Just found a baby squirrel this afternoon

[Tano22]

I've done a significant amount of research since then in hopes that I can help out for as long as I can. The wildlife foundations here are worried about other animals and will most likely not accept a squirrel, although I'm still willing to call and find out tommorow.

I think it's a male, it's fully furred, eyes open. Probably about 5-7 weeks old based on the literature I've read. it fits in the palm of my hand, and I'm pretty short and do not have large hands at all.

Given that I found it after work, I didn't exactly have time to rush and get the things I needed to the exact specifications. however, i've managed to make the following formula:

2 parts water, 1 part Hartz (no Espilac available at the local supermarket) and 1/2 part whipping cream. He seemed to enjoy it. Unfortunately, I have no idea how much to feed it.

My second concern is the pooping. I'm aware that when they are younger you have to stimulate their privates. So far I've had no luck doing so. How soon after eating are they supposed to poop/pee?

Thirdly, how much am I supposed to interact with it? It seems to sleep an awful lot and it is sensitive to noise.

I warmed up a water bottle, wrapped it up in an old shirt, and put it in the sheobox with him. Also in the shoebox is an old cotton bedsheet.

Any other information will be fine. I did the dehydration pinch test, and the skin unfolded within a second or two so he seems to be ok in that department.


PS - he seems pretty high strung at times. Not sure if its the constipation or because he's just a wild animal that fears human contact, but he can actually be fairly lively. Good sign as far as vitals go but I'm a bit worried about the little teeth and claws. As of right now, he's either too scared or physically incapable of escaping an open shoe box so...

I'm not sure if he is sneezing or what but whenever he is awakened, he tends to be jumpy and make a jerky sneezy sound. Is it just him being nervous or could he be sneezing?

Which reminds me. Where should I be keeping her? Birdcage?

[Twirly Squirly Squirrel]

You need help, and I'm sure youll get it quick. Post a pic if u can so rehabbers can tell how old it is, so you'll know how much to feed, and what. I don't know about the cream thing...cow milk is a no-no, so I'd think cream wouldn't be good. Sounds like it's not dehydrated. Esbilac is best. Keep as quiet as possible and away from other pets....cats are deadly! Bird-cage (clean and sanitized) will do as an itty-bitty (in a pinch) but you'll not be able to keep it in there for long. Most squirrels will not have rabies so I wouldn't worry about the claws and teeth too much. If it's only a baby, it won't really hurt you. When they reach sexual maturity, that's when they can start to get rough! Good luck! Oh, and :Welcome

[Tano22]

Thanks for the welcome. I got the formula from here:

http://www.stfranciswildlife.org/squirrels.html

I have some pictures, I'll work on getting some that give you a better perspective on its size. See the attachments. I'm about to feed it for the last time today (every 4-5 hrs, right?) so when I do I'll snap a picture if I can. The first picture at least shows you its size relative to a shoebox.

[Mars]

Hello - welcome to TSB :Welcome

First is your baby a red, grey or fox? We feed by the 5% rule so a gram scale is important in determining how much to feed. And finding a source for Esbilac is important as well if you decide to raise this little one yourself. We use a syringe to feed. The smaller the baby the smaller the syringe. Babies under 50 grams are fed with .5cc, 50 to 100 grams a 1cc, and over 100 grams a 3cc. Be very careful, feed slowly and remember they need to swallow between slurps. An eyes open baby has his teeth coming in and should be introduced to rodent block to chrew on. All these supplies can be found at Chris's Squirrels and more from the link at the top of the page.

If his eyes are open he should be peeing and pooping on his own. His poops should be solid light brown pellets and his pee should be clear.

Your baby is a wild prey animal and you are a hunter in it's eyes. Give it a quiet place to rest and a place to hide. The containor should be large enough so he can move away from the heat if need be. Caging depends on age and what kind of squirrel you have and it gets larger as the baby grows and starts to climb.

Contact should be limited to just yourself as care giver. Keep your baby away from other pets. Babies that grow up use to dogs and cats have no fear of them when released and come to bad ends.

Is the sneezing accompanied with a clicking sound? If so the sooner you can get him to a rehabber the better. It means he has fluids collecting in his lungs and needs medical attention asap.

Hope this helps

[Tano22]

No, no clicking sound. He only does it when he's awake or feels threatened, so I have a feeling that it is a defense mechanism.

I am measuring the feedings with a syringe (my dad is a doctor, luckily) but I'm just not sure how much to give him in one feeding. I am actually dispensing the formula with a tiny rubber nipple bottle designed for litle kittens. He sucks on the nipple himself. So far I haven't noticed any poop or pee, but I've only fed him once. I'm about to feed him again so I'll keep you posted.

I'll also try and find those products tommorow at a Petsmart. Any particular brand of anything I should be looking out for? What exactly would I need. I'm not set on raising him by myself but the refuges here tend not to care about squirrels or other very common animals.

By looking at it I'd say it's a grey. I live in South Florida and greys generally live in suburban neighborhoods around here. However, I've never really dealt with young squirrels so I couldn't be sure. I'll try and get pictures in a few minutes when I feed him.

[Squirlgirl]

OOOOOOOOOO...cutie kid...come to chat!! GREAT blankie toooo!!!!:thumbsup

[Tano22]

more pics

[Tano22]

the silver object is a 40watt lamp

[Tano22]

lamp was too hot so i moved it away...

[Abacat]

:Welcome Tano22 ! Your such a sweetie for caring about the little one...:D I'm glad to see there are people out there that care, all too often it's just considered "nuisance wildlife". Your baby is beautiful http://deephousepage.com/smilies/1luvu.gif Good Luck with the little one !

[thundersquirrel]

brands to watch for;

formula brand would be esbilac. no doubt about it. powdered puppy kind. mix it, maybe, 4 parts water to 1 part formula for a day, then switch to 3:1. if he's drinking 2:1 without problem then it's time to start him on solid foods. NO cream is necessary! cream is a no no for squirrels. :nono

snugglesafes are excellent for squirrels. they're made for cats, and they're heavy plastic disk things. you just pop them in the microwave for a few minutes and they stay warm all night (hot at first, so wrap a towel around it).

he'll soon be interested in big-squirrel food, but you gotta take it slow. after a few days of nothing but formula, you could offer him cheerios or bread soaked in formula. if you see him eating that, you can give him whole walnut meats (no smaller than half a nut, or he could choke). after that, well....come back here. :)

[Twirly Squirly Squirrel]

Good morning Tano....saw the pics you posted last night, you've got a real cutie there! Can you get a pic of it's underside so we'll finally put to rest this going back and forth between he/she?:D

[Tano22]

Ok, quick update. I'm at work right now.

