lildevil403
09-16-2010, 03:31 PM
It has been a most eventful summer, the three cats brought home three bunnies (all released), the dog brought home a terrified turtle-did you know those things can make a growly-hissy noise?(also released), a co-worker suckered me into bringing home an orphaned kitten for my youngest daughter (sigh), my husband found, and brought home, ANOTHER kitty, (got another sucker to take her, hehe), my oldest daughter guilted me into letting her adopt two hamsters to make up for the one kitten she couldn't keep(more sighs), yet to come is a sugarglider (I just know it's going to end up at my house eventually), and finally, my only female cat brought home this...
On the first stormy day of the whole summer my husband and I came home to find my cat on the front porch, wrapped around what at first appeared to be a tiny, naked, wrinkley, grey monkey (you know this stage).
My husband picked it up and cupped his hands around it. I'll admit, I had NO intention of touching that thing. My 14 year old daughter, braver than I, reached out and stroked the ugly little creature's so small head and proclaimed "It's soooo soft... and COLD!" That did me in. I am not capable of turning away from something in need, ugly or not, especially when it was so tiny. I promptly took it from my husband and let my motherly instinct take over. I tucked the thing into my bra and started the never ending search on the internet for help. As you all know there is much to be learned for squirrel rescue, most of it misleading, some of it insane, and worst of all the trial and error promblem solvers (I hate to think of the results of their errors). Yet they do make it seem so simple, is this how all of you were suckered into it? At least the first two steps everyone seemed to agree on, get the baby warm, and get the baby hydrated. (You see my quick progression of acceptance? It went from the ugly little monkey-thingy-creature to "the baby" in just minutes.) So off to the store we went, with the baby still tucked in my bra. Pedialyte purchased, and a mad dash to the drugstore to beg some syringes, where I received the first of many skeptical looks when I explained why I needed a 1cc syringe. To my credit, I did not pull the baby out from my boobs to prove the point. After a very looooong night where minutes were measured more by the drops that went in the mouth than the clock, the baby started moving around, squirming her way back into her warm "nest" (at this point still my bra), even began to squeel when I would pick her up. In the morning the understanding vet helped us determine the skin was not broken by the cat (somehow the baby had NO marks on her at all), she was not bruised, nor did she have any broken bones. He also checked her jaw to make sure it was lined up top to bottom properly. Hard to determine without teeth tho. His thoughts were that she was too weak and young to go on preventative antibiotics with no obvious signs of penetration by cat saliva. (I have since learned she should have gone on them anyway, and we're very fourtunate she did not get an infection). Next stop, pet store, before finding this site it seemed that the most agressive rehabbers were in agreement to use Esbilac powdered puppy replacement formula. Nipples were also needed since it was quite evident she did NOT like hard plastic in her mouth. Then the fight, all over again, to get her drinking the formula instead of pedialyte. Mixing, measuring, weighing, peeing, pooing, and wasing are all a part of my daily life now. Hammie has her own "nest" now, inside her own "incubator", since she no longer fits in my bra...lol. I am happy to announce that this little creature went from a measley 43 grams to a whopping 233 grams (great little nurser now). We determined she was approximately 2 1/2 to 3 weeks and is now 7 1/2 weeks. She is getting ready to go in her "big girl" cage. She will have to be over-wintered, and can not be released back into our yard because of the cats. It is time for me to say goodbye to my little squirrely girly. She is going to a new home where the nice lady has everything she will need to be rehabilitated. She will even have a new squirrely neighbor (but he's a boy so they can't live together). Hammie needs room to run and play and grow, and as understanding as my boss has been with letting her come to work every day, he will not let me build a cage in my office (boo). It has truly been a miracle to watch each day the progress she has made. As much as I will miss her, I know her new momma will love her also. And boy does she have her work cut out for her! Little Hammie likes attention, any way she can get it! Good luck to you all! Thanks for saving all these ugly little monkeys! And btw, they sure do turn into some beautiful squirrels...eventually!
P.S.
It's well known you all like pics...I will post them ASAP!
On the first stormy day of the whole summer my husband and I came home to find my cat on the front porch, wrapped around what at first appeared to be a tiny, naked, wrinkley, grey monkey (you know this stage).
My husband picked it up and cupped his hands around it. I'll admit, I had NO intention of touching that thing. My 14 year old daughter, braver than I, reached out and stroked the ugly little creature's so small head and proclaimed "It's soooo soft... and COLD!" That did me in. I am not capable of turning away from something in need, ugly or not, especially when it was so tiny. I promptly took it from my husband and let my motherly instinct take over. I tucked the thing into my bra and started the never ending search on the internet for help. As you all know there is much to be learned for squirrel rescue, most of it misleading, some of it insane, and worst of all the trial and error promblem solvers (I hate to think of the results of their errors). Yet they do make it seem so simple, is this how all of you were suckered into it? At least the first two steps everyone seemed to agree on, get the baby warm, and get the baby hydrated. (You see my quick progression of acceptance? It went from the ugly little monkey-thingy-creature to "the baby" in just minutes.) So off to the store we went, with the baby still tucked in my bra. Pedialyte purchased, and a mad dash to the drugstore to beg some syringes, where I received the first of many skeptical looks when I explained why I needed a 1cc syringe. To my credit, I did not pull the baby out from my boobs to prove the point. After a very looooong night where minutes were measured more by the drops that went in the mouth than the clock, the baby started moving around, squirming her way back into her warm "nest" (at this point still my bra), even began to squeel when I would pick her up. In the morning the understanding vet helped us determine the skin was not broken by the cat (somehow the baby had NO marks on her at all), she was not bruised, nor did she have any broken bones. He also checked her jaw to make sure it was lined up top to bottom properly. Hard to determine without teeth tho. His thoughts were that she was too weak and young to go on preventative antibiotics with no obvious signs of penetration by cat saliva. (I have since learned she should have gone on them anyway, and we're very fourtunate she did not get an infection). Next stop, pet store, before finding this site it seemed that the most agressive rehabbers were in agreement to use Esbilac powdered puppy replacement formula. Nipples were also needed since it was quite evident she did NOT like hard plastic in her mouth. Then the fight, all over again, to get her drinking the formula instead of pedialyte. Mixing, measuring, weighing, peeing, pooing, and wasing are all a part of my daily life now. Hammie has her own "nest" now, inside her own "incubator", since she no longer fits in my bra...lol. I am happy to announce that this little creature went from a measley 43 grams to a whopping 233 grams (great little nurser now). We determined she was approximately 2 1/2 to 3 weeks and is now 7 1/2 weeks. She is getting ready to go in her "big girl" cage. She will have to be over-wintered, and can not be released back into our yard because of the cats. It is time for me to say goodbye to my little squirrely girly. She is going to a new home where the nice lady has everything she will need to be rehabilitated. She will even have a new squirrely neighbor (but he's a boy so they can't live together). Hammie needs room to run and play and grow, and as understanding as my boss has been with letting her come to work every day, he will not let me build a cage in my office (boo). It has truly been a miracle to watch each day the progress she has made. As much as I will miss her, I know her new momma will love her also. And boy does she have her work cut out for her! Little Hammie likes attention, any way she can get it! Good luck to you all! Thanks for saving all these ugly little monkeys! And btw, they sure do turn into some beautiful squirrels...eventually!
P.S.
It's well known you all like pics...I will post them ASAP!