baby squirrel help

[SugarBunny119]

hello! Well, I let my cats play outside today because it was really sunny and they wanted to eat some grass. My husband was looking out the window when he saw that all three of our cats were watching a baby squirrel and it's mom. They were being very sweet and just watching it, but this did a huge disservice to the baby. His mother became very frightened and ran away. One of my cats got about 6 inches away from the baby and sniffed it for about 3 seconds. We took the baby in after waiting for the mother to reappear for 3 hours, but she never did.
We looked up information on the internet and have the baby wrapped up in a heat blanket (put the blanket in another case so the baby couldnt nibble on the wires inside the heat blanket, created a "roll" form with the heat blanket so the baby can easily get out.). The squirrel is about 7 weeks old according to various websites we've researched, and we are feeding him acorns, which he readily eats as well as a mixture of water, salt and sugar (kept warm). He is not dehydrated and will drink when we show him his bowl.
So here are our concerns. After we examine his urine we will begin feeding him puppy milk formula from a syringe (good idea?). Tonight i plan on using baby shampoo to remove his fleas, which is a pretty large scale infestion going on. Is this a good idea? finally I read that the bacteria in cats breath is extremely dangerous to squirrels. Could this baby being in our house make him susceptible to infection? Could the exposure he had with my cat earlier today make him sick?
We read that a squirrel will be ready to be released at 4 months old, is this accurate? If it would be easier I could post a daily blog on the daily progress thread and you guys can let me know when you think he is ready to go back outside.
If you guys really feel I need to put him in the hands of a licensed rehabilitater you can tell me, you are very nice and helpful so I know I will truly be getting the best advice. Please bear in mind that my mom frequently took in baby squirrels and has been met with lots of positive rehabilitating success, but as I read internet articles I can see she did many things wrong (like giving the squirrels cow milk >.<). In my opinion, since I have so much background experience and a wealth of knowledge from the internet, plus plenty of time since I work at home, I will be able to care for the squirrel myself. But your professional opinions mean a lot to me. alright thats enough. By the way, my name is Magdalene!

[Apple Corps]

For a starter:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11782

[Apple Corps]

Many cats have a bacteria in their saliva called Pasteurella - that is FATAL to squirrels.

If the squirrel is bitten you would need to start it on a regimen of antibiotic. I do not believe that transmission would occur via "breath".

That said - this is a large undertaking - not for the faint of heart. Do you really want to put forth that effort?

And :thankyou :thankyou :thankyou for rescuing the baby.

Perhaps you can still reunite them early i the morning - keep the cats up and see if Momma comes by.

Feeding with a syringe is fine NO NEEDLE though :D

[SugarBunny119]

Hey guys! i just wanted to let you know I got your responses and will follow your advice. The cats did not lick or bite him so dont worry on that end. No nuts, got it. Tomorrow morning we will try to reunite the baby and mother again . We are keeping the baby in a laundry basket where one half is a rolled up heat blanket that the baby can climb in and out of (its like a pouch). We will unplug the blanket and set him outside in the basket for a few more hours while the neighborhood kids are at school. I also read from a previous post that we need to give him sunlight to prevent MDB (?) I was thinking I could put the lunadry basket on our covere porch and leave the heat blanket plugged in. thank you guys so much for your warm feedback and great advice!

[kira0808]

I just wanted to comment that today I noticed a baby squirrel in our backyard. It could not walk, it just crawled and then it would roll down the small hill and just lay there. I kept an eye on it and hoped the mother would come and get it, well the neighborhood cat almost caught it, the squirrel would not budge it just layed it's little chin on the ground. I grabbed some blankets and an animal carrier and got the little squirrel in it and kept it covered up. This is the first time I have ever captured a baby squirrel. I do not have a lot of experience with them, so the Squirrel Board is an excellent resource and I really enjoy reading everyone's comments. So, I spent hours on the phone trying to find someone to look at this poor little, skinny, squirrel. A few places said it is not native and they would euthanize it, NOT AN OPTION FOR ME! I finally found a wonderful Animal Hospital that would look at the squirrel, so she was only in the carrier for a few hours. The Doctor said she is 3-4 weeks old and was in definite need of nourishment, and she did not appear to have any broken bones. Well, as the doctor had the squirrel on the exam table, the squirrel took off and fell right off the table, maybe a 3 foot drop and hit the hard floor on her back. The Doctor thought I was going to catch her, but I just panicked and did not know what to do. I immediately started crying and the doctor picked her up, she did not appear to be hurt, but it might be too early to tell. I am just sickened with grief that she might be hurt, with a possible back injury or brain, or internal. The Animal Hospital is going to take care of the squirrel and then send her to a rehabber. I did call later in the evening to see how she was doing and she was eating. My question is, do you think a 3-4 week old squirrel could survive a fall like that without serious injury? I hope I can sleep tonight! I will be calling the Doctor first thing in the morning. thank you