I fed it the makeshift formula last night. No cream, got it. He only ate the 1/2 part cream formula twice anyway, so I think the damage is minimal in worst case scenario.

He slept well last night. I didn't have a heating pad but I put his box over an old laptop and turned the laptop on. THe heat went through the box. Additionally, I turned on a couple lamps on one end of the box. Basically, the way it turned out with the laptop and lamps was one side of the box was heated, the other was room temperature. He started off on the heated side, but when I woke up this morning he had moved. Mission accomplished I guess.

I've been feeding him from a very small rubber nipple, but he can't really control the pace of his feeding and i've had to deal with aspiration a couple times. I think I'll just stick to the syringe.

He's given my finger a couple bites while I was feeding, i guess he mistook it for the nipple or he's being playful. He's generally well-behaved. Gets scared every now and then but generally he's ok.

Walnut meat, got it. What else can I feed him? Do i need to get something he can chew on to keep his teeth sharp and small?

[Mars]

Good morning Tano and baby:wave123

let's get him on esbilac first. Start out dilute as suggested for a couple of feedings and work your way up to full strength. Add new foods to his diet one at a time and let his tummy adjust. Watch his poops. They should be solid. Babies tend to get upset tummy if you push to fast.

Rodent block is a good teething food. later you can purchase antlers and clean boiled bone from Chris's Squirrels and More for chrewing on. Branches are good too and a must for baby to practice climbing on. But that can wait.

weigh your baby daily till you are sure he is gaining weight properly ( about 3 to 5 grams per day is good) and adjust the amount you are feeding accordingly.

We are fill of advice and we all do things a bit differently. Look for what works for you and your baby for not one of us has all the answers.

[Mrs. Jack]

:Welcome My gosh he is cute. I'm curious where and how you found him?

[Momma Squirrel]

:Welcome Tano, sounds like you are doing a great job and very dedicated in giving him what is best. Thanks for being so caring, not many people would take the time. Keep up the good work and I just love the pictures. :thumbsup

[Tano22]

Thanks for all the advice.

My grandfather found him in our backyard underneath a very large palm tree. I looked above in the area for a squirrel nest of any kind, but had no luck. Left it outside for a while, but again no luck.

I live in a suburb of Miami and there are plenty of other squirrels running around, and the vast majority go unharmed. My grandfather has always had an affinity for backyard wildlife and leaves seeds out for the birds and nuts/rodent food out for squirrels. Our backyard is a defacto animal sanctuary.

We have a cat but he is being kept VERY far away from the squirrel as I've heard they are allergic or vulnerable to cat germs.

I'm at work, but I've already worked it out with my mom that she'll perform the lunch time feeding. 5 times a day and I'll be performing at least 3 of those, my mom the other 1/2. I'm giving it plenty of interaction but limiting its contact with the other household members.

Right now I just have him in a cardboard box that's about a foot and a half high. He grew out of the shoebox I had him in. I'm aware I'll need an enclosure of some sort. I'm a college grad student and I don't have a lot of disposable income, though. Last night, Mars asked me if I was good at building things. I think I'm decent enough to build something. Any ideas on materials/procedures for something like that?

[Mars]

check out these

http://pets.webshots.com/album/556676120cRGybB?start=0

These are some of my squirrel cages. The are easy to build and relatively inexpense. And yours need not be this big. If your interested I can give you details and instructions and sources. :D

[Tano22]

For some reason my computer here at work isn't letting me access the site, so yea any added instruction will be great.

I just called my mother and had her do me the favor of going to Petsmart for me since I'm at work.

Ebsilac
Rodent Block
toys
perhaps a wooden housing that it can crawl into when it is older.
Water bottle for when its older

Anything else?

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Tano you can also order from Chris's squirrel store the green banner at the top. Takes about 2 days to get your items. DO you have syringes and nipples?
Pleanty of blankies, heating pad is very important also.

[drakkonia]

Mars, those cages look like they would be pretty easy to build even for someone with no carpentry skills. Is that true?

[Momma Squirrel]

You are doing great, you sure have a good mom too, you might want to pick something up for her as well :crazy

[Tano22]

Thanks for the help once again. I'll look into the banner up top and get my less pressing needs from there. But I absolutely need to get some of the stuff immediately, and 2 days won't cut it. Can anyone post those cage pictures on this forum? I can't access Mars' website from work.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Oh no you are absolutely right, you need formula asap!! I will try hosting the picture for you!/sorry it wouldnt work?

[Abacat]

Tano22,
To save yourself some $$$, you can just make a cardboard box into a nestbox, just get a smaller size approximately 6" X 8" or so for him now, cut a hole in one side @ 2" in diameter ( I used duct tape to secure the top)...you can make bigger sizes as he grows. "Toys"...My Riley (red squirrel) loved his hammock. It was an old sweatpant leg cut off and strategically hung at the top of his cage...see pic...under Red squirrel forum, Riley Pics...second pic /first post. You needn't stress out over exact dimensions for a cage, just sort of plan it out, the size you want...(I had Riley in a large birdcage 2X2X3 high for most of the winter, he's now in his release cage. Anyhoo, I got cheap pine at Lowe's, some 1/2" diameter hardware cloth, used lag and wood screws, hinges for a door, staple gun to assemble, just make sure no jaggy spots for baby to catch himself on... If you don't have any power tools to cut I think if you ask they will cut the pieces to size for you. (A drill would be helpful to predrill holes for the screws.) You can PM me if you have any questions.
Bought a fleecy scarf at the dollar store and cut up, put in cage for him to make his nest...in his cardboard nestbox.

[Twirly Squirly Squirrel]

I still wanna know if it's a boy baby or a girl baby!:dono

[Tano22]

I'll take a picture as soon as I get home.

[Abacat]

:wave123 Again, You can see lots of cage pics here, just clic under search, type in (cages) and go... Or in General Forum under for sale, trade or stuff needed you can view "Custom cages built" posted by Got_Chippies, very nice pics. You should be able to look at Mars' pics from your home PC, right ? Then at least you can get a visual should you decide to build one... Can't wait to see the pic to determine babies gender...thought of any names yet ?:D

[Tano22]

I think he's a boy, so his name is Flash.

