Grey Squirrels

[knightsoul]

After we lost our beloved Cado (the most amazing grey squirrel ever) we now have a tiny itty bitty baby flying squirrel.... I cannot believe the size difference... I am still hoping tho to find a grey squirrel who will need a forever home... Such different personalities. Do you guys think the flying squirrel will bond with us just as much as our grey? We had him a few days before his eyes opened. We even got the chance to take him outside to try to get him used to the outdoors he would just run back and forth to both of us. Then we took him outside a few more times and if either of us left his site he would run over to us. Then finally the last couple times we took him outside he would only run to the back door as to say there is no way I'm going outside take me back in :/ Miss that little guy so much... How much smaller are flyers than greys when they are full grown?

[farrelli]

Did you ask this question elsewhere a day or so ago? If not, someone else did. Flyers bond very, very tightly to their human, more so than many/most grays. They're very small as adults, maybe about the size of a chipmunk.

[knightsoul]

Wow lol I watched some you tube videos and they look so much bigger......

[CritterMom]

Much, much MUCH smaller. And yes, they will bond with you - tuck that baby in a little fleece baggie that you can hang around your neck and tuck into your shirt and wear him by day. They sleep in the little bag, get used to your smell, and listen to your heart, and they bond tight. My little guy Laz was found by a girl upstate from me - he and his two sisters had been impaled on thorns by a predatory bird called a shrike. They were only a couple days old. She did an absolute bang up job with these hurt little things and I wound up with Laz. His eyes had been open for a couple weeks when I got him and bonded isn't the word...I think he would have himself grafted to me if he could!

They are extremely sweet and loving when it is still light out, and by night they become crazed little speed demons - still sweet but they have WAY too many things to do to spend much time sitting around with you.

You must - and yes, this is mandatory - you MUST get him a Stealth Wheel from atticworx - http://atticworx.com/atticworxproducts.htm

Get the Magnum. Don't scrimp - it is beautifully made and truly silent. Laz does about a thousand miles a night on his...

Stick with us and watch the board. It is likely that there won't be a lot of babies in your area until next spring, but there are many babies that have leg issues, tooth issues, blindness or partial blindness, etc., that could not be released but that can live wonderful lives with a little assistance. Stick with us, become part of our little family here, spend some time learning, and people will get comfortable with you and your abilities and will be willing to pass one of these littles on to you when the time comes.:thumbsup Then you can spend your days with your gray squirrel and your nights with your flyer. Sleep is highly overrated...

[knightsoul]

should I get the wheel now or wait til he gets a little older?

[CritterMom]

Once little Laz was big enough that I wasn't having to drag him around to work and such so I could feed him and he went into his big boy cage, I gave him his wheel. It took him about 30 seconds to figure it out and he's been running on it ever since! They really, really love them! First thing every morning, Laz gets his treat - a hazelnut in the shell - and frequently he feels the need to take it with him for a run on the wheel. I mean, when someone lays a nice steak and baked potato in front of you, don't you just want to grab the plate and run 10 or so miles with it?? He often drops it while running and it bangs around inside the wheel and sounds just like someone is standing in my upstairs hallway shaking rocks in a coffee can! He loves the wheel so much he can't even stop long enough to eat his fabulous treat!

[knightsoul]

Lol that must be hysterical... I have to go by a gram scale so you guys can tell me how old you think he is. The petstore said he was around 8 weeks but I think he is younger, he is so tiny... He will eat little pieces of fruit but he looks forward to his formula....

[ALittleNutty]

Are you feeding him blocks yet, if not those and formula are the two things to focus on right now and then start adding the green veggies. Nuts and fruit are treats and to be given rarely. Flyers require a higher protein diet than grays so boiled egg whites, meal worms and even a chicken leg cooked without seasonings is great for them. There is a food chart and lots of info in the Flyer Forum under Breed Specific. Also make sure he has lots of stuff to chew on like a cuttlebone or antlers to keep his teeth worn down. A wheel is great and I have the small silent spinner that Petsmart sells and it works great except for when both my boys want to use it at the same time.

[knightsoul]

Yes I have the blocks. She nibbles on them... Where we got her they also gave us a mixture of pellet food with bird seed that has dried pieces of fruit and seeds in it? Should I be giving this as well. I will check the other forum.

[farrelli]

I know for regular squirrels that seed stuff is crap, and I think it is for flyers as well. If it is confirmed to be crap, you should tell whoever it is that you got her from about it, if they're ever going to be in that position again.

[knightsoul]

I also just bought a gram scale and we weighed our little flyer... She weighs 25 grams... So still to young for a wheel? And how often should she be getting formula