Nutkin has turned wild!

[pjjere]

Hi Squirrel Board! We started a thread not long after we found an abandoned squirrel back in September.
See here: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?42387-Found-an-abandoned-squirrel!-Help!

Nutkin is doing well but TBH he is becoming a handful and I am looking for advice. I used to look forward to letting him out of his cage for an hour or two every day but am hesitant now. My concern is his increasingly aggressive behavior that is probably quite normal. I wear gloves when I "play" with him but I am worried about his unpredictable leaping on me. I am worried about my face as he has scratched me a few times and even bit (nibbled?) my ear a couple of times. He has never bit me really hard although he has aggressively attacked my gloved hand (scratching and biting) a couple of times and I am worried about him scratching or biting my face (eyes and ears also). I think for the most part that he is just playing and doing what squirrels do but at the same time with his claws and teeth it seems to me he could really do some damage.

This may be my fault as I have always brought him a few acorns when I let him out and I think this has increased his bad behavior. At first he enjoyed making a game of hiding the acorns but now they seem to make him mad. My 11 year old son won't come into his room when I let him out as Nutkin bit him on the hand and scratched him a bit the last time he played with him. He did not bite him that hard but it scared my son.

In conclusion I am looking for advice from anyone who has had similar issues. I want to be clear that so far Nutkin has not scratched me badly but I am worried about him jumping on my face and poking my eye or something. BTW we are still planning on releasing him in the late spring. (I will try to post a link to a picture of nutkin in his play tree)


https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=769facc808&view=fimg&th=143ac15544676f89&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_hqmq89ih0&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9qLGCC-e8WTEMAGSAGYeeZPtmKzmUOJK7mVYhzDNhTytX9rvhQq7bZd8v hKOcf1ZdxCgmgiSGSQ_ASleLruQfCs6EXjPl921xqhZ1wkHPi-jQqT1w_A9Oq_38&ats=1393690540330&rm=143ac15544676f89&zw&sz=w1488-h652

[SammysMom]

Well, what this says is that you are probably doing a fine job with him. He is becoming a wild squirrel. One thing I want to mention is that we have lost several squirrels this year to acorns that were no good. We are recommending that people not give acorns anymore. One of our very wonderful members lost 5 all at once to an acorn feeding.
Now, you may be on to something thinking the nuts are making him aggressive. If he has any stashed anywhere he will be very protective of the whole area. You might want to do a clean sweep of his space. Sadly, you may not be able to expect him to behave himself out of his cage. You may have to limit out of cage time further and dress in protective gear when you are in with him.

[pjjere]

Thanks Sammy'sMom,

Wow the little monster (jk) will be disappointed as he loves him some acorns! Any idea if the acorns were green or do you think they were just rotten? What an awful thing! My son has a Stars Wars stormtrooper helmet that I may have to wear as head protection. That will scare him! Still trying to figure out how to post a picture!

[island rehabber]

He does have an adorably evil little look on his face----good job, mamma! :rotfl

This is a good time to start thinking about an outside cage for soft release -- or is he going to be released off premises? Your climate is mild enough that he can go outdoors soon; no need to wait for late spring. Think mid-April. :thumbsup

[pjjere]

Can someone direct me to a thread describing the release process? There are lots of squirrels and woods around us so we will most likely release him nearby. Do we need to try to find a tree away from other squirrel drey's? One of my fears is there are lots of cats, hawks, & owls around here so I want to make sure he is ready for the wild.

[Nancy in New York]

Can someone direct me to a thread describing the release process? There are lots of squirrels and woods around us so we will most likely release him nearby. Do we need to try to find a tree away from other squirrel drey's? One of my fears is there are lots of cats, hawks, & owls around here so I want to make sure he is ready for the wild.

Here you go, start here and then feel free to ask questions.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?41071-SOFT-RELEASE-The-How-to-Sticky&highlight=release

I hate the thoughts of lots of cats around. Is it possible to have him released
some other place?

[farrelli]

Changes to sounds and smells can cause aggression too. Different detergent or hand cream, for example, can cause all manner of problems.

Also, it's mating season and many are getting antsy. They often calm back down, eventually.

[lilidukes]

Gosh it's so good to hear that Nutkin is well and good :thumbsup

You've done a great job and his actions are all very normal and to
be expected. Instead of a nut when out of cage try giving him a
pile of nest building materials. Paper towels, toilet paper/tubes.
small scraps of fleece twigs etc...a dollar tree stuffy to destroy
is always a lot of fun too.

It is time to keep your son and any strangers away from Nutkin now,
especially when out of cage. Most squirrels brains are hardwired with
all the instincts they need to surive in the wild. This is good
and it's why squirrels can be so successfully rehabbed and released
back to the trees.

Our hands to them are either a threat or a nut and subject to being
bitten. Just want you to know and understand that this is Nutkin
developing into a normal healthy adult squirrel.

Spring is so hard on the heart when the babies we've spent countless
hours nursing, feeding , loving and playing with seem to turn on us
over night. Our reward is when all doubts and excuses are laid aside
and the release cage doors are opened. To see a young squirrel go
up in the trees for the first time and to see their joyous reunion with
nature turns sad tears to happy. Then you will know then that you've
done the right thing.

:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

[pjjere]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Regarding the cats: We really don't have another place to release Nutkin. To my knowledge the cats have never killed a squirrel on our property other than a small grey that did not even have a full coat of hair yet. Actually one of the cats found Nutkin. We saw the cat rolling in the grass and when we got closer we saw the blind little baby trying to crawl up on the cat. We have 3.5 acres with a large tract of woods behind the house so it would be easy to put his release cage near a tree branch so he doesn't spend too much time on the ground initially. I guess we will have to keep a close eye on things for a while. BTW we have no cats in our home so Nutkin has had no exposure to them other than when he was found.

Are grey squirrels territorial? We have 6 or 7 drey's visible from our back porch so should we try to steer Nutkin away from the resident squirrel's homes or will he just naturally avoid any territory issues?

What about snakes? We have lots of snakes here and we often see them in the trees. Any thoughts?

Thank you for your thoughtful words Lilidukes.