Squirrell stole my heart...

[johnnymcsquirrelly]

Hi All... This is my first time writing on the squirrell board... I have had my baby since she was about 3 weeks old...my boyfriend heard her screaming in the yard for two days..I was away visiting my daughter in Cincinnati...he brought her out a box to stop the ants from getting her and try to keep her from drowning...hoping mama would come back and get her...she didn't. He took her in and gave her gatorade..I am glad he found her...if i would have seen her I would have thought she was a rat. When I returned two days later...had looked up how to raise a baby squirrell....esibolic every two hours...I fell in love...my daughter had grown up and moved away...this little baby was holding me together..one nite i was feeding her and I noticed her eyes were open....I loved this little guy...(who by the way ended up being a little girl) lol....I had named him/her after Johnny Depp who is also an obcession of mine...McSquirrelly came everywhere with me...I do massages so she would come to salon wih me....I became soooooooooooooo attached. She had become my life...She was such a lover...I massage hr until age 13 months...then I came in after work one day and walked out onto the patio that we had turned into her home....trees, ropes, kitty cat climber..etc...she turned into chucky overnite!! She bit both my arms and it felt like there was 50 squirrells on me!! I was terrified...I called the squirrell rehabber that had told me to slow release her at 4 months....But I couldn't..I tried but I was so afraid she'd die....Anyway .... I released her at 13 months because I couldn't keep her and not be able to play with her...that would have just been mean....we put up 300 ft of rope to keep her safe from our 3 dogs....the rehabber said she would leave after she made a nest somewhere else...it's been two months now...she still lives on the patio...she comes home by rope at lunchtime...then when it starts getting dark....we put chicken wire on the window that meets the living room from the patio...I give her nuts, snap peas etc...through there...our dilema is this....she wants to get to us but we are afraid she'll bite us...or go chucky....She chases us all over the yard...sometimes she'll ninja jump on us(when we don't know she's there) but we freeze...then she jumps off...I know she's wondering why i don't massage her anymore...it makes me so sad...I want to ....I just need my fingers for work...theres so much more...but I don't want to be a squirrell board hog...She didn't just attack me that one time...there were other times leading up to that...like if i got my nails done...just got out of shower...had a piece of gum in my pocket that i had forgotten about...had picked acorns for her and brought whole bag out with me like it was a good thing....any advice would be soooo appreciated...I miss her like crazy...I never did this before...She runs out of the trees from across the street when we pull up...we are on 3 acres...I know she loves us....i think...please someone help!!!

[HRT4SQRLS]

:wave123 johnnymcsquirrelly
:Welcome to TSB

I hoped some of the rehabbers would respond to your post but I see that they haven't so I'll give you a little information.

Actually, your story is a common one around here. People fall in love with these precious babies and begin to see them as members of the family like your dog or cat. The maternal instinct kicks in and you feel you need to protect the baby from all those scary things outside so you decide I'll just keep it as a pet. The problem is: squirrels are NOT like cat or dogs at all. Most squirrels (vast majority) raised by humans will reach a point in their maturity where they begin to 'wild up'. It's NORMAL, that's what they're supposed to do. Every cell of their body is coded (DNA) to tell them that they are wild creatures, NOT lap dogs. That's what happened to McSquirrelly. When she turned 'Chucky' on you :rotfl , she was doing what she was designed to do... be wild. It was nothing you did in raising her, it is just HOW it is... a wild creature being a wild creature. :peace Yes, there are some pet squirrel around here. Some chose to be kept (rarely). Others are kept as pets because they are non-releases due to disabilities. Their only other choice would be euthanasia because they could not survive in nature. These squirrels take a lot of commitment on the part of their human because they can be very destructive... chewing the furniture... pooping and peeing everywhere... I'm sure you see the picture.

