Picky Fox boy

[Brooklyn]

Willow, my male 17 week old Fox Squirrel has suddenly become rather picky about what he wants to eat. He is refusing his rodent block altogether. I give him lots of fresh foods offered three times per day (several varieties each time) and for the last 10 weeks he would sample a little of each. Suddenly, he will latch on to ONE item and eat only that for the day...the next day it will be something different. Today it was Pomegranate seeds. Yesterday it was cooked yam. Excuse the pun but it's driving me nuts! I worry about his diet being so limited. He's also decided he no longer really likes avocado...hates bananas...really won't eat MOST fruits now. He will no longer eat salad veggies, apple or carrot. I limit his nuts to an evening treat...could he be holding out for the nuts at night? Is this a sudden phase that will pass? Has anyone else experienced a good eater who enjoyed a variety suddenly going picky? He's certainly not starving, but this is frustrating...I'm an Italian girl from New York...it's genetically ingrained in me to love to watch people eat! Really...should I worry?

Side note: He's just as happy-go-lucky and playful as always. No health issues at all. Sleeps in bed with me and has freedom of a decent size home.

Thanks in advance :Love_Icon

[island rehabber]

He's certainly not starving, but this is frustrating...I'm an Italian girl from New York...it's genetically ingrained in me to love to watch people eat! Really...should I worry?

You KNOW I had to be the first responder on this one -- Benvenuto, Brook-a-leen! (That's how my grandpa pronounced Brooklyn :D) As an Italian girl from the Bronx, I hear ya and feel your anxiety too. We should only have big, sloppy dogs who eat everything put in front of them --- or goats, right? :rotfl:rotfl

BUT, we have squirrels. Squirrels usually love variety but they get bored very easily. Your boy is the same age as a little handicapped girl I have here (Krista, in the Squirrel Infirmary) and I am going thru the same thing. This little stinker is holding out for nuts, and not just any nut but either pecans or hazelnuts! She shuns the others! I was offering her foods all day long, every time I saw her bustling around her cage, in an attempt to get her to eat. (That Italian thing.....:D) Finally I got tired of throwing out perfectly good veggies and decided to only give her 2-3 choices per day. It's working. And one of the choices always has to be rodent block. If you have to, limit the nut treats at the end of the day as well so he wakes up nice and hungry -- and that's when you put the good stuff in front of him.
Be strong, Brooklyn! :crazy

[CritterMom]

You bet she is holding out for nuts! Here is an amusing story.

I have a 3.5 year old male gray squirrel. Mister P has an enclosure that is nearly as large as my guest room. He gets to come out of his cage for about 45 minutes in the morning, I go home at lunch and get him out for about a half hour, and in the evening he gets his several hour romp. All of this is done in my bedroom which has been thoroughly squirrel proofed. Part of the fun is that he has special treats that I hide in there for him - sugar snap peas, cooked sweet potato, a few small pieces of almond, and a huge fave, a couple of rice chex. He knows they will be there for him at night, and not terribly long ago he decided that he would just hold out for those and shun his Henry's blocks during the day. Because I am a food nazi, that would not do, so one day, instead of letting him get away with it, instead of all of his goodies, when he arrived in my room that night, he found....his uneaten blocks! The next day, I got home from work and found that again he had not eaten his blocks through the day. "You better eat those or you know what happens" I warned, and then spent a few minutes changing clothes and getting the evening chow ready for my deer mouse. When I returned, he was just finishing the last one. At this point, when he sees me, he starts frantically stuffing his blocks in his mouth so he can have his treats in my room!

They are way, way smarter than anyone gives them credit for.

[island rehabber]

At this point, when he sees me, he starts frantically stuffing his blocks in his mouth so he can have his treats in my room!

They are way, way smarter than anyone gives them credit for.

:jump:jump:jump

[sage4dylan]

"You better eat those or you know what happens" I warned, and then spent a few minutes changing clothes and getting the evening chow ready for my deer mouse. When I returned, he was just finishing the last one. At this point, when he sees me, he starts frantically stuffing his blocks in his mouth so he can have his treats in my room!

They are way, way smarter than anyone gives them credit for.


That is soooo true! I swear sometimes Flip knows exactly what I am saying to him lol!! He does know what NO means and he knows if he has done something wrong and has to be in his cage for "timeout" for a little while, when he comes out he is so sweet and loving and when he knows he out of trouble he gets so excited .They are so smart. He gets very picky at times too. His taste also change from time to time. I sometimes have to hold out other food to make him eat his block too but he does when he is hungry for sure

[Brooklyn]

Thank you all for the rapid responses. I will be strong. This morning I gave him a grape, pumpkin puree, a piece of broccoli, some salad greens and the only thing crunch on his plate is his rodent block. He seems a little annoyed (slightly rough play... agitated) but he's nibbling bits and pieces in between his antics. He's also nibbling lemon tree and plum leaves and sticks, so he's not starving.

...This Too Shall Pass...

[PennyCash]

He's a handsome picky eater :thumbsup

[jbtartell]

Ohhh He wants to come to La La's house for a visit.. yesss I wnt them alll...lol La La has all the goodies..

[Squirrelis]

Oh what a cutie:D he looks so sweet sleeping- he can't possible be giving you a hard time about eating, looks soooo innocent:rotfl