Need loving, caring owner (ny,nyc)

[gallardo06]

I have a 4 and a half month old squirrel. Maybe 5 months. He's amazing. I love him with my whole heart. Well the situation no arises that I need to move and I can't take him with me to my new place. Sadly :(.
I need someone either in NYC or the surrounding area that can give him a loving home.
Please message me or via email
gallardo06@gmail.com

[NaturesGift]

is there anything that stops him from being able to be released?

[island rehabber]

My thoughts exactly, NG. It is illegal to keep a pet squirrel in NYC for any reason, even with a rehabber's license, unless you have a certified "Education Animal" and the required permit for that. Last season, I released three "pet" squirrels successfully; I can release yours, too. :)

[MiriamS]

There's a saying, "If you love him, set him free." Your squirrel is only five months and still young enough that he'd turn into a HAPPY wild squirrel in no time.

But now let's everyone remember, this little one has been a beloved pet so it's hard and heartbreaking for Gallardo to imagine him in the big scary woods.

Gallardo, island rehabber is the most knowledgeable responsible and loving squirrel person I know. You can trust her to do whatever is best for your baby. Perhaps it would work well for island rehabber to take the youngster in, possibly overwinter him to evaluate his needs and behavior. He will have a blast meeting other squirrels and getting human love and attention at the same time!

If he's too habituated as a pet squirrel, IR can find him a good home with one of our legal squirrel lovers (probably in upstate NY). And if he decides he wants to be wild, then she will make the process of releasing him as safe and seamless as possible. I know it's a hard decision but since you have to find him a new situation anyway, I think evaluation of pet vs. wild squirrel would be a great scenario. You certainly found the right place. Everyone here loves squirrels and will only do what is best for your little one.

[mpetys]

If the squirrel is healthy, he should be able to be released. A lot of rehabbers actually do not release until they are 5 months old. Sometimes if they are too young to be released before winter, they are overwintered and released in the spring at an even older age. I have released squirrels that were 8 - 9 months old and they did fine. Still hanging around.

Hopefully, he can be paired with another squirrel or two before release. Your squirrel would be in good hands with Island Rehabber. I know it must be hard on you to let your baby go. I am glad you found this board and will be able to get the best help possible. I have a pet squirrel that I raised. He is now almost 21 months old. I have kept the option of releasing him open, should it turn out he is ever not happy being a pet squirrel. Even at that age, I feel confident that with excellent advice from rehabbers here, he could be safely released to live as a wild squirrel.

If you must let him go, please take Island Rehabber up on her offer to help.

[gallardo06]

Oh yea I don't think he should be released. He's become to much of a pet. And yes the winter is coming so if I let him go I know he will die. And ugh I hate that I have to get rid of him. Always been my dream to have a pet squirrel. And I wanted to give him his 10+ years. :(
I shall research this place.
Thanks guys.
And yes in NYC it is illegal to have one. But I don't care. I'm giving him a home. Heat. Awesome food. Keeping him clean. And the best of all..... All the lovin he cud get. Tell me what's wrong with that?

[MiriamS]

Hi Gallardo,

I understand where you're coming from. There is the occasional squirrel that makes a great pet but keep in mind that your is still young. And he's male. That means that his behavior could change drastically as he matures. It doesn't always happen but it's what we call the "wilding-up" process. As the males mature and their huge fursicles grow and pump testosterone through their bodies, they can become aggressive, especially to any other male that is a threat to "Their woman," YOU! So if you have a male special someone, he will be attacked often.

I'm not saying this is definitely going to happen. If you look into this further and decide you can't bring him to you next home, do some looking around TSB and read about Nancy in New York. She has had a few pets and still done raising, rehabbing and releasing. I believe one of her squirrels is 15 months old and she's tried releasing him but he likes modern comforts and is living with her once again. Perhaps she could take your little one and believe you me, she spoils them rotten.

