How old ? - can we take baby from squirrel box

[Mac]

We have a squirrel box up on a tree in our yard. The box contains two babies’. They peek out of the box and are still fairly small. My daughter wants to remove one and care for it as a pet. Will they bite at this young age and can we handle this baby? Any help appreciated. Thanks

[FLUFFYTAILNUT]

Hi..first..things...first....:Welcome To the Squirrel Board..:Welcome
Happy..to have a new member..:Welcome
I must agree with Gamma..I think that would be Squirrel Knapping..:D
Mommy..would miss her baby..terribly..please dont take her child away..:peace She loves them and gives them all the lovens..they need..and it is a FOREVER life time commitment...of the life of your squirrel:peace
We'll be happy to chat and hang out with you..and you can enjoy all the rescued...Babies...and squirrel's that are here...:peace

Maybe ..just and idea..how about a ferret...they are very simular to squirrel's..ONLY..not territorial...with wanting ONLY one person..:thumbsup

Have a wonderful day..
FLUFFYTAILNUT:wave123

[Jackie in Tampa]

:thumbsup Guinea Pigs are fabulous for kids as pets. Very easy to maintain and very social.
Also rabbiits...several of us have rabbits as pets, mine doesn't even have a cage.:sanp3 He is nuetered and uses the litterbox like a cat. Very affectionate:crazy Very trainable.
Good Luck as there are alot of choices for pet material.....but a sq is not one of those good choices.
On the other hand ...please do use the small squirrels as a learning tool for your children. NATURE. WILDLIFE, oh la la:thumbsup

[Sciurus1]

May I suggest a far better pet for your child, that of a fancy rat. since it is not strictly a noctural species. They can go about everywhere you do, just put a harness and lease on them, so they don't get away. They are easy to care for, cheap to keep, and live for about 6 years. They do not require the kind of extensive habitat, and fancy diet that squirrels do either, which are not good pets for a child, even an older one, being a rather sophisticated animal, very willful, and chewers that cause allot of furniture damage too! To take a baby squirrel from it's mother, is to do harm to it, for it needs her specific milk to do well. If that doesn't convince you, check out their teeth, that are very powerful, and can bite clear to the bone, as adults!

[TexanSquirrel]

Sorry, but that would be an exceedingly bad idea. We've seen time and time again that squirrels absolutely do not make good pets. They are expensive to feed and house, illegal in many states, difficult to keep healthy and can turn vicious in an instant when they feel it is time to be wild. Your daughter could end up with some very nasty bite wounds and it's just not a good idea.

[sproggie14]

May I suggest a far better pet for your child, that of a fancy rat. since it is not strictly a noctural species. They can go about everywhere you do, just put a harness and lease on them, so they don't get away. They are easy to care for, cheap to keep, and live for about 6 years.

I agree with everything said so far apart from this bit (sorry). Rats can be good childrens pets but they're not necessarily cheap (they can be prone to tumours which can be expensive to remove) and they generally live 2-3 years rather than 6.

[/pedantry] :thumbsup

[Sciurus1]

Sorry I was not 'more specific' with my description; I mean't cheap to care for, as relating to cages, food, toys. As for Vet bills, all pets cost when it comes to medical care! As far as how long they live, my friend who is a rehabber had her large rat, live to 6 years, which is the maximum. It is not uncommon though for the larger fancy rats to live to 4 years, if they are kept on a balanced fortified diet, and not indugled with table scraps and junk foods.

[Mac]

Thank You for the warm welcome. I must say that the response was not at all what I expected.

Gamma says: Don't do it.
Fluffy says: How about a Ferret.
Jackie says: Guinea pigs or Rabbits.
Sciurus1 says: Get a fancy Rat.
TexanSquirrel: Squirrel don’t make good pets.
sproggie14: Rats but not the kind with tumors.

