Squirrel proofing a room???

[newsquirrelmommy]

Not sure if i posted this in the right place. Any suggestions on how to squirrel proof the room i have my baby in now? He's too young yet but it wont be long before he wants to play with everything. Unfortunately he cannot roam the entire room due to it having lots of stuff in it(bookshelf, filing cabinets, desk, computer etc.) and its the only room i can keep him in. He can however roam the whole room but only when im in there. I can at least make a 1/4-1/2 of it his by moving everything to one side. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[pappy1264]

anything that could be knocked down, wires need to be covered, check for anything little legs can get stuck in (be it thread, or an opening he could get a foot stuck in). Always supervise no matter what. Many people get the cat trees for their squirrels to run up and down. You can look on craigslist or ebay for them. Try to make sure it is not treated with catnip. Hopefully others will chime in.

[newsquirrelmommy]

thanks pappy. i wouldnt leave him alone roaming but i would like to just let him have some space without me worrying about what he's chewing or getting into...lol...i will definately cover any plastics or wires so he doesnt chew and ill move anything that he can knock over or get his little toes stuck in. i did read on here about the cat trees. the weird thing is i have 3 cats and no cat trees. they never liked them. weird i know. ive seen the carpet ones and ones that have been wrapped with stuff for their claws but have little pieces sticking out. So what type of material cat tree should i be looking for??

[pappy1264]

I use the carpet ones, but I tend to sort of try to put fleece over them (although never had any issues with the carpet itself, but for cleaning purposes, you can change out and wash the fleece!) Supervision is the best, as you can never 100% squirrel proof anything!!! You're welcome and have fun!!!

[newsquirrelmommy]

:thankyou pappy:thumbsup

[astra]

In addition to what pappy said:

no house plants;
no pills/meds/lotions/cremes/etc etc that he can reach, chew through and ingest.
toilet seat ALWAYS covered. Even if he may not have direct access to toilet, there is always a chance of escape.
So, seat - ALWAYS covered.
Also, get a toilet ladder - saves lives: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30728
ALWAYS watch when closing the door behind you- they can sneak up really fast and quietly and may get slammed by the door.
Narrow spaces behind furniture or under furniture

others will chime in

[pappy1264]

:goodpost :sanp3 (duh...yeah, what she said! lol)

[newsquirrelmommy]

Thanks astra. i did hear about the toilet ladder. Definately a great thing to do because like you said, always a chance of escape and he's getting faster and jumpier as each day goes by.

[Scooterzmom]

Spaces under appliances - washer/dryer, stove, fridge, behind microwave... VERY dangerous since some of those have fans and of course the wires.

If you have any valuable of fragile objects on shelves, putting them against the back of the shelf is not sufficient, they'll move them.

Anything high near a ceiling fan... they can climb and jump on the fan.

Ant traps and the likes.

Those are just some of the things I had to check at my place... I'm sure others will find even more.

Stove tops - make sure you have a solid, non-moving cover to place on any of the elements you have used within the last 2 hours.

Accesses to chimneys, wood stoves and fireplaces.

[newsquirrelmommy]

Thanks scootersmom!!:thankyou

[stosh2010]

Here are a series of photos and MANY great ideas ....as posted on this thread---

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33486

read them all...and protect your Fuzz heads...

[newsquirrelmommy]

Thanks Stosh!! Those pics gave me great ideas. I cant believe i didnt think of the cardboard. I have cardboard pieces taped to my bedframe so my cats cant go underneath:D Now im on a mission...lol:jump

[IrishHarps]

Check diligently around the walls for any open spaces, and fill them! It took us a good year to find all the open wall gaps in our apartment. We nailed down wire mesh to cover the areas so no squirrel could get out.

Bonus: now the apartment is mouse proofed as well :thumbsup