not sure what to do

[tat2ed_groomer]

my friends son found a baby flyer and figured hey jess is a dog groomer she'll know what to do.. well i don't... I've been taking care of the little guy and he's doing well but there's only one and now I'm getting attached like always. Is it a bad idea to keep him seeing as he was a wild born flying squirrel. i tried to give him to a rescue but they wouldn't take him because they had no room. and this whole hand feeding and hands on care is kicking in those maternal instincts i didn't think i had lol. I'm capable of long term life care of the little guy i have committed myself currently to 6 other pets so that's not a problem i have plenty of time. i just want him to have a good happy life and I'm not sure what's best for him seeing as this is my first encounter with a flyer. I'm not sure what to do I'd like to hear from some one who maybe was in the same situation and what you did. because right now I'm not sure

[Jackie in Tampa]

:Welcome
Glad you are helping...we have alot of members here with flyers!
Unfortunately, I am not one of them! But someone will be on shortly to help you!
Can you post pics and give more details...as the rehabbers will be needing alot of info! This will help save time.
The babys container will need to be half on half off a heating pad for warmth. T shirts are recommended, not towels.
We recommend feeding Esbilac Puppy replacer milk after baby has been warmed and hydrated.
A dark and quiet place will make your baby feel safe.
Are you looking to find a rehabber? If so what county are you in?
To my understanding, flyers are alot of work if your schedules don't co=incide.
Please try to keep all other pets away from your new baby.
some one will be on soon!
Good Luck and thank you!:grouphug

[Sarabi]

:Welcome Flyers make excellent pets, and you increase their life quality and span by adopting the little guy. You can check out The NFSA board for more flyer specific info and be sure to read ALL the Safety precautions, as they are very quick and very smart little sweethearts:Love_Icon :Love_Icon
http://www.nfsa.us/phpBB2/index.php
Good Luck and keep us posted on your progress. Also we are very visual here, so would love to see some pictures:poke
I myself have 2 flyers with newborns right now . :Welcome again.

[Momma Squirrel]

Flyers are truly a great animal to be OWNED by, very special indeed. But they do require that you have a bit of a way of life change. Not sure if you are a legal state or not but even if you are not very many vets know alot about flyers so I would do some research and check out your area vets to see what they know and if they will be able to help you if ever needed.

The NFSA is a great site and will give you alot of info and ideas on being OWNED.

Let us know how it goes and we would love to see the little guy :poke :)

[muffinsquirrel]

Flyers are the only squirrel that I know of that, as a breed, does well and is happy in captivity. They enjoy owning human slaves, and make the most of their opportunities. As long as their humans provide the correct (to them) food, toys, and housing, they are appreciative and sweet. If their human starts getting a little slack, the flyer quickly gets them back in line!

The main thing is that they are nocturnal. To keep them bonded to you, and to give them enough exercise, they need 2 or 3 hours of out-of-cage playtime with their human. AT NIGHT. If you can not provide this, then neither you nor the flyer will be happy. If you keep him, he will need a large cage - as large as you can get or build for him. I also strongly advise getting him a Stealth Wheel. They are more expensive than other wheels, but are safer, better made, and quieter. Your flyer is likely to run in his wheel all night, so 'quiet' is a very important point. I can not even hear my flyers running in it....unless, of course, they decide to take an in-shell pecan for a ride with them! They require lots of fresh veggies and fruit, yogurt, vitamins, some meal worms occasionally, etc. The good thing is, they are small and don't require a lot of them. You will get used to buying one or two sugar peas, one mushroom, a green bean, etc. If you're lucky, your grocery store will get used to your weird purchases too!

You're in a legal state, and there are a lot of flyers there, so you should be able to find a good vet without too much trouble.

Final words of wisdom: Keep the toilet lid closed at all times - drowning is one of the major causes of pet flyer deaths. Do not let your flyer interact with your other pets. Even if they seem to get along together, that can change in the blink of an eye, and then it will be too late.

muffinsquirrel

[TinyPaws]

I have a flyer named Timothy...You do need to watch them closely when they are out and about because they are sooooo small they can get into anything more than 1/2" opening..when full grown, as babies 1/4" is the limit..

I dedicated a bedroom for my flyer, this way he can't get out and into trouble and nothing but me can get in...I have his cage setup in there but he is free roaming and barely uses the cage but to eat and hide nuts..:rotfl

They make wonderful pets if you are willing to alter your life style...If not I am sure someone on this board could find it a good home....

Oh and by the way :Welcome glad you found us...:thumbsup

[tat2ed_groomer]

I want to keep him that wasn't the issue i just didn't know if it was in his best interest being born in the wild and then made a pet. not that he would know the difference but i am new to this so... i have kept him away from my other animals although they are used to small animals under supervision i also have 2 ferrets. but i do believe its best to keep them apart. i have been feeding him esbilac every 3 hours and have been stimulating him to go to the bathroom. i believe him to be maybe 2 weeks old he has hair but not on his underside and has not opened his eyes yet he is very active though he wiggles all over.

my questions and concerns are...

he twitches and fidgets a lot is that normal
how do you ween them and what age
when do they open their eyes
and i read something about certain woods mainly fruit branches being toxic to them.
should i use a heating pad I've been using warm water bottles and switching them every time i feed him i turned off the ac vent in that room. and how long until they no longer need heat

i have plenty of time for him i have a spare bedroom i use as an animal room it's ferret proofed and i make sure all my animals get their daily out and about time whether it be walking the dogs playing with the cats or with the ferrets. i want to make sure all my animals are happy and healthy.
they are legal in the state of Florida to keep as pets from what I've read so hopefully everything goes smoothly we're on day 3 now and no real problems so..

i will post pictures as soon as i can thanks everyone