[Sciurus1]

I am so sorry this happened. They have springs in them long before they can walk well, like crickets they can pop up, but have no way to direct the landing. Let us know how it goes. You did your best, and the Vet should have taken control on that one, unless you shared that you would aid in holding him. I have not had one Vet that allowed that to happen, if they were given control of the squirrel.

[kira0808]

I am so sorry this happened. They have springs in them long before they can walk well, like crickets they can pop up, but have no way to direct the landing. Let us know how it goes. You did your best, and the Vet should have taken control on that one, unless you shared that you would aid in holding him. I have not had one Vet that allowed that to happen, if they were given control of the squirrel.

Thank you so much for your kind words, you have no idea how much better this makes me feel. This was the first time I visited this Vet, and taking in a a baby squirrel, so we did not discuss me holding the squirrel and I agree she should have made sure the squirrel could not jump from the exam table, and she should have examined it in an enclosed cage, because I was worried about the squirrel trying to get away. At least I know what to expect if I have to taken another squirrel to the Vet.

Thank you again for the encouragement and I think I will sleep a lot better tonight, and I will be calling the Vet first thing in the morning at 8:00am.

take care

[SugarBunny119]

Kira I'm so sorry that happened but you did a lot more than most people would do and gave the baby a chance.

I've been meaning to write an update but keep getting really busy at work. This morning at 9 we took the baby outside in her box. We hadn't fed her the night before so she would be good and hungry for her mom this morning. Our neighborhood has an unfortunate number of stray cats so we kept the baby in her comfy heat blanket along with some water, so she wouldnt be too noticeable to cats. Before we set her outside we did some cuddling and made sure she drank her water. We put right in front of the tree we found her and her mom at the day before. Baby started crying around noon (I assume from hunger) so my husband kept an eye on her front inside the house and no squirrels made an appearance. Its 3:00 now and we're going to bring her inside until around 8:00 tonight (after the neighborhood kids go to sleep) and leave her out until 10 to try to reunite her with the mom.
Husband is running to the store to buy puppy formula, a syringe, baby shampoo and whatever else you guys have recommended in above posts. We have a really good pet store thta carries stuff for wild and farm animals, so we're sure they'll have the specific reccomended puppy formula.
At this point our biggest concern is that she is not using her bathroom. I believe she is old enough to go without us having to stimulate her, but I tried it anyway with a q-tip and nothing happened. She has had plenty to drink. maybe she's doing it while she sleeps, and since its a heat blanket the pee dries before we notice?

[SugarBunny119]

UPDATE

hey, this is the husband, Michael. So... all day outside and the baby didn't squeak for its mom. In fact, I think it's incapable of squeaking. When I went outside to check on her just now there was another squirrel out there but it wasn't paying any attention to the baby (I watched a bit where it couldn't see me). The baby had found a way out of the basket we had it in and was on the ground doing what I think was trying to squeak. It just came out as a fast, slightly moist sounding wheeze. The other squirrel left and I went to pick her up. I tried holding her by one of her back legs to make her squeak, but she's really agile and just climbed right up on to my hand. Still making the wheezing sound. Looks like I'm gonna have to go get her some formula and some nipple syringes. Wish us luck.

[SugarBunny119]

Hi, just wanted to let you guys know we took her to a rehabber this morning based on your suggestions. She is doing fine and I think is excited to be in such a nice woodsy area. thanks for your help the last few days!:thankyou :wave123

[Sciurus1]

So glad to hear the good news! Thank you for what you have done for this little baby. :thumbsup