Hello from Momo, the SFS!

[IrishHarps]

Hello!

I am a proud mama to a young Southern Flyer, Momo. My fiance and I got her as a baby back in October of last year, and have been in love with her ever since :) I have lots of photos of her from the last few months, and I'm excited to share her and her story with you all! I am mostly familiar with the NFSA, but I thought I'd hop over here too, to get complete information and advice on caring for my darling baby. It's nice to meet you guys!

For starters, here is a picture of her in her carrying cage on the day we brought her home. I love my baby!

[UDoWhat]

:Welcome So glad to meet you too. TSB has tons of information for you to enjoy reading. In particular, the nutrition section. Glad you found this squirrel loving group. :wave123 Hello to Momo. You are so darling little Momo!!:Love_Icon

Marty

[2ndHandRanchRescue]

:Welcome Yep you found the place for squirrel lovers - what a sweetie!!!

[IrishHarps]

Yes thanks very much! I will check out the nutrition section here for sure. I did my homework on the NFSA boards for months before getting my flyer, so I hope not to make any newbie mistakes. Momo gets fresh fruit, veggies, and protein every day, as well as having a seed mix that I shake up with Rep-Cal to get that calcium supplement in her diet. Any advice is always appreciated, however, because she is my first squirrel (though certainly not my last, I'm sure!)

[astra]

awww what a cutie!!!!!!!!:Welcome

[IrishHarps]

Thanks everyone!

Here is another pic from this Christmas - I distracted her with a seed, and was able to put a tiny Santa hat on her and take a few pictures. This may be my Christmas card next year...

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

OMG :thumbsup

[Skul]

Oh boy!
Monster mice are always welcome here.:D

[IrishHarps]

Lol! Yes, she looked scrawnier when she was a baby. It depends on the angle, too. From some angles, her squinched up wing flaps make her look downright chubby! Here is one of my favorite "chubby squirrel" photos of her. Enjoy! (I do love mah baby!)

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi IrshHarts & Momo :Love_Icon
:Welcome Welcome to TSB
Can you post a little Information for us? :thinking What does her Dirt consist of? What formula did you finish her out on? FoxVally is what we feed, and mixed in with yogurt when older. :thumbsup3This is a little Maintenance help Boost the system and Maintain the Calcium and Vitamin levels. What size cage do you have? Does she get much out of Cage time? Have you read the Nutrition section? http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=191
Hear are a few cites you can find the FV and Flying Squirrel Blocks.
http://henryspets.com
http://foxvalleynutrition.com/main/prod.asp
http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/
Do you feed Protean every day? MealWorms WaxWorms, or Chicken? :dono This is a Must in the Diet every day. :thumbsup5
I hope to see you around the Flying Squirrel Forum.
:Welcome :Welcome :Welcome

[pappy1264]

Cutie patootie!!!!

[stosh2010]

WELCOME to TSB---Please be a regular reader and post-er.
We LOVE photos... Keep 'em comin'...............

[Anne]

:Welcome :Welcome :Welcome
Momo is a cutie! So glad to have you "transfer" to this board. You will see quite a few that belong to NFSA here too. What ever you did to raise Momo, she looks good. Think that you will see the same diet here for her. Just that flyers need that protein from meat the greys won't go near plus they love their seeds :jump . A few of us keep meal worms and super worms going on out counters :D .
We can never get enough PICTURES to satisfy our needs,:rotfl :rotfl

[IrishHarps]

Hi everyone! Thanks for the warm welcome!

To answer Mrs. Skul's questions:

Regarding the cage - you can see photos and some info about what we did for her habitat on my post at NFSA: http://www.nfsa.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2024#p68588.
The cage is pretty big, and goes up to the ceiling. She has a ton of room to run around! Since my fiance and I spoil her to bits, we will probably end up building her something even bigger in the future. The dirt is topsoil, which wasn't treated, didn't have any insecticides, etc. I spent a good half hour in Home Depot making sure the dirt I got for her cage was dirt and nothing else! I am very nervous about chemicals and their use in the household, so I was even more so careful to make sure there were no chemicals in her cage.

She gets out of cage time every day :) When we are home in the evenings, we have her out of the cage all evening. When we are home during the day (Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays) she gets out of cage time during the day as well. We definitely have her out as much as possible. Who could resist those eyes?? That face??

