Sandy keeps moving her nest

[Gina33]

Sandy keeps building a nest on top our entertainment center. I have cleaned it up several times lately but she keeps rebuilding. She refuses to use the nest in her cage. I only make her go to the cage at night and when I'm gone. I work from home so she has run of the house most of the time. I'm also concerned she is not getting enough of the Ott light by staying in that room so much. Is there anything else I can do to encourage her to build her net in the cage?

[island rehabber]

Gina, as they say around here, "fuggeddaboudit" :D.
Your squirrel has chosen the highest spot she could find for her nest, which is absolutely what squirrels do. I don't think you're going to convince her to go to a lower spot now. Is there any way you can put the light on her entertainment center nest for a few hours each day? Hopefully Gammas Baby will chime in here, because I think her Baby sleeps on top of the kitchen cabinet. :D

[Gina33]

I guess I will put her another light there for now. My husband is building a larger cage for when she is inside, maybe I'll get lucky and she will build inside there.

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

Put her cage on top of a post or on a shelf in the corner of a room. Give her ropes and stuff so she can climb to it.

[Sciurus1]

I guess I will put her another light there for now. My husband is building a larger cage for when she is inside, maybe I'll get lucky and she will build inside there.

That is excellent, for if then tall enough, say at least 6 ft high, by 4 feet wide, by 3 ft deep, and larger if you want her to be able to run on the ground in the cage, not just climb in it. She will feel allot more comfortable with this height using it as a place to build a nest. You also need to provide a nestbox in it, mimicing a natural hole in a tree, which is what they prefer in the wild. You are going to have to confine her to the new cage for at least for awhile, if you want her to build her nest in it, or she will more than likely continue to choose one for herself elsewhere. The whole idea is to create a Habitat, not just a cage, that mimics that of the wild, to be her own personal refuge. Providing ropes and branches to climb on, wood plank perches, along with safe plush toys to play with, will help her to feel right at home.

[PBluejay2]

I agree about the higher the better. Buddy (house squirrel, master of the universe) nested for a long time on top of a book shelf in my library/reading/music room, but once he found the closet shelf in the spare bedroom (really simply a nursery for squirrel babies) he hasn't left it. The only time he seeks a higher place is during the day when he reclines on the banister at the top of the stairs. Squirrels are a lot like many of my relatives--they just want to get high.