And let me add an edit here. My concern is that if you do need to re-home your baby and we're freaking you out with all this talk of release, that you'll go on Craigslist and offer a free pet squirrel...that will end up in the hands of someone that has no idea how to care for one. They have really special dietary and exercise needs. Without those needs being filled, they can become very sick AND destroy your house, respectively.

[mpetys]

Hi Gallardo,

I understand where you're coming from. There is the occasional squirrel that makes a great pet but keep in mind that your is still young. And he's male. That means that his behavior could change drastically as he matures. It doesn't always happen but it's what we call the "wilding-up" process. As the males mature and their huge fursicles grow and pump testosterone through their bodies, they can become aggressive, especially to any other male that is a threat to "Their woman," YOU! So if you have a male special someone, he will be attacked often.

I'm not saying this is definitely going to happen. If you look into this further and decide you can't bring him to you next home, do some looking around TSB and read about Nancy in New York. She has had a few pets and still done raising, rehabbing and releasing. I believe one of her squirrels is 15 months old and she's tried releasing him but he likes modern comforts and is living with her once again. Perhaps she could take your little one and believe you me, she spoils them rotten.

And let me add an edit here. My concern is that if you do need to re-home your baby and we're freaking you out with all this talk of release, that you'll go on Craigslist and offer a free pet squirrel...that will end up in the hands of someone that has no idea how to care for one. They have really special dietary and exercise needs. Without those needs being filled, they can become very sick AND destroy your house, respectively.

I agree with Miriam and her warning about Craigslist. That is way to scary, you don't know what kind of person you will be getting. If they will truly care for your baby the way you do.

Yes, Nancy in New York is another great person to consider for help with your baby.

Gallardo, I do understand the bond you feel with your baby. In February of 2010 I was caring for 4 babies. Unfortunately, 3 did not make it and the fourth almost died. But he survived and I kept him as a pet, I couldn't bear to let him go. I still have him now.

I hope you will let someone on TSB help you with your baby. If he is too much of a pet and cannot be released, he stands a better chance of finding a good home with members here than out in the general public. Everyone here knows the joys and pitfalls of living with a squirrel.

I am sorry you are having to make this decision but respect you for wanting to do right by your baby.

[astra]

yes, what M and M both said.
No craigslist - most likely, an ignorant person will take a free "pet" squirrel, but either the squirrel will get ill from the incorrect care, or it will accidentally nip the person and s/he will get rid of it (either by just letting the squirrel out, or assuming it's rabid and bringing it to some animal control or something)...

Island Rehabber or Nancy in New York are both great options! Could not be any better for squirrels!

[island rehabber]

And yes in NYC it is illegal to have one. But I don't care. I'm giving him a home. Heat. Awesome food. Keeping him clean. And the best of all..... All the lovin he cud get. Tell me what's wrong with that?

Absolutely nothing wrong with that!
Until....something goes wrong with your squirrel. GI upset, pneumonia, injury from zinging around his cage, even a spider bite. THEN what? You can't get vet help for him without a rehabber....and most of them will legally take the squirrel away from you at that point in order to get treatment for him. :dono

I totally understand where you're coming from, gallardo, and I have been there myself. It's how I got into rehabbing. :D While you are making your decision, PLEASE PLEASE do not share your squirrel's presence with neighbors or friends who might mention him in the wrong place at the wrong time. The NY State DEC doesn't care that you don't care about their laws. They enforce them anyway.

You're the one that has to move. Since you can't continue to care for this little guy the way you've been doing, find someone who will give him the best squirrelly life possible.

Oh, yeah, and about craigslist? remember we are in NEW YORK CITY. Your squirrel is more likely to end up as food for a snake than as a loving pet....:shakehead

[astra]

Absolutely nothing wrong with that!
Until....something goes wrong with your squirrel. GI upset, pneumonia, injury from zinging around his cage, even a spider bite. THEN what? You can't get vet help for him without a rehabber....and most of them will legally take the squirrel away from you at that point in order to get treatment for him. :dono

I totally understand where you're coming from, gallardo, and I have been there myself. It's how I got into rehabbing. :D While you are making your decision, PLEASE PLEASE do not share your squirrel's presence with neighbors or friends who might mention him in the wrong place at the wrong time. The NY State DEC doesn't care that you don't care about their laws. They enforce them anyway.

