Aggression in 2 y/o male squirrel

[raspbaby]

Hi everybody! I joined this forum today because I am looking for some help regarding a pet black squirrel that my family has had for two and a half years.

For some back story: in April of 2012 a family friend had found a male baby black squirrel whose nest had been cut out of a tree. My father ran a pet store for almost a decade and had assisted rescue groups with the fostering of other pets, so we were given this orphaned squirrel to rehabilitate. Both of my parents decided to keep him as a pet and name him Simon. He had been good-natured and tolerant of everyone in the house until roughly June 2014. He has always been the closest and most snuggly with my mom and dad, though at one point both of my siblings and I had been able to handle him as well. I personally stopped handling him in 2013 after he leapt at my face as I walked by and left a permanent scar. However, this summer his behaviour worsened and he has become more actively aggressive towards everybody, including my other pets.

To give some insight into the living environment: he has free roam of the entire main floor of the house which includes a hallway, bathroom, my parents' bedroom, and living room which are all more or less connected by the central kitchen. His nest is in my parents' room, up quite high on a tall dresser near the ceiling. He also has the equivalent of a carpeted "cat tree" in the living room which is also elevated close to the ceiling; he spends a lot of time perched at the top. We have two very old, submissive dogs who have shown no interest in him and one cat who is always kept away from him in the basement. My parents primarily feed him in the living room.

Although he has swiped and scratched at my parents recently, he mostly attempts to intentionally attack my siblings and I who are in our early twenties. For example, if any of us come within sight he will begin spinning his tail and clicking or chattering. In my experience, unless I flee the room immediately he will come running for me which on several occasions has ended in him climbing my leg and trying to scratch and bite my face, not releasing himself without either of my parents prying him off. In the off chance that we have to walk past him, he will aggressively go after feet as well, unprovoked. He has also taken to leaping at my dogs and scratching them, which obviously causes pain, evident by their yelps. Within the last month he has tried building an additional nest on top of the kitchen cupboards several times but my parents have kept disassembling it. He used to run around and play with stuffed toys constantly but now he either sits atop his "tree" monitoring the kitchen, or sleeps in his nest until my dad comes home around 5:00PM.

It has gotten to the point where the entire upstairs of my home is unusable by anyone but my parents. Because he is given free roam of most of the house it's very difficult for us to use the bathroom or prepare a meal without first asking for him to be put behind a closed door. When this happens he is put in the bedroom temporarily, however he has chewed through the base of the wooden door, including a brass plate we installed to make it more resilient. I am not sure what to do at this point. I have temporarily moved out because it's not a safe environment to be living in while I am going to school and working. I worry that maybe Simon is in pain, under stress, or that the life he is provided no longer meets his needs, and in that case I have to wonder if he would be better off with a rehabber or a similar professional. He has also never been to a vet. If anybody wants to know additional information about his behaviour or how he's kept, please feel free to ask. As well, I would greatly appreciate advice on how to handle this situation, even if it's harsh.

Thank you!

[lilidukes]

I really feel for you :grouphug

This boy is now a mature healthy squirrel with ALL
his wild instincts and urges. If your parents are
going to continue keeping him he needs a large
cage so he can be controlled a degree. His destruction
of your home will continue and get worse. His
attacks will not stop so please do not let your guard
down. Hands arms and face will be where he will try
to get you.

This squirrel owns his surroundings and all who live
there. Yes he is dangerous.

I love squirrels like nothing else in this world but no one
should have to live in fear of a squirrel attack. I know
the pain and have many scars to show from my not
reading them right.

:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

[czarina]

I agree, this is a dangerous squirrel. Always be on your guard, and warn your siblings also. I hope you were able to bring the dogs with you when you moved. There is nothing cute about a squirrel attack.

Your parents might not really comprehend how truly frightening an attack is, because he doesn't do it to them. They can leave serious scars both physically and mentally.

I have never been an advocate of giving a squirrel free reign of the house. Too many dangers, in my opinion. Plus, they need their own safe place.

I completely agree with lillidukes, he needs a large cage. And he is not going to like it much. But for everyones safety it is the best. You might need to do an " intervention " with your parents. Get all the kids together, sit them down and really take turns explaining how frightened and nervous you are to be in the house with him. (I am sure they love him and think of him as their little baby )But you should ask them how they will feel if he blinds one of you. Point out that there is no way you would EVER bring over a grandbaby. I would imagine you very seldom bring friends home.

Also point out that Simon could get seriously hurt by being flung or kicked across the room.
It is really for everyones sake that he needs a cage.
She is right....... he owns the house, and it is just going to get worse.
Some of this is probably hormonal right now, but it won't get much better. From what you have described, he is becoming a true tyrant. Before long, you will all have to wear metal colanders on your faces. And that means he is not a fun pet.

