age?

[ah_nuts]

hey folks,
well yesterday i found this little guy wandering around in the middle of the yard all by himself. i kept an eye on him all day and there was no mother to be found to retrieve him. i assumed he had been abandoned by the mom (hope i'm right), and it was getting dark and chilly so i brought him in with me.

i found this site and started doing some reading, lots of great info. one thing i'd like to get a better idea of though is his age. i saw a couple differant sites that showed pictures and general age range and he seems around 5 weeks maybe. i could be completely wrong though, so i'm hoping you folks might know.

his eyes are completely open and he's quite active in between naps, seems to have no fear what so ever too. he's tried to nibble on my finger tip a few times and i can feel teeth, but i dont know if they've actually come through or not.

so, here's a few pictures, i've got a quality scale that i can weigh him with if that helps determine his age too.

thanks!
nick

[island rehabber]

:Welcome nick!! You've found a beautiful 5-6 wk old Eastern Grey squirrel, in my estimation. It is good that you took him in because he is at least 7 wks away from being able to survive on his own. Are you feeding him formula? He should be getting 4-5 feedings per day at that age. He could use some meat on his bones too -- he looks a little skinny, so I would offer him some sweet potato (raw) and pieces of almond or walnut to munch on, too. We may be able to help you find a wildlife rehabilitator in your area who will raise him with other squirrels his age, if that is your intention, because it will make life easier for him once he's back with his own kind. :) :thankyou for caring about the cute little guy!!

[ah_nuts]

thanks for the info, much appreciated!

i have been feeding him formula, esbilac, 4 times a day as i had read here. i make sure its up to temp before feeding him too. theres probably not much worse than a belly full of cold milk!

i did think he looked a bit skinny, but i dont think i've ever seen a squirrel this young before, so i wasnt sure how big he should be at this age. he must've been hungry though cause he was sucking like a hoover to get that milk.

thanks for the feeding info, i wasnt sure what he could have, if anything, in terms of solid foods. are their teeth in at this age?

i have him a shoe box with shirt that he seems to like curling up in, but i'm sure some better bedding would be good. i didnt know how old he was so i didnt know how long i'd be keeping him and taking care of him. i've always been an animal fan, and this little guy sure is a cutie. one of my families friends works in a vet clinic so i know if i decide to hand him off i know i can bring him to a good place.

on the other hand, again, he sure is cute. the animal lover in me sure wants to keep him! i probably shouldnt have given him a name already (Louie), it certainly doesnt make a decision like that any easier!

nick

[squirrelfriend]

Their lower teeth are in at this age and the upper ones are kind of stubby but there none the less. He won't be able to crack nuts in a shell yet but you can give him a variety of ones without the shell. peanuts are not that good for him but can be given as a treat only. They are like squirrel junk food. I would say that he is about 5 to 6 weeks old too. My Little Fart looks to be the same age as this guy. You can see her at Grey Squirrel / Mr. Tilty if you want to compare size and age.

It is realy good that you brought him in. He deffinitly would have died out there on his own. Thank you for being a caring individual.

[Momma Squirrel]

:Welcome ah nuts and Louie, love the name. He sure is a cutie and they can steal your heart in the first minute. Sounds like you are doing a great job and have educated yourself well. Lots of good people here with info and knowledge. Glad you found us, please stick around so we can enjoy in the Louie Louie oh yeah I wanna play, saga. Sorry I couldn't resist, one of my favorite oldies :D

[Pam]

:Welcome ah_nuts to TSB. Louie is so cute! ( I'm grinning because my brother's name is Louie :D )

[TexanSquirrel]

He is sooooo cute! :Welcome

[ah_nuts]

thanks everyone! i'm a member on a number of other online forums, mostly for my RC planes or guitars, but i'd have to say that you folks have given a more warm welcome than any other place i've joined. although i suppose thats what happens on a forum for animal lovers (we are all animals, afterall!).

i named him Louie after the band Sublime, they're one of my all time favorites, right up there with the beatles. the lead singer of sublime had a dalmation called Louie who had a major personality, he'd be up on stage running around during the middle of the concert.

well, this little squirrel seems to have quite a personality too. first time i got close to him outside he lunged at me. now, i'm almost 27 years old, almost 6 feet tall and around 170 pounds and i jumped back about 5 feet and landed on my butt! :D now that he's more used to me, he'll climb up onto my hand and take naps on my shoulders.

i have noticed one thing, he seems to be having troubles going to the bathroom. i saw him doing the infamous "doggy dragging his butt on the carpet" trick. he didnt seem very happy about it (cant say i was extatic either!). i remember reading somewhere that this can be a problem. is there any i can do or should do, or will he work things out on his own?

