Looking to adopt a squirrel

[tman4bama]

I am looking for a new squirrel to adopt. Preferably a baby. If anyone knows of someone please let me know. Thanks!

[CrazySquirrelLady]

I am looking for a new squirrel to adopt. Preferably a baby. If anyone knows of someone please let me know. Thanks!If you get Fox Valley Formula, Henry's Blocks, a nice cage, syringes for feeding, a scale to weigh squirrel with, fleece for flooring in cage, vitamins and calcium supplement, Baytril antibiotics on hand for aspiration pnuemonia, and a vet lined up, you will surely get someone to adopt you a squirrel.

I would start ordering these items to have on hand just in case, and post pics of the items as you get them. This will show how serious you are about adopting and will increase your chances of getting to adopt! Good luck, welcome to the squirrel board.

[rusty's mom]

Also understand that the ones talked about here are the non releasable They all have different special needs.

[tman4bama]

I recently lost my squirrel, Peanut, to natural causes and was hoping to find some help here.. It's only been two weeks but my fiancé misses him so much and it's just so hard to find them. We took in two gliders but it's not the same.

[SammysMom]

Oh tell us about your Peanut! We love to hear about these guys!

[tman4bama]

This was my baby boy! This is Jacey, Travis's fiance. He was most definitely the best pet ever. I had a HUGE cage for him but he very rarely stayed in it. He OWNED this house haha. Wherever I went, he was right there in my pocket or on my shoulder(he went to the movie theatre and watched breaking dawn with me:). He had his own little spot in my car, unless he was on my shoulder or in his travel carrier, and if I didnt drive just right, or if I jerked the car just the tiniest bit he would let me hear all about it! He always had a can of Planters nuts and dried fruit so whenever he was hungry he would just pull the lid off and pick whatever he wanted.. usually it was a banana chip. And most of the time at the end of the day he would sleep on the other end of my pillow next to me. Needless to say, Peanut has set some extremely high standards for ANY future squirrel of mine! I loved that little guy. 192790

192791

[sid'smommy]

How old was peanut when you lost him??

[stepnstone]

I recently lost my squirrel, Peanut, to natural causes and was hoping to find some help here.. It's only been two weeks but my fiancé misses him so much and it's just so hard to find them. We took in two gliders but it's not the same.

You say he passed from "natural causes"??
What were they and how old was Peanut? Was he bigger then the pictures?

[tman4bama]

I woke up one morning and he was gone, the night before he was just fine so I don't know what else it could have been.. He was almost a year old, so he was a good bit bigger than he was in the pictures I just posted.

[sid'smommy]

Strange that there were no symptoms. .. Poor peanut :( at least he didnt suffer. Before you adopt another one, please check up on the negetive effects of certain foods. I know they eat just about anything in the wild.. little scavengers... But, in captivity, they must follow a specific diet, even tho we want to give em whatever they want :tilt

[tman4bama]

Well I made sure to check everything he ate before we bought it! I'm happy he didn't suffer but it still just really sucks...

[SammysMom]

Okay, some tough love here... Try to not take it as personal. It is just facts, not a personal attack.
Your squirrel was almost definitely suffering from poor nutrition. I almost killed Sammy before I came here to TSB and learned what I was doing wrong. I loved him too and just didn't know better.
The best thing that you can do its hang around here and learn. Study the nutrition forum like your life depends upon it. Any future squirrel's lives DO depend upon it. You mentioned Planters. Planters does NOT offer anything that is good for a growing squirrel. It is the equivalent of letting a 6 year old live on Snickers instead of a balanced nutrient rich diet. PLEASE READ!!!
I am so sorry that you lost your baby but this is truly why it happened. No sugarcoating here, but no "blame" either. You didn't know any better... Now you do...

[stepnstone]

I woke up one morning and he was gone, the night before he was just fine so I don't know what else it could have been.. He was almost a year old, so he was a good bit bigger than he was in the pictures I just posted.

