do squirrels really prefer one person?

[Melody_S]

I see that now |eonard aand Squizz are growing up and judging situations more clearly they have chosen me as their main prefrence. They love me and show me "affection" and don't like their "dad" my boyfriend or housemate. Both of them helped raise them with mejust abiut as equally. Is this normal?

[astra]

I see that now |eonard aand Squizz are growing up and judging situations more clearly they have chosen me as their main prefrence. They love me and show me "affection" and don't like their "dad" my boyfriend or housemate. Both of them helped raise them with mejust abiut as equally. Is this normal?
absolutely normal. That's just another reason why they do not make good pets (e.g., check out Rama Rota's thread in Success stories and how Stosh - one of his humans - "fell out of favour" with Rama and had to create a helmet as a protection)

Squirrels are one-person animals. There are some very rare exceptions, but very, very rare. They pick one person and as for the rest of the family - they either tolerate them, or show their dislike, both adults and children.

It is also common for male squirrels to get attached to their human momma. They become very protective of you and do not want any other males (i.e., your boyfriend) around you;-)
Sometimes, with time, they mellow out and warm up towards other family members, but only time will tell.

So, yep, very normal!:)

[Rhapsody]

Yes, this is perfectly normal as a squirrel starts to grow up..... the squirrel will start to prefer one person in the family over every one else and most of the time the person chosen is generally the person that has bonded with and taken care of the squirrel the most.

[Mavrycs Mommy]

how old are your babies?! will this happen to Mavryc?! as of now he loves us both and MOST other people... there are few people he just doesnt care for... will he be that way to EVERYONE eventually :shakehead

[Melody_S]

Thank you for your answers, I hope they rewarm up to the guys. My babies are about 12 weeks old, or so. They really just started this about a week or a bit more ago.

[astra]

how old are your babies?! will this happen to Mavryc?! as of now he loves us both and MOST other people... there are few people he just doesnt care for... will he be that way to EVERYONE eventually :shakehead
most of them become a one-person squirrel as they grow up, and yes, there is a chance Mavrycs might "grow up", too... your only advantage is that he is a fox squirrel. Fox squirrels are by nature more mellow and easy-going than grays and reds. Reds are the fastest to "grow up" and claim their independence. Grays are more mellow than reds, but less - than foxers.

HOwever, there are some exceptions: Nancy's little Jeffrey was a little red miracle...i guess, that was part of his mysterious magic...

[astra]

Thank you for your answers, I hope they rewarm up to the guys. My babies are about 12 weeks old, or so. They really just started this about a week or a bit more ago.
yes, that's about the age they can start getting "opinionated" ;-) like that, but, sometimes, it starts later... very individual:grouphug

[Mavrycs Mommy]

i THINK Mavrycs 11 weeks old... i lost track (im a bad mommy :shakehead:nono ) i hope he stays sweet!! he loves playing with the babies lol

[stosh2010]

Hi...This is Stosh ...the Keeper of the KING ( Rama Rota) He loved me and RamaMama equally for 12 months. At that time he attacked me. At 13 months he got friendly again. Then I had a great 4 months. Then in May the face biting started again.
Sadly ( for Me) it has been HELMET _TIME for the last 5 months..
I miss my Softie Boy
P.S. Rama & RamaMama still play for hours-every day....

[BamaHam]

Hammy is 16 months old and he attacked my husband for the first time last weekend. At first I thought it was because there was a pecan next to him and he was guarding it and then he attacked him again two days again. When I pulled him off he bit me. I set him on the cage and scolded him. He acted as if he knew he did wrong and let me put him in his cage without a protest. Funny he hasn't attacked my daughters or the dogs (whom he doesn't socialize with but tolerates---the dogs that is) My daughters play with him everyday when they get home from school and feed him. We have a 10 wk. baby girl we are winterizing and he tries to play with her but she is a little afraid of him. No problem there with her. I guess that is where the term squirrely came from!?tinfoil tinfoil :thinking :dono

[Pierre]

Well who really knows I guess, but I wonder if there is a ying-yang thing that happens with a little more frequency than not---that being, male squirrels often end up preferring a female squamma?? Maybe the husbands [Stosh, Hammy's dad, etc] often become the competition and get attacked because the squirrel sees no reason to have two men in the house? :rotfl [My sweet labrador I know thinks of me as the alpha female and he the alpha male! He pushes and pesters and can be a bit snarky to my boyfriend.] Does this happen more often than a boy squirrel preferring a squappa? What about girl squirrels? Do they prefer men or women more? Or is there no rhyme or reason?...

[SammysMom]

My goodness I do hope Sammy doesn't do this! He is about 14 months old and he loves us both. My husband has always been his "mother" since he was the one who found him. At this point he seems to love us equally. We have also both fallen into disfavor a few times and been bitten bloody...:sanp3
I sure hope he continues to run to the door when he hears either one of our cars pull into the driveway. My heart would break if he chose to push me out of his family!:shakehead

[Rhapsody]

HOwever, there are some exceptions:As stated by Astra...... there are ALWAYS going to be EXCEPTIONS to the RULE!!

The 1st Squirrel I ever raised (for 6 months) MAX loved both My Husband and I - but took a BIG dislike to our youngest son and everyone one else that came into the house....... :nono

That was 5 years ago and since then every Squirrel I have raised and released has held true to the one person rule......
some even turning on me "their mom" before I could safely release them --so words from the wise / you will never truly know until the time and matter comes before YOU!!