My name is Valerie...and yes, I am addicted to my squirrelly.

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

Hello to all of you. :)
So, my story starts on the 20th of February, 2013.
Our clutch went out on our car and so twice a day I had to make the 3.92 km hike to and from my daughter's school everyday.
Some days, it absolutely sucked, but all in all.... it was the best thing I could have asked for. Not only did I lose some unneeded weight and beefed up my calves, I also happened across the love of my life.
There she was.
Laying on the side of a very busy road and looking at me with the look I still occasionally see today.
She was so tiny.
To be honest, I didn't even know if she was a squirrel for sure. Growing up with the best example of an animal lover ever, my father, I do not know the word "NO" when it comes to rescuing a furry friend or the word eek!, for that matter.
I scooped her up and tucked her in my shirt, picked up my daughter, and carefully made it home before I even found out that she was indeed a baby squirrel. (=
I diligently researched online and made several attempts to contact a rehabilitator for help and soon turned my search into what should I do next.
I nursed her, stimulated her poo, and spent hours online worried to death I was doing something wrong.
Long story short, I am now (like many of you) a squirrel mother.
I had every intention of releasing her and early on have followed a laid out plan of doing just that. My only hiccup has always been that she is a singleton and being that I am human, I was really afraid that she would have no manners or squirrelly skills.
As many of you know, I was pretty dang amazed at watching her instincts kick in. I surely did not teach her to take a nut and super cutely "bury" it. (*pat pat pat with her hands and imaginary dirt over a nut on my bed.... as it sat there exposed) heehee. :D
So. My name is Valerie.... and yes, I am addicted to my squirrel.
I'd like to say she is mine, but if there ever comes a time when the call of the wild overcomes the most intense bond between 2 living beings.... I would do whatever I could possibly do to prepare her for life in the wild.
I know there are some of you on here that may frown upon me keeping her, but after being a closet squirrel keeper for awhile now, I also know there are just as many people that know exactly why I made the choice to keep her.
I would be the first to discourage having a squirrel as a pet only because of not only the intense commitment it really takes to keep one but to keep one happy and living a fulfilled life.
Just like many of you, I devote myself to her as much (if not more? :bowdown ) as I do to my 2 human kiddos!
No one, except for fellow squirrel mamas, could possibly understand my love for her.
Every night, I tuck her in (along with my human kids i speak of) by sticking my arm in the side door of her cage. As she jumps on my arm, she moves from my elbow to my knuckles "nibbling" off dead skin and scabs (which is actually yet another side effect that comes along with being a squirrel mother).
I pat inside her blanket (which I have already "taco shaped" for her) and spend the next 10ish minutes repaying the favor by lulling her to sleep with a mini massage and behind her ear tickles.
I wanted to introduce myself and finally say hello to fellow squirrel keepers.
I appreciate everyone that takes the time on this feed to help answer questions for the newbies and I want to thank the senior members that have already devoted their lives to these amazing creatures.
My name is Valerie....and yes, I am addicted to my squirrelly. :rotfl

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

Still trying to figure out posting pics... :shakehead

[Unikorngrrl]

Hi Squirrelly! :wave123 and :Welcome to TSB!! What's that super cute baby's name?

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

Yay! Hi you! :wave123 Funny thing. Since I was going to originally release her, she was named "squirrelly".... and even though since I changed it to Cricket, it sadly has remained squirrelly since this is what she now knows. lol! :D

[astra]

OMGosh! What an adorable face! :Welcome

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

:jump I am so glad I have fellow squirrelly lovers to share with! Why thank you! (even though I have nothing to do with her cutie face.) :) lol.

[Unikorngrrl]

YES you do have something to do with her cuteness!! You're the reason she's alive!!! :D

[farrelli]

:Welcome to TSB. I'm looking forward to hearing all about her and, of course, seeing more pictures. Just to get this out of the way, can you tell us what her diet is? Proper diet is of paramount importance and we frequently see very loving, very committed parents coming on here who are feeding bad diets because they didn't know any better or got ahold of some bad research. As such, it's usually one of the first questions asked.

Hope to see a lot of you both!

[Scooterzmom]

Hi and :Welcome to TSB

What a cutie patootie!!! :Love_Icon No wonder you're in love with her. :D How old is Squirrelly now?

