squirrels attacking other animals???

[Sara in NW MS]

Not sure where I should be posting this but I have a question...
Jude and Judie's "Aunt Lulu" takes care of them while I am at work and whenever I have to leave town. She's been a part of their lives since I've had them. Well, I have a fenced in area of my yard for my dogs, so they are never running around freely. I've always kept the animals separate so I wouldn't expose the babies to the household pets.
Well, Lauri went to take them a snack and one of her dogs was walking around outside with her. When the dog got close to the cage, Jude started jumping at the cage towards the dog, slamming his front feet into the wire, while making that little barking sound they make. If that wire had not been there, he would have tried to tear that dog up!!! The dog never paid him any attention (she's old and deaf and almost blind) but it scares me to think Jude would act this way towards something so much bigger than he is.
This concerns me, was he just being overly protective of his cage? Is this something he's going to do once he's released?? Has anyone seen behavior like this before? I know several days after they were moved into the RC, Jude spotted something out there (can't remember if he saw the donkeys in their fenced in area or what) and he got on top of the nestbox and made that alarm call sound for almost 5 minutes but this time he didn't do that.

[island rehabber]

Not sure where I should be posting this but I have a question...
Jude and Judie's "Aunt Lulu" takes care of them while I am at work and whenever I have to leave town. She's been a part of their lives since I've had them. Well, I have a fenced in area of my yard for my dogs, so they are never running around freely. I've always kept the animals separate so I wouldn't expose the babies to the household pets.
Well, Lauri went to take them a snack and one of her dogs was walking around outside with her. When the dog got close to the cage, Jude started jumping at the cage towards the dog, slamming his front feet into the wire, while making that little barking sound they make. If that wire had not been there, he would have tried to tear that dog up!!! The dog never paid him any attention (she's old and deaf and almost blind) but it scares me to think Jude would act this way towards something so much bigger than he is.
This concerns me, was he just being overly protective of his cage? Is this something he's going to do once he's released?? Has anyone seen behavior like this before? I know several days after they were moved into the RC, Jude spotted something out there (can't remember if he saw the donkeys in their fenced in area or what) and he got on top of the nestbox and made that alarm call sound for almost 5 minutes but this time he didn't do that.

I believe that when a squirrel has an 'alpha' personality, as it seems Jude does, and he is caged, he will react to a possible predator like this just to warn it away from him. He can't run away to the trees, so he is going to try and frighten this thing by appearing bigger and louder than he really is. Similar to why dogs on chains tend to bite.

[stepnstone]

I believe that when a squirrel has an 'alpha' personality, as it seems Jude does, and he is caged, he will react to a possible predator like this just to warn it away from him. He can't run away to the trees, so he is going to try and frighten this thing by appearing bigger and louder than he really is. Similar to why dogs on chains tend to bite.

:yeahthat

I've had some of my fur butts (pre releases) even do this to me when I come into their room, all puffed up chattering and slamming themselves against the cage. If I'm not bringing them food, I'm the enemy...
I have never had an aggressive one come after me once released even when they still come into the yard.

[Sara in NW MS]

Thank you, to both of you. I feel better about the situation now. I kept having visions of Jude doing this to a predator when he's out in the wild and my heart was aching cuz I knew that would be the death of him. It makes sense that he would be this way in the RC since he can't really go anywhere. "Fight or flight" and he can't escape so his only option was this. Makes perfect sense. Whew!

[TubeDriver]

A squirrels instinct will kick in, they will almost never attack something larger like a cat/dog etc. It is just against their nature, they are prey animals not predators.

[stepnstone]

Thank you, to both of you. I feel better about the situation now. I kept having visions of Jude doing this to a predator when he's out in the wild and my heart was aching cuz I knew that would be the death of him. It makes sense that he would be this way in the RC since he can't really go anywhere. "Fight or flight" and he can't escape so his only option was this. Makes perfect sense. Whew!

:grouphug

[LaurelLynn]

From reading about you, Jude and Judie, I'm pretty sure we are living a very similar squirrel adventure lol!

Especially when I saw this. ... my boy, who was so sweet and immature that I was worried about release, is now a terror in his outside prerelease enclosure! I can't even go in it because I get swarmed by a tornado of teeth and claws. I told him he's not allowed to chase me when I open the release door tomorrow morning (I know he won't because he won't be trapped in a cage, but I can still visualize the scenario!)

Wish me luck for morning and I'll wish you the same with your beautiful fire balls :grin3

[stepnstone]

From reading about you, Jude and Judie, I'm pretty sure we are living a very similar squirrel adventure lol!

Especially when I saw this. ... my boy, who was so sweet and immature that I was worried about release, is now a terror in his outside prerelease enclosure! I can't even go in it because I get swarmed by a tornado of teeth and claws. I told him he's not allowed to chase me when I open the release door tomorrow morning (I know he won't because he won't be trapped in a cage, but I can still visualize the scenario!)

Wish me luck for morning and I'll wish you the same with your beautiful fire balls :grin3

This is when you know you've done your job right and they are right where they need to be
when released. A true wild. Congratulations! :great

[LaurelLynn]

This is when you know you've done your job right and they are right where they need to be
when released. A true wild. Congratulations! :great

I was SO proud the first time he bit me lol! Such a tough guy :clap