Formula in a dish

[lizharrell1]

So Brenna and Tessa are now 9 1/2 weeks old and started refusing FV about a week ago now. They seemed more interested in playing than eating. So upon reading some of ya'lls posts about offering the FV in a dish, I decided to try it, not expecting the squirrels to show any interest in it. Tessa flat out ignores it and wants nothing to do with it, HOWEVER, Brenna goes nuts for it in the dish. Lordy me the mess she makes! The first few times I offered it to her she practically went swimming in the stuff (and I only put a small amount in a wide shallow dish). She managed to get that stuff everywhere. Now, she has gotten better at it. BUT I SWEAR SHE IS THE NOISIEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD!!! She laps and slurps and I can even hear her in another room.You guys have any advice on how I can keep her from making such a big mess though? She gets it all over her chin and neck and paws and when she is finished lapping it up, she runs over to her stuffies and "wipes" her mouth on them.

[psychobird]

yes they can be messy! i usually put a few pieces of rodent block in and pour the formula over it.
i know someone who would give it in a hanging water bottle, but i like the fact that they eat the rodent block too

[psychobird]

yes they can be messy! i usually put a few pieces of rodent block in and pour the formula over it.
i know someone who would give it in a hanging water bottle, but i like the fact that they eat the rodent block too
i also use a little custard style dish, they are less likely (don't hold me to it) to spill it and run thru it

[lizharrell1]

Hadn't thought about the blocks.....they still nibble on the HHB's, but they don't seem to be their first choice anymore, not since they are now on a diet full of veggies and a little fruit...but they DO still eat them. I would be afraid the formula would spoil too quickly to even bother with the water bottle thing. I usually just put her bowl in for no more than an hour and then I take it out. The mess, however, I WASN'T prepared for!!

[psychobird]

yes it does make for a lovely stench in the cage
couple hours is okay as long as it's not hot out or in your house, i usually only give them enough that's it's gone in 20 minutes anyways.
maybe it will get them back on the blocks also

[lizharrell1]

Thanks for the advice Pychobird! I just put their evening "rations" in the cage with them....Brenna chose the HHB over everything else: snap peas, broccoli, butternut squash, sweet potato, snow peas, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, mushrooms, blackberries, blueberries and one pecan split two ways , oh and a couple of acorns thrown in for "practice". Brenna took the HHB into the nest box, while Tessa headed straight for: THE AVOCADO (I guess I forgot to mention the AVOCADO) Tessa is absolutely addicted to the stuff. I think if I had offered Brenna more FV she would have chosen that. I will offer her more formula at bedtime. Will try soaking the blocks in formula tomorrow.:D

[Jackie in Tampa]

for lapping, I love the lids from jar candles...very heavy and flat bottomed!
yep, they swim in it!:shakehead

[mpetys]

lizharrell1,

I saw your post and your comment about how Brenna "runs over to her stuffies and "wipes" her mouth on them". I had to share a similar story about my MonkeyButt. MonkeyButt is about 7.5 weeks old and he is starting to play with the nipple and syringe. That is, sometimes he will not automatically suckle on it but instead will chew on it and play with it with his paws. So I try to be careful on how much I am pushing the formula through; however, sometimes when I "push", MonkeyButt pulls away and gets formula on his chin. Then when he goes to grab the nipple, he gets it on his paws. I used to take a wet paper towel to clean his face and paws until about a week and a half ago, he started pulling away while protesting, "uhh uhh uhh". He would then proceed to clean his own paws and face. Big boy growing up and becoming independent, right?

Well, one day last week, he got messy and started to wash his paws. Then when he started to use his clean paws to wipe at his chin, he decided instead to lower his face to my t-shirt and swiped one side then the other. Although I was wearing this t-shirt at the time, I couldn't help but be amazed at the ingenuity. I guess it is not just MonkeyButt's ingenuity but it must be a "squirrel" thing!

Michele in Tampa

[gs1]

well, i'm thinking corningware french white ramekin? 7oz, $4.99... to prevent baths... although i'd love a video of the slurpy noises :D

[muffinsquirrel]

Long long ago they made an item that you put under the legs of your sofa to keep them from messing up the carpet. They are small - around 2" across, and made from very thick, heavy glass. They are PERFECT for giving squirrels formula (or yogurt), because they can't get in it to wallow around! (They do still manage to get it all over their face, however!)

muffinsquirrel

[psychobird]

well, i'm thinking corningware french white ramekin? 7oz, $4.99... to prevent baths... although i'd love a video of the slurpy noises :D
that's what i use, i'm always stopping in at salvation army and savers to look for critter dishes, i think i have more critter dishes than human dishes

[jacey]

Muffin we think alike! They are old glass furniture coasters. I buy them on ebay though they are not cheap being vintage or antique. They come in various sizes and colors. I love them cause thay are heavy and larger at the bottom so no tipping over the bowl. I started using them last season with baby opossums who can be very messy also. I have the smallest ones that I use for flyers formula and nightly yogurt. Also what I used last year with a group of grays was these little plastic very shallow rectanglar bird bowls that hook on the cage. The were at petsmart cheap like 2 in a pack maybe? They could not walk all through it but after a week or so they would chew on them and I would have to pitch it and replace it. But it did keep them and the cage cleaner!

[Jackie in Tampa]

Long long ago they made an item that you put under the legs of your sofa to keep them from messing up the carpet. They are small - around 2" across, and made from very thick, heavy glass. They are PERFECT for giving squirrels formula (or yogurt), because they can't get in it to wallow around! (They do still manage to get it all over their face, however!)

muffinsquirrel
:alright.gif very similar to jar candle lid!!!

[pamela lee]

Her's a video of 4 of my babies drinking from a dish...It's finda dark but you'll get the idea.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee159/peanutsmom26/th_MOV07624.jpg (http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee159/peanutsmom26/?action=view&current=MOV07624.flv)

[Jackie in Tampa]

:rotfl
PL...this video shows 4 well behaved baby sqs...they are mild and pretty well mannered:bowdown
I saw none of the antics that mine display while having breakfast!
I saw no high diving:shakehead
I saw no one dunking their sibs:thinking
I saw no fists fights:dono
:poke what are you complaining about???

i wear a life guard whistle in the morning....outta the pool!:D