Bunch of hypocrites coming from squirrel owners.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Mac, I'm sorry you took MY post wrong. Maybe I didn't explain to you that my Sq Sarah is a rescue from the jaws of a cat. She is an amputee that cost thousand plus to save. She is without a limb and would not likely survive in the wild>
My boy Rocky has one tooth and a spinal injury..I have several thousand dollars invested in saving and rehabbing him. It takes me an hour each and everyday of his 6 years to make his diet edible and I trim his tooth every 2 to 3 weeks!
I am not a hypocrit. I am an animal friend.
I gave you advise from my heart for all involved.
I hope that you will reconsider your statement as we all are Good People doing Good things.:grouphug

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Not to mention that they are illegal as pets in NJ and once you do have one you must keep it for life (rehoming a squirrel would be detrimental to it)which could exceed 10 years if kept for properly. Also if they become sick it will be impossible to find a vet to care for them. (Take a few minutes and call your local vets to see how many will care for a squirrel)
Also not to be forgotten squirrels chew for a living so if you have any furniture in your house that is of any importance you will want to get rid of it, or it will be reduced to splinters.
Squirrels that old will also be hard to tame, if at all possible, very few squirrels thrive in captivity unless strict diet and proper lighting ediquette is followed.
They are high maintence!
I can think of several ainimals that bring a lot of joy and require much less $$ and time.
Just wanted to add I appreciate and love the fact that you hung a squirrel box up for the squirrels.

[Mac]

Alright - alright - already my bad. We didnt even really want a squirrel all that bad. We wanted to enjoy his or her company for a couple of months and let him go. You have hundreds of squirrels all over the site and I'm told to
-------- go find something else to do. ---------

[Jackie in Tampa]

No Mac, I want you to have a pet to enjoy...or enjoy sqs wild. I would never give false or selfish advice:shakehead
I speak from experience.
I again think a rabbit is so kid friendly. I paid $7.50 for my purebred bunny at the feed store.He has a new thread here, go ck him out!
Snickerdoodles.
I also offered good experienced advice on GPig, because I babysit one often. He is adorable and sweet with children.
Our forum is for all kinds of people, and when you were seeking knowledge and advice, you came to the right place. We have offered you what we can. Maybe it is not the answer you wanted. But it was a knowledgable one, and ALL answers were the same.
:nono :nono

[pamela lee]

Mac, I can say without a doubt MOST squirrels DO NOT make good pets. No, I do not have a pet squirrel but just today I released an amazingly sweet 41/2 month old baby girl squirrel. She was rescued when she lost her poor Momma. I can show you my arms and legs and how torn-up they are and this from a baby that LOVES her foster mommy (me) very much. They eventually only care for one person and will become very protective and possessive of that person. If that doesn't end-up being your daughter then she will probably never be able to touch the squirrel again without being bitten. All squirrels kept as pets have been rescued either because they've been injured or lost their mommies.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Yes your a right, there are a lot of squirrels posted but its because people found them after their Mother had been killed or rehabbers who took in sick squirrels.
Honestly we arent trying to be rude just relaying all the facts that go with a squirrel. They are wonderful animals who do much better raised with their Mom. They have many needs and unless you are ready to revolve your house around the squirrel I would not suggest it. Love and admire it from the ground put up a feeder and put out good snacks for it, that is what I can suggest they are wonderful smart creatures. Thank you for carring about them.

[Sciurus1]

There is nothing hypocritical Mac about what I and others here have shared with you here. Most here with squirrels in captivity, came by them from them being abandoned by their mothers, or fallen from trees. It is a long difficult process to rehabiliatate a squirrel, and there is no guarantee they will even make it either.


Out of the ones kept in captivity, most cannot be released back to the wild for one reason or another, this you can read on our board. IT is a mercy then that most of those with squirrels give them a home for life, which as GB noted can be a long time, long as a dog or cats, but not nearly as shmoozie, or willing to be held. Most bond with one person, and so if not with your daughter, then where is the pet for her? We are not against those here who have squirrels as pets, but what they have had to go through to keep them healthy and provide for them is extreme!

Finding a Vet alone, can be very hard to do, for most refuse to see them who are qualified, and most of hte rest just aren't qualified. Only a few, a pricey few, have experience with a squirrel, and even then that does not guarantee that an operation will be successful, as we sadly found out. We then only found one Vet in our entire area, that was willing and capable to caring for a squirrel as to be able to do operations if needed. Everyday on his board someone comes on looking for a Vet in their area, and our members do all they can to find a Vet, but sometimes there are none! Sometimes when there is no Vet, to save the animals life, it has to be given to a Rehabber, who then will not return it. I cannot imagine your daughter then not having a doctor to care for her pet, and have to put it down because of a lack of a Vet, or to have to give up a pet to a rehabber, just to save it's life!