You're the one that has to move. Since you can't continue to care for this little guy the way you've been doing, find someone who will give him the best squirrelly life possible.

Oh, yeah, and about craigslist? remember we are in NEW YORK CITY. Your squirrel is more likely to end up as food for a snake than as a loving pet....:shakehead
:goodpost :shakehead

[pappy1264]

I feel the need to point something out that has not been mentioned. Squirrels at this age do not easily adjust to a 'new parent' and may very likely not be the friendly squirrel that you see with his new family. You are all he has known, but that does not mean he will like or be that way with ANYONE else. There are some (though few and far between) that choose to be a pet over freedom. It is not a crime to love them....WE ALL DO, that is why we do what we do (basically give up our lives to help them). That being said, what is best for THE SQUIRREL should always be first and foremost in the choices we make for them. I am sorry that you are in the situation (having to move) and I hope you can find a way to keep him if he truly is happy with you. But if you cannot, you MUST take into consideration whoever you give him to, may find themselves with a wild squirrel that is aggressive, confused and not afraid of humans, which is a dangerous situation for someone that does not know how to handle it. These are and always will be wild animals (even the ones who choose to be a 'kept' squirrel....there have been many instances of them wilding up after years of indoor living.) Ok, just wanted to point this out. I do wish you luck, and I also do understand how it feels to completely loose your heart to a squirrel.....

[gs1]

Oh yea I don't think he should be released. He's become to much of a pet. And yes the winter is coming so if I let him go I know he will die. And ugh I hate that I have to get rid of him. Always been my dream to have a pet squirrel. And I wanted to give him his 10+ years. :(



ofcourse you love your squirrel.....:) :grouphug

sometimes if they're not releasable tsb people do adopt them as non-releasable squirrels ...regardless of the laws....

a compassionate squirrel rehabber like island rehabber will be very careful to decide if your squirrel is going to be ready to be an outside squirrel.....there are things that she knows to look for....

if you give your squirrel to island rehabber or another member here they're not going to just throw them into the cold and call it released....:D

a slow release like we do here can take months.....

first the squirrel is placed into a very large outdoor cage (with other friends that will be their group/family in the wild)

and it will stay there for weeks.... getting used to the outside ..the smells..the sounds etc...

after weeks of this the squirrel door is open ...but not closed.... they can go out during the day and come back at night into the warm nest box if they want to ...

all this time they're getting fed too ....

and will be for weeks after they're released or months if it's the winter.....

also many tsbers will over winter a squirrel ...especially if it's a single squirrel and release him in the spring... by then many of them are several months old....

a squirrels hormones will kick in and they will decide for themselves if the call of the other females are enough to make them want to be outside.....

they really don't adjust very well to strange people ..so giving him to someone else that is not experienced with squirrels can be very traumatic for both .... squirrels bite and have very sharp claws....

but most of all the squirrel will need his own room .... they must have space to exercise or will become very self destructive and depressed......

please look up members here who are in new york ... you will see if there's someone you'd like to give your squirrel to.... their stories and devotion to squirrels are on these pages.....:grouphug

:grouphug

[MiriamS]

Worried Gallardo has run away from TSB freaked out. Please come back G.

[island rehabber]

Unfortunately, most of the time in cases like this the poster doesn't return until:

* the squirrel starts biting the crap out of him and everyone else...
* the squirrel goes down in the hindquarters from MBD

Sorry, but that's the general pattern. THEN they can't get it to a rehabber fast enough......:shakehead

[NutMegsPJ]

Although I agree and think this squirrel could probably be released I am willing to open my doors if needed so he has a warm place to call home. I sent you an email in case you are still in need.