What to expect from a little squirrel?

[tookie89]

Hello all,

This is my first time posting here so I hope that some one can help me out!

About two weeks ago a friend of mine found a baby squirrel that we assumed was about two weeks of age (after some scrutiny and comparison of the baby squirrel in question and various pictures of squirrels found on the internet). Since he was leaving the country later that week, I volunteered to take care of him (because the other option was that the little guy be put down).

I've named him Kiwi, and from what I can tell he is currently 4.5 weeks old. He's an eastern grey squirrel, and I've been feeding him as various squirrel care guides have suggested. I don't claim to be perfect, but he does seem to be developing nicely. He was found uninjured, but the mother had not come back for her babies when my friend had left the babies outside the entire day to see if they could be reunited.

I've come to the squirrel board to ask people what their honest opinions are regarding keeping a pet squirrel. As far as I can tell, he recognizes my voice and responds to his name when I call him. He has no problem snuggling with me or in my pockets at present, and as of yet still does not present any obvious health problems.

My question becomes, is it at all possible that he be kept as a pet? I get very confused by what I read and see online because while some people seem to be vehemently against this idea, I find several videos of people with their pet squirrels who seem to contradict what I have found/read.

I have a small chihuahua, and my idea was once Kiwi opens his eyes I might be able to bring the two together to socialize so that Kiwi learns from my dog, which might make him tamer than a normal squirrel. So far my dog has been very friendly to Kiwi, licking him like a mother would lick her pup. At first Kiwi would sort of grumble when this happened, but nowadays he seems to accept it rather contentedly and curls up as my dog licks him....rather enthusiastically, haha.

I would like to come to a conclusion as to what I should do sooner rather than later, so that all parties involved may have the best possible life.

Thank you!

[Starfish]

you came to a good place.

There's so much information to cover...

Ok, can a a squirrel be raised as a pet? From what I understand: yes (or rather it depends by the squirrel). Others with more experience in that area will chime in. *Should* a squirrel be raised as a pet? I've come to the conclusion of no. As cute and wonderful as they are: they're meant to be outside climbing through trees. Also, indoors, they can live up to 20 years I'm told (although they can also die much sooner). Are you willing to give it the next 20 years? I get the feeling as it gets older in the coming weeks (at about 12 weeks), you might start to see why it belongs outside. They need to run around more. Climb a lot. Chew on anything they can, including your walls. They need big cages (at the minimum a ferret nation) but an entire room to them is ideal.

Some even get bity to try gain a more dominant status. I'm currently on antibiotics for a particularly bad bite a couple of days ago.

As for dogs, I don't know what to tell you for that. Again, someone else can chime in. It can be dangerous for the dog becoming overly playful. CATS are scary. They're saliva (even if they don't break the skin) is toxic to squirrels and the squirrel would require antibiotics to survive.

Now, out of curiosity, what are you feeding it? I ask because there is a lot of information all over the internet and not all of it is good and some used to be good but is outdated.

They're cute aren't they?

Thank you for taking this little guy on. It sounded in your message that there may have been other babies at first. What happened to them?

Unless he has a physical ailment putting him at risk on his own, I would recommend that, when the time comes, his place is outside.

[Starfish]

by the way, loooooooooooooove the name

[tookie89]

by the way, loooooooooooooove the name

Lol, you'll like his real name even better: Quirinus Squirrel. Kiwi's just the nick name. ;)

But what ended up happening is that the nest fell down his chimney...I understand that there were about 4 or so babies that they found initially. They put the babies back outside in a small box for several hours, but when the mother showed no sign of returning they decided to try and do something about it. They went to their local SPCA (animal care sort of organization), and were advised by the person there to put them down because baby squirrels are a bunch of work, etc. They figured the person at the SPCA would know best, so they listened to them.

However when they returned home, they found one last little guy in the fireplace. He must've fallen afterwards or something. They brought him to the SPCA as well but there was a new person there this time, who told them that raising a baby squirrel wasn't too difficult and that they made excellent pets (he was speaking from experience). I guess his family took pity on the little guy, figuring that they could at least try and save one of the babies...

And that's how Kiwi came to me.