Again, they look cute, but are not comparable to domestic animals as pets, not even close to the companions fit for a child. They scratch your skin to pieces, and bite too, not wanting to be held most of the time, being very hard to handle. They are not what children want in a pet in anycase! I mentioned they bite, and they do, sometimes a friendly nip is very hard, and if they are upset, they will puncture your fingers clear to the bone. I have a finger that half of which has no feeling at all from one such bite. They also have to have someone watch them if you go away for more than half a day, and require a space that takes up the better part of a entire room in your house. I sure would never recommend any child have a squirerl as a pet, the time alone needed to gentle it down to where it is even close to handlable, is considerable, and children being in school, and out and about do not have time to such an anmial. Then the poor animal can get depressed from being alone. They are not nocturnal, and go to bed earlier than most children do as well. It is NOT a weekend pet is what I am saying, that will do well without you, requiring much preparation as far as what they eat. No opening a can or bag is going to meet their needs. If someone then treats them like domestic animals they will become very sickly and likely die.

If all of that is not enough to convince you, I am sorry, for sharing it is one thing, and doing it, well that is much much harder. You see the highlights of those with squirrels in their care, but read some of the sad stories, and the heartaches of many others here, and you will see this is no picnic, not what it may appear to be on the surface. NO, it requires the person give up much of their time, and activities to care for a squirrel, which cannot be expected of a child, or most adults either.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:Welcome look around here..you'll see. My Sarahs thread is in the Infirmary section.
ps...I stay broke and have to work at home just to keep things on track. I don't get a vacation either.:sanp3
No regrets...just BIG commitments.:peace

[pamela lee]

Alright - alright - already my bad. We didnt even really want a squirrel all that bad. We wanted to enjoy his or her company for a couple of months and let him go.
If ya'll just want to enjoy the company of squirrels then start feeding the wild ones. They will learn to trust you and before you know it you'll have them eating out of your hand. Just start sitting outside with in the shell peanuts and just be patient. It doesn't take long for them to catch on. I find some of my greatest joy sitting out with my wild fuzzers as they scamper around me.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Please don't out guess reality!
Meet Sarah!
I can assure you picking out a kitty is a prettier site for a child!
So if I am a hypocrit..so what!

[TinyPaws]

:Welcome It is exciting to gain the trust of a wild animal...I have several squirrels in my yard that I care for with food, nuts and water...everyday...One has befriended me Sweetie Mama...you can read her thread Sweetie Mama,and see pics of her...she now takes nut out of my hand..she loves the company when we see each other...her 3 baby girls from her last littler now live in my yard and 2 are pregnant and I hope their babies will stay also...

Just feeding the wilds cost $....they shouldn't eat corn and sunflower seeds, as are in generic store foods for squirrels, those are bad for them...I order special food for them and make my own blend...they go through about 10 pounds a week...it's very costly....My one squirrel alone runs me in excess of $100 a month for food, vegitables, fruit (all organic when I can), most of the time I end up throwing out 80% of the fresh food because they are picky eaters....

I have 2 ferrets, boys, and they are very fun to play with and are easy to care for....they make me laugh everyday when they are out for playtime...they do the craziest things....

Please don't take a baby away from it's mama...instead let the babies get use to seeing you and your daughter..talk to them everyday and offer food...in time they will learn to trust you and will surprise you when they finally do approach you....

Have you givin it some thought of getting a kitten? There are too many kittens waiting to be adopted from the animal shelters...they love to be held and cuddled and they are just as soft....please give it some thought...:peace

[molly]

:Welcome It is exciting to gain the trust of a wild animal...I have several squirrels in my yard that I care for with food, nuts and water...everyday...One has befriended me Sweetie Mama...you can read her thread Sweetie Mama,and see pics of her...she now takes nut out of my hand..she loves the company when we see each other...her 3 baby girls from her last littler now live in my yard and 2 are pregnant and I hope their babies will stay also...

