't doubt that I mean every word of what I say... I think the operative words here are "didn't think"! And it's not "was", it "IS" a "TREE HUGGING SQUIRREL LOVERS SOCIETY"!

Hey other Tree Hugging Squirrel Loving Folk, guess what? There's a bunch of people with the last name of Playa in the Hartford area! I bet it wouldn't be difficult to find this self appointed...what did they call themselves..."devil"!

[smoknbunny]

I'm really sorry that the person who wants to catch themselves a squirrel is only paying attention to the parts of the responses that tell him that it is cruel and potentially harmful if not fatal for the baby squirrel which is true and you don't have to be a "squirrel lover" to understand that.
Dear potential squirrel catcher, the people writing these responses have SERIOUS experience with squirrels and are not using any scare tactics here. When they tell you that YOU could get hurt they are telling you the truth. An angry,frightened or threatened squirrel can bite incredibly hard - consider the strength necessary to crack a nut and gnaw like they do. And their claws are razor sharp for climbing. It would be near impossible to tame a wild squirrel and having a wild squirrel in a cage screaming at you and trying to scratch or bite would be terrible for you AND the squirrel.
The alternative of taking a baby from it's mother, still leaves you getting possibly attacked by the mother or another squirrel. If you manage to get a baby young enough that you can hand raise, there is still NO guarantee that it will be friendly. They are very hard to feed properly as babies and very complicated to feed as adults. They don't just eat nuts and seeds. In fact only nuts and seeds will kill them.
If you wind up raising the baby and it isn't friendly enough to be a pet, you can't just put it outside and let it go. It needs to be acclimatized to the outdoors in a proper location.
I hope you will come back and read this thread and some of the info on TSB again. It is very informative and I'm sorry that you may have thought people were making up stories to scare you out of getting a squirrel. Please do a lot more reading and research and PLEASE stick around and ask some questions about squirrels. There are many people here who have lots of information. But I can guarantee that no one here has acquired a baby squirrel by climbing a tree and taking it from a nest, away from it's mother.
PLEASE - they need their mother's milk with all the proper nutrition and antibodies as well as her care to grow up as healthy as possible. Other people here who have squirrels have them because the squirrels would have died without their help.

[FallensMommie]

WOW Mrs. Jack... I didn't realize this was a tree hugging squirrel lovers society. Ive heard numerous cases of people catching baby squirrels yet when i ask, im apparently the devil. Either way im still going to try, but thanks for not helping me whatsoever. hippies


Okay, I'm really going to take offense here because "Us Tree Hugging Squirrel Lovers Society" didn't go and steal a nursing mother's baby from it's cozy little nest with it's siblings whom they snuggle and play with! We got them by them falling out of nest, their trees destroyed, their mothers killed, etc....not by deciding to be the devil (your words) and rob a mother of it's young!

Nobody even said you were the devil, but the words came out of your mouth, so if the shoe fits wear it! These experienced people who rehab wildlife and those that have raised a baby squirrel by it's misfortunate, including myself, gave you great advise and were being honesty and truthful and for that you spit venom at them.

I raised my squirrel from 2 weeks of age, including getting up every 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the middle of the night for feedings. I am a stay-at-home mom who when the squirrel was old enough it didn't need it's incubator anymore got full range of the house and all the lovin and attention he needed, and even still at 13 weeks he decided the great outdoors was for him. I was truly heartbroken at his discision but respected his wants. I was not going to try to keep him in the house as he was pacing from door to window to be wild. If you don't let them have their wish they will bite and turn against you and then your loving little baby that was so sweet and cuddling.......now you can't even hold. I gave my little man his wish and because of that he allows me to be part of his world.

This is not a game, this is life and respecting life. Just because we are superior beings by nature doesn't not give us the right to trample on naure and it's course.

[Loopy Squirrel]

Males as well as females build nest and more than likely there isn't any babies in the nest anyway. Go ahead stick your hand in there and see what is attached to it after. Your more likely to break your neck from falling when you try to detach "it" from your hand. Squirrels are extremely territorial! By the way, babies bite too!

[pamela lee]

WOW Mrs. Jack... I didn't realize this was a tree hugging squirrel lovers society. Well of course it is, thank you very much! Ive heard numerous cases of people catching baby squirrels yet when i ask, im apparently the devil.You've never heard of it on here. Either way im still going to try, but thanks for not helping me whatsoever.You're welcome! hippiesTHANKS:peace GOD BLess and Take care:peace

[LynninIN]

Jeff, your not old enough to know what the word hippie actually means.

