gave up my little buddy but looking forward to doing this again

[nutz4nuts]

hello everyone. i made my mom call her friend who is a parks department ranger. i got scared that i was going to get attached to the little guy and she came last night to get him. she currently has 5 other baby squirrels in her care so i know my little guy will be in good hands. my question is who is the best breeder in pensylvania state for either flyers or our adorable funny squirrels? thank you. i wont be leaving this site so i can learn the do's and don'ts and how to's for my future plan. im sad i gave him up but it was for good reasons he deserved the best and i wanted that for him.

[stepnstone]

hello everyone. i made my mom call her friend who is a parks department ranger. i got scared that i was going to get attached to the little guy and she came last night to get him. she currently has 5 other baby squirrels in her care so i know my little guy will be in good hands. my question is who is the best breeder in pensylvania state for either flyers or our adorable funny squirrels? thank you. i wont be leaving this site so i can learn the do's and don'ts and how to's for my future plan. im sad i gave him up but it was for good reasons he deserved the best and i wanted that for him.

Being a Parks Ranger I'm assuming they will be raised to release, being raised/released with other's is always preferable.
Why would you be seeking a breeder? If I'm not mistaken, Pa is an illegal State to possess a squirrel unless one is licensed which I also understand is very hard to obtain in Pa.
We don't advocate keeping squirrels as pets! Unless there is a definite medical reason they can not be, they are wild animals and should always be released back into the wild as nature intended them to be.

[Milo's Mom]

PA is a squirrel HATING state. Grey squirrels are NOT legal pets and if found the penalties are severe to the human and almost certain death for the squirrel. Just BE CAREFUL!

I do not know if SFS's are legal in PA or not...most likely not...do some serious research BEFORE seeking.

Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

[nutz4nuts]

ok. thanks all. ill research it then and ill even call the state law places about it. and yes hes being raised to release which i wanted to attempt but i didnt want to become attached. i was wondering how do you guys do it, become a rehabber and not become attached. i become attached to all animals thats how much i adore animals. but do you know which state is fine with squirrels, and most wild animals are pets, for example fennec fox, iguana, bob cat, pythons, most parakeets are caught from the wild and banded to be sold in petshops... the list goes on and i know this because ive seen them for myself and seen abuse towards these animals. what i wanted to do with a breeder was get my lisense to own and create an open backyard habitat where the squirrel is free to come home and go out and explore as it pleases. ive heard stories of raised to release that became an unexpected raised and stayed with them kind of event. i cant understand why alot of people are against having a beloved squirrel friend as a "pet". i never called my animals pets they were my family. im sorry if i sound harsh or offended anyone but you dont know me and how well i take care of my non human family members. ive owned tons of puppies and kittens and even raised finches and breeded a few rare ones. =(

[daniellenc]

Sugar gliders can be a ton of fun and probably legal in your state- as for your list of other wild caught animals you have to realize the one's you see in pet stores were never wild, but captive bred and raised which is different from being plucked from your outdoor home and caged. Wild caught and kept animals do not do well in captivity long term, where captive bred animals do....there are hundreds of studies on this common argument that make for interesting reads for sure.

I bred snakes and lizards mostly from the New Caledonian region of Australia for 9 years so i am not against captive breeding programs. However, most captive breeding programs are based solely on F20 generations and later....meaning they are animals brought into the country 20+ years ago. Back in the 60's and 70's other countries had limits on how many of each species could be captured and legally removed from the country for such breeding programs- exportation now for breeding programs is unheard of and not even necessary. A wild ball python, parakeet, or any other animal would not be sought after in the market. What captive breeders have done with genes produces far more attractive animals so always keep that in mind- these guys you see in pet stores have never even seen the outdoors, lol.

[stepnstone]

Don't fool yourself, rehabbers become attached! But becoming attached does not mean we still don't want what's best for them regardless of our attachment to them. Setting a healthy wild animal free is always in their best interest, even when it hurts us to see them go. The reward of doing what is right for them is why we do what we do, it will always and should always take precedence over emotional attachment.

There are some States that do deem flyers as pets, you would have to research to find which ones do. As for most wild squirrels such as the grey, they are illegal to possess in nearly all the States.

