Kalvyn
04-08-2011, 01:49 AM
I'm pretty sure he's 9 months old...
Grey Squirrel. Male.
We got him as a baby, got him nice and healthy and happy, litter trained. (I"m very proud of his litter training. He's such a good boy!)
He has a 4-ish story cage. Ish being that two of the stories are more like landings, but it's a nice large cage. He gets outside-cage time every day. Hasn't been outside, the weather has been HORRIBLE recently. Plan on leash training him soon, as well as setting up the spare cage once we get some sunshine.
He doesn't seem to want to go outside or be 'wild'. He's VERY contest with his humans. I've taken him outside a few times to go get the mail and he just sits on my shoulder. I don't think he knows what the outside world is...He used to pace at my window last summer, but not anymore. That only lasted a few days. Then he learned he could watch people from outside, and now he doesn't sit by the window at all.
He's REALLY good with being told no when chewing on things like desks, my camera, etc. He's not much of a wire chewer.
He's such a darling and loving boy, but the last few months he has been developing some quirks. One, I don't know why but he was having free-time when my sister was helping me fold my laundry. She picked up a skirt of mine and he freaked out, attacking her. This was before Christmas and her nail is pretty much just slowly dying right now. She's not angry...We think maybe he's possessive over black fabric. I put a black sheet over his cage as a baby so he didn't mess up the wall the cage was by, as well as keep it dark for naptime. I also wear black hoodies a lot and since I"m his main caretaker...idk if squirrels get possessive over fabric or not, but he was fine until she picked up that skirt...
He's been more aggressive lately too. I don't know if it's just the season...or if he's sick...or hormones...He's not neutered. We DO have a vet who is willing to do it and has done it. He's an exotic animal vet and has been wonderful with our other exotics (skunks, and previously sugar gliders). I read that since squirrels don't mate in captivity, so I didn't think much of it. Assumed that his hormones wouldn't effect him in any way. (Silly me?)
My mom wants him neutered, I don't really care either way. (shrug)
Also, he lost some tail fur. It's on the tip. It's not bare, but it's not as full as it should be, and that worries me. Is he not getting enough calcium? He gets mushrooms, avacado, leafy greens (kale, etc) and other yummy veggies. He also gets his rodent blocks (he's out of squirrel blocks. Rodent blocks are used when we don't have the squirrel blocks handy.)
Since he doesn't have his blox, I've been adding some calcium via rep-cal. I was also thinking of using some vionate that we have leftover from the suggies. It's full of healthy stuff. http://www.jefferspet.com/vionate%23174%3B-vitamin-mineral-powder/p/95/
He gets a treat once or twice a day of a walnut or two. I got unpeeled raw just for convenience while giving a treat, since I also give it to skunks and they can not shell them like squirrels can. Though he gets shelled ones once in a while. He was a little slow learning on what to do with the shells. He didn't know there was yummy stuff inside it, silly Kalvyn.
One more thing, last week his fur looked greasy. At first I thought he was sick, but then I realized I gave him avacado so then figured he was just playing with it. I chased him with a paper towel to wash him. Didn't go over well, but cleaned him a bit. It' snot as bad now, but greasier than it was previously. Is he not grooming himself? Is it a sign of something? There is so very little info on squirrels on the internet >:
Slight backstory - when we got him as a baby, he had mites and internal parasites. Coccidia. Got him his meds for it, he's been great ever since...
Sorry this is SOOO long, but I know it is more helpful the more info you give out. After he got too bitey/aggressive tonight I put him in his cage, as I have done the last few nights. My plan was to let him out in a few minutes when he calms down, but he just goes right to bed. When I did that to him as a baby, he's pace for a minute or two, and once he sat nicely I'd let him back out. Now he goes right to his nest. I don't know if that has anything to do with his aggression, but after only a half hour of playtime, he shouldn't be so sleepy.
Lesson: Even if you use your own water form your own cup to fill up his water dish, he will insist on drinking it out of your cup. It's much better that way.
Thank you in advance. If I'm doing something wrong, be brutal. No need to sugar coat it. Also, good weight? He doesn't feel to skinny or fat. Looks lightly thinner than the wild squirrels, but he didn't stock up on nuts for winter...he's VERY active. Burns lots of calories. He loves bells and will roll around with this rattle-toy-puppy-thing for an hour at a time. He loves to chew on wicker bird toys and "cosmic chews" which are ice-pop looking wood sticks for rodents. He always picks the blue one if you give him options.