[anneke]

tree huggers:thinking and hippies....are those bad things:thinking

Anyway, just because I am one of those boring folks who likes to think a through.....what happened to the squirrels those people caught? Anyone you know?

What I have seen as a volunteer at a wildlife rehab center is that they are incredilby cute when they are itty bitty, but by the time they are moving off being bottle fed, it's downright scarey to stick my hand into the tank to pick them up and put them in a transfer box so I can clean their tank and get new food ready.

And then they get even more independent (read: wild :crazy ). I was gifted with the opportunity to bring a nestbox of 4 to my yard to release. One of those squirrels stayed in the nestbox for several days. I kept checking to see if she/he was well. This little bugger would growl, charge, lunge and chatter with its bottom jaw all aquiver. I was sure it was going to take up permanent residence right there and had images of it leaping down onto my head in a rage when I had to mow the lawn beneath it's home. :jump

I've had a wide variety of animals in my life and squirrels wouldn't be at the top of my list for a housemate.

As to the overall tone and philosophy on this board....a truly warm, caring, devoted group of people who are committed to helping as many wild things live in their natural environment as possible.....If that's not a fit with your world view, "peace" , but I am guessing you won't be particularly happy here.


WOW Mrs. Jack... I didn't realize this was a tree hugging squirrel lovers society. Ive heard numerous cases of people catching baby squirrels yet when i ask, im apparently the devil. Either way im still going to try, but thanks for not helping me whatsoever. hippies

[Mountain Mama]

Jplaya, we welcome you to respectfully state your opinions, but if you won't place nice and mind your manners, you won't be allowed to post. Please consider this a friendly warning.

There are many different opinions on this board, and that's what makes it work well. But we respect each other, and ask that you do the same.

[tatcat]

:thumbsup hey fm, i so agree...this kid needs to be banned!!!

[FallensMommie]

I would welcome a ban on him, he's not going to stop. Just going to keep being foul.....he surely is not worth my time or effort! Give advise and he abuses the board :shakehead

[tatcat]

:shakehead :shakehead :shakehead :shakehead

[FallensMommie]

OH and to answer you........Jplaya

My children home school. During the time of waking up all hours of the night I still got up and did my job.....take care of my husband, be a mother and teacher to my children and take care of the house and a baby squirrel. So believe me I had a job! My family is my world and they have always been my top priority and as for as getting up in the middle of the night... I did the same thing for them when they were nursing. :D

[Nutkin]

I truly don't understand the mentality of someone wanting to steal a baby from it's mother. Jplaya, I am owned by a squirrel, but only because God placed her in my path. She and her siblings, who did not survive, were blown out of their tree during a hurricane. At the time I did not have internet access and had no idea this wonderful site exsisted. If I had, NutNut's life would probably be very different than it is now. Raising a squirrel is EXTREMELY hard! No one is telling you spook stories. Believe me, I can tell you some horror stories of my own, one attesting to their biting power - bruised the bone she bit so hard the first time she came into heat! There is also NO and I do mean NO garantee of survival. I have lost two - Hazel and Baby since Nut came into my life. Both of them sustained injuries and no matter how hard I tried, I could not save them. Do you have any idea how heart breaking it is to have some little one die in your hands and you are powerless to save its life?!!! It will tear you to shreds! Please think long and hard before you proceed with your present plan of action. There are lots of critters who make great pets, including many exotics. Try a sugar glider. Squirrel like and in many states - legal. You won't go to jail if someone tells the right people - if your animal is legal! Otherwise, they will confiscate the animal and put it to sleep and slap you with a huge fine or jail time. Just please think before you act!

[Mads]

WOW Mrs. Jack... I didn't realize this was a tree hugging squirrel lovers society. Ive heard numerous cases of people catching baby squirrels yet when i ask, im apparently the devil. Either way im still going to try, but thanks for not helping me whatsoever. hippies

jplaya023,

It's not just about squirrels, it's about every animal, whether human or not human. Parents should raise their own whenever possible. And people have no right to interfere with that. I filmed these swans last week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h4wUfiEOOo
This week , when I returned to see how the family was doing, the family was broken. The baby was missing and the rumor was that a seagull picked up the baby , although a seagull is not a bird of prey, regardless of what happened, the end result was really very sad. To watch these two swans mourn thier little baby was horrible.

Please consider a pet that really needs a home rather than ripping off a wild animal from it's nest.

[marcucco]

I kinda miss being called a hippy with such distain, it's been a while.

cool