Hello. a few questions

[emberphyer]

Hello.

As I stated in my intro i am VERY new to this and wanted to post my questions here.

1. I don't want to domesticate Peanut. but want him to be safe till he can care for himself. How should I go about this? Will his natural instincts kick in when the time comes?

2. I have a cat and a dog. Are there any germs should be aware of to keep all concerned healthy?

3. Rabies... both my fur babies are up to date in their shots. what i am concerned about are my human babies. I have a 8 yr old and 11 yr old and of course me and hubby. should i be worried about rabies from the squirrel?

4. Natural foods for Peanut and how to help him learn to hunt for them.

5. Toys.. I have read a bit on providing them with toys. What are good Squirrel toys?

6. Diarrhea. He has been peeing an pooping. His poo is not quite diarrhea and not quite solid and it is a greenish color. Should I be concerned.

7. Water. I have a hamster water bottle for him with a metal dropper but he is not interested in it. Is this ok?

8 Roaming. Is it ok to let him roam my house. It has been really rainy here and i want to make sure he has plenty of exercise. Will a guinea pig ball be better?

Ok i think that is to for now.

Emberphyer

[Legomom]

Well, I'm not a lic. rehabber, but I've raised/released quite a few squirrels so...

1) It would be best for Peanut to have a cage mate approx. the same age so that they could learn from eachother, but I have raised singles before. The key is to make sure he eventually has an outside cage so that he can see & hear what other squirrels in the area are doing, the sounds they are making.

2) I also have a cat & 2 dogs. The best thing to do is keep Peanut away from them. Not for the purpose of germs...to my knowledge there are no cross species contamanent concerns...but Peanut needs to be afraid of them. You do not want him to get comfortable around your pets.

3) There have been no documented cases of rabies in a squirrel. (To my knowledge.)

4) Natural foods: Anything that you see your outside squirrels eating is ok for Peanut to eat. A tree branch (oak or whatever you see your yard squirrels chewing on) is a good thing for him to have in his cage for climbing & chewing.

5) Stuffed animals filled with fluff (not pellets or beads) & no small, easy to chew off pieces are good toys. Bird toys from the pet store...wood blocks, bells, etc.

6) How long have you had Peanut? How long has he been eating Esbilac?
Loose stools are pretty common when they are first getting used to eating the formula.
Here is how you want to start him out on the formula...

3 feedings 1 scoop Esbilac powder in 4 scoops water
3 feedings 1 scoop Esbilac powder in 3 scoops water
then all feedings 1 scoop Esbilac powder in 2 scoops water

7) The water bottle should be fine. He may not be interested yet, because he is getting enough fluid from his formula feedings. Depending on his age, he should get formula until he's approximately 12 weeks old.

8) Roaming is up to you...but, make sure he is watched!! They are quick & they find crevices you couldn't begin to imagine. What do you have him in right now?

Hope this helps! :grouphug

[emberphyer]

Legomom0701, thanks for the fast reply

I have had him about 1 week. He is staying in a clear plastic 2 1/2' by 2' storage bin with a loose lid during the time he is asleep (which is a lot)and over nite in my house. When it wasn't raining I set the bin outside with the lid off to give him the freedom to go when ever he wants. I have put twigs and pine cones in there for him to crawl on. I noticed he likes to take the pine cones in his little nest he makes in the fabric I have in there for him.

The diarrhea seems to pr getting a little worse today, but his appetite is fantastic. I guess it is trial and error day to day. - Emberphyer

[4skwerlz]

You got great advice from Legomom.

I'm sorry if I missed it, but how old is Peanut? It would help if we could see a photo.

For the diarrhea, try adding a teaspoonful of yogurt (with live cultures) to his formula. If his poop becomes really runny, then try adding an extra part of water when you mix the formula so it's more diluted. Then when the diarrhea clears up, go back to full strength.

Make sure you keep everything used to feed him as sterile as possible: the syringe, etc. And make sure you throw out any mixed formula after several hours. That stuff grows bacteria like crazy.

Make sure you're not microwaving the FORMULA to heat it. You should microwave a mug of plain water, then put the syringe full of cold formula into the hot water until it is just warm on your wrist.

Also, make sure you use PLAIN TAP WATER to mix your formula. Don't use pedialyte or anything else.

Just some ideas for you. We really need to know his age.