If it's a girl...no idea.

[Mars]

The caging is very easy. No lumber or power tools needed, though I do use a dremal to cut the hardware cloth, tin snips and side cutters work just as well. If you can't see the pics when you get home I can email them to you when I get home. :)

[acorniv]

Tano22,
just make sure no jaggy spots for baby to catch himself on... I
Bought a fleecy scarf at the dollar store and cut up, put in cage for him to make his nest...in his cardboard nestbox.

She's really cute, Tano!

I'm new at this too and continually tweaking our 9 week old's cage.

I wrapped the edges of the hardware cloth with naugahyde strips I punched holes in and sewed like a child's sewing card. Any heavy cloth or such would work for binding the edges. Those edges are all wrapped to the outside of her cage, to keep her away from them. I was thinking mainly of our not getting chewed up by them, when we are near the cage, but our squirrel often shoots out of her cage and down the side when we let her out, so she could easily get poked if one were exposed. Be sure to make both inside and outside of the cage scratch and poke safe.

[Buddy'sMom]

Good idea, Tano, to use a laptop for gentle heat -- nice for that heat to be good for somthing for a change! :D The lights are good for heat, too, as long as s/he can't jump to where they are. You should be OK with those and since you are on a budget, probably can skip buying a heating pad -- your squirrel is old enough that it won't really need much more supplemental heat (unless your house is very air-conditioned!).

Piles of blankies are good -- but these can be pieces of old tshirt, sweatshirt or other soft stuff like that. Doesn't have to be fancy -- just washable!

It sounds like you are doing well, and certainly can get all the advice you need here. However, if your budget and time availability are tight, perhaps consider finding a rehabber (TSB can help with that, too). You will find that it seems manageable in the beginning, but takes more and more and more of both money and time to do this. Good luck, whichever you decide.

[Tano22]

thanks. as promised, here are some X rated squirrel pics:

[Tano22]

mars, just saw your pictures. doesnt seem too bad. just piping and hardware cloth. if youre willing to give me the exact specifications and materials, and maybe som directions, id be absolutely thrilled

[acorniv]

I call GIRL!

:thumbsup

girls are good. Just ask my daughter.

[susanw]

Looks to me like you have a little princess.:Love_Icon

[acorniv]

Good idea, Tano, to use a laptop for gentle heat -- nice for that heat to be good for somthing for a change! :D The lights are good for heat, too, as long as s/he can't jump to where they are. You should be OK with those and since you are on a budget, probably can skip buying a heating pad -- your squirrel is old enough that it won't really need much more supplemental heat (unless your house is very air-conditioned!).

Piles of blankies are good -- but these can be pieces of old tshirt, sweatshirt or other soft stuff like that. Doesn't have to be fancy -- just washable!

It sounds like you are doing well, and certainly can get all the advice you need here. However, if your budget and time availability are tight, perhaps consider finding a rehabber (TSB can help with that, too). You will find that it seems manageable in the beginning, but takes more and more and more of both money and time to do this. Good luck, whichever you decide.

Ask around about borrowing a heating pad or hot water bottle if you want one. I bet every old lady you know has two of each.

So, Buddy's mom, you know FAR more than me. How long do they need the heat? Mine is much older - 8-9 weeks - and still craves it. :thinking It's warm here ( Atlanta) these days - sometimes hot. She has optional places in her cage to sleep, but gravitates to the warmest spot, and they often seem too warm to me. She hasn't lost furor anything.

Her favorite thing is still to snuggle in our lap under some fleece, same as when she was found at 5 weeks or so.

[Tano22]

alrighty then. Girl it is :) now the question becomes what should I name her? Flash is too boyish.

So here's a small update. Got home just now, feeding time is in about 45 mins. I got the Esbilac.

How should I dilute it?

She's at .103 kg (up from .101 last night)

She's had 3 meals, and has pooped once and peed at least once (hard to tell with the pee but I know she's pooped at least once). When she does it, she does it without stimulation to her nether regions but I still try to do it anyway.

We got her some chew things. "Chewstuff Chew Sticks" from Jungletalk and "Timberchews" from Ka-Bob. So far she likes the Chew sticks. They are supposed to be fruit flavored and look like thinner and longer Jenga pieces.

My mom also decided to get something caled "Mini-pops" from Vitakraft. They look like mini corn on the cobs and are advertised as a snack for small animals containing natural mineral and other nutrients.


Should I just dump all the chewtoys in the box and let him chew as much as he wants? Or does this need to be regulated?

[ravenlaws32]

its a girl congrats, and she looks like a "emily" . i would regulate chew toys . and remeber if using heating pad only heat on one side of nest box so if she gets to warm she can move. good going !!

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I would advise against any chew toys.. pops ect. They can easily be choked on.
A nice stuffed animal I am sure would be appreciated go to your dollar store they have nice teddys there? To an only squirrel a stuffed animal feels like a companion!
If baby wants to chew rodent block should be in place as a staple.
1 part esbillac to 3 parts water.

[Tano22]

Update: The pet store didn't have any rodent block according to my mother, but I'll be purchasing it from the site above.

I went with 2 parts formula and 1 part water simply because I didn't want to miss a feeding. I can just add more water for next time, no big deal! She's a lot more active now and after her meal she did her dirty business just fine.

She's gnawed a bit on her chew block things and now she's passed out.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I went with 2 parts formula and 1 part water simply because I didn't want to miss a feeding Thats good she will thrive on the Esbillac, closest thing to the mother that you can get.

[Buddy'sMom]

...So, Buddy's mom, you know FAR more than me. How long do they need the heat? Mine is much older - 8-9 weeks - and still craves it....
Per Chris' article (under Baby Squirrel Questions, in the Sticky thread on Nutrition, it's the first one; they are all good resources): "Babies under 5 weeks old will become chilled without the warmth of the mothers body heat even in very warm temperatures. A baby will not start maintaining it's own body temperature until about 5 weeks of age, shortly after it’s eyes open."

I think we used the heating pad a bit longer than that, especially on the cooler nights (this was in the fall). Not to say they wouldn't LIKE it, I think it's just that they REQUIRE it for the at least the first 5 weeks because they can't maintain their body temperature. And would use far too many calories trying.

