Getting them to go in the cage

[Kristal]

Does anyone have good ideas for this? Usually it is fine. I put food in there before I put them in, leave my hands smelling like avocado and they happily hop on to go home. Every so often Babe has a little panic attack, though, and that starts a downward spiral. Tonight I fairly picked him up since he was sleeping in the hanging plant drey and would not come to me quickly enough for my liking. I can pick up the other ones fine, but his trust is so tenuous. We had been doing really well for quite a while, so I figured it would be fine. It wasn't. I got him on, sure, but he leaped off and not into the cage. I figured they would doze off, being sleepy, so I made an exception and left the door open for him to go in. He didn't, and now they are all out in the room, and I am too tired to be herding squirrels anymore. He is hiding from me and running away when I approach and the others are goofing off, divebombing me from my hanging coat and jumping back, then repeat. I guess I will leave them out, and I am pretty unhappy about the situation. Probably my back room will be destroyed in no time, flat. Maybe I should lock the food up in the cage? That might be a good idea as I don't want them to have too much fun with this... They will start to think it is a good idea :shakehead

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Usually when I want Lulu-Bean to go into her cage and she won't come, I break out the treats. She'll come running right away, and wait on my shoulder until I grab her to put her in her cage. Most times, she'll get a treat once she's in there (but if she's been especially sassy and running away from me prior to cage-time, she won't get one).

Otherwise, when I call to Lulu-Bean, she'll come up to me and let me hold her until she gets gently put in the cage.

Is there something that Babe doesn't like in the cage that scares him? The only thing I could think of is that if he's scared of the cage, he won't see it as a safe place and won't want to be there. The others will follow suit because they're sassy little squirrels, as squirrels often are!

[Kristal]

No, Babe is just anxious. He never got out of the spooky period. He was quite brave before that, it's really funny. He gets freaked out about being picked up, about being transported on me, and if he doesn't see his sibs for a few hours, he is scared of them, too. It's hard to maintain his trust, is all. And it appears to be a bit contagious as Nibbler is now hanging out with him in his hiding spot under the cage and making grumpy growling noises. They are just like that, taking cues and sensing emotion. Babe usually jumps on to me only after he has seen the others do it. I got Rifa and Squeaky into the cage with the nomnoms. They are both very easy to handle. So is Nibbler, usually, but now he thinks he has to hide because Babe does, sigh. So I will leave Rifa and Squeaky to snuggle in their house and Babe and Nibbler out with no breakfast, I guess. Tomorrow is another day :/

[Jackie in Tampa]

I saw the title to your thread and had to, had to laugh...really loud..


as I start out sweet getting the littles back to their cages ...and I mean sweet...within an hour, I am sorta different...as Fred yells, "If TSB could see you NOW"
I ain't sayin' nuttin else...:rofl4

[CritterMom]

I used the Bribe Pecan. I never, ever gave Mister P pecans when he was a younger sprout and in the cage in my living room. It had one huge door, so if he didn't want to go home there was no getting it shut fast enough. BUT, he knew that every time he went home to his cage, somewhere in there was The Bribe Pecan. I would hide it in his nest or throw it in one of his hammocks, or wherever, but I made sure it was always there. Since he knew it would always be there, he couldn't WAIT to get in and start hunting for it.

You just have to be consistent. If he is laying someplace, I would walk over and SHOW him the goody, and let him see you go over and put it in the cage. They catch on REAL fast!

[Anne]

Dealing with multiple squirrels to be put away is definitely a challenge.:D One with trust issues can sour the whole ordeal! Treat won't help in this situation, some one else will be eating it! :jump Opening the cage with some inside is like opening a can of supersonic worms.
:grouphug :grouphug Good luck on this one:grouphug :grouphug

[island rehabber]

Darkness is your friend in these situations. I rarely let rehab squirrels out of the cage but when I have overwinters, of course I do. Always in the late afternoon for a couple of hours...then as it gets dark I draw the blinds and shut all the lights. Almost ALWAYS, everyone quietly retires to their safe nest box for the night.

Once in awhile somebody retires to a cozy spot on top of the bookcase.....:shakehead

But it generally works well!

[Kristal]

Well. I finally did it. I got everyone in. I think I deserve a fracking medal :D That only took what? 5 hours? Well, thank god it's rare. My kits like to sleep on top of my books and I let them keep their hanging plant drey, too. I figure it is good wild training for them. Besides, they will just build it back up again, being squirrels. I try not to start any arguments with them that I know I will lose, you know :). The hiding treats is actually a good idea. If they get used to it and that is usually the only way they get nuts, they will be likely to dive in hunting for them. Competition is a good motivator for littermates :D

Any other good ideas are welcome, btw, and thanks, all ;)

[virgo062]

Darkness is your friend in these situations.

