Fivefootsix
06-07-2012, 01:57 PM
Hi Everybody :grouphug It's been almost a year since I've posted on TSB.
First, and foremost, my Ozzy is fine and doing very well...Aside from eventually figuring out that "He" appears to be a "She", Ozzy turned 2 years old in April 2012 and is still being spoiled rotten in an appropriate sized cage in the comfort of the home I share with my mother. Both Mom & I have equally cared for Ozzy and since she never appeared to "Wild Up", a soft release never happened :shakehead .
Ozzy has been getting a multitude of fresh veggies & fruits which Mom or I cut up twice a day, along with 1-2 assorted nuts. She appears very content in the cage a friend built for me, filled with branches to climb on and toys to play with. Some days she spends hours "rearranging" her bed, which is a metal basket secured in a top corner of her cage that she fills with leaves, toys, frayed rope, pieces of material from old tee-shirts/warm blankets, and her favorite things...empty tissue boxes & toiler paper rolls. She tucks herself in so cozy that one would never know there's a squirrel sleeping peacefully under all that "stuff'.
Watching Ozzy "do her thing" has brought mom & myself more joy than I can express (especially when she shows her happiness when getting a nut by doing back-flips and swinging from branch to branch before breaking it open on her "sit-upon" shelf. She allows us both to pet her using our finger through a small opening in the cage large enough to place food in her dish, but it's been close to a year since either of us has 'handled" her. The cage is fairly easy to clean as it was built with a drawer that slides out of the bottom where we place wee-wee pads and paper/cedar shavings to absorb her droppings. She takes drinks from a water bottle when thirsty and is truly living a great life for a critter that doesn't appear to know that she's a wild squirrel.
However (here comes the bad news)...The reason I haven't been on TSB in almost a year, is because I was struck by a hit & run driver while riding my bicycle last August. I was injured pretty bad and I'll be having my 5th surgery on June 19th. Through it all, when I'm not in the hospital, I have been in and out of medical/rehab facilities and/or at my sons home recovering between surgeries. I am at a high risk for infection and since Ozzy's cage is between my bed and sliding doors that lead to our patio, doctors thought it best to keep my distance while open wounds & sutures healed. My Mom has done a great job caring for Ozzy the past 9 months and I come home to visit when I'm up to it, but sadly, I believe the time has come when neither mom or I can continue to care for Ozzy the way she's been accustomed to. Moms disabilities are getting worse (she can barely walk let alone go up & down stairs twice a day when I'm not here), and I can't say where my future will lead me as my seemingly endless recovery continues with the use of one arm from shattering my collarbone into a million pieces and breaking my shoulder blade in 3 places.
It's breaking my heart beyond words, but under the circumstances, I must try to find out if a soft-release is still possible in our own back yard or if I can find a suitable home for Ozzy. I'm wondering if anyone can help in any way. I could NEVER release Ozzy without being ABSOLUTELY sure that no harm will come to her, and I don't trust just anybody to care for her. I need advice from a Professional Wildlife Expert to ensure Ozzy's future will be safe and in her best interest. I'm wondering if it's safe to put the cage outside on the patio or in a section of the yard where we have lots of trees, but I'm also concerned about Ozzy's safety. I'm well aware that New York is not a "Squirrel Friendly" state, and here I am in the suburbs of Long Island.
Ideally, I'm hoping with all my heart that there is still a way to do a soft-release and continue to feed Ozzy outdoors like I do with the birds, bunnies and all the other beautiful (suburban) "Creatures Of Nature" that find their way to my yard. ANY & ALL advice will be GREATLY appreciated. I honestly don't know what to do or what my options may be at this difficult time :dono :thankyou
First, and foremost, my Ozzy is fine and doing very well...Aside from eventually figuring out that "He" appears to be a "She", Ozzy turned 2 years old in April 2012 and is still being spoiled rotten in an appropriate sized cage in the comfort of the home I share with my mother. Both Mom & I have equally cared for Ozzy and since she never appeared to "Wild Up", a soft release never happened :shakehead .
Ozzy has been getting a multitude of fresh veggies & fruits which Mom or I cut up twice a day, along with 1-2 assorted nuts. She appears very content in the cage a friend built for me, filled with branches to climb on and toys to play with. Some days she spends hours "rearranging" her bed, which is a metal basket secured in a top corner of her cage that she fills with leaves, toys, frayed rope, pieces of material from old tee-shirts/warm blankets, and her favorite things...empty tissue boxes & toiler paper rolls. She tucks herself in so cozy that one would never know there's a squirrel sleeping peacefully under all that "stuff'.
Watching Ozzy "do her thing" has brought mom & myself more joy than I can express (especially when she shows her happiness when getting a nut by doing back-flips and swinging from branch to branch before breaking it open on her "sit-upon" shelf. She allows us both to pet her using our finger through a small opening in the cage large enough to place food in her dish, but it's been close to a year since either of us has 'handled" her. The cage is fairly easy to clean as it was built with a drawer that slides out of the bottom where we place wee-wee pads and paper/cedar shavings to absorb her droppings. She takes drinks from a water bottle when thirsty and is truly living a great life for a critter that doesn't appear to know that she's a wild squirrel.
However (here comes the bad news)...The reason I haven't been on TSB in almost a year, is because I was struck by a hit & run driver while riding my bicycle last August. I was injured pretty bad and I'll be having my 5th surgery on June 19th. Through it all, when I'm not in the hospital, I have been in and out of medical/rehab facilities and/or at my sons home recovering between surgeries. I am at a high risk for infection and since Ozzy's cage is between my bed and sliding doors that lead to our patio, doctors thought it best to keep my distance while open wounds & sutures healed. My Mom has done a great job caring for Ozzy the past 9 months and I come home to visit when I'm up to it, but sadly, I believe the time has come when neither mom or I can continue to care for Ozzy the way she's been accustomed to. Moms disabilities are getting worse (she can barely walk let alone go up & down stairs twice a day when I'm not here), and I can't say where my future will lead me as my seemingly endless recovery continues with the use of one arm from shattering my collarbone into a million pieces and breaking my shoulder blade in 3 places.
It's breaking my heart beyond words, but under the circumstances, I must try to find out if a soft-release is still possible in our own back yard or if I can find a suitable home for Ozzy. I'm wondering if anyone can help in any way. I could NEVER release Ozzy without being ABSOLUTELY sure that no harm will come to her, and I don't trust just anybody to care for her. I need advice from a Professional Wildlife Expert to ensure Ozzy's future will be safe and in her best interest. I'm wondering if it's safe to put the cage outside on the patio or in a section of the yard where we have lots of trees, but I'm also concerned about Ozzy's safety. I'm well aware that New York is not a "Squirrel Friendly" state, and here I am in the suburbs of Long Island.
Ideally, I'm hoping with all my heart that there is still a way to do a soft-release and continue to feed Ozzy outdoors like I do with the birds, bunnies and all the other beautiful (suburban) "Creatures Of Nature" that find their way to my yard. ANY & ALL advice will be GREATLY appreciated. I honestly don't know what to do or what my options may be at this difficult time :dono :thankyou