[Velvet Squirrel]

FYI NO CARDBOARD boxes, toilet paper or paper towel rolls or any thing glued together with any glue besides Elmers. The professional type glues have zinc in them that builds up in animals that chew on these coardboard products and causes sesiures! Ask a Vet if you don't believe me. It can be helped. They can give you something that will bond the zinc and pass it out through the fecal matter but this process takes about a month to clean the system. This can affect any animal, cat, dog, birds, rats, hamsters, or what ever chews on cardboard with camercial glue in or on it.
Also if you think that the baby needs something to chew on go to the baby food section of Walmart or where ever and look for the little freeze dried snack foods for babies. these come in strawberry, bananna, corn and apple and I have used them on all my babies. They are real fruits and corn just dehyrated and it is like eating a cherrio only a tad smaller in size but it is easy on their new forming soft teeth. Infact I still give them to my squirrels as a treat now and then because they really like them esspecially the corn.

[acorniv]

Update: The pet store didn't have any rodent block according to my mother, but I'll be purchasing it from the site above.

I went with 2 parts formula and 1 part water simply because I didn't want to miss a feeding. I can just add more water for next time, no big deal! She's a lot more active now and after her meal she did her dirty business just fine.

She's gnawed a bit on her chew block things and now she's passed out.

I was a little confused when I went rodent block shopping, myself. Pet Smart had nothing by that name, but they did have Mazuri rat and mice diet. I'd seen that listed as one of the rodent block brands that squirrels like best on this list. You may not have seen it yet. Anyway, your Pet Smart probably has it.

Some of the capable experts here can give you a nice list of calcium rich veggies and fruits and nuts and tree branches for both eating and playing with/on and chewing, but as a long time parrot owner, I would personally not give a chewing pet any toy that in any way resembles your furniture, tv set. favorite sweater or book. If you do, you really can't get complain when they then chew up your great grandmother's Queen Anne table legs, your grandfather's first edition of Tom Sawyer, your computer or your husband's best suit. Fresh green branches and cured wood like pet shop toys are made from may seem similar enough to you but your wild things know the difference, and get more nutients and pleasure from green wood. I have it on good authority that you will get more pleasure from seeing her gnaw up branches form your yard than your Queen Anne ;-). I've only heard allusions to what squirrels can do, but I've known parrots that stripped wall paper, decimated entire book cases, chewed all the rungs off chairs, gnawed up leather couches, and dismantled cell phones, all in the interest of science. I have no doubt squirrels could go them one better.

I am happy to report that in 24 years we've had only one chewing incident and it wasn't severe, though he did choose a 200 year old rocker :nono - don't they always? Once they are introduced to furniture, wild things go for the best. They want Courbusier, not Ikea. They could all have their own Antiques Roadshow.

For my squirrel, who I hope to release, I have tried taking a page from nature, and all her toys are made from things she will one day live around - apple branches, nuts in shells, veggies cut into fun shapes, empty cardoard boxes.... The exception is her fleecy things, which I will continue to offer her in the wild. She does love her fuzzy slippers! It will be a ript to see bedroom slippers hanging form every tree one day :D She loves slippers much more than her stuffed squirrel or beanie babies we've offered her. YMMV

[acorniv]

Per Chris' article (under Baby Squirrel Questions, in the Sticky thread on Nutrition, it's the first one; they are all good resources): "Babies under 5 weeks old will become chilled without the warmth of the mothers body heat even in very warm temperatures. A baby will not start maintaining it's own body temperature until about 5 weeks of age, shortly after it’s eyes open."

I think we used the heating pad a bit longer than that, especially on the cooler nights (this was in the fall). Not to say they wouldn't LIKE it, I think it's just that they REQUIRE it for the at least the first 5 weeks because they can't maintain their body temperature. And would use far too many calories trying.

Ah - great to know - thanks! I think we will begin leaving the heat source off during the day and a bit on at night until we are sure Winter is not going to show up this year.

[TexanSquirrel]

She is precious! Good luck with her!

[acorniv]

alrighty then. Girl it is :) now the question becomes what should I name her? Flash is too boyish.


Hmm, what is feminine for Flash - Madonna, or Brittany:D

I started out with a boy too. Hercules :rotfl so named because 'he' liked to get under 'his' slipper and do push ups. Now 'she' is Cinderella ( another slipper reference) Hickory. We call her Miss Hickory or Cinders. Doesn't change anything really. as I write this, Cinders is under her slipper doing push ups.

You could buiild on Flash if you like the name - like Flora Flash or Flashette.

[Tano22]

FYI NO CARDBOARD boxes, toilet paper or paper towel rolls or any thing glued together with any glue besides Elmers. The professional type glues have zinc in them that builds up in animals that chew on these coardboard products and causes sesiures! Ask a Vet if you don't believe me. It can be helped. They can give you something that will bond the zinc and pass it out through the fecal matter but this process takes about a month to clean the system. This can affect any animal, cat, dog, birds, rats, hamsters, or what ever chews on cardboard with camercial glue in or on it.
Also if you think that the baby needs something to chew on go to the baby food section of Walmart or where ever and look for the little freeze dried snack foods for babies. these come in strawberry, bananna, corn and apple and I have used them on all my babies. They are real fruits and corn just dehyrated and it is like eating a cherrio only a tad smaller in size but it is easy on their new forming soft teeth. Infact I still give them to my squirrels as a treat now and then because they really like them esspecially the corn.


Velvet, this box has no glue in it. It's just folded. Good looking out though, next time I play with her I'll check the box extra carefully to make sure that nothing contains glue. I'm looking at building a cage this weekend anyway.

[acorniv]

FYI NO CARDBOARD boxes, toilet paper or paper towel rolls or any thing glued together with any glue besides Elmers. The professional type glues have zinc in them that builds up in animals that chew on these coardboard products and causes sesiures! Ask a Vet if you don't believe me. It can be helped. They can give you something that will bond the zinc and pass it out through the fecal matter but this process takes about a month to clean the system. This can affect any animal, cat, dog, birds, rats, hamsters, or what ever chews on cardboard with camercial glue in or on it.
Also if you think that the baby needs something to chew on go to the baby food section of Walmart or where ever and look for the little freeze dried snack foods for babies. these come in strawberry, bananna, corn and apple and I have used them on all my babies. They are real fruits and corn just dehyrated and it is like eating a cherrio only a tad smaller in size but it is easy on their new forming soft teeth. Infact I still give them to my squirrels as a treat now and then because they really like them esspecially the corn.

