HELP!

[Dcrazywhitegirl]

ok this guy me and my friends go to to get our tattoos has a fox squirrel he want me to take but he/she is full grown its realy his fiances squirrel an she can hadle him but what I wanted to know is would a adult squirrel get used to another owner? I mean I want the him/her but dont know if she/he would be able to get used to me Im home all the time so would have plenty of time to spend. hes going to let it loose in the woods if I dont take it. wich I dotn think if a good idea theres houses around there and he/she likes cats an dogs an runs right up to them. so any opinion would be a great help thanx. also whats about a cage an food? right now he is in a med size dog cage with a stump with a hole in it for bed wich I guess it good an he/she gets fed all sorts of just nuts. I guess what i realy want to know is should I take him an what kinda cage an food do I need?

[Skul]

Squirrels can be very demanding and time consuming as pets.

Is it possible for you to take the squirrel and cage?
If you live in an area which is wooded, you could acclimate the squirrel to the outdoors before release.
If you do not, try contacting a rehabber in your area for help.

[Dcrazywhitegirl]

yes I can take the cage but what I was thinking is a bigger cage once he gets here. what kind of cage does yours live in?

[Skul]

Ours tend to be released when old enough.
Before release, they're usually in a 3x6x6 foot cage.:)
Bigger is always better.:D

[Dcrazywhitegirl]

I have a cage thats about twice the size he's in I was gonna cut a hole in the top an put his on top so he could have an uper an lower area. but his diet of just plain nuts it good right since thats what they eat in the wild?

[djarenspace9]

I have a cage thats about twice the size he's in I was gonna cut a hole in the top an put his on top so he could have an uper an lower area. but his diet of just plain nuts it good right since thats what they eat in the wild?

Not really...nuts are a very small part of their natural diet.

Here is the link for the recommended diet.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16093

[djarenspace9]

More than anything realize that this is a tricky situation, because it's still a wild animal though due to it's circumstances treated like a pet.

Releasing him right now would be dangerous for him, and keeping him as a pet might not work out easily.

Only time will tell.

Here at least you can get resources and information to make a good decision.

If you take him, definitely give him as much space as you can and get him on a stable diet asap.

The lack of nutrients and vitamims may already have caused damage that's not obvious yet, but could take a turn for the worse really fast.

Good luck and welcome to TSB!

[mpetys]

My initial though is, "Is it even legal to own a fox squirrel in NC? If not, finding a vet, if needed, would be a problem. Perhaps the kindest thing would be to find a rehabber that could evaluate him to see if he could be released; if not now, then down the road."

After reading your post, and seeing that he is not afraid of dogs or cats, and has not had the proper diet, it is obvious he is not releasable, at least not right now. Would you be able to provide him with the proper diet? Please read the Nutrition section on this board. They are expensive to feed if you do justice by them.

Do you know how old the squirrel is? Please understand, I am not trying to be judgemental; just trying to look at all angles. Definitely, do not let him just turn him loose; that would be cruel. If you do end up with him and plan on keeping him; you will find no better resource than this website for help and advice.

Good luck!

Michele

[island rehabber]

One of our members, Sissy, is an excellent rehabber in North Carolina. I will send her a PM to look at this thread and see if she can help.

[Legomom]

Sissy is a great person to help you out. Listen to what others have said, please. I texted Sissy to get her over here, so she should be here soon. :thumbsup

[Sissy]

Thank you Island and Legomom for contacting me. What can I do to help you? I would be more than willing to take this baby and start a soft release. I doubt he/she will get use to another owner at this age. If something isn't done quickly about the diet there is a chance he/she will get MBD and die. Where in NC are you located. I can come pick him up if you are willing. Sounds like time is of essence here. Thank you for coming to TSB for help.

And yes it is very illegal to possess any type of squirrel in NC.

[Sissy]

:bump

[Best Life]

Thank you Island and Legomom for contacting me. What can I do to help you? I would be more than willing to take this baby and start a soft release. I doubt he/she will get use to another owner at this age. If something isn't done quickly about the diet there is a chance he/she will get MBD and die. Where in NC are you located. I can come pick him up if you are willing. Sounds like time is of essence here. Thank you for coming to TSB for help.

And yes it is very illegal to possess any type of squirrel in NC.

Thank you, Dcrazywhitegirl, for recognizing that this squirrel should not be "turned loose" at this point. As you mentioned, he doesn't have the survival skills he needs to make it out there yet. A little time at a professional rehab facility really is the best thing for him, and I wouldn't want you to get into trouble for keeping him as a pet. Any updates?

:tilt ... Linda

[Sissy]

I have had brief contact with Dcrazywhitegirl, and am hoping to hear from her today. She is going to try and bring the squirrel home with her so I can come pick him/her up. Prayers needed! :thankyou

[djarenspace9]

:thumbsup

Thank goodness, I've been keeping an eye on this thread and wondering
what came of it...hoping for the best!

:grouphug prayers

:Love_Icon :flash3 :Love_Icon and good vibes

headed your way! :bowdown

[island rehabber]

:thankyou Sissy :Love_Icon

[Sissy]

:thankyou Sissy :Love_Icon


You don't have to Thank me Island, you know I'll do anything to try and save a squirrel. :grouphug

[island rehabber]

oh God I hope they haven't just let him loose in the woods....:(

[Sissy]

Me too, or changed their minds about re-homing him/her. I just hope we aren't to late and the ultimate has happened. UGH ok thinking positive, thinking positive. Things are going to work out.

[Sissy]

:shakehead :shakehead :shakehead Sadly enough I have not heard anything from Dcrazywhitegirl. It is out of my hands now, so all I can do is pray for this baby. I hate it when a poster comes on and needs help then disappears. It just breaks my heart. Thanks for all the love and support from everyone. She was a mere 2 hours away from me so I could have easily helped, but they have decided not to accept it obviously.

[island rehabber]

This is why bad things happen to innocent animals. People know what they should do, but somehow they just don't do it because it's inconvenient, or unpleasant, or somebody else tells them they don't have to.

[ravenlaws32]

very sad indeed . :grouphug