My flyer hates me for making him eat healthy

[Dr. Rockso]

MY flyer hates me when i try to make him eat healthy. he refuses to eat his block! He only wants to eat his mixed nuts, yogurt, pine nuts, and whatever I'm eating like beer, pizza and sweets. i use exotic nutrients squirrel diet brand. However when i try to make him eat healthy i have to lock him in his cage with just block and greens which is a problem because of my open cage policy. i feel like he thinks of it as a punishment or something. The only time i lock his cage is when i go to sleep and then he just runs his heart out in his wheel. I dont know maybe i just have a real soft spot for my little guy and fold too easily. I just worry about him getting a calcium deficiency. i do use calcium powder supplement and vitamin supplement. im sure he has food stashes all over the house but considering the size of my house its not a realistic possibility to confiscate them all. should i just keep him locked in his cage until he starts eating it or have i spoiled him too much?

"Pickles beer is not for squirrels!!" >.<

[IrishHarps]

Hi there, Dr. Rockso!

Flyers are very expressive little critters, and they will definitely let you know if they are upset. Luckily they also forget about it pretty quickly :) So if you keep on pushing the 'good' foods, he will come around to it and will not be mad at you.

You don't need to lock him in his cage to get him to eat well. I'd imagine that wouldn't be very good for your relationship. How about just keeping him in one room (not letting him have run of the whole house) for a while and clean out the stashes in that one room? That would be more doable than the whole house.

Also, get a wide variety of things and just keep feeding them and seeing what he takes to. He'll find something he likes eventually :)

And if he is trying really hard to eat your food, don't eat around him. Eat in another room and shut the door so he can't steal your food. Don't drink beer around him :) This is the only way you can be 100% sure that he won't steal your food.

Calcium supplements alone won't cut it to give him a full range of nutrition. Flyers eat very little since they are so small, so it is important that they eat properly.

So, in summary, don't lock him up, eliminate his access to bad food, and keep pushing good foods. He won't be mad forever, but he will be healthy forever :)

[Jackie in Tampa]

my flyers {70ish} will not eat exotics brand food.:shakehead
I have tried many times... it just sits there... they do not even pee on it.. :shakehead
just thought I would share:D

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

Lol At "Beer" , :drunk :drunk

[Dr. Rockso]

thank you for the advice! i will start today. :)

[gs1]

welcome Travis:Welcome

I don't know if you've been introduced to mrs skul yet ...she is one of our very best flyer experts.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/member.php?u=4840

and this is our flyer forum http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=93

I think the most important food group for flyers is protein - especially meat protein. It's also important for them to have a balanced diet to prevent mbd.

I hope that mrs skul's feeding information will help you ....

wishing you all the best. :)




this is from mrs skul.... she sent to me to share... because of her dyslexia she prefers to talk to flyer people... her cell phone number is available and she's up all night cause she's nocturnal....

I've bolded and underlined some items to make it easier to read



:wave123
:fireworks congratulation!!!:goofwe
Welcome to the World of Being OWNED By The Flying Squirrel. :D


If you feed a High Protein diet WaxWorms MealWorms ""Even when they turn in to Millers they love them."" Freeze Dried Chicken or Fresh.
PetsMart carries Prim Bites & PetCo Carries PureBites FDChicken., VitaLife makes Chicken Chips and Chicken Poppers. PetsMart use to carrie them.
The Chicken chips you can find on line. This is a Dog treat. All you wont is Chicken nothing else added. You can try Scrambled, Boiled, Poached egg, Fried is usually to greasy.