Ramble ramble blah blah :D
Grey Squirrel. Male.
We got him as a baby, got him nice and healthy and happy, litter trained. (I"m very proud of his litter training. He's such a good boy!)
He has a 4-ish story cage. Ish being that two of the stories are more like landings, but it's a nice large cage. He gets outside-cage time every day. Hasn't been outside, the weather has been HORRIBLE recently. Plan on leash training him soon, as well as setting up the spare cage once we get some sunshine.
He doesn't seem to want to go outside or be 'wild'. He's VERY contest with his humans. I've taken him outside a few times to go get the mail and he just sits on my shoulder. I don't think he knows what the outside world is...He used to pace at my window last summer, but not anymore. That only lasted a few days. Then he learned he could watch people from outside, and now he doesn't sit by the window at all.
He's REALLY good with being told no when chewing on things like desks, my camera, etc. He's not much of a wire chewer.
He's such a darling and loving boy, but the last few months he has been developing some quirks. One, I don't know why but he was having free-time when my sister was helping me fold my laundry. She picked up a skirt of mine and he freaked out, attacking her. This was before Christmas and her nail is pretty much just slowly dying right now. She's not angry...We think maybe he's possessive over black fabric. I put a black sheet over his cage as a baby so he didn't mess up the wall the cage was by, as well as keep it dark for naptime. I also wear black hoodies a lot and since I"m his main caretaker...idk if squirrels get possessive over fabric or not, but he was fine until she picked up that skirt...
He's been more aggressive lately too. I don't know if it's just the season...or if he's sick...or hormones...He's not neutered. We DO have a vet who is willing to do it and has done it. He's an exotic animal vet and has been wonderful with our other exotics (skunks, and previously sugar gliders). I read that since squirrels don't mate in captivity, so I didn't think much of it. Assumed that his hormones wouldn't effect him in any way. (Silly me?)
My mom wants him neutered, I don't really care either way. (shrug)
Also, he lost some tail fur. It's on the tip. It's not bare, but it's not as full as it should be, and that worries me. Is he not getting enough calcium? He gets mushrooms, avacado, leafy greens (kale, etc) and other yummy veggies. He also gets his rodent blocks (he's out of squirrel blocks. Rodent blocks are used when we don't have the squirrel blocks handy.)
Since he doesn't have his blox, I've been adding some calcium via rep-cal. I was also thinking of using some vionate that we have leftover from the suggies. It's full of healthy stuff. http://www.jefferspet.com/vionate%23174%3B-vitamin-mineral-powder/p/95/
He gets a treat once or twice a day of a walnut or two. I got unpeeled raw just for convenience while giving a treat, since I also give it to skunks and they can not shell them like squirrels can. Though he gets shelled ones once in a while. He was a little slow learning on what to do with the shells. He didn't know there was yummy stuff inside it, silly Kalvyn.
One more thing, last week his fur looked greasy. At first I thought he was sick, but then I realized I gave him avacado so then figured he was just playing with it. I chased him with a paper towel to wash him. Didn't go over well, but cleaned him a bit. It' snot as bad now, but greasier than it was previously. Is he not grooming himself? Is it a sign of something? There is so very little info on squirrels on the internet >:
Slight backstory - when we got him as a baby, he had mites and internal parasites. Coccidia. Got him his meds for it, he's been great ever since...
Sorry this is SOOO long, but I know it is more helpful the more info you give out. After he got too bitey/aggressive tonight I put him in his cage, as I have done the last few nights. My plan was to let him out in a few minutes when he calms down, but he just goes right to bed. When I did that to him as a baby, he's pace for a minute or two, and once he sat nicely I'd let him back out. Now he goes right to his nest. I don't know if that has anything to do with his aggression, but after only a half hour of playtime, he shouldn't be so sleepy.
Lesson: Even if you use your own water form your own cup to fill up his water dish, he will insist on drinking it out of your cup. It's much better that way.
Thank you in advance. If I'm doing something wrong, be brutal. No need to sugar coat it. Also, good weight? He doesn't feel to skinny or fat. Looks lightly thinner than the wild squirrels, but he didn't stock up on nuts for winter...he's VERY active. Burns lots of calories. He loves bells and will roll around with this rattle-toy-puppy-thing for an hour at a time. He loves to chew on wicker bird toys and "cosmic chews" which are ice-pop looking wood sticks for rodents. He always picks the blue one if you give him options.
Ramble ramble blah blah :D