[emberphyer]

4skwerlz, Thank you for the information. I have been reading up on your Squirrel Blocks and as soon as I get paid i am going to make a batch for Peanut. He is about 6-8 weeks (from the info I have read here). His eyes are wide open and bright, he has all his fur and curls his tail up his back, I noticed he is starting to get a few longer hairs around his body, his front teeth are in (kinda hard to look in the back of his mouth to see if the back ones are in yet). I do sterilize his feeding items (like i did when my girls were babies LOL) and also heat the water and set the bottle in the water. He Chirps at me when I don't get the formula fast enough for him (to sweet). he will play with my girls for a little while but always comes to me for comfort. He soooo has a grip on my heart. I keep telling myself I am only here to make sure he can become a healthy squirrel that deserves his freedom. Just like all babies I guess (sigh). Thanks for every thing and all the info.

Oh P.S

I will get some photos up of him ASAP.

[Legomom]

That is a great age!! Just starting to explore more. I wouldn't advise leaving him outside in the box w/out a lid....especially unattended. One concern is predators. A hawk could come along & scoop him right up. The other concern is that his instincts haven't kicked in yet. He's still a 'baby'. He doesn't know what is safe to eat, who/what is safe to approach, how to forage or build a shelter.

You're going to want to start considering a cage for him. He's going to be climbing & exploring more every day. Here's a thread with a lot of info on cages.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4362&highlight=nestboxes+release+cages

He doesn't need a huge one just yet...a ferret cage will do, just make sure the bar spacing is 1/2". (Our babies go from the nursery box - small shoebox size plastic container,
to the young'uns cage - 2' x 2' x 3' cage, to the release cage - 4' x 4' x 3'.)

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[emberphyer]

Legomom0701,

Thanks for the link. I will make use of that for sure. Today is a nice sunny one and I am going to sit outside with him so he can get some much needed sun. Right now all he seems to want to do is crawl on me and sleep. I swear it is like having a little human baby. I read somewhere that one person puts them in the bathroom with the door/toliet lid shut durring the times they can't go out side so that their squirrel can have some play time in a safe room. I might try that while I'm at work so he doesn't feel cooped up.:jump

The only thing I am havig a hard time with so far is my girls wanting to play with him all the time. They want to keep him as a pet.

I do have 1 question. this might seem silly. I seem to be wiping up poo and pee every where. Has anybody tried to use/make squirrel dipers? He cuddled in the crook of my neck last night and got a little to comphy:D and my husband noticed I had Ode di squrriel poo when I went to bed.

Thanks again for all your time and info-Emberphyer

[emberphyer]

Yaaa!!! Penut had a normal poo today ( alot of little normal poo's today :D )
I am having a problem with him eating his Veggies and he wasn't so excited about the formula but acted hungry. I also bought him so rodent blocks yesterday, he is kinda iffy about just having those. any advice?

[emberphyer]

Hello All,

Just a update and photos of Peanut. He is doing AWSOME :wahoo .

He has his formula twice a day (his choice) and is starting to eat his greens. he is learning how to forage when he is out side which is most of the day now. He loves to thumb wrestle and attack his pink seal stuffed animal or roll a ball of napkin when he is in the house. He did this cute whistle thing the other day. One thing does concern me though. He has no fear of my cat or dog. He and my cat will play together, my dog just ignores him. I have tried to keep them separated but when I get home from work and the kids and hubby have him out they think it is neat. But then again my cat still tries to catch the "wild" squirrels. I know this sounds silly but it like she knows the difference. Any who just wanted to give you a heads up. Photos range from 3 1/2 weeks ago to just taken today. enjoy- Emberphyer

[emberphyer]

And 1 more

[emberphyer]

OH forgot to ask.

Any guesses on how old Peanut is. I figure 8-10 weeks. I think he was about 5-7 weeks when we found him.

[Legomom]

I'd say close to 10 weeks, but that's just my opinion from experience. (Not a rehabber, but a foster mom to orphans.) :D

[foxsquirrels]

You might want to consider putting Peanut in a ferret harness and leash when she is outside. If she gets spooked by something you could lose her very easily.

[Nancy in New York]

You might want to consider putting Peanut in a ferret harness and leash when she is outside. If she gets spooked by something you could lose her very easily.

Not only that foxsquirrels, good point by the way, but in New York,maybe even other states too, if you have a squirrel or any animal without a rabbies shot and it bites someone, they will have to take a rabies specimen...in short euthanize and test the brain...People that have their little squirrels outside need to be careful since these squirrels are used to people...Cute little one by the way:) :)

[Pointy Tale]

Emberphyer—Just found your thread. As you can see by the replies you’ve already received everyone on this board is great. They have lots of experience and good advice. Love all of the pictures, Peanut is beyond cute. Wishing you both all of the best.