Ziggy is Free;)

[tazzy]

After 14 1/2 wonderful months with the best little buddy a girl could have, Ziggy (or Zig Pig as I call him:D ) journeyed out into the world on his own on Saturday. Up until today he has stayed very close in a tree in our back yard. I havent seen him in a few hours now though. He found a couple of playmates and they played in my yard for a good 40 minutes and then climbed the tree and that is the last I have seen him.
Bittersweet. I have shed some tears and worried allot over the past few days, but I do beleive I did the right thing. I sure miss him though:Love_Icon

[Milo's Mom]

Congratulations! It's hard, but you raised a happy healthy squirrel and he is out in the trees being the big squirrel he was meant to be.

I will soon be releasing the 5 I have raised since March 26. I will be very happy for them, but oh so very sad for me. I am going to miss them SO much. They have consumed SO much of my life, I am going to feel lost.

[astra]

Bittersweet. I have shed some tears and worried allot over the past few days, but I do beleive I did the right thing. I sure miss him though:Love_Icon
:grouphug :Love_Icon most of the time the right things are the most difficult to do

[SquirrelsinSingapore]

Zigggy look incredibly cute with that pose. That shot deserve best squirrel picture award 2011! =D

Pls, bring us more Ziggy pics. News. And updates (if any...) I love his bearish look.:thumbsup Handsome handsome Ziggy...:jump :jump

[JLM27]

Wasn't there a part of you that couldn't wait for him to taste his freedom? He's a lucky boy, and he knows if he needs you, you'll be there.

[Lulu2010]

It's a beautiful and special gift that you gave him. Without you, he would have never known freedom. Never known what it was like to be so high up in a tree that he can almost reach the sky. I know it's hard to let go because all you want to do is protect him and love him. I think you did right by him and if he changes his mind, he always has his mom to come home to. Congrats to Ziggy and mom! :grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug And man is he one handsome squirrel! :thumbsup

[mpetys]

After 14 1/2 wonderful months with the best little buddy a girl could have, Ziggy (or Zig Pig as I call him:D ) journeyed out into the world on his own on Saturday. Up until today he has stayed very close in a tree in our back yard. I havent seen him in a few hours now though. He found a couple of playmates and they played in my yard for a good 40 minutes and then climbed the tree and that is the last I have seen him.
Bittersweet. I have shed some tears and worried allot over the past few days, but I do beleive I did the right thing. I sure miss him though:Love_Icon

Hi tazzy. I am curious as to why Ziggy was released after 14 1/2 months with you. I am curious because I have a squirrel that is almost 17 months old and as much as I love him, I regret that I kept him as he was releasable. I was just selfish and after he almost died, I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing him again. He is a happy boy but there are times that I just feel that I am robbing him of what his life should be. I have considered a possible release for him but would like to talk to others who have released one after having them for such a long time. Thanks.

Michele

[asweetdiversion]

Oh Tazzy, what a wonder thing you have done, look at that beautiful baby smiling at the camera. I know how hard it is to watch them climb away but you know, Ziggy is so happy right now. What a wonderful success story, congratulations, you have done the 2nd most important thing in Ziggy's life, to Ziggy's life...you gave Ziggy, a healthy happy squirrel-life.

[SquirrelsinSingapore]

Hi tazzy. I am curious as to why Ziggy was released after 14 1/2 months with you. I am curious because I have a squirrel that is almost 17 months old and as much as I love him, I regret that I kept him as he was releasable. I was just selfish and after he almost died, I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing him again. He is a happy boy but there are times that I just feel that I am robbing him of what his life should be. I have considered a possible release for him but would like to talk to others who have released one after having them for such a long time. Thanks.

Michele

Hi Michele, you can always opt for 'soft release'.
On or before the 10th session, you'll see if your sq wants indoor or outdoor. At least they get a taste on both sides; how r outdoors like.

I am sure you love your sq, and want them to live happy. Remember, its theirs decision and not ours to make...:)

An example of Sq that choice indoor is SquirrelySteve's Chuck. We can only treat them right, when its decision time, we'll see their intension. -If they want back or want the ultimate freedom..

Sometimes they make nest near your homes, and dropby everyday to get fed. So in that case, they got best of both worlds. Freedom, some protection, regular food. Smart sqs..

josh

[Jackie in Tampa]

awe, I know it was bittersweet...
was he aclimated to the weather, local flora and night sounds?
for how long?
Does he have a cage outside? was he soft released?
Can he still get back into his cage if he wants?
Will you still offer him food and water daily?
Did you hang a nest box?
sorry for all the questions, just curious:)

He does appear to be a wooly bear!:Love_Icon

I have released other's older pet sqs that have wilded up in captivity, some have been his age...they did well after a slow soft release.
I hope he comes to see you often!:grouphug

Enjoy freedom Ziggy, be safe big boy!:Love_Icon

[crazysquirrels]

Very nice. Talula will be 14 months and will be released in a few days. This is the hardest part. Great for them hard for us.

[tazzy]

I want to thank all of you for your advice and help over the past two years with Simon and Ziggy. COuld not have done it without you!

We did do a soft release with Ziggy so that he could get use to the smells sights, and sounds before we let him go. I made sure I had 3 full days off so that I could be home to "watch" over him. His cage is out and we have an enter and an exit door open just in case he wants to sleep on his blankies instead of twigs and leaves:D
We leave food and water out every morning.

The first three days he pretty much hung in the trees in the back yard and didnt come down much. However, the past tow nights he has come down while I am in the back yard and wants to play and crawl on me. We spend about 15-20 minutes doing that and then he has had enough and back up the tree h e goes for the night. I would LOVE for him to do that forever, but I do realize that it may come to a stop one of these days:dono
ANyway Thanks again for all of the advice.

[tazzy]

Hi tazzy. I am curious as to why Ziggy was released after 14 1/2 months with you. I am curious because I have a squirrel that is almost 17 months old and as much as I love him, I regret that I kept him as he was releasable. I was just selfish and after he almost died, I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing him again. He is a happy boy but there are times that I just feel that I am robbing him of what his life should be. I have considered a possible release for him but would like to talk to others who have released one after having them for such a long time. Thanks.

Michele

I tried to let Ziggy go lst fall and he knew he wasnt ready for the long IOWA winters. He owuldnot get out of the cage to save his life:shakehead
So I kept him through the winter and thought I would try one more time. I felt the same way you do, torn between what I want and what I think I should do. I miss him so bad. I do see him several times a day and I love it, but I know that may come to an end at some point. One quote I heard on this board really hit home with me and it went like this
"Better one day in the trees than a lifetime in a cage" and that is so true. If you could see how happy Ziggy is, you would know I made the right decision. Not to say that is what you should do because I don know the situation or your baby, but I do feel good (and sad) about my decision.
HOpe this helps:Love_Icon

[tazzy]

Ziggy has been free for going on 9 nights tonight. The last time we saw him was yesterday afternoon when he came home to eat and mess around in our yard. Up until that point, he would come down around 8 every night and say hi to me and me alone. He would jump on my shoulder and play with my hair and then after about 10 15 minutes, he would go back up in the tree to bed. This is the second night that he has not done that since the release. :Love_Icon Does this mean its over? Does anyone have any experience they can share to make me feel better?:shakehead