First day in RC...... Total fail

[ques96]

Ok so Do Da has been going outside in his cage with me for a few weeks now to get him used to the sights and sounds outside. As long as I stayed close he was ok if I got too far away he would panic. He is 14 weeks and we finished his RC with plans to start his soft release. Thursday I put him in the RC and hung around for a few minutes to make sure I had placed everything ok. Then I went into the house and was going to let him hang out for a few hours on his own before bringing him back in. I was shocked that as soon as I went in the door he started what seemed like crying and making a very loud distress noise. I went flying out the door thinking OMG did he hurt himself or fall etc. As soon as I got to the cage he stopped and clung to the cage closest to where I was standing. Everytime I go inside he does this. I tried to just let him be on Friday so that he could see that he was ok without me but after so long I did not want anyone complaining about the noise so I brought him back in. I guess we will wait a while longer and re visit soft release in another month or so.:dono

[kastillo]

Does he have a nest box in the rc where he can hide and feel safe??

[Nancy in New York]

Ok so Do Da has been going outside in his cage with me for a few weeks now to get him used to the sights and sounds outside. As long as I stayed close he was ok if I got too far away he would panic. He is 14 weeks and we finished his RC with plans to start his soft release. Thursday I put him in the RC and hung around for a few minutes to make sure I had placed everything ok. Then I went into the house and was going to let him hang out for a few hours on his own before bringing him back in. I was shocked that as soon as I went in the door he started what seemed like crying and making a very loud distress noise. I went flying out the door thinking OMG did he hurt himself or fall etc. As soon as I got to the cage he stopped and clung to the cage closest to where I was standing. Everytime I go inside he does this. I tried to just let him be on Friday so that he could see that he was ok without me but after so long I did not want anyone complaining about the noise so I brought him back in. I guess we will wait a while longer and re visit soft release in another month or so.:dono


Awe he's still young, I would let him get a little older and more mature. He would still be with mama at this age if he were a fall baby. :)

[ques96]

Yes he has 2 different ones that we have had in the house and he has been sleeping in with polyfill so that they would be familiar to him. He so far is NOT a fan of outside. We will be patient and do what we can. If he decides he doesn't want to ever go out I will then need to break down the RC Cage to bring it inside. Thank goodness we built it in panels for storage in between releases.

[kastillo]

You may want to give him a little while longer.

[cnmnnaturalist]

As heartbreaking as the calls are, you have to remember they'll be scared and they will do ANYTHING to get your attention! Once you keep responding to their cries, they'll know they have you wrapped around their little paws. Just like any child, they have to learn independence. Do they have some cuddly thing to snuggle up to for reassurance?

If you respond, don't do it with lots of sweet baby talk and 'oh it's okay!' sweetness, and don't try to show your own stress. Give them a calm, confident "Oh you're fine" and that's it.

I've never done it with squirrels, but I've done it with kittens and puppies and they're little stinkers once they have you figured out!

[CrazySquirrelLady]

i vote wait a couple weeks and try again....

[ques96]

i vote wait a couple weeks and try again....

That is what I said we are going to in my original post.

[ques96]

As heartbreaking as the calls are, you have to remember they'll be scared and they will do ANYTHING to get your attention! Once you keep responding to their cries, they'll know they have you wrapped around their little paws. Just like any child, they have to learn independence. Do they have some cuddly thing to snuggle up to for reassurance?

If you respond, don't do it with lots of sweet baby talk and 'oh it's okay!' sweetness, and don't try to show your own stress. Give them a calm, confident "Oh you're fine" and that's it.

I've never done it with squirrels, but I've done it with kittens and puppies and they're little stinkers once they have you figured out!

I am not stressed. I did not respond to him I just went out the door to see what the problem was. I am very aware he has to find his own independence but can't have a disturbing the peace complaint. His personality is so much different than the other squirrels I have raised in that he seeks human attention and interaction much more than any of the others. He also has never been vocal before. Never a peek out of him no grunting or crying when hungry nothing so for him to that vocal after never before making noise was the concern. He does has multiple stuffies in his cage to cuddle and he wrestles with them daily. He is just marches ro a different drummer I suppose.

[Starfish]

That is what I said we are going to in my original post.


I think that the person was trying to support your original plans as you got differing advice and one can change their plan based on the advice they read