justAddNuts
05-08-2012, 06:12 PM
We've been over-wintering little Rocky & Alice. I found them last August as babies: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29794
Here's another post from the nursery: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30028
This past weekend was release weekend. It was ten times the adventure I was expecting .. and it's still ongoing ...
Pre-Release:
We have playtime most every night. They run around and jump and play on boxes and sticks and ropes etc. Rocky would jump off the cage onto a blanket i'd hold out in my arms - i'd play trampoline with them using that. I'd launch them in the air and they'd flip a few times and land on a blanket under us. We had fun all winter. Leading up to release I interacted with them less and less - they climbed on me less and less and played with objects more and more. In the end the only interaction I had with them was to put food in their cage - they didn't climb on me anymore - I discouraged it.
One challenge I had was getting them back in the cage when playtime was over. When they were smaller I could catch them - I could pick them up and stick them in the cage. Not anymore. They're too fast to catch. They do NOT like being grabbed - they'll bite the hell out of me - it's bloody and painful - i'll pass. I trick them into the cage or when they go in for water i'll close the door. A few times I couldn't get Alice back in the cage - she's too smart to be tricked into the cage - my ideas would only work ONCE - after that she wouldn't fall for it ever again - I chased her for hours and finally grabbed her - almost hurt her getting her back in. From then on she was scared of me - wouldn't come up to me - would run from me when playing if I tried to go to her. I figured that was a good thing since they were not far from release anyway. I want them afraid of humans!
The only problems I had with them started about a month ago - Rocky started getting territorial and attacking Alice. She would hide in her Cozy Cube and fight him away. I put 2 Cozy Cubes in the cage so they each had neutral corners to retreat into - that helped. What I really needed to do was split them into 2 cages. But I was expecting to release them the next weekend. The weather stayed cold so "next weekend" kept coming and going. Poor little Alice. She spent half her time hiding in her cube. I kept saying it's only for a few more days. But that went on for a month. She eventually changed her sleep schedule so she slept when he was up and was up when he slept. That helped a lot.
I couldn't release them - too cold. Squirrels always have a thin felt-like undercoat - the "summer fuzz" which doesn't keep them very warm. When the weather turns colder squirrels release hormones that make them extremely hungry (notice when it turns colder the wilds show up in huge numbers with a fierce appetite? for those who feed their wilds like I do) which causes them to add a layer of fat and makes them grow a thick grey outer coat of fur. Those 2 things keep them alive all winter. Squirrels over-wintered indoors do not grow the thick outer coat of fur they need to survive cold weather.
I took their cage outside on weekends for several weeks leading up to release. I hid it behind the shrubbery in my front yard. They were secluded but could still see, hear and smell everything going on. The safety of their own cage kept them calm. At first they were very scared - hid inside the cozy cube the whole time. Eventually they were out and about in their cage just like it was inside. They seemed ready to get out and explore this new world outside.
I figured Rocky would be fine. He was always the explorer - the brave one. I figured he'd run off on day 1. Alice was the timid one that stuck close to the cage even inside when out to play. I figured her release would take time. Boy was I wrong!
Here's how I see it - these squirrels were born with everything they need to survive already programmed into them - it's what we call "instincts." Their instincts will keep them alive in the outside world. The best thing I can do for them as their caretaker is to NOT break their instincts. If they were going to be my pets their whole lives then sure i'd train them - i'd teach them new behaviors that fit my world - i'd "domesticate" them. But they're destined to live outside - and the instincts they were born with are what they need to survive - not behaviors they learned to survive in a world of cages and carpet.
One more quick point: sorry this post is so long - Alice is a "flipper." She turns back-flips all day long - that's her favorite pastime - in their Henry's Cage - is to get onto the balcony and turn back-flips over and over. As a result her tail got a little thin. She chewed most of the hair off the end half so she has a strange tail. The first half is normal - the last half is hairless. She looks like a fat little rat in that sense.
Release Day: Saturday May 5:
I wanted to release Rocky first. I figured he'd run off. I didn't want Rocky around to mess with Alice when I released her. The last thing she needed was her brother picking fights with her. I was afraid she'd run off to get away from him. She needs to take her time and only do what she's ready to do.
