Should I release or keep?

[Little Magician]

Hey everyone,

Now that winter is coming to an end, I have the option of releasing my fox squirrel. I have had her since she was about 5 days old and I worry that maybe she doesn't have the skills for the wild and I should keep her. She runs free in my apartment; I have no other pets or people. My apt is surrounded by pecan trees and there is a family of three squirrels that live outside my window. There are four cats that stay on the property. I know she would enjoy running free through the trees, but will she know how to interact with the other squirrels, how to find and store food, how to find and build nests, how to avoid danger? I am very attached to her, but I don't want that to get in the way of doing what is best for her. She is also attached to me, no aggression, but she spends a lot of time looking out the window and I wonder if she would be happier outside or completely scared out of her mind. Should I release or keep her?

Thanks for your input :)

[Skul]

Dang, being in an apartment makes it a bit harder.
Have you had a chance to talk to any rehabbers in the area?

[astra]

slow soft release often helps rehabbed squirrels to gradually learn the "squirrelly" things and adapt to the wild.
So, if you do a very soft release, she might do very well.

Also, it is important to listen to them and understand their cues.
Sometimes, although rarely, some squirrels decide they do not want to be released: they refuse to live outside and keep coming back inside.
In that case - they stay inside.

However, it is important to be fully aware of what is involved in keeping a squirrel:
1. she will, probably, go through some aggressive spells due to heat/hormones. During those spells she might bite you.
2. as you must already know, keeping their diet healthful is rather expensive.
It is absolutely crucial that they eat their blocks daily + a good variety of veggies.
3. You will have to keep her entertained, otherwise she might get depressed and self-destructive. And they get bored easily.
4. You will have to be careful as you live in an illegal state. So, unless you have a trustworthy vet, it will be hard to get meds when needed.
5. If you have to go away /vacation/etc, it will be hard to find a babysitter, b/c squirrels do not normally accept strangers, she might bite your babysitter and that might not end well in many ways. To the point of you getting reported, he getting seized and euthanized.

So, those are some of the things to consider.

However, as I said, there are a lot of indoor squirrels (NRs and those who did not want to be released) and it is possible to give them a happy life indoors, but it requires a life-long commitment, because if after a couple of years you decide that you cannot keep up with her care, it will be unfair to her - the longer a squirrel lives indoors, the harder it is for it to adapt to the wild and live a wild life. It is certainly possible, but very difficult, often unsuccessful and best done by a licensed rehabber if you can find one in your area.
I am not saying that you will decide to change your mind ;), but just a hypothetical, something to consider. Oftentimes, people's lives change : they move, get married, move in with someone, babies are born etc etc etc and suddenly, turns out that a squirrel is an inconvenience because it accepts only one person and bites the rest.

No easy answer to this question.

Maybe, you could try a very soft release and see how she does. If she does not wild up and keeps coming back - then, that's your answer.
If she adapts well and stays outside - that's a different answer.
Either way - you will need to listen to her.

Please feel free to ask whatever questions you might have about this and anything else - a lot of experienced people here happy to help (as you probably know by now ;)):grouphug

[Little Magician]

There are wildlife sanctuaries and rehab places nearby, but I don't want to take her if she prefers to stay indoors.

I will try the very soft release. If I leave a window open for her, show her where it is, leave her in the cage by the window, and feed her outside near the window, will she learn where it is and be able to come back if she wants?

Also, to double check: she is a red fox about 6 months old. She was a late August baby; is she old enough to release?

:thankyou

[astra]

There are wildlife sanctuaries and rehab places nearby, but I don't want to take her if she prefers to stay indoors.

I will try the very soft release. If I leave a window open for her, show her where it is, leave her in the cage by the window, and feed her outside near the window, will she learn where it is and be able to come back if she wants?

Also, to double check: she is a red fox about 6 months old. She was a late August baby; is she old enough to release?

:thankyou
Usually, the release cage is brought outside, the squirrel is left there with minimal contact (just bringing food) - that allows the squirrel to start wilding up, getting used to outside sounds and smells. It is kept like that for a few weeks; then, you open the cage and let the squirrel explore the outside during the day. They usually come back to the cage for a few days, but one day they don't - start living the "wild life".

Since it will be through the window, she might not wild up the same way or as fast.
However, if you have no way of setting up a release cage outside, then, I guess, the window thing is the way to go.

Yes, she is old enough to be released. Some, especially, "hard-core" rehabbers and rehab centres release sometimes at 12 wks (which, imo, is early, but they do it b/c they have limited facilities), an average release age is about 16wks or so.
Some babies start wildling up sooner, others - later. Very individual.

I am sure, experienced rehabbers will share their thoughts here.

[Little Magician]

I can easily place a cage outside my window. It is a quiet area with trees, birds, other squirrels, bordered by a 6 ft tall privacy fence and very rarely does a human pass by.

How large should the cage be? I have one that is about 4 feet high and 2 ft by 2 ft. It seems small to me and I don't want to keep her locked in there for a week, but if you all say that size is good, I can try it. If a larger cage is recommended, it will not be a problem for me to borrow/find/build one.

thanks

[astra]

I don't know much about details of the release cage construction - will let rehabbers answer that, who built release cages.

One thing I know for sure - it must be much stronger than the indoor cage and must be predator-proof.

So, don't rush building anything just yet - let our experienced ppl share their ideas.

[Skul]

The cage could be used.
Larger is always better, however.
You might check a few petshops and see if you can come up with a parrot harness or a small ferret harness.
With one of those, you can leash walk the stinker (to a point).
That would allow her to grow more accustomed to running around.
You do have to be careful.

[Kristal]

Wow, what a beauty. I love her reddish colour.

It sounds like your place is very hospitable for squirrels even if you do live in an apartment. Have you ever let her out or would you consider it?

From what I hear from pretty much everyone who has experience with this, solos have a hard time making the social adjustment to other squirrels. Their squirrel language skills are not great, and they are uncertain and lack confidence since they never had sibs to rough and tumble and cuddle with. That's going to be hard for her. Maybe it would be better if she can retreat to her home if things get too bad that way.

Squirrels do shun sick or weird acting or looking squirrels. It's harsh, but it's done for their protection. They live in close quarters and sleep together, so if one squirrel is sick then that becomes a risk to all of them. So... she might not be able to find a social niche among the wilds, or at least not quickly.

Good luck with your beautiful girl :)

[Kristal]

Oh, and I know someone who did what you are thinking of... He even installed a cat door so that his squirrel could come and go as she pleases. I don't know how it is going for them now, though, as I have not been in contact with him for a few months.

Try sending a PM to PDXErik on this board. Check to see if he allows you to send emails, via the board as he has not been around here for a while. This is one of his videos, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRjETz8iK10

You can try mailing him via youtube as well. I sometimes wonder if they made it work over the long term, the two of them. She was super tame and a solo, like yours, so he wanted to give her the choice of coming back when she wanted. When last I heard from him things were going well and she was gradually spending more time sleeping away from home but still came back, especially when she got hurt and needed help.