releasing question

[Ruby Girl]

I have a squirrel that will be 11 weeks on monday..I have her in a outside cage in my enclouser right now because of the weather sucks so when its nice i put her outside with me and she explores very little..the question I have is what is the best appoarch to realeasing her..I have raised her since she was a pinky a day old. She isn't showing any signs that she wants to be released she is very clingy and ill go outside with her and let her play on the trees but as soon as I go to clean her cage she comes running back to me and grunting at me like shes mad...I mean she can still see me when I'm cleaning her cage...I just dont see her wanting to be released which is fine I just feel bad for her because I want her to be able to be her natural self. I have raised them before but she is by far the youngest I have had. The others were about 4 weeks old when they were found and had no trouble being released..I have helped raise 3 so far no problems...and we have 2 more squirrels right now tht are 5 weeks old the other girl is raising them because I'm trying to get my squirrel ready to be released. Any suggestions would be great..thx

[ALittleNutty]

When I get ready to release I limit my contact to only going out to feed and water and I even quit talking to them while I am there. It's hard to do but she needs to get used to being less dependent on you and when she is ready she will make her move. Many will let them out during the day and close them in at night for a while. Eventually they will go off and start making a place of their own, or if you have provided a nest box she may hang out there. Every one is different and some choose to come and visit often and others go off one day and make a life somewhere else. Best of luck!

[kastillo]

She's still very young, you might want to over winter and release her in spring.
Also, I would be gathering and freezing LOTS of wild foods for her as they start to drop... Magnolia cones, pecans, pine cones, acorns, etc.... Just so she knows what's food when you do release.

And let me tell you, if you have a bunch of greys you can't gather enough acorns, LOL!
I thought I had plenty, ziplock bags full in the freezer, Lasted from October to December and by Jan/Feb, the stuff on the ground was so old and rotten it could not be gathered. Gather now!

[farrelli]

She also could just be a squirrel who chooses life with you indoors. It happens. Personally, I think that if a squirrel is happy in the safety and comfort of home, there's no point in forcing the release issue. Nature is just so horrible! There's a reason only the strong survive. Extreme heat and cold, hunger, disease, predation, parasites, etc., and virtually none of them die peacefully in their sleep. If she's happy, she's happy. And if she starts wilding up and it's not just passing hormones, you can always release later.

Btw, 13 weeks is about as early as they go out on their own, and in the winter, they tend to spend months with mom.

[Ruby Girl]

Thanks I haven't opened the door I'm just getting her used to the outside she is outside in a cage but in my enclosed patio I only let her out when I'm with her..I didn't plan on releasing till about 14 weeks anyway...cuz I know she's to young to be released..

[Rhapsody]

Seeing that she is still on the patio I would suggest that you move her cage out among the trees when she is
14 weeks old so the wild squirrels can interact with her and she can learn from them. After her first week out
in the cage you are no longer to have any contact with her other than feeding time, this is called FEED & LEAVE.

I always place an extra bowl of food, nuts and water on top of the release to help attract the wild squirrels to the
release cage. After your squirrel has been in the release cage for at least 30 days and you fell it is ready to be set
free open the door and step back...... if the squirrel returns at night lock up each night for safety and release every
morning, continue to supplement with food for a month while they come back.

GOOD LUCK -

[faie]

My little guy was about 9-10 weeks old and we had a scare and he took off.. (cat scare) I cried and cried and later saw him up in a tree behind my barn. He wouldn't come to me and went up the tree for the night. The next morning I came out and he came down to eat, then he jumped back onto the tree and took off until dinner time and did the same thing. This went on for a couple of days and then one morning he vanished and have not seen him since. This just happened on September 24th, 2013.. I have been worried sick because he has always come back. I fear the worst has happened.. My heart is just broken!