New to Squirrel Board......Questions Galore!

[debbieablack]

Hi! We are new to squirrels! We have saved many "orphans" over the years, but they have mostly been baby birds. However, this fall we received our first ever squirrel, and we are IN LOVE. His name is Spanky, and I would say he is probably about 5 months old. He is a red fox squirrel. Could anyone tell me if males are more aggressive than females, and do you think he is going to become mean? : ( Right now, we are his world! He loves us and wants to be crawling on us and playing with us all the time. Will this change? Any advise would be helpful and appreciated.

[mommasbaby]

I have had mommas baby for almost three years he is a grey and he is my heart!!! He is so smart I will tell him to give me sugar and he puts his mouth on mine and kisses me he knows his name is mommas babyLOL I didn't realize how smart they are or I would have gave him a real name!!He has a blanket that we call his fuzzy and I will tell him fuzzy is going to get his butt and he will run and get fuzzy and bring it to me so I can wrestle him with it...So far he has never bit me but then again I am the only one who can pet him or play with him but I think that is because I lived by myself when I got him and he thinks I am his momma and his tree.

[stepnstone]

Hi! We are new to squirrels! We have saved many "orphans" over the years, but they have mostly been baby birds. However, this fall we received our first ever squirrel, and we are IN LOVE. His name is Spanky, and I would say he is probably about 5 months old. He is a red fox squirrel. Could anyone tell me if males are more aggressive than females, and do you think he is going to become mean? : ( Right now, we are his world! He loves us and wants to be crawling on us and playing with us all the time. Will this change? Any advise would be helpful and appreciated.
:Welcome to TSB....
Aggression can be as individual as the squirrel, both male and females can wild up and become intolerable. Some stay sweet, some go through changes and settle back down, some can turn as mean as cat sh*t and just want to go. It's nothing that's going to be easy to predict.
With any captive squirrel regardless of circumstance as to what brought them to you, diet is key. What formula was he raised on and what is his total daily diet he eats now?

[debbieablack]

Thanks for your answers! Spanky is now on Henry's Picky Squirrel Blocks, at least 2 a day, along with assorted fruits, veggies, and nuts. Should I give him more than 2 blocks a day?

[lennysmom]

Thanks for your answers! Spanky is now on Henry's Picky Squirrel Blocks, at least 2 a day, along with assorted fruits, veggies, and nuts. Should I give him more than 2 blocks a day?

No, two blocks a day is the recommended amount for a squirrel's daily nutrition needs. It is possible to have too much of a good thing as far as that goes. Sounds like you have him on a healthy diet.:) How much fruit are you giving him? You want to make sure he is eating his veggies well and fruit is more like a treat then a main staple of their diet. I do give mine a little fruit and they enjoy it. But if they stop eating their veggies well, I usually cut out the fruit.
Edit: oh, and only two nuts a day since too many are not good for them either

[debbieablack]

No, two blocks a day is the recommended amount for a squirrel's daily nutrition needs. It is possible to have too much of a good thing as far as that goes. Sounds like you have him on a healthy diet.:) How much fruit are you giving him? You want to make sure he is eating his veggies well and fruit is more like a treat then a main staple of their diet. I do give mine a little fruit and they enjoy it. But if they stop eating their veggies well, I usually cut out the fruit.
Edit: oh, and only two nuts a day since too many are not good for them either

What are the best veggies to feed them? He loves corn, but is that too much sweetness? He likes spinach leaves also.

[debbieablack]

I have had mommas baby for almost three years he is a grey and he is my heart!!! He is so smart I will tell him to give me sugar and he puts his mouth on mine and kisses me he knows his name is mommas babyLOL I didn't realize how smart they are or I would have gave him a real name!!He has a blanket that we call his fuzzy and I will tell him fuzzy is going to get his butt and he will run and get fuzzy and bring it to me so I can wrestle him with it...So far he has never bit me but then again I am the only one who can pet him or play with him but I think that is because I lived by myself when I got him and he thinks I am his momma and his tree.

He sounds ADORABLE! Yes, we were also surprised at how smart they are!

[stepnstone]

Check out the healthy diet, plenty of healthy options to choose from.:thumbsup
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

[lennysmom]

What are the best veggies to feed them? He loves corn, but is that too much sweetness? He likes spinach leaves also.

Surprisingly, corn is actually not good for them at all even though it is used in most commercial squirrel feed. :( It has very little nutritional value and is kind of like squirrel junk food. I don't feed it to my squirrels.

Here is the feeding chart for a healthy squirrel diet
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My fuzzers like broccoli, sweet potato (cooked), green beans, and occasionally cauliflower - but their favorite is sweet peas! Oh, and they go nuts for avocado, which I give along with their veggies. Just be careful not to feed any of the skin or pits, as they are poisonous to squirrels.

[lennysmom]

Check out the healthy diet, plenty of healthy options to choose from.:thumbsup
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

Looks like we were thinking the same thing Step. :)