I read up on nutrition big time before we got her (I had a 9 month wait at the breeder... gave me way too much time to troll the boards!) She self weaned off formula immediately. We tried to give her some but she hated (absolutely loathed!!!) it. The food we have available for her every day is: seed mix (I change this out once a week because I don't want her relying on this for nutrition) which is dusted with Rep Cal, fresh veggies (mushroom pieces every day for the Vit D!), fresh fruit, and some chicken or egg. She is a little carnivore, and can't get enough of her protein!!! She also has a cuttlebone available in her cage, and I feed her almonds and hazelnuts every few days to keep her teeth trimmed. So far I have not used HHBs (they are not as strongly recommended on the NFSA boards), but since everyone here loves them, I plan on ordering a batch and seeing if she takes to them. I also feed her some yogurt every few days - between this and the Rep-Cal, she should be good on calcium supplements.

Oh yes, and I have a little treat container for her, which consists of pumpkin seeds in shell, sunflower seeds in shell, and small pecan pieces. When she is good, she gets to choose something from the treat jar to eat. She normally chooses the pumpkin seeds, and she gets about 2-3 of those a day.

She is a little princessa, and does not like the mealworms :( I have tried. She won't go after live bugs either. I think there is no 'wild' left in her! She likes her protein cooked and cut up in her bowl all ready to go :-P She is scared to death of trees (wouldn't go near our Christmas tree!) and plants. :rotfl She'd much prefer cuddle time to anything 'wild.' She is a pretty pretty princess furball of love!

I love showing off photos, being the proud mom that I am, so I'm happy you guys like them! You'll be getting a lot of them from me :multi

For good measure, here is one of her nomming a pumpkin seed, making the adorable "ooo" face.

[Skul]

I'll bet Momo is a spoiled little brat.:rotfl
How's she doing with the flying?

[stosh2010]

I see Momo likes to sit on a Costa Rican BOWLING BALL...

[IrishHarps]

Pretty well, I think! She is my first flyer so I have nothing to judge it against. She is always running and jumping around - we practice flights together (I will stand near her cage or something tall, and she'll practice jumping between it and me). I'd say she can get about a 7 or 8 foot glide on a good jump, and she has launched herself off things about 10 feet tall on a regular basis. She can get a good 3-4 foot jump from straight off the ground! Jumps right over any barrier we have for her.

It's so cool to see how persevering these little squirrels can be, too. She has taught herself how to scamper straight up the sides of bookshelves and cabinets. Even though she may fall 10 times in a row, she will keep going until she makes it to the top.

I have some video of her and am thinking about making a YouTube channel to share her exploits with the world. I'll post a link when it's up!:crazy

[IrishHarps]

I see Momo likes to sit on a Costa Rican BOWLING BALL...

lmao - yes we posed her on a coconut because we thought it'd be funny :)

[Mrs Skul]

Hi IrishHarp:wave123
I am glad to see every thing is so well. You did your Home Work.:thumbsup Good Job! :bowdown I would like to Mention just a few thing. :D
The Wheel is To SMALL and is Very Dangerous! "As I posted in Tracer & Beacon thread this morning." She can hurt her Back while running on it.
When she gets off while it is going she can get hung up or Pinched in between. :nono The Best is a Stealth wheel. {"Very Flyer Friendly."}
I can't fine the address right now.:dono I will look for it tonight. We try to use Calcium Carbonate instead of Rep cal. My Vet Suggested, the reason it's not grounded up fine enough. When she has to Pee out the Excess, this can Cut, and Scratch her inside, causing a Infection. I try only Putting the Calcium in a container and rolling the Worms around in it. :D If you PM your Address I will send you some FoxVally 32/40 to start adding to her Yogurt. Try it for a few weeks. See if she likes it. Every Older Flyer I have given it to Love it. Mainly the one who have been MBD. The Flyer Block is not Necessary if you are feeding A Good Rodent Block. & Feeding a healthy Diet of Vegatables, Green Salad, and 1 fruit daily with Lots of Protein. This is a Full Fledge Diet for them. I always give mine Nuts in the shell for there teeth. :thumbsup3 I also give Seeds as treats. If and When you do a larger Cage,
try making it Square. They do not like the Round cages and they get Board in them fast. She will get more exercise, and be Happier with more room to run, & things to climb on. :D But with several Hr out of the cage the one she has Looks good.:thumbsup5 I noticed their is only small Perches. Do you have Large tree limbs for her to climb on and Chew? If you can get a fresh 2 to 3 inch around Branch with smaller limb. She will go NUTS on it.
It is Very Good Enrichment for her. Later on if you are going to start Hanging out with us. :thinking
Ask IR to Move your Thread to the Flyer section. :crazy It will be nice to have you around. :wahoo
PS
If you get a chance to read Darla and Spanky, Skul Tiny Tyrants. These are my Little Fluff Buggs. :rotfl Has Momo started climbing the Door molding or Up the Fire Place to the Ceiling? Sound like she is Right on Track with the Jump, and Gliding. :alright.gif So Hang on to my Number. Call me if you ever need some advice or help. I am Dyslexic and typing takes so long for me to do. I check in at night because I am Up Playing with all my Flyers. So Day or night I am always up and around. :)

[cuteascnb]

oh how cute!!!

