Soft Releasee Getting Visitors

[FourWands]

I'm not sure where exactly my question goes so if I'm in the wrong section, Mods, please move me! :)

Okay, that said....

I went out this evening to bring Dunky his dinner and did a bit of a double take when I saw a squirrel running around on top of the cage. My first thought was "How did he get out?" and then realized "hey wait... there are two. That's not Dunky". The wild jumped off the cage and sort of trotted off (he ran but he could have been much faster about it so I don't think he viewed me as too much of a threat) and Dunky stood there looking at me like "Did you see that, Ma? What was that thing??".
He didn't seem to upset by the wild. He ran back and forth a long the bottom for a bit and then climbed up to see if he could catch another glimpse. He chattered his teeth a little (he does that when he's excited as well as mad), flashed his tail once or twice and then went back to his usual routine.

Do wilds normally come to visit those in a release cage? Are they likely to try to fight through the cage? I'm probably more worried than I need to be but it really caught me off guard. I tried to find a thread addressing it but probably didn't use the right search terms or something.

[Shewhosweptforest]

:grin3 Dunky's got a friend :thumbsup In answer to your questions..yes it is normal for the wilds to come and check them out...their curiosity gets them :grin2 They can become friends...and Dunky can learn a lot with out any danger of being run off :thumbsup Mine have never fought through the cage...too easy for one or the other to retreat. I also noticed that once I had my babies in the release cage, my yard squirrels seemed less fearful of me :dono maybe seeing me interact with my babies made them trust me :grin3 :Love_Icon

[lennysmom]

It is a very good thing that Dunky is getting visits from the wilds so they can teach him how to be a squirrel. :thumbsup
The chattering and tail flicking are his signal to the other squirrels that that cage is his territory - it is good that he is exhibiting those behaviors. Just part of preparing him for the wild. :)

[FourWands]

Our wild visitor came back this morning. :grin3 I *think* it's a girlie squirrelie.

She almost seemed to just be stopping by to hang out although she definitely sifted through some of what Dunks has tossed out of his cage. (She looked like she was eating a piece of coconut and I did give him some last night.) What was weird is that Dunky seems to have tried to push a mostly eaten pine cone through the cage bars at her - not sure what that's all about.
She climbed all over his cage and he just sat, ate and watched her climb around. He was fascinated.

I am going to be a wreck if/when he moves into the wild. I swear he's been my best friend for the last 8 months or so. (Non-squirrel people must think I'm nuts.) Last year was a terrible year for me personally so he really lifted my spirits. The upside of my whole experience is that I am taking steps to become a rehabber's apprentice before I apply for my own license. (I go to a rehabber's place tomorrow and she is helping me get set up). I considered it in the past but thought the requirements were a big hassle but after living with him through the winter, I realized how well set up I am for it, how my background works well for it, my schedule allows it and that I really loved working with him. I keep telling myself that when my Dunky goes off to be another little guy that needs help just like Dunky did.

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Oh yes this is a good thing, you want them to know each other . You can put some food out side the cage to bring some more friends over. More than one place tho so they dont fight over it :grin3

[FourWands]

You can put some food out side the cage to bring some more friends over. More than one place tho so they dont fight over it :grin3

My only concern is, and it's a valid one, attracting rats. Two or three years ago we had rats in our garage (detached but still close to the house). Farms tend to attract them to begin with so adding additional yummies around my house sounds like a bad idea. I usually give Dunky a dish of veggies, some hhbs and a little fruit at night so when he wakes up he eats healthy stuff first. Maybe if I make sure he is all swept up before I go in for the night the nocturnal rodents won't be an issue.

[TubeDriver]

My only concern is, and it's a valid one, attracting rats. Two or three years ago we had rats in our garage (detached but still close to the house). Farms tend to attract them to begin with so adding additional yummies around my house sounds like a bad idea. I usually give Dunky a dish of veggies, some hhbs and a little fruit at night so when he wakes up he eats healthy stuff first. Maybe if I make sure he is all swept up before I go in for the night the nocturnal rodents won't be an issue.

Cleaning it all up before sunset will probably reduce the chances of attracting rats.:thumbsup

[Rhapsody]

I encourage wild buddies to come and visit --I place fresh water and shelled nuts on top of
the release cage in the morning when I am feeding my rehab squirrels then sit back and watch
the daily fun begin as all the squirrels interact with each other and my rehab learn from the wilds.