Hopefully Stosh will chime in, he has an interesting story that relates to this.

I wish you all good luck, and keep safe!

[Shewhosweptforest]

I agree with all the above....if your parents do not want him in a cage...at least confine him to a room :dono as you said he's already escaped by chewing through a door .....but they can tack hardware cloth on the door and this will stop him. I have an adult squirrel who is only friendly with my husband and myself...we count our blessings that she loves us "both" she is cherished and loved...but she has a cage...it's big...and although she'd rather run in her room...she's content once she's put in. When we're with her she roams...but my kids and grandkids know they can't come in her room..it works :thumbsup

[HRT4SQRLS]

Two things come to my mind... first is the health of the animal. What has the diet been of this squirrel? If the squirrel has been on an unhealthy diet of nuts, seeds and corn it is very possible that the squirrel is in pain due to MBD. This would make him irritable and maybe even aggressive.

Of course my second thought is that this is VERY normal squirrel behavior for a male squirrel that has 'wilded up' and claimed his territory ... your house. It is very common for squirrels to pick a 'favorite' person to the exclusion of the entire family. We hear stories all the time about this happening. A husband, wife or kids become the enemy and are in extreme jeopardy near the squirrel. IMO, this is VERY serious business and not something that can be 'winked at' or make excuses for. There have been cases where an ER visit was necessary due to a squirrel attack. Considering that owning a squirrel is ILLEGAL in almost every state in the country, a vicious attack requiring an ER visit would immediately send Wildlife officers and animal control to your house. The squirrel would be seized and euthanized and your parents would face fines. If the squirrel attacks someone outside of the family the liability is HUGE. There is a case in Texas where a pet squirrel got loose and attacked a neighbor. It made the evening news.

Everyone has to make their own decisions about what they will tolerate in their own house. I personally would not live in the house with an attack squirrel. NO WAY. I would do the right thing because I LOVE squirrels BUT I would start the process of a slow release. It would have to be away from people because he will go after people even after release. I would give him his freedom and reclaim my home. I have to feel safe in my home as do my family and guests. If your parents are OK living like that ... I would move. Someone is going to get hurt ... real bad. :shakehead

[farrelli]

Don;t have time to read all this. If not one mentioned, hormones can also cause this but they tend to come and go. So can environmental changes. A new hand lotion, deodorant, or thing in the room has pissed off more than one sq. Food stashes are also a major cause. Make sure there's nothing she's hiding. And do detail the diet.

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

I wanted to say,,, If you want to keep him. Build a nice big cage in one of the rooms for him. And if he is attached to a human ,work with him for awhile and don't let him near other humans. Only let him out when his human is near,and give him love. Or keep looking for a rehabber to take him. Don't give up though. He must have Rodent block and healthy food as other's have said so he feels good. Please don't just give up on him.

[raspbaby]

Thank you for the responses so far. :)

His diet is mostly nut based. He has a main dish of nuts (peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, predominantly) and he is also given bitternuts from outdoors. One of his "treats" is a blueberry muffin or piece of bread. From time to time he'll steal a little chunk of sweet potato or a spinach leaf from the kitchen. Less frequently he'll be given things like a branch from a serviceberry tree, roses, or fresh corn from the garden depending on the season. He does not get a rodent block. A diagnosis of MBD would make sense because it would explain his sudden drop in activity and change in disposition, although it doesn't rule out him "wilding up". Any advice on how to revise this diet would be very helpful and I will pass it along to my parents.

Over a month ago my parents opted to move his food dish (the nuts) into their bedroom but still continued to feed him other food items in the living room. Last week my dad also went through and removed any places where Simon could have been keeping stashes. It's hard to tell if this has made a difference yet.

I don't think any of us want to give up on Simon. It's a difficult situation right now, but my parents adore him and I think so long as we are all willing to implement some of the recommended changes we won't have to consider saying good bye to him. He's certainly left more than one type of mark on the family! ;)

[Shewhosweptforest]

I'm so impressed that you still have compassion for Simon ..after I'm sure a sense of betrayal ...his diet definitely needs to be changed. Even if it's not causing this behavior it will eventually kill Simon. We've seen it time and time again. Please stress the importance of this to your parents. And hopefully you will get the added benefit of a happy squirrel again....there is a MBD protocol thread here. I will try and find it for you and your parents. One of our rehabbers may even be posting it as we speak :thumbsup Good luck...oh! And welcome :Welcome :grin3 :Love_Icon

[Kysska]

I'm not one of the experienced helpers but wanted to link you to a helpful forum post because it sounds like his diet is very, very bad:

Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels)

Also, thank you for seeking help for the little guy. That's really kind of you, and welcome to the boards.