I have never heard that about the cardboard! I'm a little alarmed because I know that Yerkes Primate Center in Atlanta has a wonderful symbiotic relationship with an assisted living center. Elderly patients, many of whom suffer from Alzhieimers, fill toilet paper tubes with treats, tape them up and send them to Yerkes. The keepers toss the tubes into the bushes for the primates to find. It keeps both parties mentally stimulated. I know a lot of hamster and other small animal owners use them too.

Boy, you just can't win, can you?

As for the chewy treats - do you know if they have added sugar? I recently passed up a fruit dryer cheap and am kicking myself.

[Tano22]

These are the chew sticks she has

http://www.jungletalk.com/prod03.htm

And here is the other brand.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/rabbitcentral_1943_9127754

By your logic, you think I should use the second brand since it resembles something she'd see out in nature?

[Velvet Squirrel]

Well, some times you have to talk to real doctors and read medical journals. Look how many years you have gone into a pet store and bought a bunny, mouse, hamster or so on and they recomend that you buy cedar chips for their bedding when in fact many a pet has succombed to unper respertory failur from breathing the cedar chips over time. doesn't always cause problems immediately but takes time for it to build up and if the people handling the animals haven't read or heard about a problem from a experienced professional they do not know what to look for as a health problem or even a cause of death and mistakenly dignose a cause as something else.

[Mars]

Cage instructions :D

Tools needed

Dremal with reinforced cutting wheels OR
Tin snips, side cutters and a file

dust mask if cutting with a Dremal ( hardware cloth is welded with lead solder and cutting creates a lot of dust)
Eye protection (the splinters can fly even when cutting by hand)
leather gloves (the ones for gardening are fine)
broom and dust pan for clean up

Here is where I shop for basic tools (a one time buy) and supplies. If you have a place that sells supplies for rabbit caging and the like you may be able to find this stuff local.
http://www.klubertanz.com/Catalog.htm
Go to the cage making tools, you will need both pliers from the top of the page. One pair for putting J-clips on and one for removing them ( :D we mess up - it happens) Then you want j-clips. I purchase stock # R995. Also look under cage parts and accessories for spring door latches and plastic door liner. (If you do a real smooth job cutting you won't need the liner on a smaller cage - I use it on the larger cages to stablize the door opennings)
1/2 inch x 1/2 inch hardware cloth can be purchased at any hardware that carries gardening supplies.

For the larger cages you also need 3/4 inch PVC piping, joints and electrical ties. A pipe cutter is a nice toy to have or a saw with a blade for cutting plastics works too

My favorite size for babies first climbing cage is 24 x 16 x 36. You will not need piping to frame/stablize one this size. The big ones in the pics measure 36 x 24 x 72 and are designed to open up and abut each other so I can expand them.

I plan my doors to give me full access to all of the cage. On the larger cages I put both smaller feeding doors and much larger maintenance doors. I like to hinge my feeding doors from the bottom.

[Mars]

Cage instructions part2

you should be able to get all of your cuts for this smaller cage out of one 10 foot roll of 36" wide 1/2 x 1/2 hardware cloth. Keep in mind you will loose at least a 1/2 with each cut and plan accordingly. I perfer to loose a full inch and have fewer little loose pieces of wire to clean up. You'll understand what I mean when you start cutting.

[Tano22]

Thanks. Doesn't seem too bad. That website is very helpful, I'll take it to my local home depot and just point at the pictures and have them take me to everything. My brother and I can knock it out this weekend. The dimensions will be particularly helpful.

Will those two little doors give me full access to the little girl?

[acorniv]

Thanks. Doesn't seem too bad. That website is very helpful, I'll take it to my local home depot and just point at the pictures and have them take me to everything. My brother and I can knock it out this weekend. The dimensions will be particularly helpful.

Will those two little doors give me full access to the little girl?

FYI - My Home Depot and Lowes did not carry it. Loews did not even know what hardwre cloth was and carried nothing remotely appropriate. I found it at an Ace Hardware where it was sold by the foot.

Just curious - what is it selling for by the role? I paid about 2.00 a foot for it.

[acorniv]

These are the chew sticks she has

http://www.jungletalk.com/prod03.htm

And here is the other brand.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/rabbitcentral_1943_9127754

By your logic, you think I should use the second brand since it resembles something she'd see out in nature?

By my logic, and bear in mind I am new to this squirrel life myself, so coming from a parrot owner POV (and trying to think like a squirrel), I'd be spending my money on some garden shears and cutting real tree clippings. Both the things you sent links for are cured wood or made from same. That is sort of like the difference between a carrot and an orange pencil. They may look alike, but aren't really the same at all. Lots of stuff sold in pet stores have no business being there - especially in the small animal section. don't get me going - I've lost two hamsters to ill concieved products I bought at the largest and most knowledgable chain in the country.

This chewy thing isn't the most critical thing in the world - certainly not like getting the formula right, and having a secure comfortable cage. I know you are scrambling around right now, (I just did and am still doing that) so please don't think this should be anywhere near the top of your list. But, I know many a parrot that has been taught habits that come to bite the owner later, because the owner made the mistake of thinking like a human instead of a bird. Also, squirrrels don't just chew to be chewing. They get goodies out of that bark and green wood. Not sure what all, but mine just thinks tearing bark off her branches is the cat's meow.


One thing that hasn't ciome up yet, I don't think. is sunlight, which helps them absorb calcuium *very important* - I just asked about that (see the thread Sunshine) and was told it's a little early to be concerned about it yet, but full spectrum lights will do the job. I mention it now because I was directed to Big Lots which is having a special this week on them (19.99 and 29.99). I bought one and love it - will also be using it for close up work and a reading light for me and my dd who both have words swim on the page.

[Buddy'sMom]

These are the chew sticks she has

http://www.jungletalk.com/prod03.htm

And here is the other brand.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/rabbitcentral_1943_9127754

By your logic, you think I should use the second brand since it resembles something she'd see out in nature?

Of the two, the second seems best (does the back of the package indicate ingredients or other treatment -- other than the drilled hole?). I think I bought something else from that company. I don't have the package with me but it may have been called "Bark Bites" or something similar. They are little (4-5 inches x 1/2 inch) pieces of fruitwood sticks -- all natural, just harvested, cut and packaged. Have varying degrees of bark. Found them at Petsmart. Buddy loved them in addition to the (maple and oak) twigs and sticks we brought in from the yard.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

This is what they need for chewing:
http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=1455
plus it has callcium to boot!

[Tano22]

Quick update.

She's up 3 grams from when I found her (101 to 104 grams)

She's much more active and playful. Very curious. Has climbed all around me and is exploring new areas of the room she's in.