You also need to pick up Some CuddelBone for Birds and put 1 in the cage. They make a Calcium Mineral Chew that is the shape of a Ice Cream cone. You can find at both Pet stores. They will be in the Rodent and the Rabbit/ Chinchilla/Ferret sections. " Just ask some one and they will help you find them if you cant." I have 1 hanging inside & outside the big cage, and 1 in every cage I have. I hang them so they don't fall to the bottom and get Peeeeeed on.:D :rotfl {"Just 4to5 inch of dental floss. Hanging By the plat form they feed on. When done it just drops and it hangs."} The Flyers will eat on the Cuddle bone and then the C/M Cone. They switch around. Some times it can be in the Cage for a year or so be for they use them. If they are not lacking Calcium they will not eat them. When needed, they Devour it. :shark


I feed my Flyer HHB and Fresh Vegatables. Protean and a Little FV every Day.

Some like the FV by a Syringe and Some like FV Yogurt By a Syringe or in a Bottle Cap. "They like to pick it up and like it like IceCream. Happy, Healthy Little Monsters. :D


Flyers Make their own Vitim D and Eating Mushroom every day Helps.

They like Sugar Snap Peas, Broccoli&the Leafs, ButterNut Squash& Acorn Squash. {"I will wash/dry the seed and feed them on the side.""}Asparagus, Bell Peppers and The Seeds, {"The BP Seeds need to be feed right a way or they turn black. I cut the seeds/skin holding them and feed as group."} Fresh Cranberries/ or frozen, Cherry Tomatoes cut in half. :Love_Icon Mine Love Cucumber&Avocado :Love_Icon like crazy, and I mix up a green salad with Romain, Brock Choy, Ediva & Godiva Lettuce, Any of the Lettuce,Cabbage.
"Ice Burg Lettuce has nothing in it for them. I never feed it." You can buy the Ready Mixed Salad's with all kinds of Romain and Letta's.


Now the Fruits. You do not wont them filling up on the Fruit. So just a little each time. Chunk of Apple or a Pare, the size of a Nickel.
BlueBerries {3or 4} Depending how big. :D RasBerry or Black Berry. :Love_Icon Mine love the ComCouts.:Love_Icon I usually hold the strawberry and let them eaton it. Just not much. Cherry, Fig, Prickly Pare Cactus Fruit." Oh and Sweet Potato not to much. :nono They Have a large SWEET TOOTH and will steal it right out of your mouth if they can. :rotfl " Darla found a small piece of dark chocolate. Can you imagine a flyer on Speed. :eek: I thought she would die."


Just be careful. I am going to PM My number. If you have question or need help just call me any time day or night."

PS

Just follow the Nutrition for Squirrels and add The Protean :thumbsup3

I give Black Oil Sunflower seeds, The Squash Seeds,Pumpkin,Cantaloupe, Watermelon Seeds as a treat.
"Usually 4 or 5. It depends on how the Veg eating has gone that day."
I always give a nut for them to stash or keep. And if/when they open it. It's theirs free treat. :thumbsup5

Please call me some time.
I will give you a little info of what to be looking for if and when he gets sick.
Remember The Flyers will not show hardly any sines of being sick until it it to late.
So watch, and Know Him like the palm of your hand.
If he normally plays all the time. Then starts sleeping and Playing, and sleeping. Loss of wt.2 gm or more.
These are sines to watch for.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx cell
Good Luck

[lilidukes]

I had to do the tough love diet thing with my first squirrel. She had me feeling so guilty giving me the hurt, soulful eyes of wanting. But with the help and continued support of members here at TSB and buckets of my tears.:osnap I won. After about 10 days my girl was eating like she should. I saw such a change in her overall health and energy levels I knew making the decision to use tough love was worth it. I don't ever want to go through that again. It's a lot harder on us than them. None of my squirrels since then have been allowed any "junk" foods. Had someone offer a Ritz cracker to one of my NR's and he just looked at it and ignored it. When I get a squirrel with MBD Giving nothing but healthy is easy. I know I'm saving their life. Your squirrel will love you more for it. A healthy squirrel is a happy one. :thumbsup

[jbtartell]

You said it Lisa.. that tough love with sam was awful and heartbreaking.. then she finaly gave in and I did not..:rotfl