Help on Release Method

[Spock]

Greetings. I am new to the board and would love any advice I could get. I am writing from Lancaster PA. In July, I was given a baby squirrel and have raised him for 6 months. It has been a true joy. My plan was to wait until March to release him due to weather conditions. However, I had him out yesterday and he attacked my hand. I was able to put him back in his cage easily, but now I'm afraid of him. He is in a large cage and eating well, and up until now has been very gentle to my husband and I. What do you all think I should do. Is this a hormonal thing; are we at risk for a vicous attack? Should I start the release procedure of putting his cage out for a few days and hoisting it in a tree with food and water and letting him go (this is generally what I read on all the sites) and continue feeding him in the yard? Any thoughts would help. It's been mild, but now it is going to be in the 30's and very cold for the next week or two. Thanks for any advice.

[island rehabber]

:Welcome to The Squirrel Board, spock. Unfortunately, your squirrel is exhibiting typical behavior for his age, and his aggression will most likely get worse. My suggestion would be that you don't let him out of his cage anymore because he will probably not want to go back in at all. Hopefully his cage is large -- at least 5' x 3' x 2', and placed up off the ground. And he should have a nest box in it, too. If not, I would encourage you to get him a large "pre-release" cage on a wheeled dolly or cart, and let him stay in it outdoors when the weather is not severe. You can wheel him in at night, if it's below freezing. If we have an early spring he can be released in late Feb, early March without a problem. Continue to feed him a diet rich in calcium and nutrients (plenty of that info here), and give him branches and bark to chew on in the cage.
Just as a rule of thumb -- and I mean no criticism here because you would not have known this -- July/August squirrel babies should be released in late Oct to early Nov., when there are still leaves on the trees they can use to make nests. That way they have time to lay aside their cache of buried nuts for the winter. It is very, very hard to 'overwinter' a healthy squirrel...nerve-wracking for the humans and the squirrel! Good luck and keep us posted as to how he's doing. :)

[Spock]

Hello--Thank you for your reply. He is in a very large cage, with a next box and twigs and branches, leaves and even a box of dirt and mulch--it's right up to a window which I open daily and we let him have run of a mud room for exercise. I will not let him run free in the house now with the aggression. We have loved him and I've spent hours researching his diet and care, etc. He does eat a very wide-range of healthy things. I found lots of conflicting information on release time on internet sites (just found this one) so I decided to overwinter him to be on the safest side of the large spectrum of opinion. Thanks for your advice. I'll read through this site for more information.

What is the body language before a squirrel attacks your hand--when he did it yesterday he hunkered down and dragged his body on my arm and made a soft chattering. I thought it was a hormonal type reaction--and then he just started to lunge at my hand. Is this typical or is it just a spontaneous thing. So sad to not be able to hold him anymore!

[island rehabber]

What is the body language before a squirrel attacks your hand--when he did it yesterday he hunkered down and dragged his body on my arm and made a soft chattering. I thought it was a hormonal type reaction--and then he just started to lunge at my hand. Is this typical or is it just a spontaneous thing. So sad to not be able to hold him anymore!

That "soft chattering" is your clue -- it means back off, NOW. Think of it as the rattle of a rattlesnake's tail, or a cat hissing....it never leads to a good thing. :D In some cases it might be 'play-fighting', too, but that can hurt just as much as aggressive biting. I know it is awful when you can no longer play with the animal that you raised from a baby -- in fact, you become afraid of them and it's so strange. But they are wild animals, and this is their very normal instinct kicking in, to prepare them for a life in the trees. Spock, it sounds as if you have taken very good care of this squirrel and done everything right. Unfortunately, your squirrel is doing the 'right thing' for him, too -- and it hurts! Your pre-release cage and setup sound fine for him over the next few weeks. So long as he isn't cooped up in a rabbit hutch he'll be OK. :peace

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Hello Spock I am only about 1 1/2 hrs from you!

[Buddy'sMom]

Spock, we had a similar experience with our squirrel (Buddy) before release (in fact, probably most of the people here have gone through the biting stage before release :) ). Although Buddy ended up biting me twice, he never did bite my husband before he was released. Even when my husband took him directly after he bit me, Buddy was his "old" gentle, playful self. So it's possible that he still will be OK with your husband -- if HE feels comfortable and trusting :D . Whether of you handles him anymore is really a question of what you feel comfortable with. I never did feel too trusting after the second bite, and I think Buddy sensed that and was also a little nervous.

As IR said, it won't be too long until it's warm enough to release him. If it's possible to take his cage outside for a while on the milder days, that will let him get comfortable with the sights and "feel" of the outdoors. (btw, the box of dirt was a good idea -- we did the same thing and Buddy absolutely loved it!)

Let us know how it's going -- AND come back and let us know when you release him. It's a wonderful (but heartrending) experience to watch them go off into the trees and do their squirrely stuff -- you'll be so proud of your baby! Do you have pictures? What's his name?