MoonShadow1
11-10-2010, 11:55 PM
Hello everyone. I'm glad I found this board. I've been reading it off and on for a few days now. It's been very informative and helpful to me.
I have a baby squirrel I recently rescued and because of this board I feel she is on track to being a happy, healthy young squirrel.
A little bit of a back story...
I live out in the woods, on roughly 14 acres, most of which is wooded, the actual yard is very small... Sunday afternoon my puppies were outside in the pen behind my house barking and carrying on about something. They are young, only 14 wks, so I just thought they were playing with each other. Finally I went out to see what they were barking at, and there was a baby squirrel just sitting on the ground a few feet away from their pen. I went out and the baby ran off a few feet a way, I do have 2 cats, so I brought them inside so they would not bother the baby.. never saw any adult squirrel around with it.. but eventually it disappeared so I assumed it's mother came back for it.
Well Monday afternoon the puppies were again going crazy, barking and yapping like young puppies do... so I went out to check on them.. and this time I saw they were chasing something.. I went outside and saw the baby squirrel hiding under the steps behind my house INSIDE the puppies pen... I reach down and grabbed the baby and put it down on the ground outside of the pen.... and it just sat there. I watched it for a probably 10 minutes from inside the house and it never moved... so I went back outside and reached down to the baby with my hand.... it jumped right up on my hand and climbed up my sleeve and sat on my shoulder.....
So I took the baby inside to check it over (I'm pretty sure it's a female) to make sure she had no injuries... and other than being slimmed from the puppies, she has no injuries.. no bites, no punctures... but was a little on the skinny side.. so I got out a heating pad for her to warm her up and started searching for information on caring for baby squirrels.. which led me to this site.
Based on photos and info I've read on here, I'm guessing she is around 6 wks old. I've bought goats milk for her to start, and made formula for her... but I plan to order the fox valley stuff for her tomorrow (pay day)... Monday and Tuesday I couldn't get her to eat much, but today she is like a totally different baby. She is VERY active now and is eating very well from a syringe. Actually she is adorable when she eats, she wraps her little paws around the syringe and just sucks it down... and she is now eating about 9 cc's at one time.
I've also bought some good veggies and nuts (suggestions I've read on this site).. but she isn't to interested in those just yet.. though she is starting to chew on them.. not really eating them though, though she is getting a nice little belly on her now (she was pretty skinny when I first brought her in on Monday)...
I've hand raised puppies in the past.. so I have the syringes, heating pads... I'm used to having to feed frequently.. so it's not been an issue, plus I've worked at vet clinics for 9 yrs ...though I'm sure squirrels get to be MUCH more work as they get older, this baby is a sweetheart. She loves to climb on my shoulders and is sitting in my lap as I type this.
I'll post a few pictures I took of her on Monday.. any suggestions would be greatly welcomed. I have to say this is the strangest thing I've ever seen. A wild baby just willingly jump up on my hand and climb up my sleeve to my shoulder like some tame pet would have done.... but I know if I would have left her out there, she would have died.. she was skinny and I know a cat would have gotten her. I've kept her away from all other animals (cats and dogs) as I do plan to release her back out once she is older and ready...
I'll try to do more pictures in a day or two..
http://i54.tinypic.com/2eb62r7.jpg
Pic taken within a few minutes of bringing her inside..
http://i55.tinypic.com/2qn37tz.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/20gbjvt.jpg
I have a baby squirrel I recently rescued and because of this board I feel she is on track to being a happy, healthy young squirrel.
A little bit of a back story...
I live out in the woods, on roughly 14 acres, most of which is wooded, the actual yard is very small... Sunday afternoon my puppies were outside in the pen behind my house barking and carrying on about something. They are young, only 14 wks, so I just thought they were playing with each other. Finally I went out to see what they were barking at, and there was a baby squirrel just sitting on the ground a few feet away from their pen. I went out and the baby ran off a few feet a way, I do have 2 cats, so I brought them inside so they would not bother the baby.. never saw any adult squirrel around with it.. but eventually it disappeared so I assumed it's mother came back for it.
Well Monday afternoon the puppies were again going crazy, barking and yapping like young puppies do... so I went out to check on them.. and this time I saw they were chasing something.. I went outside and saw the baby squirrel hiding under the steps behind my house INSIDE the puppies pen... I reach down and grabbed the baby and put it down on the ground outside of the pen.... and it just sat there. I watched it for a probably 10 minutes from inside the house and it never moved... so I went back outside and reached down to the baby with my hand.... it jumped right up on my hand and climbed up my sleeve and sat on my shoulder.....
So I took the baby inside to check it over (I'm pretty sure it's a female) to make sure she had no injuries... and other than being slimmed from the puppies, she has no injuries.. no bites, no punctures... but was a little on the skinny side.. so I got out a heating pad for her to warm her up and started searching for information on caring for baby squirrels.. which led me to this site.
Based on photos and info I've read on here, I'm guessing she is around 6 wks old. I've bought goats milk for her to start, and made formula for her... but I plan to order the fox valley stuff for her tomorrow (pay day)... Monday and Tuesday I couldn't get her to eat much, but today she is like a totally different baby. She is VERY active now and is eating very well from a syringe. Actually she is adorable when she eats, she wraps her little paws around the syringe and just sucks it down... and she is now eating about 9 cc's at one time.
I've also bought some good veggies and nuts (suggestions I've read on this site).. but she isn't to interested in those just yet.. though she is starting to chew on them.. not really eating them though, though she is getting a nice little belly on her now (she was pretty skinny when I first brought her in on Monday)...
I've hand raised puppies in the past.. so I have the syringes, heating pads... I'm used to having to feed frequently.. so it's not been an issue, plus I've worked at vet clinics for 9 yrs ...though I'm sure squirrels get to be MUCH more work as they get older, this baby is a sweetheart. She loves to climb on my shoulders and is sitting in my lap as I type this.
I'll post a few pictures I took of her on Monday.. any suggestions would be greatly welcomed. I have to say this is the strangest thing I've ever seen. A wild baby just willingly jump up on my hand and climb up my sleeve to my shoulder like some tame pet would have done.... but I know if I would have left her out there, she would have died.. she was skinny and I know a cat would have gotten her. I've kept her away from all other animals (cats and dogs) as I do plan to release her back out once she is older and ready...
I'll try to do more pictures in a day or two..
http://i54.tinypic.com/2eb62r7.jpg
Pic taken within a few minutes of bringing her inside..
http://i55.tinypic.com/2qn37tz.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/20gbjvt.jpg