Lost squirrel in house

[Luckysmom]

I have a flying squirrel that got out of her cage 2 nights ago and I can't find her think she is in my ceiling I sat up all night last night trying to catch her but she never came out any advice how to get her out of my ceiling

[cam]

My only advice would be getting hold of a humane live rat trap and putting it where you think she is

[Luckysmom]

I will try that

[astra]

I've contacted our flyer people directing them to your thread, so hopefully, someone will be on here soon.

Cam's trap idea might be one of the ways to go.
You will need the smallest size hav-a-hart. They are available at HomeDepot. (and a little secret: if you wash it well after use, you can still return it[just don't tell them you used it ;-)])

But traps might be the way to go.
In the meantime, looks for all possible holes, cracks that lead to the ceiling/attick/walls...

[Luckysmom]

Thanks Astra for the help

[MiriamS]

(and a little secret: if you wash it well after use, you can still return it[just don't tell them you used it ;-)])

I've done this too :D

[Jackie in Tampa]

Nothing should leave your house un checked...the trash for example...
ck laundry , do not fill washer until you are certain she is not involved.
be super careful to "NOT PLOP ' down on furniture...
they can and will find a way into the underneath of anything they want to!
put towels under ALREADY checked closets so if she is not in there NOW, she cannot go in there...
ck every pocket, every shoe, every purse etc...
keep all cabinet doors closed...

lock up other pets in an already ck'ed area...

if she is under three months, she is not fully nocturnal yet and you may see her or hear her at anytime...if she is older, she may come out during daytime, but probably not unless bothered.
This evening, turn off all noise and listen ...stash inshell nuts in various places that she can be heard chewing...

Restrict bathroom door openings....put towels under doors so no passage...
where ever she is ..it's better to keep her contained to one place ...IF POSSIBLE.

use the trap when you sleep!
good luck!

[MiriamS]

So I went through this with my flyer and it was very scary but it all worked out in the end. Is this the new female pregnant flying squirrel you just got recently? I don't know what her previous situation was and if she was a pet or if she was wild. I'm assuming she is not bonded to you and that's why it's been so hard to find her because she doesn't come when called.

If it is her that escaped, she will be looking for someplace to nest. If she was a wild squirrel before you got her, it's possible she's freaked out at suddenly being caged and is just trying to get back to the trees. And if that is the case, who can really argue with her because a wild squirrel shouldn't really be caught and subjected to captivity. If you think she might have escaped your house, she's probably still close but you can help her out by hanging up a nest box that is good for flyers, wood, kind of small with a smaller opening, filled with fleece or synthetic pillow stuffing.

Now, if you think she is still in your attic, regardless of whether she was a pet to begin with, her focus is still nesting because she's about to have babies. How easy is it for you to access your attic? I think there are a few things you can do if she's in the attic.

Number one is buy a few of the smallest size havahart traps. They can be tricky to set up but be patient, you'll figure it out. Put them in the attic and maybe around the house. Put whatever her favorite food is in there, probably acorns. You can try peanuts because they have a very strong scent that she will smell easily. The trap should look like this:

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Have you been giving her treats, like nuts, that you keep in a container that makes a particular sound? You might not even have noticed but flyers are smart, especially when it comes to learning where yummy foods come from. If you do have a bag or container of nuts, acorns, any kind of food that you've been feeding her regularly, you could try using it to your advantage by shaking it to make the noise. She might come out when she hears it because she associates it with food. I would recommend trying the nut-container-shaking at night in every room of your house. Be patient and do it repeatedly, in every room in the dark or dimmed lights. Then listen for any sound.

You can do this at night when you hear her running around the attic. Try to figure out how she got up there. If there's a hole, stand by the hole shaking the nuts. If you can get into the attic, go up there and shake to make the sound. Listen carefully because she might just wiggle out of her hiding place and watch you for a few minutes, expecting you to come feed her but not realizing you don't know where she is because she was naughty and went on an adventure. Remember during this whole search that it's the littlest sounds that will help you find her. Also be prepared to do some sitting in the dark with your ears open.

This goes without saying but if she's in the attic, look carefully through everything. Especially look up at the ceiling if there are open beams or insulation. She might have built a nest in there. Look for holes or other signs of flying squirrels, :poop If it seems like she's up there and doesn't want to come down, you can provide her with a better nest option. Hang a nest box IN the attic and put some of the fleece from her cage in it so it has a familiar smell. Put some food in it. You can hope she'll move in there so you can eventually find her there and bring her back to her cage.

What I was told when my flyer escaped, and this turned out to be absolutely true, is that they tend to go where they have been before. I think you said you've been taking her out to play in the bathroom. If she's most familiar with it, maybe she went there. Is there anywhere in the bathroom she could be hiding?

Jackie posted great advice about keeping her safe and blocking closets. This goes without saying but make sure that all of the toilet lids are shut in your entire house. Leave her cage open at night because you may be surprised to find that she has returned on her own.

You have another flyer right, Lucky? How long have you had Lucky and how bonded is he to you? Does he have full run of your house? There's a reason I ask these questions so I will wait for the answers and in the mean time think about other advice for you. Just remember that they are very active at night so you are most likely going to find her then.

[pappy1264]

You have been given great advice so far. Only thing I can add, check online and see if you can get recordings of flyers squeaking, to see if you can get her to respond that way, esp. if she is a wild flyer. They tend to be pretty vocal, in my experience. Also, if you can get into the attic, you can put a very light coat of flour down, so you can see if she leaves tracks to show where she is hiding. Also, get a box of tissues to put up there, they love to use tissue and some will even nest right in the box. Good luck!