She's pooping and peeing consistently now, and her meals are hearty. She still tends to aspirate a little bit but I've managed to get more used to feeding her the right amounts. I'm a little worried that Illl get her sick, but I seem to have a handle on it.

Being that I live in South Florida, I have a lot of palms and coconut trees in my backyard, which are probably not the best for eating. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to take some photos of the backyard and the trees etc. and post them here. Hopefully someone can help me choose the best branches/leaves for her to be gnawing on AND hopefully a good future home for her.

Her poop is a little ligher now than when I first met her. She's on the esbilac now, still doing a 2/1 formula (my mom forgot to dilute it more). She seems to be holding it down ok, unless the ligher colored poop is a result of it being too concentrated. She also seems to only want to poop on my carpet lol. Is that normal? (Carpet is dark green)

[Twirly Squirly Squirrel]

Sounds like she's adjusting nicely. Glad you have the rehabber on this board to guide you through. Waiting for more pics!:D

[Mars]

I buy Hardware cloth in pre-cut roll from a Trustworthy Hardware. It is sold at Lowes. They hide it out in the gardening supplies with the fencing. :D If want to buy a full 100 foot roll from you hardware they should give you a deal.

If you place your doors in the middle front you should have very good access to this size cage. You can place them pretty much where you want just plan to keep them at least 3" from the edge to allow for the overlap of the door.

Poop does get lighter on formula and will darken again as they start to eat solids. As for your carpet :jump she likes it I guess.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Can you get her some nipples that may help to keep her from aspirating?
After you feed her put her in a old box first she can do do in that & then be free to play? Just a thought.

[Tano22]

I'll try.

Quick update: She seems much more healthy now. she's peeing and pooping after almost every meal, and she's much more "squirrely"

I went to Home Depot and purchased roughly half the supplies I'm going to need for cage building. Still need the pliers, J-clips, and a couple other things. Good start though.

Took her outside for the first time today to get some sun.

Also took some pictures of her and the outdoor area in my backyard (her future home I suppose)

post em later

[Tano22]

Pictures

[Pam]

She sure is a cute little girl! She looks very comfortable with you. What did you name her?

[TexanSquirrel]

She is so cute! :D

[Twirly Squirly Squirrel]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW she sure is a cutie!:thumbsup Looks like you're officially a Daddy!:D

[Tano22]

Yea, I guess so. My mom sorta defacto named her.

Lulu. My mom said she wanted it to be something very simple so that she will be able to respond to it. I keep trying to tell me mom that we're going to re-release her when she's ready, but somehow I think she's going to end up being an "outside pet."

Anyway, I just finished ordering rodent block, bone chews, and the rest of the cage supplies. Looks like I'm a couple hundred dollars in this thing now, so I might as well be enthusiastic about it :)

[acorniv]

Yea, I guess so. My mom sorta defacto named her.

Lulu. My mom said she wanted it to be something very simple so that she will be able to respond to it. I keep trying to tell me mom that we're going to re-release her when she's ready, but somehow I think she's going to end up being an "outside pet."

Anyway, I just finished ordering rodent block, bone chews, and the rest of the cage supplies. Looks like I'm a couple hundred dollars in this thing now, so I might as well be enthusiastic about it :)

Lulu! Lovely name - perfect for her. I agree with your mom. This came up today. Miss Hickory comes when we do certin quiet things but nothing that can be made into an outside call. Her name is Cinderella Hickory - useless for that purpose. She call erh Cinders, so at some point today, I called her Cindy Lou Who (from the Grinch), and we realised that Lou Who carries well - almost identical to Lulu. Great minds thin:D k alike

[Tano22]

Wow that's an amazing coincidence. Lulu it is then. I tried the shoebox pee thing tonight, no luck. She literally waited until she got on my chest, then took a nice poop right on my chest.

Never thought I'd be typing those words in sequence....first time for everyhting though.

[Pam]

:wott I like the name Lulu. Your mom did good!

[Momma Squirrel]

Lulu is a perfect name for her, love the pictures and you are doing a SUPER job :thumbsup Some day when you are ready you will be a great dad :D

[Squirrellady]

Simply Beautiful!! Great Job!!!!!:grouphug

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Anyway, I just finished ordering rodent block, bone chews, and the rest of the cage supplies. Looks like I'm a couple hundred dollars in this thing now, so I might as well be enthusiastic about it

Tano, I will tell you this it will be a couple of hundred dollars that in the end you would spend over and over again, when you find out how this little squirrel will have your heart in its little paws. Your not gonna know what hit you. :Love_Icon To have this little one trust you will form a bond between you, and you wont forget it the rest of your life. :thumbsup

[Tano22]

I hope so.

Update:

I'm a bit concerned. She seems very healthy and much more playful. She's been drinking her formula now and has been jumping around a little bit. She's about to graduate from her box I think. Peeing and pooping very healthily, once per meal.

I'm a bit concerned about her weight though. She's lost some even though her appetite is huge. I've been giving her about 5.5-6 CC's every feeding, 5 times a day, and today she even tasted solid food for the first time, a bit of strawberry. Her stomach was empty the last time I weighed her, so we'll see if that was it. Feeding time is very soon

[Tano22]

Oh and one more thing. She doesn't seem to want to bite at anything other than my finger! She mostly ignores her wood chews. What should I do about that?


And when should I start feeding her primarily solid foods and what should her diet look like? I have a rough idea but want to make sure.

[Tano22]

Update to last post: I think the best choice might be to strip some branches/leaves from the trees around the yard and placing them in the box. I gave the squirrel a carrot to nibble on and that seems to work fine. Coming soon: pics of trees around my yard. Perhaps someone can tell me if any stand out as possible squirrel munching trees.

EDIT: Her weight has definitely dropped. Perhaps could it be that her bowels are moving more nromally? She's at exactly 100grams, meaning she's lost 6 grams since...yesterday. Again, same scale, same time of measurement...weird. She looks healthier and yet she weighs less than when we found her. She's eating like a horse. I was a little worried so I left her to work on that carrot. She likes it and it'll let her teeth without using my finger.

She also won't pee/poop without doing it on me. Gonna have to train her to go somewhere else somehow

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Tano I know that the rule of thumb is 5% of body weight but I have been feeding sometimes 10% because they seemed underweight and they are doing much better. If she wants more...give her more.