I think my own fuzzers Hami and Jerome would have to stand in line with the other furry boys just for a minute of her time :rofl

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

Unikorngrrl , You have no idea how much that means to me! :) farrelli , I completely understand! I have spent sooooo much time and countless hours cross referencing everything I feed her. But I think I am finally getting it down. lol. I started feeding her monkey biscuits and quickly ordered her some Henry's (only after visiting this site) and I switch up her menu of veggies, fruits and nuts. Everyday, I forage for "wild" yummies too such as red maple buds, leaves, and stems, dandelion greens, acorns, and pine cones. I have had to cut down on certain nuts because she started getting a tad bonkers about brazil nuts. She actually bit me once being food aggressive over a stoopid brazil nut. I cried all day thinking she was wilding up and thanks to this site, learned that some things trigger them to be bitey. Such as, mating season and food aggression. For her, it was me letting her use my bedroom to bury those brazil nuts and had mistakenly moved them. I made the mistake of giving her one today and she spent 20 minutes moving it from one spot to the next with this look on her face of complete OCD and OMG. :crazy Have you encountered this with particular foods? Also, I noticed a change in her.... just like my 14 yr old human girl.... and I think she is "maturing" and she is still trying to come to grips with feelings she hasn't felt yet. But walnuts & hazelnuts are a staple. I read that pumpkin seeds make them nervous but omg that is her absolute favorite thing ever so I regulate them and only use them as treats. Tonight I did read to limit spinach, which is new to me.... what do you think? She loves kale. Actually she isn't too picky about any "healthy foods", thank goodness. Also, I learned from this site, that although I gave her plenty of window time, it had to be direct and not through glass to get the benefits of sunshine. (Good to know!) I so appreciate you looking out for squirrelly because I have come across too much conflicting info online and everyday I spend online time just trying to make sure I am getting it right. I am so sleepy, I can't remember all the questions I do have about food but I would really appreciate all of your input and joined tonight just for that reason. Thank you, farrelli!
Scooterzmom , ROFL :rotfl D'oh!!!! I bet she would love to have that minute with your boys tooooo because she is acting very interested lately in who comes around outside her door! :D She is about 3-4 months old? She had her eyes open but a very non fluffy tail when I found her, so I am not sure. So nice to meet everyone! :wott LOL! Can you tell how stoked I am to talk to fellow squirrelly lovers??

[newsquirrelmommy]

:wave123 & :Welcome Valerie & Squirrelly!! She is such a cutie. You will find a wealth of information here and wonderful people:D Looking forward to watching her grow:Love_Icon

[CritterMom]

Spinach is very high in calcium - sounds good, right? But it is also very high in oxylates, which bind the calcium in the spinach and make it unavailable to the body - in other words, calcium, but no calcium. Since we are always trying to keep the calcium levels up vs the phosphorus levels, feeding something that is essentially neutral like that doesn't make a lot of sense. Lots of misconceptions about spinach - it doesn't prevent calcium from other foods from being absorbed, for example, but that which is in the spinach is essentially unusable.

Brazil nuts are exceedingly high in phosphorus. I don't feed them at all for this reason. My preference for nuts with super hard shells that are good for wearing down teeth are hickory nuts and black walnuts. For the everyday nut tret I stick to almonds and hazelnuts, which are much healthier than most of the other nuts.

I have an almost 4 year old boy squirrel myself. They are magic. Resistance is futile.

[HRT4SQRLS]

:wave123 Valerie and Squirrelly
:Welcome to TSB

Yes, you certainly did find the right site. There are more squirrel lovers here than anywhere on the planet ... a lot of nuts too. :rotfl
Squirrelly is adorable and it looks like you figured out the pic posting just fine. :thumbsup
There are a lot of us 'nuts' in Florida. What part of FL do you live in? A lot of the FL squeeps network (actually all of TSB does) so if we can ever help you out we would be glad to. We know where the squirrel friendly vets are. :thumbsup Unlike most of the country, FL is legal ... it is legal to own a pet squirrel. In most states it is illegal to have a squirrel in your possession unless you are a licensed rehabber.

Again, welcome and we're glad you found us. I'm looking forward to hearing more about you and Squirrelly.:D

[Jackie in Tampa]

:wave123 :Welcome Hi ya'll!