As for what I've been feeding him, he seemed to be rather stressed out when I first got him so for a few days I was feeding him a mix of saline solution and goat milk, gradually increasing the concentration of goat milk as he got used to it. Then once he was on goat milk and he was passing the skin fold test, I started then to mix the goat milk with Fox Valley milk, again gradually increasing the concentration of the Fox Valley milk. Now he's eating the Fox Valley milk exclusively.

[Starfish]

Don't know if you actually need any of this info as you've already had Kiwi a couple of weeks but, just in case....


Feeding Techniques:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?36776-PROPER-FEEDING-TECHNIQUE!!
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?220-Asperating-questions


What to formula to feed (in sum Fox Valley formula but give Goat's milk formula until it arrives):
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?5843-STOP!-NEVER-FEED-COW-S-MILK-TO-BABY-SQUIRRELS!
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?29904-TEMPORARY-Goat-s-Milk-Formula***

List of common mistakes and fixes (because we're all learning):
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?8889-Common-Mistakes-and-fixes

Key points to consider in squirrel ownership:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?11677-Responsible-Squirrel-Ownership

Healthy Diet for squirrels (once eating solids):
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?39275-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-(Revised-2-13)


Oh and i didn't know at first, never put cedar or newspaper because they have extremely sensitive sinuses.

:thumbsup

[Starfish]

Lol, you'll like his real name even better: Quirinus Squirrel. Kiwi's just the nick name. ;)

But what ended up happening is that the nest fell down his chimney...I understand that there were about 4 or so babies that they found initially. They put the babies back outside in a small box for several hours, but when the mother showed no sign of returning they decided to try and do something about it. They went to their local SPCA (animal care sort of organization), and were advised by the person there to put them down because baby squirrels are a bunch of work, etc. They figured the person at the SPCA would know best, so they listened to them.

However when they returned home, they found one last little guy in the fireplace. He must've fallen afterwards or something. They brought him to the SPCA as well but there was a new person there this time, who told them that raising a baby squirrel wasn't too difficult and that they made excellent pets (he was speaking from experience). I guess his family took pity on the little guy, figuring that they could at least try and save one of the babies...

And that's how Kiwi came to me.

As for what I've been feeding him, he seemed to be rather stressed out when I first got him so for a few days I was feeding him a mix of saline solution and goat milk, gradually increasing the concentration of goat milk as he got used to it. Then once he was on goat milk and he was passing the skin fold test, I started then to mix the goat milk with Fox Valley milk, again gradually increasing the concentration of the Fox Valley milk. Now he's eating the Fox Valley milk exclusively.

Yeah, the SPCA... I won't go there.

You really got off on the right start (making some of the info I posted for you useless).

If ever you decide it's too much for you, there is the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. However, I've heard that, when they release, it's in proximity of some predators... not ideal.

[Starfish]

oh and for the saline solution, never go beyond one day with the salt. It's really bad for their tiny organs.

[Shewhosweptforest]

:wave123 and :Welcome tookie and friend:grin3

Starfish gave you some good info :bowdown :thumbsup Here's the thing squirrels really are wild animals....and unless have some sort of medical issue that would prevent them from surviving in wild should be released....now that said, I have a friend squirrel that I released and she just didn't adapt...and after spending the Summer free outside, she came back in and is our inside squirrel :Love_Icon So it does and can happen:grin3

Here's the problem...squirrels usually, unless they are heavily socialized and still maybe not, like only one person ...two if you're lucky. This presents a big problem in the home unless you have the space to let your squirrel roam where she may not attack hands and feet of family and friends.

Next, squirrels are not legal to own...sooo you have to fly under the radar...and also you have to have some contacts in the rehabber world in case of illness...or become a rehabber yourself.

Lastly, squirrels are creatures of habit and they love their routine:eekand that means you routinely have to work your schedule around them :dono bye, bye vacations:sanp3 and the list can go on and on:shakehead
That all said I don't regret my decision....and my husband was a part of that decision and has no regrets:grin3 We love our Baby:Love_Icon

One last thing...I personally would not introduce your squirrel to dogs...just because if for some reason you do not keep this squirrel (I've seen people start out all ready to raise them until they reach about 16 wkstinfoil and then they realize they can't handle it) then this squirrel will be compromised in the wild because it will not take dogs as a serious threat and that could end in disaster :shakehead

What ever you decide you will find soooo much help and constructive info here ..so welcome and good luck :grouphug

Edit: SPCA :pissed

[farrelli]