[sierrasmom97]

I had the same thing happen to me a few months ago. I went to the local tractor supply store and bought a live trap but the openings were still too large for a flyer so I went to walmart and bought a roll of screen like you would use on your windows and covered the trap with that. I rigged it up with duct tape lol and left all of the tags on the live trap so that I could return it once I didn't need it anymore.
I lost my squirrel in my kitchen and then the little stinker went under the stove and found a hole in the wall behind my oven. We cut away drywall and everything trying to find him with no luck. I blocked off the entire kitchen, locked the cats down in the basement and waited. Sure enough as soon as we went to bed on the 2nd night and the house got quiet he came out. I left out peanut butter & nuts and a bowl of water for him. Hang in there..I know its stressful. :grouphug

[cuteascnb]

You have been given great advice so far. Only thing I can add, check online and see if you can get recordings of flyers squeaking, to see if you can get her to respond that way, esp. if she is a wild flyer. They tend to be pretty vocal, in my experience. Also, if you can get into the attic, you can put a very light coat of flour down, so you can see if she leaves tracks to show where she is hiding. Also, get a box of tissues to put up there, they love to use tissue and some will even nest right in the box. Good luck!


yes...very vocal Bandit and Sadie talk to eachother ALL night!

Mine wont go very far without checking to make sure Im behind them, then they always run back...Maybe if you set up a big box....put a bunch of veggies and fruit in there....she will come out to eat then you can get her by closing the box???


If you leave lucky's cage out at night...watch it the other flyer may stop by for a visit...they are very social.

[Nancy in New York]

This may have already been posted, but close the toilet lids.:thumbsup I would have a note and then check after people used the bathrooms just to double check that they were always closed, and then I would check again. I had a red that ran the house.:rotfl

[Luckysmom]

I've had lucky for a month and she does have the run of the house but she doesn't go anywhere but where ever I'm at

[MiriamS]

Okay, great! So Lucky is bonded to you enough that she comes to you? Mrs Skul advised me to use one flyer to find the other. They sniff each other out like magic!

If you feel comfortable with this, let Lucky out and let her go where she wants...but follow her. Even better, take Lucky up to the attic and let her out. I bet she'll find your new pregnant squirrel right away. Well, she might stop to explore here or there but watch her and she'll smell and then call to the other squirrel. Good luck :thumbsup

[SammysMom]

That is a good idea Miriam!
Off the topic it reminds me of something a friend did that was NOT a smart idea with kittens. He had 4 FERAL kittens in a carrier and one got out. He called me a little while later to enlist my help in the round-up of all 4! Since the one loose one kept going to the carrier to try to e near its sibs, he left the door open so it could go in. Shockingly the others went OUT instead! :jump :shakehead :jump Knucklehead!

[astra]

Okay, great! So Lucky is bonded to you enough that she comes to you? Mrs Skul advised me to use one flyer to find the other. They sniff each other out like magic!

If you feel comfortable with this, let Lucky out and let her go where she wants...but follow her. Even better, take Lucky up to the attic and let her out. I bet she'll find your new pregnant squirrel right away. Well, she might stop to explore here or there but watch her and she'll smell and then call to the other squirrel. Good luck :thumbsup
M, do you think a month is enough to bond strongly enough to come back no matter what?...
I think, Lucky has only been with Jessica for a month, and it sounds like insufficient time to bond enough to trust with letting her roam...
But then, again - I do not know enough about flyers bonding "procedures", so I won't know.
Just thinking.

Unless Jessica is 100% sure Lucky will come back, I am a bit concerned that Lucky might end up straying herself...

Maybe, whether in the attic, or in the room, maybe, Jessica should close doors and under doors with towels and what not, to make sure that Lucky won't escape?...
:dono :thinking

[cuteascnb]

Do we know if she found her yet???:dono

[MiriamS]

I've had lucky for a month and she does have the run of the house but she doesn't go anywhere but where ever I'm at
Astra, those are really good points to consider. It's because of the above comment that I even mentioned it. I guess it's worth asking for clarification to make sure Luckysmom doesn't end up with two lost flyers.

LM, does Lucky only go where you take her or does she explore but stay close to you and come running back to you if you call her?

[Luckysmom]

sorry guys. Elizabeth is gone. I found a hole in my little girls floor going outside. I have searched and waited and Elizabeth hasnt came back. Thanks everyone for the advice. Elizabeth was wild when I got her and I know she went outside to continue being wild

[MiriamS]

Oh okay, this isn't the worst news actually. If she came to you wild, then she deserved to be wild again. I suspect she may stay close to the house for a bit, looking for a good place to have those babies. Have you considered putting a nest box up for her right outside just in case she is staying close?


EDIT:

I put up a nest box on my oak tree hoping she will go in it. I will keep checking it everyday to see if she made it into the nest box.
:thumbsup Don't worry, she has her natural born instincts and will take care of herself and her babies. Since she was wild to begin with, she was probably totally freaked out at being in captivity. I bet she was desperate to get back to the wild to find a natural place to give birth.

[pappy1264]

Even if she has gone outside, you can put up a feeder station nearby that you can supplement her food, and perhaps you will get to see her (and the babies) that way. I'm sorry, but I am glad you at least know what happened. Many loose small animals this way and never find out what became of them.

[MiriamS]

I was thinking, just in case she nested in the insulation in your attic, it might be worth keeping her cage open with food in it, in case she comes looking. She could have had the babies and be hiding out for the first few days. If you leave food out and you see that it's been eaten, then you'll know she's still somewhere. I'm sure she she's safe either way.