True, pet shops sell wild animals. Some are snatched out of their natural habitat to be sold as pets, some are breed in captivity to be sold as pets. Just because they can be/are sold in pet shops don't necessary mean we have to agree with the mentality of keeping a wild animal as a pet. It's a money market, the abuse and neglect you may wittness just stands to prove it's not about the care of these animals but the profit made from them that holds the importance.

Your plan to become licensed and have a back yard habitat sounds like a noble plan, there is always a need for rehabilitators. No one is trying to judge your intensions! The legalities of your plan is something you do need to research before putting into place as many animals that are seized from "illegal habitats" are just taken and euthanized without so much as being given the benefit of being freed.

Some raised to release squirrels do stay or hang around after being released. They may live in a nest box that has been provided for them, they may build nests on their released sites/areas. Some may even mate and raise babies on the site. Some just visit occasionally, some just leave. The difference is; they have been released, they are not captive, they are wild and free to live their lives to their choosing... as nature intended.

[Milo's Mom]

ok. thanks all. ill research it then and ill even call the state law places about it. and yes hes being raised to release which i wanted to attempt but i didnt want to become attached. i was wondering how do you guys do it, become a rehabber and not become attached. i become attached to all animals thats how much i adore animals. but do you know which state is fine with squirrels, and most wild animals are pets, for example fennec fox, iguana, bob cat, pythons, most parakeets are caught from the wild and banded to be sold in petshops... the list goes on and i know this because ive seen them for myself and seen abuse towards these animals. what i wanted to do with a breeder was get my lisense to own and create an open backyard habitat where the squirrel is free to come home and go out and explore as it pleases. ive heard stories of raised to release that became an unexpected raised and stayed with them kind of event. i cant understand why alot of people are against having a beloved squirrel friend as a "pet". i never called my animals pets they were my family. im sorry if i sound harsh or offended anyone but you dont know me and how well i take care of my non human family members. ive owned tons of puppies and kittens and even raised finches and breeded a few rare ones. =(

It's nothing against you. It's ALL about the squirrel. Most squirrels (like the grey squirrel for example) do NOT make good pets. They know they are supposed to be in the trees and that's where they want to be...anywhere else makes them sad and irritated...then there's the wilding up thing...some never do and others get wild so fast your head would spin. There are those few and far between "odd" squirrels that prefer fleece over trees.

If you really want a squirrel instead of looking for a breeder (they steal the babies from their Moms when they are between 6-8 weeks old) how about hanging around here for a bit and think about giving an NR a forever home. An NR is a Non-Releasable squirrel...some have head trauma/neuro issues, some are mallocs (their teeth do not align and need to be cut/trimmed), some are amputees, and NONE can ever live in the trees being free; however, ALL deserve a good forever home where they will be dotted upon and spoiled beyond belief.

NR's are different and it's almost like they know they are different and they know they will not survive outside being free and for some reason more times than not, they never wild up.

Again, I am only referring to the "grey" squirrel and I know nothing about Sugar Gliders or Southern Flying Squirrels.

As for the states where squirrel ownership is legal...I am positive of Florida and I think South Carolina is too (not sure about SC).

Squirrels are expensive...money and time. Vet care in PA is nearly impossible for wildlife and if you find a vet that is willing to put his/her license on the line to treat a pet squirrel; chances are they really have no specific knowledge related to squirrels and meds and are just flying by the seat of their pants when prescribing meds for a squirrel.

I am NOT trying to talk you out of it, I am simply sharing the truth with you. A squirrel cannot ever be "owned"; in actuality it's the squirrel that does the "owning". I believe with all that I am that a squirrel should be free, as that's where they are meant to be; however, if an NR can have an EXCELLENT quality of life in a Forever Home, then I believe that's where they should be (versus being PTS).

[nutz4nuts]

well my plan isnt to keep it in captivity my plan is for it to feel free to come to us whenever it pleases. but i think that can wait until our kids are off to college but by then we wont be in PA any more but in a place where we have alot of land. but i would like to become a licensed rehabber one day ... are our cute sugar gliders accepted in PA

[daniellenc]

I'm not sure they are here in Maryland though check your local government's website or do a quick google search. Gliders are a ton of fun and tons of work, but the few I have kept here till permanent homes were found turned out to be a riot and very rewarding to have. They do need a buddy though so plan on two:D