Release questions

[Mchicha]

Baby is now around 9 months and Aubie is approx 8 months. I had stopped letting them out of the cage altogether in December after a really wild time trying to round up Aubie, and in anticipation of them being released this spring.

Aubie, who was an eyes-open baby when he came to us, is wild as a march hare and obviously related to Hammie the Tennesse biting squirrel (he's been very well-treated from the outset, CSL, so I can attest that some of them are just bitey - it makes them happy). Baby, on the other hand, has not gotten the slightest bit wild. She was an eyes-closed baby who has been with me since she was about 4-5 weeks old.

I was cleaning the cage the other day and she got out and was just happy as a clam to get some loving, while Aub sat at the back of the cage and, to use CSL's perfect term, death-rattled at me. He's also started a really interesting squawk and scream (Jacob says he sounds like a duck).

I have no doubt whatsoever that Aubie will beat the snot out of any squirrel in the wild for food. Baby, not so much. Recently she has been spending her days in a pouch, hiding from Aubie. She does not fight or stick up for herself and that plus her great joy at being out with the people (and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing on us) has me worried as to whether or not she will be able to survive in the wild.

Here is my dilemma: I cannot release where I live. I am in a townhome with very few trees outside, busy roads and lots of squished squirrels on said roads. The plan was to find one of you kind people (like Kastillo :D ) who would let me bring my squirtles to go into your release cage for a month or so and then have a nice place to hang out nearby. Now my concern is that Baby will not make it as a wild but will be unwilling to return to people with whom she is not familiar and thus end up not surviving.

She has no physical impairments at all. She's just super sweet and I am afraid she will not be tough enough to make it out there. Is this a reasonable worry?

I do not want to make a pet out of a squirrel who should be in the trees but I don't want to chunk her out of my house and into someone else's hands only for her to be unhappy and not make it.

I welcome your thoughts and experiences.

[Milo's Mom]

Chances are she will wild up while she is in the pre-release cage. A couple years ago I had 5 siblings. One of them, Cody, was a little lover boy and I was worried about him. He much preferred to be with Mommy and to hold my thumb and gaze into my eyes. I told him he could always come home if he wanted, but he had to know the other side to make the best decision. He continued to love on me up to release day and even a few days after. He was just fine and he made his decision...Mommy was nice but being wild was awesome. He made his decision because I gave him the opportunity.

The nice thing about doing a soft release.....if it doesn't work you can always bring them back in. She may also just need some additional time...maybe she's a late bloomer.

I do believe that it is only fair to present them with the options and allow them (the squirrel) to pick what they want.

[Rhapsody]

As stated above by MM it may just take her longer to wild up once she is placed in the release cage outside...... the average time is 30 days in an outside cage, but I've had to keep a few squirrels in the release cage up to 3 months to allow them the appropriate time to wild up --but they got there. :thumbsup

And if needed you might have to give her to another exp rehabber to release --I've taken in a few older squirrels that would not wild up for their owners, but that wilded up for me.... some one they did not know.

[crazy4squirrels]

I put all of mine in the pre release cage for 6-8 weeks. They have been with humans most of their life so 8 weeks in a cage outside is nothing:) They will see and hear the world and they will adapt. Best of luck:)