Just feeding the wilds cost $....they shouldn't eat corn and sunflower seeds, as are in generic store foods for squirrels, those are bad for them...I order special food for them and make my own blend...they go through about 10 pounds a week...it's very costly....My one squirrel alone runs me in excess of $100 a month for food, vegitables, fruit (all organic when I can), most of the time I end up throwing out 80% of the fresh food because they are picky eaters....

Hi Tinypaws~
Sorry to interrupt this thread...Before coming to TSB....I always gave my outside squirrels sunflower seeds. Now, I understand that you shouldn't. I just don't know why. :dono Could you tell me the secret of your special blend for the outside squirrels? We just put a house up, hoping to see someone move in, and I'm hoping that in the fall, (my neighbors stop trapping them in the fall) they'll come back to our yard.
Thanks so much~
Molly

[sproggie14]

Sorry I was not 'more specific' with my description; I mean't cheap to care for, as relating to cages, food, toys. As for Vet bills, all pets cost when it comes to medical care! As far as how long they live, my friend who is a rehabber had her large rat, live to 6 years, which is the maximum. It is not uncommon though for the larger fancy rats to live to 4 years, if they are kept on a balanced fortified diet, and not indugled with table scraps and junk foods.

Perhaps it's a UK/US difference. I run a rat rescue in the UK and over here it's extremely rare for a rat to get to 4. 3 is unusual, 2 is more typical. I agree, all animals cost, I just wanted to point out that they're not cheap so that someone doesn't take on an animal they can't afford to keep properly.

To the OP, as others have said, there is a world of difference between a healthy wild squirrel and the sort of "pets" that most of us have here. As a wildlife rehabber I've looked after probably close to 1000 squirrels, mostly babies who fell out the nest a little early. Inevitably the healthy ones get to puberty and become little balls of furry mischief and chaos. They are meant to be outside spending hours leaping through trees. If you shut that amount of energy in a cage the frustration will come out somehow, generally in the destruction of your house or even your body. I was bitten by a 6 week old baby 15 years ago and I still have ongoing problems with my wrist as a result. These are not animals you want to mess with! Most of the squirrels on this site are disabled in some way which is what makes them "petable". If you love squirrels - which is very commendable - perhaps you could get in touch with your local rehab organisation and volunteer with them to help feed baby squirrels. But please remember that if you love an animal you will always do what is best for it. Bear in mind that there is no advantage to the squirrel in being plucked from its nest and made to live with you. It would be an entirely selfish act and they never work out well for the furry ones.

[Mrs. Jack]

I don't have a pet squirrel. I have about twenty wild friends that visit me every day, live in my woods, eat from my hand, let me pet them. My little boy adores them too. Nothing excites him more than when one takes a nut from his hand, or he gets to gently run his hand down a tail. This opportunity to learn to observe and respect wildlife while at the same time getting to interact with it is rare and invaluable in my opinion.. A few years ago he did ask if we couldn't make one a pet. The timing was perfect because I got to look at him and say "Oh, so you want a squirrel NOW, do you Veruca?" and he dropped it fast. LOL. Anyway... because of our mutual fondness to noticing whats outside, we got to feeding the abandoned bunnies down at an office park (dumped domestics, not wilds) then when it came there was a baby in need, we rescued him, and now we have the best house bunny ever, along with our outdoor friends. Awesome that your daughter loves the squirrels in her yard.. great that you have a nestbox! put her in charge of putting their food out and fresh water, boy is she going to have fun watching them grow and learn. Nothing better.

[Sciurus1]

It was a Norweigan Brown Rat that this rehabber rescued, finding it abandoned by it's mother on her back patio. She raised it from a pinkie then, so it had the best food and care from the getgo. It bonded with her, so she kept it as a pet. It spent allot of time hiding in her shirt, I guess she didn't know about pouches then! As I recall, it was cleanest rat ever, loved to swim in the sink! It had it's own condo, and as I have shared, it lived to 6 years + ! The X-large Fancy Rats here, live up to 4 years, but the smaller ones live about 2 years; this of varies of course with the individual, and depends allot on diet.