[cuteascnb]

Hi IrishHarp:wave123
I am glad to see every thing is so well. You did your Home Work.:thumbsup Good Job! :bowdown I would like to Mention just a few thing. :D
The Wheel is To SMALL and is Very Dangerous! "As I posted in Tracer & Beacon thread this morning." She can hurt her Back while running on it.
When she gets off while it is going she can get hung up or Pinched in between. :nono The Best is a Stealth wheel. {"Very Flyer Friendly."}
I can't fine the address right now.:dono I will look for it tonight. We try to use Calcium Carbonate instead of Rep cal. My Vet Suggested, the reason it's not grounded up fine enough. When she has to Pee out the Excess, this can Cut, and Scratch her inside, causing a Infection. I try only Putting the Calcium in a container and rolling the Worms around in it. :D If you PM your Address I will send you some FoxVally 32/40 to start adding to her Yogurt. Try it for a few weeks. See if she likes it. Every Older Flyer I have given it to Love it. Mainly the one who have been MBD. The Flyer Block is not Necessary if you are feeding A Good Rodent Block. & Feeding a healthy Diet of Vegatables, Green Salad, and 1 fruit daily with Lots of Protein. This is a Full Fledge Diet for them. I always give mine Nuts in the shell for there teeth. :thumbsup3 I also give Seeds as treats. If and When you do a larger Cage,
try making it Square. They do not like the Round cages and they get Board in them fast. She will get more exercise, and be Happier with more room to run, & things to climb on. :D But with several Hr out of the cage the one she has Looks good.:thumbsup5 I noticed their is only small Perches. Do you have Large tree limbs for her to climb on and Chew? If you can get a fresh 2 to 3 inch around Branch with smaller limb. She will go NUTS on it.
It is Very Good Enrichment for her. Later on if you are going to start Hanging out with us. :thinking
Ask IR to Move your Thread to the Flyer section. :crazy It will be nice to have you around. :wahoo
PS
If you get a chance to read Darla and Spanky, Skul Tiny Tyrants. These are my Little Fluff Buggs. :rotfl Has Momo started climbing the Door molding or Up the Fire Place to the Ceiling? Sound like she is Right on Track with the Jump, and Gliding. :alright.gif So Hang on to my Number. Call me if you ever need some advice or help. I am Dyslexic and typing takes so long for me to do. I check in at night because I am Up Playing with all my Flyers. So Day or night I am always up and around. :)

:goodpost :goodpost

[IrishHarps]

Thanks for all the advice! I had never heard some of that anywhere.

Where do you find calcium carbonate? Of course I would like to use whatever is best for her. I had always read that Rep-Cal was the #1 choice, so that's what I had picked up. :-/

I'll send you my info - thanks for the Fox Valley! I'll see if she takes to it :) You never know til you try!

I will take her wheel out asap and get a stealth wheel this weekend.

It's winter where I am right now, and I have had her since October, so it's been a bad time of year to go branch gathering (it's really hard to tell what's what without leaves). I plan on dragging in some more stuff from outdoors as soon as it gets warmer out:) In the meantime, I move things around in her cage, and add/remove different things every time I clean it to give her more stimulation. And of course, lots of out of cage time!

The little troublemaker is stashing a nut on my bookshelf as I type!

:thankyou

[MiriamS]

From some angles, her squinched up wing flaps make her look downright chubby!
We usually call those "furry boobies."

:Welcome

[Skul]

161165

[IrishHarps]

lmao! :jump

You guys are too funny.

If this thread is in the wrong place, could a moderator please move it to where it belongs?

Mrs. Skul, I will be sure to check out your babies' pictures asap too!

Anyone know where is the best place to get ahold of calcium carbonate?

[IrishHarps]

PS- I also have one of these wheels:

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Chinchilla-12-Inch-Exercise/dp/B0006IK0PQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328286379&sr=8-1

She never took to it when she was younger. Should I try putting it in her cage again? Is it safe?