Was this your first squirrel and can you tell us what his diet was from what type formula until he weaned and what you fed him in solid foods?
I'm asking this because maybe we can get a better understanding of his passing and what possibly could have led to it, help you and educate you for any future. Extreamly doubful it was natural causes. Unfortunetly, I've already read some red flags on his diet.
I even had to chuckle at the first post listing what one needs to properly care for a captive squirrel but it was indeed right on plus some. Of course one's main gain is to raise to release and let them have their intended life free in the trees. Sometimes there will be the NR's (non-returnable) and one takes on being their caretaker for the rest of their lives. It's not as easy as one may think. they are still wild animals and their natural instincts are hard wired.
Squirrels are masters at hiding any signs of illness, it's wired into their natural instincts not to show weakness. Weakness means prey to their predators. They also have very high nutritional needs that have to be kept in balance by how and what they eat. A squirrel in the wild knows what and how, captive squirrels depend on us.
It is not unusural for a squirrel that is deficient in nutrition to be seen active and playing one minute, crash and pass the next. Or find them gone in their sleep. It don't have to happen...

[tman4bama]

Thank you for the advice but that wasn't it.. He hd rodent blocks and ate more fresh fruit and vegetables than I do... I just never saw a problem with allowing him to eat the nuts and dried fruits too

[sid'smommy]

I dont feed mine dried fruit, but I AM guilty of giving too many nuts. Basically what they are saying is : All the good foods are basically canceled out by the bad. Nobody is trying to lecture you, or look down on you... we've all been there. It sucks when they give you that look and you still gotta say no. Squirrels that age just dont die of natural causes. Birth defects usually die younger... but this age, its injury, illness, or nutrition.

[farrelli]

I hope none of that seemed harsh. The reason why it's being assumed that your squirrel died of poor nutrition is because we see A TON of that here. It is by far the biggest reason people show up on the Emergency site here complaining of their squirrel acting funny, having seizures or being paralyzed. Sometimes they just die without signs. That's the reason why everyone here will be hyper sensitive to nutrition.

[farrelli]

No, nuts in of themselves aren't bad, but they should be treats only.

Please take a look at the nutrition thread:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32218

And then the calcium/phosphorous thread to see how good or bad your foods were. You're going for a 2:1 calcium ratio. Corn, for example, is something like 1:44, so it's horrible.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15397

If your baby was on a good diet, then chances are that it was something else totally out of your control.

I really feel sorry for your loss.

[CrazySquirrelLady]

such a cute baby! I know how sad I was when my first squirrel died.

I literally laugh and smile the whole time I have dealings with my 3 sons (fur babies).

Squirrels.... nature's anti-depressant. :D

[MJS]

Travis and Jacey...like you, I am new to TSB. I just joined in November after I lost one of my wild squirrel friends to what I thought was poisoning. Still think that, by the way. In the past two months I have spent probably more time than I should have on TSB reading and learning, crying and laughing, making notes, printing off protocols and recipies, soaking up everything I could in case I need it in the future. All of this information is important, but what I also found is that the people on TSB will help each other and help YOU in ways that you cannot now imagine. The combined knowledge and expertise of the members here will be invaluable to you if you allow yourself to use it. The bottom line is that help is available to anyone. Just ask. Remember...none of us, not even the smartest squirrel people on this board were born with the knowledge they now have (especially me)!!! :rotfl:rotfl:rotfl I am so sorry that you lost Peanut. He was a beautiful boy. :grouphug Please stick around :Welcome

[tman4bama]

When we first got him he was already old enough to where he didn't want or need formula.. The vet told me to just give him fresh fruits and vegetables and gave me a block so that's what I did.. If that was wrong I'm sorry but him passing is still fresh and it's pretty harsh for everyone to keep saying its my fault.

[farrelli]

It may not have been. And if you were giving him a good quality block, and a good quantity of it, and making sure that he was eating it and not stashing it, and making sure that he didn't eat bad things (or at least too much of them), it probably wasn't your fault. I do apologize for what may be taken as finger pointing, but we just get SO MANY people here who love their squirrels but do, unquestionably hurt them or even kill them by not doing the homework. Many people think that they've done their homework by asking a vet or visiting a quick website or two, but who totally missed what squirrels need. The fact that you are looking for another probably just set up alarm bells for a lot of people and felt the need to rush to tell you that you may need to reevaluate what you thought was good for the squirrel. It's really nothing against you, and we all feel your pain, but this website is devoted to protecting and caring for squirrels, so no one would want someone who didn't know what they were doing to get another squirrel and do the same thing over again. Youtube is filled with such people.

There are ways for you to possibly adopt another squirrel, especially given that it;s now breeding season and spring is right around the corner. Just stay on here and do your homework and we'll help you out. There is A LOT to learn and reading about all the other fuzzy ones on here might even ease your pain a bit. Have you been to the nutrition links that I posted yet?

Welcome to the site! Really, we're always happy to find another person who's open to helping these little cuties! Feel free to tell us about your little one. It might make you feel better.

:Welcome

[SammysMom]

This is definitely NOT a "fault" issue! If it is anyone's fault, it is the vet's. That little guy in those pics did still need formula. The vets are just not that good about squirrel nutrition. You are obviously doing the right thing by becoming educated here on TSB. :Welcome to the place where you can find out everything you need to know about squirrels. The one thing that you are best served to remember is that here, we are all about the squirrels. It may seem like we are being mean to you or hurtful, but in order to see to it that squirrels are cared for properly, we sometimes tread on human toes to save fluffy butts :D . Try to see that we are not attacking you, just imparting important information that will save baby squirrels in the long run.

[stepnstone]

This is definitely NOT a "fault" issue! If it is anyone's fault, it is the vet's. That little guy in those pics did still need formula. The vets are just not that good about squirrel nutrition. You are obviously doing the right thing by becoming educated here on TSB. :Welcome to the place where you can find out everything you need to know about squirrels. The one thing that you are best served to remember is that here, we are all about the squirrels. It may seem like we are being mean to you or hurtful, but in order to see to it that squirrels are cared for properly, we sometimes tread on human toes to save fluffy butts :D . Try to see that we are not attacking you, just imparting important information that will save baby squirrels in the long run.
:thumbsup :goodpost :bowdown

I asked my initial questions for clarification and to educate, certainly not to asses blame and make one feel any worse over a loss then they already do. The internet holds a lot of misinformation, many veterinarians hand out the wrong information as the bigger majority of veterinarians are domestic vets, not wildlife vets. That in itself is a different field of study and research. Unless one has knowledge or experience with squirrels /wildlife, we are left to the advice of other's and our own devices which often leaves us down the road wondering what happened... Unfortunately when new handlers, a lot of us have already been there.

I totally agree with SM as far as the veterinarian. I would add that obviously the vet was only advising within their own limited knowledge, what I do not understand is how they could not see that it was still a baby. That baby would have been still nursing in it's mother's care and should have been on formula with a good quality rodent block being introduced as the first solid food. It is only after they are eating their block well that you introduce vegetables. Fruit has no nutritional value, that and nuts should only be given as treats.
It is an all too common mistake, the results themselves are all too common as well...

[kastillo]

Travis and Jacey, I'm so sorry about Peanut. Losing a baby like that can be tough. I grieve still for my first squirrel, Bonnie, and she passed in January 2010 suddenly. She was my first squirrel, and I had no idea what I was doing, got her at about 9 weeks old from my best friend who couldn't keep her because she had children. Because Bonnie was nibbling at solids, we both assumed she was weaned. Even though I know now she should have still been on formula at least another couple of months. I only offered her store bought squirrel food (sunflower seeds, corn, etc .) And pecans. She also ate a bunch of human food, ice cream , etc..... All wrong diet, BUT I had no knowledge of their very specific nutritional requirements.
Needless to say, Bonnie passed at around a year old, suddenly and without any symptoms. I thought she had a stroke or heart attack, but after learning much from TSB, I knew that her death was brought on by complications of her bad diet.
Once you've loved a squirrel, there are sure to be more to pass through your life. It may be sooner than later, so everyone here is just trying to help you give your future Peanuts a happy, healthy, and full life.
Please don't feel you are to blame, it happens to a lot of misinformed people. RIP Bonnie, I will always love you.

[MJS]

When we first got him he was already old enough to where he didn't want or need formula.. The vet told me to just give him fresh fruits and vegetables and gave me a block so that's what I did.. If that was wrong I'm sorry but him passing is still fresh and it's pretty harsh for everyone to keep saying its my fault. Hi Travis and Jacey. Just now had the chance to respond to your post of last night. I'm sure that by now you have read what kastillo, stepnstone, SammysMom, and farelli have posted. I don't believe anyone here would fault you for Peanut's passing. The reality is, no one really knows the cause. When my wild squirrel died, I was trying to care for him in my house without any real idea of what I was doing. No vets would even talk to me. I found some info on line...unfortunately not TSB until later. I know that I made mistakes that may have contributed to his passing, but one of the first members to respond to my introduction post told me that everyone here has been in that position at one time or another. The important thing is to learn from your experiences, and to learn from the experiences of other members by reading all the postings and threads that you can. Just wanted to say hi and :Welcome again.

[Garden71]

Hi Travis and Jacey. Just now had the chance to respond to your post of last night. I'm sure that by now you have read what kastillo, stepnstone, SammysMom, and farelli have posted. I don't believe anyone here would fault you for Peanut's passing. The reality is, no one really knows the cause. When my wild squirrel died, I was trying to care for him in my house without any real idea of what I was doing. No vets would even talk to me. I found some info on line...unfortunately not TSB until later. I know that I made mistakes that may have contributed to his passing, but one of the first members to respond to my introduction post told me that everyone here has been in that position at one time or another. The important thing is to learn from your experiences, and to learn from the experiences of other members by reading all the postings and threads that you can. Just wanted to say hi and :Welcome again.

:goodpost :bowdown :goodpost

[Squirrel Wrangler]

Ultimately, all of us on the board started out with little knowledge and no help. In my area there are NO vets trained/experienced with rodents and only one or two that are even willing to learn and help however they can. Only by research on the net and the help of others more experienced than us on the board did my wife and I learn what was necessary.

There is no blame in trying to care for these fuzzballs, only experience to gain for the future. I hope you will understand that and carry on.

SW

[PennyCash]

:Welcome Travis and Jacey, I am sorry for the loss of your beautiful boy. ]
I do hope that you stick around TSB. There is so much information, so much knowledge about squirrels that my vet asks me what TSB has said.
My vet and I are both still learning about these little lover's and I've not found anything else on the web that compares to The Squirrel Board as much for the shared love, information, shoulder's to cry on, the sounding boards when you need them and OMG the pictures. Pictures of the cutest squirrels you ever did see from all around the globe. This is a true community/family even, you may not always agree or even get on but everyone will pull together to help each other out. Welcome to TSB...

[Sara89nicole]

Everyone makes mistakes, I found 3 flyers this summer on the ground beside a main road in August. The temps were pushing upper eighties and it was mid-day. I took them home in a small empty container and went home and immediately placed them on heat out of instinct. I unknowingly fed them for 24 hrs with something that could have caused serious harm and I was not aware either they had to be stimulated to use the bathroom. The next day I researched and researched and researched some more. On every site I found conflicting information but eventually found a formula that seemed logical. I started them on it. I continued to research until I found this site. I was horrified and embarrassed at the mistakes I had made but with the help of all the wonderful people on this board I got my babies on the right track.

No one is blaming you for what happened, there is just alot more to carin for these amazing little creatures than most people know and the people on this site are devoted to helping those of us who have made mistakes learn from them and when the case allows to maybe save our beloved little fuzzers. no body here is trying to make you feel at fault as they all understand what it feels like to lose a squirrel they put so much time and effort into and they only mean to help so you can be prepared and better care for your next beloved little fuzzer.