So I got Rocky first. I carried him on me outside and stood around. He ran around on me - excited and scared. I was surprised at how scared he was. So I let him stay on me. He eventually started climbing down and exploring our porch and the shrubs in our front yard. He hid inside the shrubs on the left side of our front yard - the shrubs I put their cage behind for several weekend leading up to this. He stayed there for hours venturing down and around them every once in a while. I had to go inside and change out of the warm thick clothes I wear for skin protection when i'm playing with them - too hot in them. So eventually Rocky was running out of the shrubs and acting like he wanted to jump on me. I wasn't dressed for it so I moved away from him and didn't let him. I thought he wanted to play. In retrospect I think he was scared and had enough of this adventure and wanted to go back to safety. Daddy. I now realize little Rocky is a "momma's boy" and i'm "mamma." He eventually made it to the cherry tree in my front yard - where I was hoping he'd go. In the beginning when he was on me I walked over to that tree several times but he didn't jump onto it and I didn't force him. I let him do his own thing. Looking back - Rocky was too scared. I should've taken him back in and gave him more time outside in the cage or just exploring. I've never done this before so I didn't know what success looks like. At this time Rocky is in the Cherry Tree climbing around.
I got Alice and brought her outside on me. She immediately climbed down and began to explore. She was not scared. She ignored the wilds that came around and they ignored her. She surprised me. She explored the shrubs, climbing around inside of them, tasting them. She wound up inside a 15 foot shrub that's now a small tree on the right side of my front yard. She got comfy in the top of it and took a nap. Go Alice!
Here's a few pics from the morning:
Here's Rocky in the shrubs:
171513
Here's Alice around the shrubs:
171514
Alice tastes new things:
171515
Rocky thinking about making a break for the Cherry Tree. Go Rocky! Go!
171516
Rocky made it to the Cherry Tree:
171517
So Rocky spent the day in the Cherry Tree and Alice stayed in the top of the tall shrub tree in my front yard. The first sign of trouble came late in the afternoon. 2 little wild males came around - I feed the wilds - they do come around often - they went up in the cherry tree and when they saw Rocky they went after him. He was asleep in the top of the tree on a branch. That little guy went up to him and bit him on the leg. He awakened, startled, confused and ran down the tree. They stalked him. They didn't hurt him. They were half his size but Rocky still was running scared away from them. They eventually left. The males around here do charge at each other and try to run each other away. All that ever happens is the smaller male runs around in circles being chased, never really going anywhere, until the larger male gives up - and then they sit there and eat the nuts i'm giving them. I haven't seen them hurt each other but maybe twice in the whole 3 years i've been feeding my wilds. Rocky was not hurt but he was scared. He stayed in the top of the cherry tree all night. Alice stayed in the top of her chosen shrub tree all night.
It was strange. Empty. It was not a pleasant evening for me. I sat there looking at the empty cage with its door wide open. The cage was clean, bare and empty. The squirrels that called it home for 9 months were right outside in the trees. I could see their silhouettes in the night. I worried.
Here's Rocky in the cherry tree:
171518
Here's another post from the nursery: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30028
This past weekend was release weekend. It was ten times the adventure I was expecting .. and it's still ongoing ...
Pre-Release:
We have playtime most every night. They run around and jump and play on boxes and sticks and ropes etc. Rocky would jump off the cage onto a blanket i'd hold out in my arms - i'd play trampoline with them using that. I'd launch them in the air and they'd flip a few times and land on a blanket under us. We had fun all winter. Leading up to release I interacted with them less and less - they climbed on me less and less and played with objects more and more. In the end the only interaction I had with them was to put food in their cage - they didn't climb on me anymore - I discouraged it.
One challenge I had was getting them back in the cage when playtime was over. When they were smaller I could catch them - I could pick them up and stick them in the cage. Not anymore. They're too fast to catch. They do NOT like being grabbed - they'll bite the hell out of me - it's bloody and painful - i'll pass. I trick them into the cage or when they go in for water i'll close the door. A few times I couldn't get Alice back in the cage - she's too smart to be tricked into the cage - my ideas would only work ONCE - after that she wouldn't fall for it ever again - I chased her for hours and finally grabbed her - almost hurt her getting her back in. From then on she was scared of me - wouldn't come up to me - would run from me when playing if I tried to go to her. I figured that was a good thing since they were not far from release anyway. I want them afraid of humans!
The only problems I had with them started about a month ago - Rocky started getting territorial and attacking Alice. She would hide in her Cozy Cube and fight him away. I put 2 Cozy Cubes in the cage so they each had neutral corners to retreat into - that helped. What I really needed to do was split them into 2 cages. But I was expecting to release them the next weekend. The weather stayed cold so "next weekend" kept coming and going. Poor little Alice. She spent half her time hiding in her cube. I kept saying it's only for a few more days. But that went on for a month. She eventually changed her sleep schedule so she slept when he was up and was up when he slept. That helped a lot.
I couldn't release them - too cold. Squirrels always have a thin felt-like undercoat - the "summer fuzz" which doesn't keep them very warm. When the weather turns colder squirrels release hormones that make them extremely hungry (notice when it turns colder the wilds show up in huge numbers with a fierce appetite? for those who feed their wilds like I do) which causes them to add a layer of fat and makes them grow a thick grey outer coat of fur. Those 2 things keep them alive all winter. Squirrels over-wintered indoors do not grow the thick outer coat of fur they need to survive cold weather.