[Shewhosweptforest]

Here's the thread with the MBD protocol :thumbsup

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?34495-Emergency-Treatment-of-Metabolic-Bone-Disease-(MBD)

[pappy1264]

He needs to be in a cage, and you have to realize he is a wild adult squirrel, who has stashed nuts everywhere and is trying to protect his 'turf' which is normal. He is def. a dangerous animal so please use extreme caution.

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

It will be hard,but start dialing back the nuts and seeds immediately and only give them for treats.

[farrelli]

He could be very sore from the MBD, which would put his out of sorts, so start that protocol and change the diet. He may also enjoy a heat source like a rice buddy to soothe his bones. He'd also be aggressive over his stash. So, you have at least two things that would cause aggression going on.

[Scooterzmom]

You are in Canada I see. Where about? I'm near Montreal Quebec and I have 4 resident squirrels, 2 of which do get free range of the house X-number of hours a day. The other two are one paraplegic (paralized hind legs), one neuro (cannot keep his balance). I am very familiar with aggression issues, have ended up at emergency twice, for very bad/deep bites - one of these times I was on intraveinous antibiotics because the bite went to the bone and exposed the tendon on my wrist, he had missed it by mere millimetres. One time I had a chunk of flesh literally pulled off of my arm and it was left dangling. Another time I had both my lower legs ripped at, little twirp had hit a vein on one too so it looked even worse… blood squirting all over the dang place, I was slip-sliding in it.

So yes… squirrels can be very, very dangerous and that is what you are now dealing with. Under the current circumstances, in the prevailing situation with the arrangements that exist at home now, it is not a matter of if Simon will attack you or your siblings again, it's a matter of when. He will also unleash himslef on some unsuspecting stranger when you least expect it.

You will have much more success if you create a world that he thinks is based more on his own rules than yours. :) The trick is figuring how and giving hm time to get used to it.

However, there are things you can do and it may not be too late to help reform your bully at least to some degree. Mind you, you will never be able to trust him 100% - get that out of your head, it just won't happen, he is a wild animal and will always be one - and you need always, every second of every minute when he will be loose in the room or the house to be aware of his body language. You and your parents have to remember that he's a wild animal, he will not live according to anybody's rules. He makes the rules and you have to adapt to those and his needs. Most of all, an adult squirrel usually has only one human - with any luck he may tolerate a second one but never as much as his personal one. My 4 year old Hami has bonded to me and even though my husband who brings the food to him every day, hubby still has to distract Hami in order to put his hand with the bowl in the cage … otherwise Hami will attack his forearm without mercy. Yet, at night, when hubby brings all the squees their boo-balls and blocks for the morning, he's perfectly fine with it and will let hubby walk inside his cage without a problem. Anyone else is fair game and subject to his moods and attacks; so, I will never let anyone near him (and not without me!) if he is loose in his room. For Simon, you might be able to interact with him when he is in his cage or room, but only to some level; however, you will still have to read his body language all the time if you expect him to build any sort of trust and respect. And that you can only do if Simon has his own cage and nest.

First thing, he needs that cage, really badly and - if you can do it - preferably his own room. He needs at least an area that he can consider his very own territory. One where he can retreat when tired, one where he can hide or lounge safely (at least in his own mind). Right now he has decided that the whole house is his territory because he doesn't know which area he can truly trust to be safe in, deep down he cannot trust those dang hoomans not to interfere with his business ;) The human world to him is dangerous and when he has free range of the house he's trying to make sense of this human environment while hiding his stuff, checking things out, all the time… and all that is very stressful to him. You will have a less stressed squirrel and he'll be more receptive if he has his own cage and nest box. Has to be a big cage!

There are tons of things I could recommend to help you. My Hami is over 4 years old now, and altough I have made some sorry mistakes while bringing him up (and I paid sorely for those) he and I have found some ways to compromise and put up with each other's rules. We now get along and go together like peas and carrots - as Forrest Gump would say. :) Jerome is my 2 year old and for him, hubby is his human. However Jerome tolerates me much better than Hami does my husband. Go figure. :confused:

Why don't you email me and I'll be happy to give you my phone number to discuss things in depth with you, deal with the specifics if you want. Maybe I could pass on all kinds of tricks I've developed over the last 4 years with my fuzzers.

mgm48@sympatico.ca

EDIT: Do pay attention to the advice of others too - you are getting some very good one - especially re. the diet. That is extremely important.