Thanks for all the help, everyone :D

[MiriamS]

Skul, that was hysterical. :thankyou for the laugh.

[MiriamS]

She never took to it when she was younger. Should I try putting it in her cage again? Is it safe?
We're all VERY excited to have another flyer person on board. :wahoo

That wheel is safe but for some reason, all of the flyers I know don't like it. They love the Stealth wheels by Atticworx. http://www.atticworx.com/

Mrs Skul gave you so much information that even I'm a little overwhelmed but I think if you are giving Momo yogurt and Fox Valley, it should be enough. You can by a cuttle bone (which is calcium carbonate) in the bird section at the pet store, along with a million other fun things made for birds but loved by flyers.

More pictures, more pictures :D

[IrishHarps]

Thanks Miriam! Mrs Skul is going to be sending me some FV, so I'll see if Momo takes to it. I hope so!

The link to the Stealth Wheel is useful too. I'll see if my local place can get one in for me.

There are way too many pictures of Momo! I will be happy to post them all here :crazy

Here is one of her doing the "face hug." She loves faces, for some reason, and will just sit there with both paws spread out and hug your face for minutes on end. :Love_Icon

[gs1]

There are way too many pictures of Momo! I will be happy to post them all here :crazy



impossible.:D

that face hug is sooo awwwwwww :Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

[IrishHarps]

Anyone ever tried this kind of wheel?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753369&utm_source=googleproduct&utm_campaign=2753369&utm_medium=cse&mr:trackingCode=00CC2C64-C881-DE11-B712-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA


Are they safe?

[CritterMom]

I am able to buy powdered calcium carbonate at a health food place down the road from where I work, but if you google "powdered calcium carbonate" you will find about a million sources that you can order. One container will last a LONG time!

[JakesLittlePrincess]

Momo is too cute! :Welcome

[Bravo]

Momo looks like a rare friend. That shot of her hugging your face is beautiful :)

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi IrishHarps
You are in the right place for the Introductions. If you plan on spending Flyer time and Sharing Pictures. :thinking
It would be nice to Have you in the Flyer Section. :D I Posted 3 cites in the Beginning. I get my Calcium from Henry's. You can get them for $2.99, or $5.99. You might check out the 3 cites. They can come in Useful to you. Just ask be for you Buy. No need to buy something you don't need. Allot of members Know what the Flyer like and don't. :D The Wheel you posted from PetsMart is to small and They do not like them. I use mine to start the Babies out on. Then they are moved up to the Stealth wheel. Have you ever seen where the Flyer RUN the Stealth Wheel and Just Hang on? :thinking
You will under stand when you see some of those Videos. Some are just to funny. We had one little guy that would Run it so fast then turn side ways and holding tight watch the world go by really fast. :D Then when it started to slow. He would speed it back up, Do it all over again.
Archie was a blast to watch. :rotfl IrishH I love the Picture of Momo giving you some Flyer Kisses.
:Love_Icon She Woves her SquMommy. :Love_Icon Let me know when you get the PKG I sent to you. How to mix the FoxVally 32/40 is on the Bag. :thumbsup3
When you get a chance. Start letting Momo lick some Vanilla Yogurt off your Spoon. If she see you eating it she will wont it.
When she is sniffing it Touch it her mouth so she has to taste it. Might take a few times. Good Luck and Keep in touch. :thumbsup5
http://henryspets.com
http://foxvalleynutrition.com/main/prod.asp
http://www.squirrelsandmore.com

[IrishHarps]

Hi Mrs Skul! Thanks for all the advice- much appreciated! Momo does love yogurt already at least :) Yesterday she dived in the yogurt container and got it all over her face, paws, whiskers... I had little yogurt pawprints all over my shirt. Sheesh! Looking forward to the FV - thanks for sending it! You didn't have to, but it is very sweet of you.

I am so excited - yesterday I took Momo out, and, seemingly overnight her big girl tail came in!!!!!!! Fiance confirms it was *not* like that the day before! We love her new beautiful busy tail!! :peace We are so proud of our girl!!!

[JakesLittlePrincess]

Such a cutie! It's funny how one day they have the skinny tails and the next they are big and poofy.

[IrishHarps]

Well... don't say I didn't tell yinz that she is a little brat! I tried to feed her mealworms again, mixed 'em in good with the seed mix that she loves. She just spent the last 10 minutes pulling them out and throwing them on the cage floor. :dono She sure lets you know when she doesn't like something...!