I took their cage outside on weekends for several weeks leading up to release. I hid it behind the shrubbery in my front yard. They were secluded but could still see, hear and smell everything going on. The safety of their own cage kept them calm. At first they were very scared - hid inside the cozy cube the whole time. Eventually they were out and about in their cage just like it was inside. They seemed ready to get out and explore this new world outside.
I figured Rocky would be fine. He was always the explorer - the brave one. I figured he'd run off on day 1. Alice was the timid one that stuck close to the cage even inside when out to play. I figured her release would take time. Boy was I wrong!
Here's how I see it - these squirrels were born with everything they need to survive already programmed into them - it's what we call "instincts." Their instincts will keep them alive in the outside world. The best thing I can do for them as their caretaker is to NOT break their instincts. If they were going to be my pets their whole lives then sure i'd train them - i'd teach them new behaviors that fit my world - i'd "domesticate" them. But they're destined to live outside - and the instincts they were born with are what they need to survive - not behaviors they learned to survive in a world of cages and carpet.
One more quick point: sorry this post is so long - Alice is a "flipper." She turns back-flips all day long - that's her favorite pastime - in their Henry's Cage - is to get onto the balcony and turn back-flips over and over. As a result her tail got a little thin. She chewed most of the hair off the end half so she has a strange tail. The first half is normal - the last half is hairless. She looks like a fat little rat in that sense.
Release Day: Saturday May 5:
I wanted to release Rocky first. I figured he'd run off. I didn't want Rocky around to mess with Alice when I released her. The last thing she needed was her brother picking fights with her. I was afraid she'd run off to get away from him. She needs to take her time and only do what she's ready to do.
So I got Rocky first. I carried him on me outside and stood around. He ran around on me - excited and scared. I was surprised at how scared he was. So I let him stay on me. He eventually started climbing down and exploring our porch and the shrubs in our front yard. He hid inside the shrubs on the left side of our front yard - the shrubs I put their cage behind for several weekend leading up to this. He stayed there for hours venturing down and around them every once in a while. I had to go inside and change out of the warm thick clothes I wear for skin protection when i'm playing with them - too hot in them. So eventually Rocky was running out of the shrubs and acting like he wanted to jump on me. I wasn't dressed for it so I moved away from him and didn't let him. I thought he wanted to play. In retrospect I think he was scared and had enough of this adventure and wanted to go back to safety. Daddy. I now realize little Rocky is a "momma's boy" and i'm "mamma." He eventually made it to the cherry tree in my front yard - where I was hoping he'd go. In the beginning when he was on me I walked over to that tree several times but he didn't jump onto it and I didn't force him. I let him do his own thing. Looking back - Rocky was too scared. I should've taken him back in and gave him more time outside in the cage or just exploring. I've never done this before so I didn't know what success looks like. At this time Rocky is in the Cherry Tree climbing around.
I got Alice and brought her outside on me. She immediately climbed down and began to explore. She was not scared. She ignored the wilds that came around and they ignored her. She surprised me. She explored the shrubs, climbing around inside of them, tasting them. She wound up inside a 15 foot shrub that's now a small tree on the right side of my front yard. She got comfy in the top of it and took a nap. Go Alice!
Here's a few pics from the morning:
Here's Rocky in the shrubs:
171513
Here's Alice around the shrubs:
171514
Alice tastes new things:
171515
Rocky thinking about making a break for the Cherry Tree. Go Rocky! Go!
171516
Rocky made it to the Cherry Tree:
171517
So Rocky spent the day in the Cherry Tree and Alice stayed in the top of the tall shrub tree in my front yard. The first sign of trouble came late in the afternoon. 2 little wild males came around - I feed the wilds - they do come around often - they went up in the cherry tree and when they saw Rocky they went after him. He was asleep in the top of the tree on a branch. That little guy went up to him and bit him on the leg. He awakened, startled, confused and ran down the tree. They stalked him. They didn't hurt him. They were half his size but Rocky still was running scared away from them. They eventually left. The males around here do charge at each other and try to run each other away. All that ever happens is the smaller male runs around in circles being chased, never really going anywhere, until the larger male gives up - and then they sit there and eat the nuts i'm giving them. I haven't seen them hurt each other but maybe twice in the whole 3 years i've been feeding my wilds. Rocky was not hurt but he was scared. He stayed in the top of the cherry tree all night. Alice stayed in the top of her chosen shrub tree all night.
It was strange. Empty. It was not a pleasant evening for me. I sat there looking at the empty cage with its door wide open. The cage was clean, bare and empty. The squirrels that called it home for 9 months were right outside in the trees. I could see their silhouettes in the night. I worried.
Here's Rocky in the cherry tree:
171518