[Tano22]

That's what I wanted to hear, to be honest. with the 5% rule she'd always want more, even after the 5-10 minutes for her body to realize she had eaten

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

With my first 2 sets of squirrels they were never weighed, (I had no scale)I fed them untill they were full and they all grew to be beautiful adults. When they are full they will let you know. :D

[Critter_Queen]

Be careful feeding until your squirrel says he's full. Overfeeding is a major cause of diarrhea in rehabbed squirrels. The 5% rule is safer because it's better for a squirrel to be slightly underfed than overfed. If your squirrel is hungry for more, give slightly more formula during feedings for one day and see how it's tollerated...changes in stool (pale, soft, etc) indicates overfeeding.

Good luck! :thumbsup

[Tano22]

Here are some photos of her (future) habitat.

We have a few squirrels that come and go but I'm not sure any actually live in the yard. I don't know what to look for as far as nests go, but I haven't seen anything. As you can see, it's mostly palm trees. Not ideal conditions for a squirrel. However, I think that the middle palm in that grove might be able to support a squirrel nest box. I dunno. The other two treees are too out in the open.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I had a rehabber from this site tell me 5-10% is fine, so thats what I am going with. I have never had a bloated squirrel ect..
A squirrel nest will look like a very large birds nest.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I have a chart with amounts to feed and it starts at 5-8% until the squirrel is about 100 grams then the percent gradually increases to 5-10%.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

OK thanks S&B they dont always take 10% it varies. Like I said they know pretty much when they are full and they will just quit.

[Pamela]

Its makes you just want to pick him up and love him. Great pictures.

[Mars]

It is not strange for a baby to loose weight in the first few days in rehab. Making the adjustment from mother's milk to formula isn't easy. Keep an eye in her weight. If it doesn't turn around in the next day or two I have a trick up my sleeve that should help.:)

[TexanSquirrel]

Looks like she'll have a great home!

[Tano22]

Update:

She's doing fine. Very hyper and curious. She ALWAYS seems to be hungry. I end up feeding her 10 ccs at 4-5 times a day, which is ridiculous. Last night she was so eager to drink that she aspirated like 3-4 times, which got me worried. I had to take the bottle from her. I think her sharp little teeth made the nipple hole bigger.

When should I start thinking about graduating her to solid foods? I'm worried that she's not getting all the necessary nutrients.

I'll be working on the cage again today.

[Mars]

If her eyes are open and her teeh are coming in she needs something solid to chew on. I start mine on rodent block. They make a mess making more crumbs than actually eating it but its a start. The trick is to introduce only one new food at a time. That way if there is a tummy upset or diarrhea you know which food did it. Good to hear she is doing so well!:)

[Tano22]

I purchased rodent block and those calcium bone things. Hopefully they arrive soon. I also purchased the cage stuff from that site you recommended. I've been giving her carrots to nibble on. GOing to get some raw brocolli as well because of the calcium. Should I be worried about her protein intake? The ebsilac probably doesnt have as much protein as she needs, right?

PS - and BOY does she have some teeth. She chews on the wood bits we gave her so thats good. She likes to nibble on fingers too ;)

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

esbillac has everything she does need. You can try peeled grapes. As long as she is getting formula, you dont need to worry about the calcium to much.
Its after weaning from the formula that the calcium issue comes into play. Try a few cheerios also, With just starting foods I would supervise her eating.

[Gabe]

Tano, you are right, Esbilac has only half the protein she needs. That is the one thing lacking in it. You can try a half a walnut, or a piece of good quality dry puppy food to gnaw on also. She may really love the walnut, but limit it to one per day so she will eat her other foods. They do like eggs, in the wild they steal them out of birds nests, I usually give them to them scrambled. Not too dry, or they will reject them.

[acorniv]

Here are some photos of her (future) habitat.

We have a few squirrels that come and go but I'm not sure any actually live in the yard. I don't know what to look for as far as nests go, but I haven't seen anything. As you can see, it's mostly palm trees. Not ideal conditions for a squirrel. However, I think that the middle palm in that grove might be able to support a squirrel nest box. I dunno. The other two treees are too out in the open.

You have beautiful trees but not much variety for grazing. Do you have any friends that will let you get clippngs? How about local parks? I shuld think the fronds of the palm would sheild her nicely from predators and make a good base for a nest.

Before you mow the lawn look for dandilions, clover and other tasty little green things. Or plant some, making sure they are safe. My girl gets very excited about things she woudl find growing wild around here. Not sure how much she eats yet, but she loves to take flowers and braille each petal with both her hands and mouth (is she collecting pollen or enjoying the scent?). Honeysuckle is a favorite. We also give her kol robi, kale, brocilli, sweet potato, carrots, wild onion, and whatever else occurs to us that might have calcium.

[Tano22]

You have beautiful trees but not much variety for grazing. Do you have any friends that will let you get clippngs? How about local parks? I shuld think the fronds of the palm would sheild her nicely from predators and make a good base for a nest.

Before you mow the lawn look for dandilions, clover and other tasty little green things. Or plant some, making sure they are safe. My girl gets very excited about things she woudl find growing wild around here. Not sure how much she eats yet, but she loves to take flowers and braille each petal with both her hands and mouth (is she collecting pollen or enjoying the scent?). Honeysuckle is a favorite. We also give her kol robi, kale, brocilli, sweet potato, carrots, wild onion, and whatever else occurs to us that might have calcium.


you're right about the lack of vegetation. My mother actually has a list of the plants/flowers we grew recently that didn't appear in the photos. I know there are a few. If nothing else, i'd definitely be willing to do some planting. I figured that my backyard was a little barren as far as squirrel food goes. Usually the only time we get them is when they are passing through, which is why I was surprised that little Lulu fell into our laps

[TexanSquirrel]

:thankyou for being such a caring mommy!

[Tano22]

Update. My package from Chris's Squirrels came in today. Rodent Block, Calcium Bones, and a couple other trinkets. I'll give her some rodent block and bones to chew on at her own discression.

I had neglected to mention that I was feeding her liquid Esbilac. I was diluting it with water, which apparently is wrong. I'll start giving her the full strength formula immediately. She's doing well. She's 111 grams now (she was 101 when I found her). Not sure how quickly that is. She doesn't seem malnourished and I've been taking her out about 30 mins to an hour each day for some sun.

Cage just needs doors and playthings inside to be complete.

