Unhappy/antsy babies...

[skarabrae]

My four 9 week olds are now between 250 and 275 grams and one eight week old who is about 180 grams.

I want to get these guys into their release cage outside as soon as possible because they are just going BONKERS in their indoor cage (2.5 x 2.5 x 4 foot bird cage)... they just seem to want to get OUT already. Constantly fighting, climbing the walls and the branches like maniacs... all five try to jump out the second I open the door and they yell and grunt at me to get them out whenever I peek at them. They are shredding everything in their cage and it just seems like they aren't happy inside anymore.

They have too much energy to be trapped in a small cage and I just can't afford to get them another, bigger cage (not to mention, where the heck would I put it?)

Breakfast lunch and dinner consists of modified boo balls (made only with harlan teklan block and FV), all sorts of veggies and wild plants, sticks, and a plate of fruit before bed. They eat 20-25cc of FV three times a day, and Shorty (the eight week old) eats about 15cc three times a day.

Should I continue giving them three feedings a day or do you think they're ready to go down to two? They seem to be eating everything else very well.

I KNOW you're not supposed to "wean" them, but seriously, they need to get them into their outdoor cage already.

Advice??

[Rhapsody]

Weaning them has nothing to do with getting them into their outside release cage...... I've had a few squirrels that were still taking their FV from a syringe or in a bowl while in the release cage - its good for them and I did not mind giving it to them. I just made sure that I feed and left the cage side as soon as possible in order to give them the time they needed to be alone to adjust to their new outside world.

[Jackie in Tampa]

If the release cage is ready..I would move them in and allow them to lap FV...broken backs are a big problem with over crowding and small cages...
please move them asap!
Thank you for recognizing the issue.
Can you post pics of sqs and release cage?

[skarabrae]

If I were to put FV in a dish, how shallow should it be to start? Just a millimetre or two until they are used to it?

The release cage will hopefully be ready by the end of the weekend... they are so wild seeming already, I was concerned they might not be too happy to take the FV from me once they are out doors... and then there's the problem of keeping them contained while I'm feeding them.

There's no freaking way I'm going in that cage with them unless I have full body armor on! I keep thick gardening gloves on my hands while I'm feeding them, but I still have scratches all the way up my arms and on my chest from when they've scrambled out of my hands. They LOVE me... they're just wild. lol!

They "love" me a little too much sometimes... they seriously fight over who gets to be first out of the cage. Ever have to extricate a squirrel from your hair?? Two of them just scramble up my body and go right to the back of my neck and try to nest there. ROFL!

sigh...

[skarabrae]

I just measured the outdoor cage I was going to use and it's 2 feet by 3 feet and 6 feet tall, which is probably okay... BUT, it was originally a rabbit cage. I was thinking I could put it upright but I would have to modify it to put a door on it... now I'm thinking it might just be easier just to build a new one. I can't imagine it would be too expensive.

The other hitch is, I would be keeping them outdoors here for the four weeks and then doing a soft release at my in-laws farm a few kilometers out of town. There are a number of reasons I don't want to let them go here, one of them being that cats prowl the area like crazy. The 20 acres of bush in our backyard was just clear cut and tons of houses going up (I'm so depressed about this, I want to move so bad... it's so so so heartbreaking. So much wildlife displaced :shakehead )... it's just not a good situation.

So the deal is, if we do build a new outdoor cage, it will have to be portable so I can bring it out to the farm when the time comes.

[Jackie in Tampa]

I guess you need to start with your budget..build as big as you can.
If you will need it portable, build it in sections/panels...
There is alot of great ideas and plans in the cages nestboxes forum
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=199

post a pic of the rabbit cage ...it may be important to get them out of their immediate cage too, can you post pic of that also...
sorry, I need visuals.
Would these sqs be reds or greys?
:poke and can we have some pics of them too!:D

[skarabrae]

I've been so bad with the pics lately... they just won't stay still for them and I need like, four hands just to keep them from running away... :rotfl maybe I'll let them out of their cage later for some playtime once my daycare kids go home and snap some pics. They are absolutely gigantic compared to when I first brought them home! :Love_Icon

I can snap a pic of the rabbit cage too and you can tell me if it's salvageable or not... it was given to me by a friend for the squees, so if it's not good enough no sweat off my back!

I'm also going to have to get the hubby to make some nest boxes I guess... he's going to be thrilled! *rolls eyes*