They'll always be wild, the diet is expensive, you'll have to give it a big cage, lots of toys, lots of attention, and tons of out of cage time (most people either give them their own room or run of the house when they're home). They're extremely high maintenance, they chew everything, it's almost impossible to find a vet because they're illegal in most every state, you can't travel because it's hard to find a squirrel sitter, and you can't tell anybody about it for fear that they will report you and have it seized. You will sometimes get bitten, hard, they're moody, a couple times or more a year they may get very nasty for a few days or even months during breeding season (they mellow with age), and they will poop everywhere. At best, you might be able toget them to pee relatively consistently in somewhat the same spot. Having said all that, however, most people wouldn't change a thing and love their babies with no equal. Just know what you're getting into.

[tookie89]

Hello all,

Thank you so much for your help and support thus far! If anyone has any information to add, I welcome it wholeheartedly.

To starfish, thank you for all your information. I admit that I've been stalking these boards for a while now to get Kiwi this far, and have found your information extremely useful.

I have been advised by the SPCA that due to Kiwi's small size and time of birth, he wouldn't be ready to be released at the normal time since he'd be mature enough only in the dead of winter, and they told me he might die if I were to release him. Could anyone provide some insight on this?

Of course if I must release him I would like to do so in an environment that is as safe as possible....which makes me worry about this Ottawa valley nature reserve. Are there no other options for my little Kiwi?

As far as keeping him as a pet go, I admit a part of me was hoping I could somehow keep him as a pet (although a very large part of me worries about the very thing that you are all warning me about-the fact that he may turn out to be merely a wild animal).

I heard once that a good way to teach a squirrel manners was to put a rat in it's cage. That way if the squirrel had a tendency to biting the rat would put it in it's place and thereby correct the habit. Also since rats tend to be rather friendly to humans, the squirrel would learn by observation. Has anyone heard of this?

I was also wondering about how to get him used to the wild. Would it not be possible to keep him caged at night, and then in the morning when I leave to go do my own thing I could take him out and let him run around? (I live by a river), and then at night bring him back indoors to be caged again? Would this not take care of any exercise needs?

Thanks always!

[Starfish]

And I'm serious about chewing on thwas. I now have to wear gloved due to biting. I have scratches near my eyes because tgey jump on my face sometimes ("muuhhhhhhmeeeer!") But I love them anyways.

That said, it's not just vacations you sacrifice. My three had to go on a 6-hour road trip with me to attend a funeral. Has they been one week older at the time, I don't know what I would have done as my they started wanting more space and a bigger cage wouldn't have fit into my SUV ... And I had a eulogy to read; I really needed to be there.

There's a lot of logistics all the time

[farrelli]

Yes, late season squirrels are "over wintered", so you've got a friend for some months to come. If you release, spring is what you should aim for.

Though some squirrels "wild up" and cannot be made to be happy inside, it seems to me that most will eventually calm back down if given enough time. I think three months is the longest it's taken.

Never take a squirrel outside until it's gone through the "soft release" process. I think I know of only one person with an indoor-outdoor squirrel (Hi, Fluffer!). Most once outdoors develop their own lives or get run out of the territory and eventually never come back.

I only know one person on here who pairs squirrels with rats, and it works for her, but interestingly, all her squirrels were wild and brought permanently inside, so they didn't grow up with rats. The rats were kind of the welcoming crew and seemed to make the squirrels feel better. It is very unique. I don't know if that's how it would normally work or if she's charmed.

[Starfish]

Actually thank you, I had thought of that and wanted to mention. You will likely need to winter him. It will be late fall when he's nature enough to go out on his own. But the weather won't be ideal. You may have to keep him for the winter or find someone who can.

You can try the Cushing place in Ladysmith Quebec. I hear rideau valley wildlife closes for the winter. ?????????

Do you have a room you can sacrifice? In the meantime, either way, you may find a ferret nation cafe useful. Start checking kijiji.