In other news, do squirrels squeak when they are happy, too? She pulled a treat out of a bag earlier, ran over to the bookshelf, and proceeded to squeak at the top of her lungs for 5 minutes straight, while eating her treat! :thinking I don't think she possibly could have been upset or hurt. She was sure chowing into the treat just fine :-P Anyone ever had happy squeaks before?

[gs1]

:thinking were they live? wriggly meal worms????

did you break off a head and hold it to her mouth???? lol...:D no don't expect you to do that ... but some people have.....

well she loves her chicken... so she's ok ... maybe in the future she'll change her mind....

if you need to use up those meal worms... do you have a bird feeder? if you place them outside and birds or wild squirrels see them they'll eat them...

as for her chirps etc... i think they are supposed to be very vocal....:)

by the way ...she needs her own thread in the flyer forum..... with more photos .... :)

[gs1]

PS- I also have one of these wheels:

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Chinchilla-12-Inch-Exercise/dp/B0006IK0PQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328286379&sr=8-1

She never took to it when she was younger. Should I try putting it in her cage again? Is it safe?

Thanks for all the help, everyone :D


did you get a definite yes or no about the wheels.... they're such dangerous/deadly things .... if they're the wrong kind...

we really do need photos of safe and unsafe wheels as a sticky in the flyer forum....

[IrishHarps]

Yes, I took out the wheel with bars, and found her a safe one over the weekend. Thanks for the info from everyone - I will start a new thread in the flyer forum tomorrow with more pics :)

The mealworms will have to go to the outside (ie "unspoiled") squirrels :D They were dried, but I've tried feeding house bugs to Momo before and she is scared of anything that moves. :shakehead

See you all in the flyer forum!

[IrishHarps]

Ok, just one photo to tide you over till then :)

Here is the fiance with Momo. She loves faces!

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Now that would make a great Valentine card :thumbsup

[Skul]

Yup, that's a flyer.:D

[Feeze]

Sorry to crash your party late, but I think I have an idea why Miriam says that flyers prefer the stealth wheel over the silent spinner. The "floor" of the silent spinner is more rounded and is probably a bit uncomfortable for them as they have to spread our their legs more to get proper balance and more power with each bound. However, the silent spinner seems to have flat "floors" and a better grip so they can go much faster. Also, I don't think they can "tea cup" on the silent spinner, it's too slick.

Having said that, my ratties have two different kinds the silent spinner and this:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4191237
This wheel is slightly similar to the stealth wheel, though probably much cheaper (and I don't just mean more inexpensive :p).

My ratties are happy to use both, though they do seem to have a small preference for the comfort wheel. Maybe it's the name.:thinking

I don't really know much about flyers at all, except they're adorable and I love 'em.:D

[MiriamS]

Just catching up here. The photo of Momo nose-kissing your fiance is too sweet. It's her way of saying hello. If you had two flyers, you would see them greeting each other just like that. :Love_Icon

Now, the multi-minute face hug looks and sounds amazing. That's a special bond in the making! :Love_Icon


She just spent the last 10 minutes pulling them out and throwing them on the cage floor. :dono She sure lets you know when she doesn't like something...!
Welcome to the world of flyers! Chock full of personality. And she may decide she loves them next week.


In other news, do squirrels squeak when they are happy, too? Anyone ever had happy squeaks before?
There are a few reasons for repetitive cheeping. 1. They want your attention. 2. They got surprised or scared. 3. They have the hiccups. I kid you not. I've seen it happen when there was no "apparent" reason and it just seems like the hiccups. Super cute to watch them eat while cheeping at the same time.



The "floor" of the silent spinner is more rounded and is probably a bit uncomfortable for them as they have to spread our their legs more to get proper balance and more power with each bound.
:thumbsup Feeze, that makes perfect sense. IrishHarps, you just order the Stealth Wheel directly from Atticworx. It's a small very friendly operation. Just WAIT until you see the teacup spinning Feeze refers to. SQUadorable.

[pappy1264]

Awwww, what a cutie! Sorry I am late to the party.....love me some flyers!!! (I have five!) I do have two of the large silent spinners (as my sweet little Jett has KILLED three stealths already....sigh.) If you order a stealth, I suggest you go for the Magnum Wheel (it is a stealth, they make different ones). You will be very happy with it! Silent and lighting fast.....

Mine will not mealies, either....waxworms...live...they will eat them until they come out their ears!!! lol

[IrishHarps]

That's really good info on the wheels. Maybe I'll have to get her one of the 'nice ones' for her birthday :)