It is getting to THAT time...

[KimbleScribble]

I used to post under the name KimbleSquibble but forgot my password and the password reset funtion and my mail box didn't like each other....
Hmmm...
Scribble is just over a year old, in 4 days time I would have had him for a year. He is still my little baby who loves cuddles and his pink blankie. What a ride!
Oscar "Scarface" Mcnut is over 6 months old and is a really sweet Happy Go Lucky little chap. His tail is has healed nicely and he has started to fluff it up when he shouts at the cats.
Its time to release them:shakehead and my heart breaks everytime I think about losing my little Scrib... I know Oscar will be fine in the wild-he is still fairly wild, fast and does the Dodge and Scatter with style.
Scribble wants to make friends with other animals...
But if this is going to happen it will have to happen at the end of this month. We are going away in April and are only back in May, they are to big and to vicious (to other people and now recently Scribble won't let my husband near him or his cage) to take away with us these days and I don't want them to sit in their outside cage for a whole month with no contact other than being fed through the bars.
Also it starts getting quite chilly in May as winter approaches and I would really like them to be settled by then.
So D-day approaches swiftly.
We can't release them in our yard as we have cats. so we are thinking of releasing them on the golf course down the road from us.
How do I do this???
Must I stop all physical contact with them?
Do I just take them and leave them there with their nestbox? Take them there and let them play everyday and then one day just leave them there?
Will they try to find their way home again?
I would love to keep my Scrib forever but its just not fair on him or the rest of our family.:shakehead :shakehead
My heart is so sore....

[island rehabber]

Hello again, KS! I understand how you must feel, parting with these adorable guys. It does sound as if they are ready, though. Even Scrib's aggression toward your husband is a "good" sign.
Is there any way you can start leaving them outdoors overnight in a large cage, with their nestboxes inside? They need to get acclimated to the weather, the nighttime noises, etc. for at least a week or so. Then you could actually do a release at the golf course if there is a way for you to leave their nest boxes there for them. And yes, you do need to withhold contact as much as possible. While they are in the cage outdoors, only provide fresh food & water at night after they've gone to sleep. They need to stop associating you with their only food source. Start giving them as many wild foods as you can find, and no 'human' treats. If they are acclimated and they have each other to rely on, they should be fine if you release them in March. Have a family member check your premises for a few days after you leave, just to make sure things are ok and nobody's trying to get back home :D.

[KimbleScribble]

Hey! Thanks for the quick reply!
They have been outside Squirrels (Beeeg Boyz in Squirrel talk!), sleeping out at night for most of the new year. I will start feeding them at night from tomorrow onwards.
What is the likelyhood of them, well Scrib mainly, trying to get back to me? There are around 4 major roads and 2 kilometers between us and the golf course. I would hate for them to die in an attempt in trying to get back to me. Or getting eaten by one of our cats after keeping them safe from them for over a year...I guess its a chance we will have to take...

I would gladly give up living in a house and go move out with them, my heart totally belongs to my Scribble.:bowdown

[wheezer]

My heart goes out to you, I feel your saddness:grouphug

I assume this is the only place to release them. Sometimes I think roads are the most dangerous predator:shakehead Are there plenty of woods where they can go without hanging out on the golf course with people?

I agree with all that IR said. If you can release them with their next boxes up in trees or at lease up off the ground and make sure some one puts out some natural foods and water for the next few weeks (gradually putting less and less as they learn how to get food on their own) they should be fine.
It is amazing how quickly they "go off to be squirrels":)

Best of luck:grouphug

[KimbleScribble]

We will definately take their nest boxes out to the golf course and I thought of putting up a feeding tray for them wherever their tree will be. The golf course is in the middle of a protected Marula Tree forest area. It isn't being used much these days as our town is busy dying out (mining town) so they wouldn't see that many humans. The tree I am thinking of is about two kilometers from the first road they would have to cross to get back to me. That first road is our main road and the most busiest (not quite 5 lane American Highway busy but say 10 cars every 5 minutes!).
I was thinking of releasing them on the 23 of March (1 year and 10 days from the day Scribble arrived in my life). We will be away for 2 days before that and I thought it would give them a chance to not think about me (rather vain remark that!) but be safe in their cage, then we will come home and take them out to their new home.
I will have about 2 and a half weeks that I can go visit them before we go for our holiday. I thought during the last week I would stagger the visits to once every second day and then get the lady who is looking after our other animals to go drop off food there every 3rd day or so. Is this to fast? It all feels too fast... I feel like I am abandoning them in order to go on holiday! It's not like that at all... But it _feels_ terrible and bad. I told Scribble I would always look after him and protect him and it feels like I am going back on my word... Silly old me! Tears and snot everywhere!! sniff.
Of course this is the right thing, this is what I have always sort of had in the back of my mind but when I said I wanted him to be a wild Squirrel I am not sure I ever quite meant it! lol! Oh dear...

Thank you again for all your sound advice. I love this place and everyone in it!

[LoveScratty]

This is what I did with scratty.

1.Start getting him used to where he is going to be living.
A.This means taking him there and playing with him on the tree's
P.S I know it might be nerve racking watching him go up the tree and wondering if he will come back down, let him expore.
2.Start leaving him there for longer ammounts of time, with Scratty we let him go in the front yard he would wander into the neiboors yard, then come back.
3.Make sure that you leave some food out for him so that he can come back and visit, thats what we did with scratty and he remained a wild squrriel but he would come back and play with us and get some nuts.



Good Luck!!:jump

[KimbleScribble]

Thanks Scratty! I will try all of that. Will however not be able to leave food out at the house for him. We don't want him coming back (*sob*) incase he falls prey to our cats. Their release date has been pushed back a bit as we are going away for a midweek interview. So they will have 5 days of being without me but in their cage. Then I will start taking them to their future home. It will all have to happen a bit faster than I thought it would with this interview happening when it does...

On the one hand it will be great leaving Sowa Town for good but on the other, if we do move, then I will never ever see my lovely Scrib again. Oh boo...This is terrible, I think I should just keep them, leave my husband the house and go live in the wild wit them... I can survive on Squirrel food.