Do squirrels grieve

[mugs232]

I acquired 3 flying squirrels when they were about 3 1/2 weeks old they are now about 14 weeks old I spent a lot of time hand feeding them and getting them healthy and they had all bonded with me well expect one named Sasha bonded more she was always happy to see me the other two would follow her lead. The other day Sasha got out of her cage and I didn't know it I went in there room and shut the door and I didn't know she was on it. I am having a hard time dealing with losing her she had such a great personality and was already training to do different things. Ever since this happened it seems like the other two don't want much to do with me and this makes losing Sasha even harder. Anybody have any suggestion on how I can get Maggie and Squirt too come around.They don't want to come out of there nest
and they act like there scared of me.they weren't like this when Sasha was here.

[SammysMom]

Godspeed little Sasha...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

I think it is likely a matter of time, but I am sure others who are more flyer savvy will be along. So very sorry for your terrible loss...:Love_Icon

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

I'm personally not sure if small animals grieve. It may be confusion from the change..,the dynamic is different for them, so they are apprehensive or waiting. I know that my LoLa is still weird-ed out i guess from the life she had for 3 years . After almost a year i thought she settled in and finally excepted things . These creatures are driven by instinct, so i hope in time LoLa will except the situation. I know she still misses her original owner though. I guess certain relationships are hard wired into their brain. dunno

[HRT4SQRLS]

Hi mugs232
:Welcome to TheSquirrelBoard

I have three flyers but they are not litter mates so they are not bonded to each other. My answer to whether flyers grieve is not related to any 'flyer specific' knowledge but more based on observations of animals in general. I believe that anything that has the capacity to love has the capacity to grieve loss. Flyers are colony dwellers. They live as part of a 'family'. Their survival depends on being part of the colony. So yes, I believe they would notice if another in the family was absent. I recently got a male that was almost two years old. He had lived with his sisters since birth. I was told that his sisters didn't come out of their pouch for days. Did they notice that he was gone? They most certainly did and I believe that they grieved. I know there are those that would mock us for attributing human emotions to animals. I KNOW that animals love so why would it be so hard to accept that they can grieve loss. I believe that they do.

I am very sorry about your loss of Sasha. I know that had to be devastating.
Flyers are often the victims of accidents in the home. It is very common. They get on doors, in chair cushions and underfoot. They are so tiny and can get into so much trouble.

If you don't hear anything I said in this post, I do want you to hear this. This is very important.
THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH OF FLYERS IN THE HOME IS DROWNING IN THE TOILET! It is such a common tragedy that I believe they are drawn to the water and once they fall in, well ... :( I'm not sure if you were aware of this problem or not. If not, we can help you alleviate this hazard by giving you instructions about installing toilet ladders in your toilets.

Again, I am so sorry about Sasha. :grouphug I think in time you will win Maggie and Squirt over. It will probably take some extra bonding time with them. Flyers do love people so I believe in time it will happen.

[mugs232]

Thank you guys for replying it does help to know that there are others out there that truly understand how much you can love your animals and that they really are part of the family.
My squirrels have there own room so I don't have to worry about them getting around water and I made sure they can't get out of their cage now unless I let them out ,when they are out I'm with them. Sasha had gotten out because the door wasn't shut on the cage all the way so i have made sure that won't happen again.

[sandycheeks]

In my opinion squirrels as well as most animals do in fact grieve.
I watched a show on tv recently where they explored the brains of rodents, they found that rats and most other animals have the same physical areas of the brain that process emotion and empathy etc. I'm not a scientist, but why would animals have that area developed in their brain if it didn't do anything?

[TubeDriver]

I believe squirrels can feel a sense of loss and sadness.

[stosh2010]

I -too --feel for your loss...
I don't have flyers...I have Tree Squirrels. They weigh between 600 and 700 grams...and they love the tops of my doors. They climb the door edge or the door molding--- in a flash and just sit on top of the door. we take extra precautions to wedge them securely open...With the seasonal winds here.. (in Costa Rica) the doors slam so fast and hard... Every time I hear a door slam shut , I do a head count and make sure all are OK.

[Chickenlegs]

Animals grieve--particularly herd or colony animals. This isn't my opinion, this is the opinion of animal behaviorists and anecdotal observations from all over the world and scientific study. Animals do have the capacity to feel loss and to be altruistic. Nature has equipped them to mourn but not as long or as deeply as animals with a more developed cerebral cortex (tho there are reports of animals who have mourned their mate, family member or human friend for their lifetime). I have a neurobiologist aquaintence who swears animals, and particularly birds, are mindless automatons. She has developed a theory of "consciousness" that completely disregards most of the conscious beings on the planet. Quite frankly, I much prefer the company of my automaton friends.