You are so right...I would turn the lights off in the Garage and eventually they would head to the cage...Except for Squeaky he tried to nest in a pile on top of the shelves I always had climb the ladder to fish him out:osnap

[Pierre]

Hats off to all of you with multiples.

As pathetic as it sounds, I sometimes have trouble getting my ONE squirrely back in his cage. Sheesh.

I'll tell you they are smart little critters--every trick I have come up with to get him in, he has figured out a way to somehow jump, flip, squirm, wedge an arm, foot, or head out the closing door and within a millisecond ends up back on my arm running up to my shoulder.

Oh, and during all that twisting, squirming, and wedging, he somehow manages to grab the treat bribe and ends up happily munching it on said shoulder. ..:shakehead

[stosh2010]

Dealing with multiple squirrels to be put away is definitely a challenge.:DOpening the cage with some inside is like opening a can of supersonic worms.:grouphug :grouphug Good luck on this one:grouphug :grouphug
NOW There...is a Visual ...that has to make you smile...
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Stosh >>> Keeper of the KING ( of Costa Rica )

[pappy1264]

Ah, yes, one must have extra arms! lol I have found I am getting faster at the 'catch me if you can' game, though! My guys don't have any trust issues, though, so that makes it more difficult for you. Treats don't work for me, either. I just wait em' out if I can...eventually I get em'.....:D

[LittleFootsMama]

I can't even imagine how many arms you need to have for that :) I'm picturing the evil octo-guy from Spiderman.. Maybe he could come help? LF is usually pretty good about going back to his cage but thats *1*!! I think because he's a singleton he's just very used to being held, so when I pick him up he usually just thinks Oh god she's going to kiss on me again ./sigh.. But when he realizes I'm going to put him away he usually gets pissy with me, going back to cage time is when I've gotten all three of my blood drawing bites LOL

[pappy1264]

Even though they are fast, they NEVER bite me when I catch them (I snuggle and kiss them and they just relax in my hand!) Course, trying to keep the other three from getting out while I put said escape in is always interesting....lol

[LittleFootsMama]

Even though they are fast, they NEVER bite me when I catch them (I snuggle and kiss them and they just relax in my hand!) Course, trying to keep the other three from getting out while I put said escape in is always interesting....lol

Never bite?? Wow, I thought LF was an angel for only drawing blood thrice in his 14 weeks LOL He learned very quickly though, when he bit he got a loud firm AH AH!! and put right in his cage and I left the room. Didn't take him too long to learn that biting=no more play time+Mommy leaves :jump

[prncsbabs1]

I saw the title to your thread and had to, had to laugh...really loud..


as I start out sweet getting the littles back to their cages ...and I mean sweet...within an hour, I am sorta different...as Fred yells, "If TSB could see you NOW"
I ain't sayin' nuttin else...:rofl4



LOL I thought It was just me Jackie :rotfl After 40 mins, I get a "lil cranky" too:dono

[Runestonez]

When we had the kids inside still...before they were fully weaned...you'd open the cage to take one out and all four would jump you!

Or if you were lucky to sneak the one out you couldn't get them back in...I don't know how many times I'd be standing in front of the cage with a squirrel ready to go in...and the other three giving me stink eye...just waiting for me to crack the door just far enough to get their head through!

I got smart one day though... :D
I played with the silly little buggers until they were so tired three headed back to the nest on their own and one collapsed on top of the cage...picked him up and popped him back inside! :D
Do you know how long it takes to tire out four teenagers!!??:sanp3

[Kristal]

Do you know how long it takes to tire out four teenagers!!??:sanp3

Four teenaged squirrels?? I can hardly imagine. I guess I do an avocado/nut bribe. I let them stay out for 2 or more hours until I know they will be hungry again. Then I leave my hands smelling a bit like avocado, and they all jump on in a fairly orderly fashion. USUALLY, that is what happens.....

They don't like to be picked up at all. Probably all squirrels naturally don't like that, and I never pushed the issue enough to habituate them to it. That would be too hard with four of them. They mostly let it pass, but they do not like it. For Babe I run a risk of him deciding that "I was right!! You are NOT the nice person you were pretending to be!! I was a FOOL to ever trust you!!" if I go to pick him up, and that is what happened. Hidden nuts might be fun for them and helpful for the whole going to bed process. I think I am going to try that.