You mentioned she reacting to manicured nails, shower and gum. Yes, this is all normal also. They have a keen sense of smell and different smells WILL set them off. I have a flyer and if I take him out after I shampoo my hair he will attack me (in the face) and draw blood. How's that for love! :shakehead He much prefers for me to stink. :dono

So now you have released her and McSquirrelly has become a problem. I would guess that she is very confused because she is somewhere in the middle, between being wild and remembering those loving belly rubs. I see several problems here. You said she crosses the road to come home when she sees you. THAT is a problem in itself because one day she won't be successful in crossing the road and you will be heartbroken. The next problem is her pouncing on you unexpectedly. I hope she doesn't pounce on any other human because that will probably result in a serious injury (to her) or death. You said she is still living on the porch and coming by rope. Are you saying she comes over the dogs? If so, I would guess that one slip would result in a mauling and death.

Wow, you do have a problem! This is just a suggestion but it is what I would do. Do you have a friend or family that lives out in the country or has property? I think you are going to need to slow release him away from your house and people. This gal needs to be in the woods . I don't know where you live, but the problem is winter is near and to release her NOW (if you live where it is cold) would be very difficult for her. If you know a rehabber that could help you it would be best. I doubt that you could find a rehabber that would take her now (at the beginning of winter). Unfortunately, you might have to 'deal with it' until spring. At that point, if the problem persists, I would definitely slow release her in woods away from my home. You might actually get lucky and when spring comes she will mate and become a mother and no longer desire your company. It could happen. :peace

I hope this helps a little. This post will kick your thread back to the top and I hope that some rehabbers might sound in. Again, welcome to TSB.:thumbsup

[bobby taylor]

All squirrels are different and all go through hormonal changes. When you get a baby you never know how they are going to turn out. I have some that would eat you up and act like they enjoyed every bite and then I have some you couldn't make bite. It really makes no difference whether they are boyz or girlz. However like people I go for the girlz and somehow they turn out better for me. I hope your little buddy will do a turn around and be loving and happy. I know of no other animal I would like to befriend other than a squirrel. I hope all will work out good for you and your little buddy. If push comes to shove get them some live meal worms and give them one or two a day to gain their trust. I believe I could teach them to do tricks with mealworms. Good luck!!

[Skul]

Hi All... This is my first time writing on the squirrell board... I have had my baby since she was about 3 weeks old...my boyfriend heard her screaming in the yard for two days..I was away visiting my daughter in Cincinnati...he brought her out a box to stop the ants from getting her and try to keep her from drowning...hoping mama would come back and get her...she didn't. ....i think...please someone help!!!
Snipped for brevaty.
What you're seeing is quite normal.
All the monsters react a bit different.
It doesn;t reflect on you in any way.
These are squirrels.
Very normal. No need to feel rejected.
Bobby T said it pretty much how it is.

[johnnymcsquirrelly]

Saw Johnny this morning after 11 days...living in the trees across the street with other squirrels. I can see her new nest across from my gate. I'm glad she's ok and has made friends. My heart is broken...it had to happen some time. It wasn't fair to keep her as long as I did. I would love to volunteer to raise other orphaned squirrels. Does anyone know how I could do that? It may help to heal my heart... a little at least...I am in northern florida. Thank you

[Nemehoto]

I'm been raising two little loveable "monsters" myself. To be honest, Squirrels are wondering whats wrong with us, they don't understand our language and we don't understand theirs (body language or verbal), we talk all the time to them. "oooo what a sweet little thing you are, mommy loves you..." They hear "ooooo blah, blahblah, blah blah..." and feel little caresses. Which they mostly like. IF you are extremely patient, lucky, and willing to get gnawed on (which I am usually) you can get them to learn a few of our words and what they mean. "Come here, No, and Gently." which is what my kids have learned over the 16 weeks I've had them. They haven't really learned their names yet, they think their names are Ack! and Dammit! (Their names are actually Biff and Whiskers.)