[Sciurus1]

:goodpost sproggie14

:goodpost Mrs Jack!

[Feeze]

I agree with Pamela Lee, nothing better than hand feeding squirrels. I'm not a squirrel "owner" but I do enjoy spending time with the squirrels on campus at my college. It is a lot cheaper, and less painful to just feed them outside. You can make wonderful friendships that way, and the momma's may actually bring the babys up close!:thumbsup

[smoknbunny]

Late to this discussion I guess, the member may have already left. But in the interest of future discussions I'm posting a couple of pictures of what a "friendly" squirrel baby can do. They have WICKED claws and even if they are just jumping around, you can get seriously scratched. I do not have pictures of the scratches I've had on my face - right next to my eye, on my nose and cheeks etc. from them leaping through the air willy nilly and accidentally slashing me. I hear about people getting kittens for their kids and getting upset when the kittens scratch the kids (because they are kittens and kittens have claws) Squirrels are infinitely worse in the scratching department because they can leap in the air and their claws are not retractable. And if you are thinking that you wouldn't let it out to play so you wouldn't have to worry about scratching, they why have one at all in a small cage. That would be cruel.
I agree with Feeze and others. It can be very satisfying and MUCH more educational to feed the squirrels in your yard. You can observe them in a natural environment and really learn about squirrels.
ANY pet will incur vet bills. Rats, bunnies, guinea pigs which I have have all cost A LOT of money at the vet when something goes wrong. But if you have a squirrel and live in an illegal state, you can't even get a vet to see a squirrel unless you are very lucky and it is incredibly heartbreaking to have an animal suffering when there is nothing you can do. Squirrels have a VERY specific diet and feeding incorrectly can lead to serious problems - killing or crippling the squirrel for life. And the feeding regimen is NOT simple OR cheap.
Thay are SO much fun to observe in the wild. Unless one comes to you injured or abandoned I would NEVER recommend on as a pet.

[Sciurus1]

I think we need a Sticky for this IR, entitled something like " if you are considering having a squirrel as a pet, check this out!" and then show all the scratched up body parts, and bites, with the photos of the Jaws and teeth! Then along with that, sharing why having a squirrel as a pet is a very problematic, not for most people, or most squirrels either, but moreover out of necessity.

[Mads]

Mac,
I have to agree with with everything these folks have been telling you. I raised the Fabulous 5 only because my son destroyed the nest..by accident, but all 5 fell over 30 feet and the nest was gone. It was getting dark , in February, and cold here in CT. There were cats , feral cats, all over the area, and so , I brought the babies home. My son told me a few hours later that the mother squirrel was barking like crazy looking for her babies. I felt horrible. I could only imagine how that poor mother felt. And here I had her 5, not quite knowing what to do with them, but thinking about the "old" ways that I was brought up on , the old tales that if you touch them , the mother will not come back and get them, ec ec....but , that truly isn't the case, the mother rejects them only if they are cold. I could of brought them back the next day and kept them warm and she would of picked up her babies and brought them to a "second" nest...extra because the mother builds 2 incase of emergencies. HOw brilliant is that! I wish I had known this....as I would of brought the fab 5 back to their mother the next day. But, I found the information on how to feed them and all that was involved, and the money.....wow....it was alot of money to raise them up. I really was shocked ...and they didn't even need any kind of vet help with anything...I can only imagine....and then the money I lost just by not being able to sew as much as I needed to because I was feeding over 5 hours every day. In hindsight....if I was to find babies....I would now do it much differently. I would warm them and even if I had to keep watch for a few days until the mother came for them...that is what I would do...because that is what is right. Squirrels deserve to live in the trees...and those that can't it's great their are people that can take them in and afford to, but to steal from a nest is just wrong.

[linz2491]

I just want you to know a little of what i am dealing with right now,
I rescued a baby squirrel a few months ago very cute and funny and sweet. Now it can still be funny and can be sweet but it attacks anybody who comes in our house. It attacks me when she is in a bad mood and has bitten me I am scared to go in my own room or my sons room without a broom because she has made nests and defends them she bit and clawed up my 7 month old. not to mention the damage she has done chewing up everything. Listen to them when they say these stay wild animals and do not make good pets!