[Fireweed]

THAT is a cute face. Holy moly. :Love_Icon

Welcome to TSB! :Welcome :)

[TubeDriver]

What a super cute little squirrel! :)

[Unclesteve]

Valerie's Squirrelly (http://i.imgur.com/H672zhu.jpg)

[Unclesteve]

http://i.imgur.com/H672zhu.jpg

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

Hi Newsquirrelmommy! You are so right on about finding wonderful people on here! I am amazed at the warm welcome Squirrelly and I have recieved! :D

Crittermom, Thank you so much for the good spinach info! That is pretty much what I JUST found out, which surprised and kinda scared me! I have to tell you that as I was scouring posts before I joined, I came across a reply of yours on an older feed about your love and devotion for your squirrel and I kid you not.... I was in tears! The happy kind, that is! :thumbsup It basically summed up in words how I feel for mine and reaffirmed that I am not coocoo when it comes to loving her as much as I do! I also died laughing about your comment on suiting up. I feel like Mr. Rogers, because I literally have my squirrelly suit by my bedroom door and 3x a day, I sit there and change clothes back and forth. I HAVE to wear shoes because she thinks it is hilarious to nip my toes. Not hard, just a thing she does. She will literally sneak up to them, nip and run with a silly smirk. I can't wait to hear more about your boy!

HRT4SQRLS, well, hello there neighbor!:wave123 I am currently in Port Richey, but grew up in BRANDON! One of the first things I did, was google whether I needed a permit or not and was so relieved to see I didn't. whew!I originally planned on a release, but as of now, she's a keeper. I definitely need to stay in touch with a squirrel friendly vet, so thank you for looking out for me! Maybe someday we could have a meetup of sorts for the locals? So nice to virtually meet you!

Well, Hello there.... Jackie in Tampa!:wave123

:Love_Icon Thank yooooou, Fireweed & TubeDriver!!!!:Love_Icon

Annnd Unclesteve (which I do actually have an uncle steve), Awesome! Thanks for the squirrelly pictures! Your rock a rock is adorable!:thankyou

I am so freakin' thankful that I have gotten to meet all of you and am so looking forward to posting and continuing to browse all your pics of your babies. It will be awesome to share stuff with like minded squirrelly lovers!
Thank you everyone for the warm welcomes!:wahoo

[HRT4SQRLS]

HRT4SQRLS, well, hello there neighbor!:wave123 I am currently in Port Richey, but grew up in BRANDON! One of the first things I did, was google whether I needed a permit or not and was so relieved to see I didn't. whew!I originally planned on a release, but as of now, she's a keeper. I definitely need to stay in touch with a squirrel friendly vet, so thank you for looking out for me! Maybe someday we could have a meetup of sorts for the locals? So nice to virtually meet you!


Hi neighbor~ I grew up in Brandon also. :peace
Just wanted to let you know that we DO get together every year. Once a year, usually in February everyone on TSB (that can) meets in Orlando for the weekend. It's called 'The Gathering of Nuts'. :jump It is always in FL because FL is 'legal'. We would love to have you come. Squirrelly can come too. :thumbsup

[island rehabber]

:Welcome Valerie-Mom-of-one-unbelievably-aDORable-squirrelface!!

Glad you've joined us, and it does sound like you've got a good handle on Squirrel 101 so far. For "captive" squirrels (pets or those in long-term rehab situations) we must be extra extra diligent about that calcium/phosphorous ratio because MBD is the ugly villain lurking in the corner at all times. And it's much easier to get than to cure, so be aware.
Keep those pix coming -- please! :D

[Kristin Ward]

Hi Valerie,:Welcome
We're almost neighbors. I'm in Tarpon Springs.
Your baby is cute as a button!:)

[Milo's Mom]

Hi Valerie!!

We have an awesome member that is also a licensed rehabber AND (ready for this) works at a vet's office as a vet tech and she is in Port Richey!!!!! :multi

So if you ever need a vet, there's one that is close by.

Anyway, just wanted to welcome you to TSB and say that your little one is adorable...like the definition of adorable. (we also call that KLUNKAGE around here)

Looking forward to seeing lots more pics!!! (please, please, please, please):tilt

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

HRT4SQRLS, The gathering of nuts sounds like a place I want to be, fo' sur!:crazy It's a small world after all, huh! Unbelievable... since Brandon USED to be pretty small and lo key. lol. Soooo looking forward to hanging out someday and Thank yoooou!

island rehabber, I have been petrified of those three letters....MBD! :shakehead But, I am making a list tonight of questions I've had and maybe make a new post to ask them all, while I have experienced people now to let me know! Oh, and I am definitely going to upload some pics tonight too! :D

Kristin Ward, How cool!! :sanp3 Yay! :alright.gif And Thank you!