[mugs232]

First I wanted to thank everyone for the advice. Good news Maggie and Squirt have come around. They seem to be getting there spunk back. Maggie's is giving kisses again and Squirt is burying nuts in my hair lol. I found them on the ground in my dads yard by a tree that had fell I was a little nervous about keeping them but I did a lot of reading. They were about 3 1/2 weeks as far as I could estimate when I found them that was the beginning of October. They have brought me a lot of joy that's why I was so upset after Sasha's accident and they wouldn't have anything to do with me. everyday I can't wait to get home to see them.:serene

[sdreamcatcher]

I believe animals do grieve, especially social animals, because they are more likely to have a special bond with someone else. I have had mice stay snuggled with their buddies who have passed on (mice also bury their dead after a time), I have had birds try to wake their fallen mates. I currently have a rabbit grieving the unexpected loss of his friend. I could go on with many other examples. They also stand by each other if one is sick; something I witnessed with Butchie and Joey (fox squirrels); Joey pancaked on Butchie's cage when Butchie was sick. I'm sorry you lost your buddy and hope her friends will be ok in time. :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

[island rehabber]

Years ago I was called to pick up a litter of baby squirrels from the local Home Depot. In October. :thinking So you know they weren't squirrels at all, they were mice and SO teeny. As happens so often with baby mice, only two survived and four succumbed to pneumonia nomatter how hard I tried to save them. Tragically, I would always find whatever little one who had passed, whose body was now cold, being surrounded and even embraced by a brother or sister who was still trying to warm them. Mice can break your heart. :sadness:sniff

[lovesmice]

Years ago I was called to pick up a litter of baby squirrels from the local Home Depot. In October. :thinking So you know they weren't squirrels at all, they were mice and SO teeny. As happens so often with baby mice, only two survived and four succumbed to pneumonia nomatter how hard I tried to save them. Tragically, I would always find whatever little one who had passed, whose body was now cold, being surrounded and even embraced by a brother or sister who was still trying to warm them. Mice can break your heart. :sadness:sniff

I agree. I have lost 3 mice since Thanksgiving and it hurts deeply. (It was really kind of you, ir, to take these bubs in especially knowing how hard it was going to be to hand raise them.) As for whether or not squirrels grieve, I believe they do. Mice definitely do. It has even gotten to the point I have lost mice to grief. My Patches was scary close with Norelle, and when she passed, Patches gave up and soon followed. I tried everything, distraction with new toys, lots of one-on-one time and so forth, but she was too heartbroken. Thankfully this is not common, and they usually are able to move past the loss of a friend. As far as squirrels go, I know from my visitors and the ones discussed on here that they have feelings big time.

[sandycheeks]

It is my opinion that all animals have feelings. I am Catholic but I also believe that we are animals like every other animal on earth. Everyday scientists are findin out new and shocking things about animal intelligence and emotions. Some of the old tests they would perform to test intelligence in animals were outrageous, such as giving an alligator a box and declaring it lacked any form of intelligence because it couldn't open the box.
Cats and rodents etc. can see ultraviolet light and communicate using subsonic frequency. After tens of thousands of years we still don't understand how to fully communicate with animals that have lived in our homes. We know very little about animals in general. I'm calling it now that as we find out more about all forms of life on earth we will come to realize the amazing truth about the plants and animals we share this world with.

[Jesse3445]

Yes, I really think Squirrels do grieve. I lost my Bubby Squirrel the day before yesterday and Sissy (Bubby's sister) who had been with him every day, playing, eating, sleeping together, for nearly the past 10 years has changed since he passed. She searches for him constantly and just kinda holds up in their bed. Her demeanor is that of being so sad. I truly do think, from witnessing this, they do grieve.

[Scooterzmom]

Squirrels definitely do grieve. I have personally seen a squirrel try to fight the crows away from his dead friend in the street. Poor thing tried and tried to push his dead friend with his nose - maybe to revive it… kept going around in circles around it… stood on the side of the road for the longest time, looking lost. I couldn't help but think maybe they were related :(

[kcassidy]

I know they do. Humans judge intelligence on the wrong things, there are too many examples of animals tending to other animals to make me disbelieve :)

Then again I believe in Animal Communication, that we are all connected and we are all one, so take my opinion with that in mind.

Maura, I so know what you are talking about with Meece. Is there any scientific facts about what causes this? I had so many this year and each litter had deaths. So so frustrating, what am I doing wrong?

If you'd like me to start another thread about this, I can.

Mugs, I'm glad your kids are giving you love again. Tell them you know they miss their sister but it will all be okay.

Have a good weekend.

[SammysMom]

I had this happen with Mr Whiskers after he was doing so well. It was for seemingly no reason at all. Broke my heart...:sad