[fsalter53]

:shakehead :shakehead All I can say is W O W!!!!!!! Why would anyone want to purposely take away a baby from its mom, unbelieveable:shakehead What stress the mother would go thru.

[island rehabber]

This is a very old thread (last August). We can hope that "Mac" got the hint and, although I'm sure he went off in a huff, decided not to kidnap that poor baby squirrel for his kid. :shakehead

[Chesters_mom]

When a dog brought Chester up, We didn't say "Oh boy what a neat pet we'll have". I responded with a not so nice word because I knew I had a chore ahead of me and I didn't have the time, resources or experience to deal with it. We knew there was no nest to return him to because the dried blood that completely encircled his tiny mouth told us that his mother had met with a horrible fate. After trying to give him to the girl at the vet, who said she had raised one and not being successful and not at that time knowing that rehabbers even existed, I reluctantly brought him back home with the milk replacer that they suggested. I think I can confidently state that no one here have obtained the squirrels they have because they have taken them from their nest and no one here would, Calling these people hipocrites is absurd!!!

The reason that I would not have turned him over to a rehabber after a while of having him is because I came to know that these little creatures can be traumitized by change. The day I moved his cage to the bedroom from the kitchen I thought all would be well but the next morning when he awoke and found himself in a strange room, His terrified cries were heartbreaking I raced back there to get him and it took some time to calm him down. They do have fears and feelings and you would definately be traumitizing the baby to "steal" him from his life in the wild.

[Mrs. Jack]

Hey Mac, I'm sorry you took this all as an attack or hypocrisy.. to be honest all anyone is trying to do is to look out for the welfare of both your daughter and the squirrels.. look at it this way, there's lots of parents of adopted children out there, but they didn't just go to a house where there were twins and take one, children that are adopted there is a reason why they need this gift. the squirrel "pets" on this site came from special circumstances. I don't have a squirrel, just the dozens in my yard that sit on my lap and eat from my hands. I pray everyday that I don't ever have to rescue one.. I'm not sure I could handle the very special responsibilities therein.. and I'm old and have experience with lots of critters...
And borrowing the squirrel for a few months wouldn't work, because when you put it back out, it would have less of a wild instinct which would put him at risk.
If your daughter is especially enamored of squirrels, as you all must be since you have a nestbox, keep feeding them and enjoying them as we do at our house. and if/when she's old enough, help her to find and volunteer at a wildlife rescue organization.. during certain times of year she'll have plenty of baby squirrels to interact with and be doing an amazing, needed thing to boot!

[Mrs. Jack]

oh sorry.. I didn't notice the thread oldness.. oh well, maybe someone else browsing will learn from it.

[MonMon]

actually lately i'm planning to take squirrel as my pet...yesterday i just looking around...c petshop which selling squirrel...i love them in baby age...but when they'r get mature...i saw d'wild thing in their eyes when seeing me...so that i do more consider to decide pet them as my own...
here's the picture that i mean:
67721

i tought i couldnt handle those...i cant handle everyday what their needs which takes more time tobe w/them...but still i want to have one of them to be mine:thinking

in my neighborhood...there's flyers for sell...i used tobe had one...they're cute n almost make a good pet...but the difficult thing was...he's nocturnal...and always fled...in my country...we can have them as pet:thumbsup
67720

actually there's one species of squirrel that could make good pet...this is the picture of squirrel that i mean:
67719
this squirrel is handy...and i comfort with them around me...i hope my writing will give u another point of view to make squirrel as pet

+sorry 4my bad english+:wave123

[Pearl's Mom]

This is the first time I've seen this thread. I just have to say how impressed I am with all of the patient, helpful, and restrained responses.

I was stunned to see Mac's admission that "We didn't even really want a squirrel all that bad." And yet, to satisfy a momentary desire, they were willing to take that baby out of it's nest. I don't know that I would have suggested other possible pets to someone who would consider doing such a thing. Unbelievable.

Personally, I pray that I don't discover another orphaned squirrel for the rest of my life. Love the one I've got, but all that so many of you have said is so true!