Little Babe has gotten so cautious

[Kristal]

All the boys went through a cautious and ambivalent phase as they were getting close to weaning. Rifa didn't, much, but I am starting to think that she is too brave for her own good. Nibbler and Squeaky are over it. Those three all jump on my hand when it is time to come out and play and when I want to put them back in the cage. But Babe is still quite scared of me. He hides from me when I offer my hand for him to climb on, yet he gets so scared when I leave him alone for a few minutes. Of course caution is a desirable trait in squirrels, but he is starting to get a little hard to handle. I've never done anything to hurt them, rather the contrary. He is just being cautious because that is his personality, I guess. For everybody's sanity, I would like to remain friends with my squirrels. He seems to be taking a long time to pass through this hyperalert/hypervigilent phase, though. I wonder if it is a phase for him at all.

Babe was and is still the little runt. He was also the first of the boys to open his eyes at barely 4 weeks of age. I have read that they can open their eyes early due to emotional trauma. Maybe he is just a very sensitive, little guy? Any ideas on how to soothe an anxious squirrel? He roughhouses a lot and has no other behaviour problems. He just seems scared of losing control - of me carrying him or of being restrained. I suspect that is the root of it.

[Kristal]

Also, he does not bite or ever show any aggressive behaviour at all. He just runs away from me when it is time to jump on me. Sometimes Rifa will encourage him to jump on my hand, but that can take a rather long time. Usually I put my hand behind the couch to scare him up because then he will jump on the top of my head in a panic. Mainly I don't want him to be so uncomfortable. I do love the little guys :(

[Kristal]

Also, I can pet him just fine in his bed... he lifts up his little arm so that I can scratch the magic squirrel spot when I do that. So it seems like he is mostly stressed about being picked up and transported?

[Kristal]

Aha, and he just jumped on me a few times for the first time in 3 weeks :) I have been doing some sleepy petting so that he can remember that these hands are nice hands. It seems to have worked. Squeaky and Babe just used me as a tree in their game, and I sat a long time to let them do it. Babe jumped on my hand when offered to keep the game going. They like to argue over who gets to sit on my head, the squirrels ;p

So it seems like patience, sneaky sleeping petting and the good example of the other three is helping him get over his fears :)

[pappy1264]

My four have varying degrees of 'the spookies' as I call it. Started about a week ago (they are around 8-9 weeks old). Out of the cage they get freaked out, but in the cage, they are fine. It passes, usually, just keep working with him. Are you wintering them over or releasing soon?

[Kristal]

Over wintering, definitely. It is already starting to get cold (early) this year. I do not think they would stand a chance out there. I want to keep a close rapport with all of them as I expect they will get harder to manage when they are grown. They already need to be kept on a close watch when I have them out. Somehow they seem to know, intuitively, all the worst places to pee and all the worst things to teethe on :)

*sigh*

But of course I love them, and they are a riot to watch :)