[Gabe]

Good job Tano. Glad she is gaining and you are researching her nutritional needs. Sounds like she is going to be one happy little squirrel when you get her cage completed.:thumbsup

[Tano22]

Update: She weighs just over 180 grams now. She's starting to eat nuts and stuff. I've got rodent block, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, broccoli, carrots, and strawberries readily available. Her main diet still consists of esbilac though. Any idea what the timetable is for getting her off of formula permanently?

[Mars]

HI! :wave123

I'm guessing she should be about 8 weeks old now?? So you can start weaning any time. She should be taking 3 feedings a day at 7% and eating solids. Start giving her her solids first while you go mix her formula. Try adding pumpkin seed and sweeten dried cranberries and sweet potato, all are very good foods for her. In about a week drop her to 2 feedings and then in a week or so to just one feeding. After that let her tell you when she doesn't need it any more. Most will wean themselves between 10 and 12 weeks of age. When she is weaned she ready to be moved to a pre-release cage outside.

How about some new Pics?? :poke

[Tano22]

Various photos:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/raullt/album?.dir=73cdre2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/raullt/my_photos

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Tano! Thank you for the pictures and you are doing an excellent job of it!!:thumbsup

[Tano22]

Let me tell you. She craps everywhere (and OFTEN!!!), she pisses on furniture, she scratches the hell out of my arms and neck when she climbs me, but God bless her, I love her to death.

Currently in the process of building her a bigger cage.

Her diet includes:

Sunflower seeds (I was already instructed not to feed her these, will switch to pumpkin)
Raw peanuts (I'm aware of the thread on them but have had no problem with them so far)
Broccoli (she didn't like it at first but I guess it was an acquired taste because she munches on it)
Carrots (same as broccoli)
Apples (Easily her favorite)
Assorted Nuts (walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts - she spends more time trying to crack them)
Rodent Block - Not sure if she actually eats these or not
Calcium Bones - She chews on these lightly from time to time
Milk - she still weans occasionally



Anything I'm missing nutritionally?

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

You can try Kale, romaine, spinach, califlower raw sweet potato find some nice small branches for chewing. You are doing wonderful....:D

[island rehabber]

Tano she could use some more green leafy veggies. Try a little bit of kale, chickory, spinach or escarole (all raw) and see which one(s) she likes. She'll get both calcium and vitamins from those that she really needs, especially if we're "not sure' she's actually eating the rodent block. Too much fruit isn't good for them, so watch the apples. That could also explain the "crapping everywhere and often", LOL. As Mars said above, sweet potato and pumpkin seeds are great foods for squirrels and they usually love them. :)

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Oh, Kale also...:thumbsup
Ok IR beat me to the draw!

[Zelda's Mom]

Hi Tano,

Just discovered your new babe.:alright.gif Cute little thing. Makes my Zelda look like an old woman.

I have discovered that Zelda absolutely loves rose hips, oak branches, and rose-a-sharon:crazy . She chews the bark and eats the leaves of the oak and rose-a-sharon. To start with I snipped the tender new growth. Now she likes the older branches. Just be sure there are no pesticides used on them. I give her a touch of avacado and dehydrated banana as a treat.

Lulu looks like a Daddy's girl.:Love_Icon

Good luck!

[LynninIN]

Lulu looks well cared for and happy. :thumbsup

[Tano22]

thanks for the help, I'll be sure to give her some of the stuff you mentioned to see if she likes it.

We try to play with her for at least 4-5 hours a day. (Me and my mother, caregiver #2). With my work schedule it's hard sometimes for me to be able to give her the time, but I love playing with her when I get the chance. The massive amount of little poop pellets and her propensity to pee at inconvenient moments are the only thing keeping me from letting her roam free.

[Pam]

[QUOTE=Tano22]Let me tell you. She craps everywhere (and OFTEN!!!), she pisses on furniture, she scratches the hell out of my arms and neck when she climbs me, but God bless her, I love her to death.QUOTE]

Oh how I remember those days!! My girl squirrel is 5yo now, and I actually miss those days! Well, not the scratches. I was Roxy's tree for a long time. She still comes to me for shelter and attention, but she doesn't climb me anymore.

You might try a litter box with Lulu. Roxy use a corner ferret litter box. Just be sure to use a safe, natural litter. Lulu will probably taste it, roll in it, and sleep in it. You might as well forget her pooping in it. I don't think it will happen. Roxy still poops everywhere and the more excited, the more the poop. Chocolate chips everywhere!!:D

Lulu looks great! :Love_Icon Keep up the good work and loving! :Love_Icon

[Tano22]

Quick Question. Everything is going well with Lulu, we take her out to play around the house for about 4 hours a day, the rest she's inside her cage. I'm building her a much bigger cage, one for inside and one for outside. She's doing great.

My question is in regards to noises. She sometimes will make a purring sound and move her tail all around while she's doing it, and other times she'll do some slight barking. What do these things mean?

[LynninIN]

It's a squirrel warning call. They use it to warn other squirrels of danger and warn humans to back off.

[Tano22]

Really? Because she's very playful when she does it, and there aren't any other squirrels. She never bites me. We play around and she wrestles around with my hand and nibbles on my fingers, but never enough to draw blood (and as my brother found out, she's very much capable of drawing blood.)

Heck, she even does the purr thing from my shoulder...

[4skwerlz]

No one knows for sure... but I think the "purring" sound (when not accompanied by tail-lashing), is not a warning call, but a "hello, I'm here" type of thing. I'm not talking about the "barking" or "crying" or "squeaking" sounds. This is based on my zillions of hours watching and interacting with my wild squirrels, but I'm not sure. I hope one day to actually figure it out...:thinking

Bottom line: "Purr" back at her and see what happens. Mine don't seem to mind!

[Secret Squirrel]

The purring w/out the tail thrashing is a "Hey, Hello, What's up" sort of greeting from Lulu.

Barksqueek...barksqueek with pauses in between ...and in freeze mode....is the warning call as the other members talked about. It means danger is present. Even if no danger is in your house, Lulu may hear from a squirrel outside. Squirrels have a hyper sense of hearing, so you may not even hear it coming from outside.

If Lulu freezes or barksqueeks....just let her do it for as long as it takes. She has natural instincts and she has a need to develop them....even if you keep her as a pet.
There may be a time when you want to release her..:dono ..or if she just busts out one day.....:eek: . Then she will need them for sure.

Good luck with you little/big girl.....she is just precious. There is nothing better than squirrelly lovins!!!!!:rotfl :rotfl :rotfl