thanks!
nick

[island rehabber]

ah_nuts, fleece (like Polartec) or even fake fur is a little warmer and snugglier than T-shirts if you want to line his bed with that. I've noticed T-shirts really pick up any dampness or cold in a room. And yes, he's ready for solids like the sweet potato, leafy greens like kale and spinach, and nuts like shelled almonds or walnuts. It sounds like you're doing great. Just remember that if you decide to keep him as a pet you need to check the laws in your state. If it is illegal to keep a grey squirrel as a pet in Minnesota you will need to make sure you have a vet who will work with you anyway in case anything goes wrong....and make sure of that before anything DOES go wrong. Also, if you're planning to raise him yourself but then release him to the wild, you'll need to make sure he is not too tame. As an only squirrel, he will be clingy with you, and 'wilding him up' will be your biggest challenge. :)

[ah_nuts]

things are going well, Louie seems happy so thats good. i must be over feeding him, his stool is certainly not in pellet form - yellow and runny as you mentioned. could that also be from him not having enough solid food? i havent fed him more than 4 times a day with the formula since i've had him, and i dont think he's eating a ton when i do feed him. i need to do more reading!

i'll do a little shopping tonight and pick up some better bedding material and some other solid foods. our friend who works that the vet clinic came and saw him last night, she said he looked nice and healthy so thats good. she didnt know what the laws are here in minnesota for keeping a wild animal, but she said she'd find out for me. she also said in the mean time if i need anything from the clinic she could help me out there too.

i tried to give him some spinich, but he seemed quite unimpressed, nearly turned his nose up at it! he does have a taste for the walnuts though. looks like i'll be trying those sweet potatos and kale!

thanks again for all the help :)

nick

[amelia_star]

Nick.
I am also from minnesota and called a few vets this morning cause I have also come in contact with a baby grey squirrel. All three vets told me its illegal to have a grey squirrel in captivity in Minnesota and 2 of them wouldn't even give me advice so I'm glad I found this site and its great that you have someone to help you. Good luck!!

[island rehabber]

ah_nuts and amelia, :thumbsup to both of you for trying to do the right thing in caring for your squirrels. My suggestion to you both, besides reading everything you can right here and asking questions like crazy, is to foster a relationship with a squirrel rehabber somewhere in Minnesota, even if it's all over the phone or email. Then memorize the list of calcium-rich foods we give squirrels, especially after they're weaned.....I think it appears in several places on this board, but basically it's HIGH QUALITY RODENT BLOCK, SPINACH, BROCCOLI, KALE, CAULIFLOWER, ALMONDS, CHICKORY, ESCAROLE......also for chewing there are DEER ANTLERS, CUTTLEBONES, FEMUR BONES, and shells (oyster or clam). If you provide your squirrels with at least some of these foods they will get sufficient calcium and not suffer the most common serious illness of pet or captive squirrels: Metabolic Bone Disease. (There's a section about that, too.) Keep up the good work. :peace

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Don't forget the full spectrum light to help them absorb the calcium too. If they will be living inside they will need the light to help their body make Vitamin D to absorb the calcium they get in their diet. You can get them in the reptile section of the pet store. Make sure it says full spectrum.

[Kathy56]

Love that sweet little face. :Love_Icon

[Bravo]

Cute little guy. Welcome to the board, and all the best with little Louie. :thumbsup

[ah_nuts]

hey folks,
well things have been going swimingly with louie, till a day or two ago. for whatever reason, he has started biting, a LOT, and has become kind of agressive.

could he have gotten hurt somehow and thats why he's acting that way?

is there anything i can do in the mean time to cut down on the biting?

thanks,
nick

[ah_nuts]

ah, i'll have to look for that, thanks for the tip.

i think i found why he's acting oddly now though, his back left foot looks like its been cut or hurt. i dont know how this could've happened, unless i'm holding him or playing with him, he stays in his box.

i cant tell how bad it is, but i know a hurt animal will act out. i'd like to bring him in to help him, but i have a feeling the vet will want to take him and give him to the proper people. i'd hate to do that since i've had this long already, but maybe its for the best, i dont want him to suffer or anything.

nick

[Isis]

oooh too cute!!! Louie looks just a bit older (maybe a week?) than Itty-bitty was when he came to me. (his ears seems to be standing up more than bitys were) I found after Itty-bit got used to me & was strong enough to jump around that he really liked wrestling with a stuffed toy (held by me & wrestling back with him). Maybe Louie just wants to *play* practice his defense skills when bites at you? Bitty is almost 2 now & still luvs to wrestle with his 'tuff-toys' with or without my help haha! Good luck with Louie :thumbsup

[ah_nuts]

for now i've just been letting him be, when i put my hand near him he starts chattering his teeth, which i've read is a sign of "leave me be!" i just had him some food and he seems content with that for the time being, i'm sure once his foot is better he'll feel better too. our vet friend has some medicine that she said would help, she also said she would take a look at him today and give me an idea of what to do next.

i'll look for some stuffed animals though, he does like wrestle and run all over me, then usually passes out in the pocket of my sweatshirt. its hard not to find that cute!

here's some more recent pics too.

thanks for all the help folks!

nick

[Kathy56]

He is so cute. Loved the picture of him sleeping.:D