Milo's mom, That makes me so happy! Hot diggity! I have been worried about that and wanted to find someone close BEFORE I actually needed to, just in case! Thank you too for the kind words about my cutie! I'm going to try to post some more pics too. Buuut, the sad thing is, she has become camera shy because last time I was taking pics.... she wanted to play instead and got mad at me. She would not stop "squirrelly cussing" at me and even though I stuck the camera in a hamper, she knew it was there and wouldn't stop until it left the room. lol. so, needless to say, I am going to take some new pics tomorrow and hope she has forgave it by now.:rotfl

[Unclesteve]

Let Me See

Your Signature !!!!!


Valerie



Throw a Post !


:woot:


Steve

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

:goofwe wootWOOTwoot! I haz me a fancy new signature now! :thankyou Steve!:thumbsup

[Unclesteve]

I Love It When

a

Plan Comes Together !

[Unclesteve]

Rock On !


Valerie



Steve

[BamaHam]

Welcome:Welcome You came to the right place as far as squirrel lovers go:Love_Icon We help each other out with advice, love and support. I love to log on TSB when I can ( I work and take care of my mom) and its great to know there are nutty and squirrelly people out there like me. I LOVE MY SQUIRRELS !!! I was going thru some depression until Hammy came along. He gave me so much more in return, more than he'll ever know. I fell in love with squirrels and the rest is history. All my babies give my life meaning (including human babies). Thank God for my squirrels!:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

:roflcoptor3 *humming the theme song to The A-team for Steve*:bowdown

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

BamaHam, Awww... Hello! :Love_Icon I do know exactly what you mean! In fact, when I first found Squirrelly, my 17 year old kitty passed away. She was my "original" baby and my best friend. She was there for me through everything. My divorce, having human kiddos (which are now 14 & 10), and she never left my side. When I lost her, I was devastated. My squirrelly is the only reason I kept my sanity. When you are depressed, it's hard to have a conversation with someone... but squirrelly knows what I'm thinking without me ever saying a word! So happy to have found you guys too! My new squirrelly friends!:D

[Brinnygirl]

Welcome Valerie ! I am also a squirrel addict, I have a 7 week old baby boy, squirtle! I'm always on here reading, or asking questions, everyone is great!:Welcome :Welcome :Welcome :Welcome :jump

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

Hello Brinnygirl!!!! :wave123 So nice to meet ya! I Loooove the name squirtle! Too cute! If you come across any tips I may need to know, please share with me too! I am so OCD and it gets amped up when dealing with my squirrelly. Squirrels are definitely not good pets for the average joe, because there is so many things to know. I just want her to have the very best and give her the goodness she gives me!:highfive

[Brinnygirl]

Here's a pic of my guy! We have a thread in the nursery too where I post pix.. I will for sure! I am a research nerd, like you said, I tend to be obsessive and really dig deep to be sure my animals all get the best of everything they need. I am also studying (currently in my 2nd year) Veterinary Technician. I would love to chat more! :jump

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

SQUEEEE!
OMG! He is sooo cute! :flash3 We will definitely chat more! Awesome job on your schooling too, btw! :)

[Unclesteve]

Welcome Valerie ! I am also a squirrel addict, I have a 7 week old baby boy, squirtle! I'm always on here reading, or asking questions, everyone is great!:Welcome :Welcome :Welcome :Welcome :jump





Brinnygirl's boy (http://i.imgur.com/rMn1icB.jpg)

[Brinnygirl]

Now if I can learn that.... Lol:thankyou

[Unclesteve]

Back Space the Comma


Copy and Paste In Your Sig !


Lot's of Fun




[ur,l=http://i.imgur.com/rMn1icB.jpg]Brinnygirl's boy[/url]




Steve

[Brinnygirl]

Yay for Steve :thankyou :thankyou :thankyou :thankyou

Now I just need to figure out how to resize pics on an iPad....lol

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

:fireworks Steve is the bomb at helping with sigs! :alright.gif

[Shewhosweptforest]

:Welcome Valerie and Squirrelly:Welcome

My first squirrel was so named also....until she became paralyzed and was non releasable .....that was 20 yrs ago and once bitten always smitten...corny I know:dono

You truly have landed in a squirrel lovers haven...and I know exactly what you mean about not feeling alone.....good luck and take a mini-vacation to try and get to know the folks around here:jump I'm not kidding:dono it would probably take a summer vacation.....but it is well worth it:bowdown I love all my squeeps here as you will too:thumbsup

Love Squirrelly he's precious:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

:wave shewhosweptforest, fellow squirrelly mama, I am soooo stoked to be here! I STILL can't get over the overwhelming warmth I have felt from you guys! It is far from corny, when you KNOW exactly what being smitten with a squirrel is all about... in fact I have been bragging, ever since I joined, to my other half of all the awesome goodness I have received since finding you guys! I spend quite a bit of my free time on here just a reading and a smiling at everyone's pics! Thank you. :thankyou

[Shewhosweptforest]

Ok Squirrelly H stop holding out we need more pics :jump I know you're eyeballs deep in threads:nono but don't neglect yours...been there done that:crazy

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

LOL! workin' on that right about now...:D My 14 year old human baby had her school dance tonight. About $125 for a a ticket, dress, shoes, jewelry, and her hair did.... all for about an hour and a half of total bliss with her friends. I guess it's worth it because to a 14 year old, it's kinda a big deal?:sanp3 :jump Is there a place or feed I should make a new post just for my squirrelly pics, btw?

[Unclesteve]

Rocky Says Hello.....Valerie



5-22-13 PMa (http://i.imgur.com/LLMutIy.jpg)

5-22-13PMb (http://i.imgur.com/YHJgSVl.jpg)

5-22-13 PMc (http://i.imgur.com/eWdANpm.jpg)

[Unclesteve]

Rocky Says Hello.......Shewhosweptforest....Too!!!

5-22-13 PMa (http://i.imgur.com/LLMutIy.jpg)

5-22-13PMb (http://i.imgur.com/YHJgSVl.jpg)

5-22-13 PMc (http://i.imgur.com/eWdANpm.jpg)

[Squirrelly Hunziker]

OMGee! He is toooo freakin' cute! :toung3

[Unclesteve]

Thanks Valerie



Rocky and Friends (http://i.imgur.com/IMTyGOQ.jpg)

[Shewhosweptforest]

I was posting last night when I lost power again :hissyfit anyway with a 8hr delay....Unclesteve why aren't you posting these pics on a thread:get_em :poke you have to share Rocky's preciousness :grouphug

And Valerie you can post all the pics you like right here ...that's what I did or you can start another thread under nursery or breed specific :dono whatever you want to do just post them:) everyone here loves pics:thumbsup

Edit: Ohhh and not to neglect our human babies....I say money well spent...14 is a hard and magical time for a child...and you making her Cinderella for the night..... priceless:bowdown

[Unclesteve]

Rocky2 (http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me6ig3cj9j1rkve78o1_400.gif)

[Unclesteve]

Still My Guitar Gently Weeps (http://i.imgur.com/Ecr1Bkf.jpg)

Guitar Man (http://i.imgur.com/gUDNF5y.jpg)

Band on the Run (http://i.imgur.com/4i23dbO.jpg)

I Might as Well Jump (http://i.imgur.com/aCzzJI2.jpg)

A Day In The Life (http://i.imgur.com/4z4kdGO.jpg)

Piano Man (http://i.imgur.com/R1fjBoO.jpg)

[Brinnygirl]

Rocky you are a star!

[Shewhosweptforest]

Valerie :nono :worthless

:poke :jump

All kidding aside where are your pics girl:) :grouphug

[Unclesteve]

Squirrel Blues Shuffle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWzaLH87Zo)

[WhistlingPete]

[QUOTE=Unclesteve]Rocky Says Hello.....Valerie


He's a pretty little guy! He has a nice brown - could be a great cereal commercial model. :-)

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

tinfoil tinfoil :wave123


:poke we need a Florida peeps picnic..........

[ques96]

tinfoil tinfoil :wave123


:poke we need a Florida peeps picnic..........

You can count me in!:D

[trueblue]

Hello Valerie.. and Brinnygirl... WELCOME. Both of your squirrely babies are beautiful. You are part of a select group who are blessed to be Squirrely moms. Enjoy every minute & take lots of pictures & video too !