Squirrels also think we are perpetually irritated because our ears are always pinned and we bare our teeth a lot. (we call it smiling, they call it OMG I'M LUNCH!) They don't understand why we shriek when they give us a nip of affection, and groom us with their razor sharp claws. They certainly don't understand why we push them away when they nibble our lips, stick their noses in our eyes or nose, or climb on our faces to look us in the eye. That is what squirrels do to each other. And hey we are a big as a tree and they need those claws to climb up and say "Hi"

I watch how my little monsters (brother and sister) interact with each other. They play rough, literally pouncing on each other, their favorite game is "Pushy" when they grab the other one's hind end and push the other behind them or push the other off of the bedpost. It's a game they will play for hours. Their second favorite thing is wrestling. Or from my neck of the woods wrasslin' where they pounce, nip, pin each other, jump on each other, smack each other, and run wildly around the room and any human who cares to join in on the fun (they of course don't "ask" us to play they just assume in the innocence of children that we are willing to join in) and the third thing is... stuffy wrasslin' OMG those poor stuffed animals... oh the humanity! they chew scratch pounce maul and tussle with 4 stuffed toys.

About 30 seconds every fifteen minutes when they are winded from playing they will jump on mom and pancake on my arm shoulder or head and enjoy a little scritch or caress... Then they chew on my wrist or my watch and off they go again.

As adolescents they are learning boundaries, their territory and developing their own unique personalities. If we were Momma Squirrels, we would know how to tell them in their own language that they are biting too hard, or they don't need to dig their claws in so hard, or that mom doesn't like foot prints on her eyeballs. Or this is Mom's "stash" and they can't have it. (Oh Geeze you should've seen my room after I forgot and left the baby powder out.)

I've been bitten hard (blood drawn) twice, I have been bitten painfully (no skin breakage) many times. Mostly when they are playing and get carried away (what Mom? you don't like me grabbing a finger and spinning around your hand? I was just playing!") I put up with the biting because I have been teaching them the command "gently" and it has been working, they have learned to moderate how hard they nip and scratch. They honestly don't know what they are doing is wrong.

Squirrels are very smart! not book learning smart but adaptation, and understanding how things work smart. They are incredibly curious, but they are also easily startled and surprising empathic. Which is why if *WE* respond to something they do with fear or anger and they don't understand that response bad things happen and get worse.

For example: McSquirrelly goes medieval on you. (Trust me it will happen... just a matter of when) you jump back, shriek and swat at her. She gets scared runs to momma, momma is pushing her away and scared of "something" she clings to momma and fights the thing scaring momma... (not knowing it is her doing the scaring) both of you are now scared and confused, hurt and feeling betrayed. She approached you cringe back... See the problem? It is a big misunderstanding and neither of you know how to tell the other it was all a big mistake. Mcsquirrelly wants Mom, Mom's scared of her... yet McSquirrelly doesn't know why.

If you want to work things out with McSquirrelly it can be done. Just be ready to make peace and expect a little pain and come prepared. Wear "squirrel armor" A sweat shirt or two, tough jeans, and pair of thick flexible gloves. go out on the porch when she comes up for a treat, (no nuts... my experience with my guys is nuts are like PCP to squirrels. if I want to do anything with them I use grapes, apples avocado, or cherrios. Nuts they get seriously possessive over and get very greedy instantly looking for more and get nippy. I give them nuts only when I put them back in the cage or as a good night treat.) Talk to her softly, if she does something that scares you tell her no firmly then give her a treat when she responds positively. It will take time but it will be rewarding.

It took me about two weeks after Biff bit the tar out of my ear before I let him back on my shoulder. It took a lot of patience and trust between us before we got to that level again.

[johnnymcsquirrelly]

Thank you for responding. Unfortunately for me but good I guess for her....she doesn't come back anymore. We saw her again yesterday with another squirrel. She just sat next to her nest and looked at me...I'm glad she's happy...but it doesn't help me from being so sad. I just wanted to do the right thing. I wanted her to be a squirrel. The rehabber that helped me through this told me if she attacked me that bad..(it was bad) not just a bite..that I was used to. This was a full bring it on attack...I had on 3 sweatshirts which she bit through on both arms and wouldn't stop...and making this growling noise that I will never forget..she was too fast for me to push her away. My boyfriend came out and started waving his hat...she went after him but he backed up fast enough. Anyway she said she had reached maturity and that was her way of letting me know it was time. I miss her sooo....much...I just wanted her to be happy...