[Shewhosweptforest]

It's really nice to give a room over to the squirrels.....but if you can't they still will be alright...my Baby has her own room with a tree and all:crazy but...she does not have 24/7 access...I work at school so during the summer she has lots of free time..but on work days (holidays, and weekends are free also) she's out for about an hour in the morning and then back in the cage....then when I come home she comes out until bedtime...which in the middle of winter when it gets dark at 5:00 she's only out in the afternoon for an hour and a half because she goes to bed religiously at or just before dark. The special treat for our Baby is she sleeps in our bed...so she really bonds with us and I think it gives her a sense of greater freedom:grouphug

I wouldn't call her "wild" :thinking more strong willed and independent...and she's only bit me maybe twice and drawn blood...once when I was trying to catch her to put her back in her cage in the morning...and I think she got frightened....and another time :dono had to be another time can't remember one tho:crazy the worse I get from her is the scratches ....which she can't help ..so I always wear a robe when I'm with her and that takes care of the incidental scratches. The crazy jumping in your face stuff disappeared when she got alittle older. Hope this helps....still a big commitment ....:dono

[Starfish]

You were asking about raising to be wild.

The release process is supposed to be quite slow integration into nature. When they're out, it's in a release cage. You're not their yet but good on you to get informed now.

Outdoor pre-release cages (be sure to follow each element)
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?40471-Building-an-outdoor-release-cage
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?41082-Pre-release-cage-logistics&highlight=

Feed wild foods to get them used to what they'll have to look for
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?39275-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-(Revised-2-13)
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?41762-Prepping-wild-foods&highlight=

Maybe build up your emergency kit in case something happens in the release process
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?41219-Emergency-kit-Antibiotics-question&highlight=
Include the recipe for homemade pedialyte in your kit

[Starfish]

Although.... Are you asking for the outdoor cage for now or when he's older?

Right no (s)he is too young.

When he's older..... In the winter..... Where are the other Canadian members at?
Ottawa area winters (humid and cold).... Does anyone have pre-release squirrels outdoors in the winter?

[SammysMom]

I may have missed it if someone else responded to the "rat in the cage" idea for training. NO WAY!!! Rats kill squirrels! Otherwise, you are on the right track and it sounds like you are getting terrific advise. Good luck with this little guy...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[Toddy]

First of all, welcome to TSB!:Welcome

Second, be very careful not to tell ANYONE you have a squirrel at home. It is illegal here in Ontario. I don't want to scare you, just warn you so that nothing bad happens to the little one...

[tookie89]

Hello,

Thank you everyone for your kind welcomings.

No, I do not have a room that I could surrender to the squirrel (although I guess I could just let him run around in the washroom for a while) and no, I wasn't asking about currently. I was thinking about gradually getting him acclimated to the outdoors, but am thinking at the moment that the best option would be to turn him over to the wildlife reserve.

Do any of you have a rough guideline as to around what time I'll know whether or not this'll work out? It's so hard to believe that he, being so docile right now, could turn into such a terror (but don't worry, I'm hearing your warnings loud and clear!)

And yes, I have heard that this is illegal (thank you for the word of caution-I hadn't known previously!)

[farrelli]

Most of them don't turn into "terrors", other than maybe during breeding season. They can be lovable and cuddly too. But they are a lot of work! You should really just spend a lot of time on the site looking at the stories.

Some start getting some attitude at maybe 16 weeks or so, some at sexual maturity (five months at the earliest), some are holy terrors, some are gentle little lambs. For some the attitude is permanent, but it seems that for most it's a transient thing. You never know. They're all individuals.

[cnmnnaturalist]

Definitely check up on your local laws, just in case you need to deal with something. As terrible as the story out of Wisconsin with the fawn and rescue agency was, most wildlife agencies are actually really nice and will work with you as much as they can.

As a wild animal, the squirrel may bite you no matter how much it is attached to you. Mine bit me to show they weren't happy with me 'up in their biz'. They scratch a lot when they climb, so long sleeves helps a lot. They don't mean to do it, but those claws are sharp to help them climb.

You will very likely need a pre-release cage of some sort in order to acclimate him to the outdoors. Mine were in the cage only for about a week or so before I let them out, but they were already at 11 weeks. They're running wild now, but return regularly for 'mommy time'. I already live in the woods so I was able to release them right outside my house, but your case sounds different, and you may never see it again once you release.

It sounds like you may have a wildlife rescue/reserve that can take him. That is a great option. I would definitely do it if I were you. It's hard to stay unattached to these cute little buggers, but you gotta do what is best in both your and the baby's interests.

[tookie89]

Yeah, he's illegal.

But it's hard to see why when the little guy just wants to cuddle with your thumb. :Love_Icon

Update: I think he's actually only 4 weeks old.