It's funny, too. I got them all to go in by coaxing them with a shelled walnut. But as soon as they were in, they dove into bed without going for the walnut reward, except for Rifa, that is. I have a mattress up against the wall, a hanging plant in there, some dirty laundry... I had already tried turning off the lights and they all made makeshift perch beds around the room is all that happened. They are just like little kids not wanting to go to bed, but as soon as they saw it, they dove in. "OH YEA, that IS kind of a nice place.... OK, bye! No I would not like a walnut. I am TOO TIRED for your silly walnuts. *yawn*"

Silly squirrels :)

[mugzeezma]

Four teenaged squirrels?? I can hardly imagine. I guess I do an avocado/nut bribe. I let them stay out for 2 or more hours until I know they will be hungry again. Then I leave my hands smelling a bit like avocado, and they all jump on in a fairly orderly fashion. USUALLY, that is what happens.....

They don't like to be picked up at all. Probably all squirrels naturally don't like that, and I never pushed the issue enough to habituate them to it. That would be too hard with four of them. They mostly let it pass, but they do not like it. For Babe I run a risk of him deciding that "I was right!! You are NOT the nice person you were pretending to be!! I was a FOOL to ever trust you!!" if I go to pick him up, and that is what happened. Hidden nuts might be fun for them and helpful for the whole going to bed process. I think I am going to try that.

It's funny, too. I got them all to go in by coaxing them with a shelled walnut. But as soon as they were in, they dove into bed without going for the walnut reward, except for Rifa, that is. I have a mattress up against the wall, a hanging plant in there, some dirty laundry... I had already tried turning off the lights and they all made makeshift perch beds around the room is all that happened. They are just like little kids not wanting to go to bed, but as soon as they saw it, they dove in. "OH YEA, that IS kind of a nice place.... OK, bye! No I would not like a walnut. I am TOO TIRED for your silly walnuts. *yawn*"

Silly squirrels :)
I got mine to jump in and out of a shoe box to carry them back and forth.
I loved it when they would alternately stick there noses out the hole in the side, taking turns.
Ani decided she wanted to stay outside and Finnagin want to come in. It stopped working. Now I wait until dark open the door to the nest box and scoop up a big fuzzy blob o squirrels and carry them in. They barely move.

[Kristal]

Yea, but you also nursed them all wrapped up. I will do that the next time if I get some more coming my way. I've always let them do as they like insofar as it is practical, and they did not like being wrapped up when I tried it. If I had done it from infanthood things would be different. I can generally pick them up when they are sleeping, but except for Rifa, it turns into a scramble and they find a spot of their choosing to cling onto me as I walk them all to wherever we are going, instead. That is ok. When I transport them they are all happily running around on me because they are either on their way to play or to eat avocados :) I put out my hand to let them hop on. That's how they like it.

Well... I must look a sight, though, at the center of a maelstrom of swirling squirrels :D

[mugzeezma]

Yea, but you also nursed them all wrapped up. I will do that the next time if I get some more coming my way. I've always let them do as they like insofar as it is practical, and they did not like being wrapped up when I tried it. If I had done it from infanthood things would be different. I can generally pick them up when they are sleeping, but except for Rifa, it turns into a scramble and they find a spot of their choosing to cling onto me as I walk them all to wherever we are going, instead. That is ok. When I transport them they are all happily running around on me because they are either on their way to play or to eat avocados :) I put out my hand to let them hop on. That's how they like it.

Well... I must look a sight, though, at the center of a maelstrom of swirling squirrels :D
No I actually fed them stretched out on my leg....most of the time when they got older I wrapped them more frequently because they were so goofy and flighty. They were handled both ways. I do the box thing because i have to walk outside and they new that the trip always ended well. Walking around the house I wear Finnagin. Ani...well I wear her too and walk really fast...

I see you wear the latest fashion in fur too....the Squirlnadoe coat!

[Jackie in Tampa]

I got smart one day though... :D
I played with the silly little buggers until they were so tired three headed back to the nest on their own and one collapsed on top of the cage...picked him up and popped him back inside! :D
Do you know how long it takes to tire out four teenagers!!??:sanp3
YES...:osnap :rotfl
I had 5 sibs before,,,not to one up ya... 4 is bad enough...I know it!!!!!
I have a set of 4 now... and a few sets of 3's...
gotta love'em, but they just get faster and smarter{sneaky}:D

[Kristal]

I see you wear the latest fashion in fur too....the Squirlnadoe coat!
You know, I was just thinking that the other day. They would make a great coat what with all the heat they put out. It is always very warm in their nesting box even if the room is cold. It would sure be a good conversation piece... Talk about a fashion statement :)

[Jackie in Tampa]

not to change subject...but...
flyer colonies form a big ball, and the interior sqs will take exterior duty until they get chilled, then another switch and they keep rotating and working as a team/community...
isn't that so cool and smart!
actually warm and smart!:D
now I need to put three baby greys away...and not get Fred to work late....:eek: