My squirrel's change in behavior

[kschaffer1]

I rescued my baby squirrel, Peanut, from an ant pile at the age of 6 weeks in September. He has a leg injury and after consolation with a rehabilitation center and veterinarian, the decision was made to keep Peanut in captivity. He used to spend HOURS with me, watching tv on my chest, playing outside with me, just sleeping on my lap. He was with me a lot. He now has a HUGE cage with pouches, ladders, perches, food, water, many levels, hammocks, t shirts, small stuffed animals without beads and hard pieces. All of a sudden, Peanut wants nothing to do with me. He runs from me when I get near him and he bit my hand while I was changing his bedding. It's really sad that my squirrel doesn't want to be with me anymore. Does anyone have any tips to reestablish our relationship or as to why he seems so afraid?

Thanks guys! Feel free to email me or send me a message.
Kristen :dono :thinking

[SammysMom]

:Welcome Kristen & Peanut! Can you tell us why it was decided to keep peanut in captivity? He may well be wilding up in preparation for being a wild squirrel. Most do. It is why they make lousy pets.:sanp3

[kschaffer1]

I consulted my local rehabilitation center and veterinarian down the street from me who sees exotic pets. He is terrified of other squirrels. He is terrified of his own shadow. We tried a warm release at the rehabilitation center and he was so scared that he would hide under logs, toys, shirts, anything he could find. He doesn't want to leave. We trie to leave his cage open during the days and all he did was stay in his pouch, even after being coaxed out, he hid behind the cage all day. The rehabilitation center said he is not a candidate for release. His brother on the other hand is happy to be living in the wild and visits occasionally.

[SammysMom]

Well, unfortunately, their hormones can make them pretty darned unpleasant at times. It may just be a phase as it is that time of ear when they do breed. Be very careful. I have been bitten a lot during those times!:D

[Nancy in New York]

Do you still give him out of the cage time?

[kschaffer1]

He gets an open cage during the day and it gets closed at night. He is free to go as he pleases but he usually doesn't go farther than three feet from the cage and is back within an hour.

[stepnstone]

Obviously being territorial for one. You say you got bit cleaning his bedding, do you find any "stashed" food or nuts?
Changing "scents" on you can put them off too, such as using a different soap, cologne/perfume, lotion, etc.
Handling another squirrel without washing up and even sometimes without changing clothes is a big no no for many.
January is also a mating month... natural instincts play a big part when it comes to hormones and testosterone.
What you feed (as in too many nuts) can play an important factor in disposition also.
What is his diet like?

[Crystalis178]

I can second the stashed food, certain soaps, scents thought from experience. Scout chitters his teeth when he has food stashed in his cage. I let him out once and reached in his cage to move his nest a bit and he jumped in and dug around for his block and jumped back out with it. They are very protective over food...

I always try to wash my hands as best I can with the most neutral scented of soaps. He knows the smell of my hands and never bites me unless they smell otherwise. He has only ever bitten me because I handled food (especially pecans) or anything else that smelled tasty to him without washing up first.

[babybleu]

My female has "seasons" and when she does, wants nothing to do with my husband when it involves being nice. Instead she stalks him, runs at him, attacks his hands with her nails. She can be quite a bitch. Then, as quickly as it started, she's back to being very loving. It takes my husband a while to warm back up to her, tho... it's like she's jeckyl and hyde!!!