Best place to release chipmunk

[Handoff]

Hi everyone. I have caught another chipmunk in the house and i think he is ready to be released. I cant decide if its best to release these guys in my yard which is patroled by my cat, or take him away from our yard. He is small and not fully grown. i want him to have the very best chance of survival. What do you guys think?

[TubeDriver]

Hi,

Can you post up a pic so we can see him? Thanks!



Hi everyone. I have caught another chipmunk in the house and i think he is ready to be released. I cant decide if its best to release these guys in my yard which is patroled by my cat, or take him away from our yard. He is small and not fully grown. i want him to have the very best chance of survival. What do you guys think?

[Handoff]

259315 Here is the best pic i could get before he burrowed into the sheet.

[TubeDriver]

Hmm, not sure but if your cat is a hunter and outside a lot then it might be better to release him somewhere else? I hope some of our experienced TSBers comment shortly.

[Handoff]

The cat is a hunter and is outside all the time. Im just afraid i might be taking him away from his mother if i bring him elsewhere.

[TubeDriver]

Maybe some Chip experts will chime in about how old this little guy is and if he is big enough to be independent?

[island rehabber]

If you give this chippie a nut to crack, can he do it without help? If he can crack a hazelnut (filbert) or an almond without help he is old enough to be on his own and would definitely take him OUT of the area and away from the cat. Chippies like rocky places.....parks with rocky areas, waterfront rocky walls, that kind of thing. Although they climb trees they don't live in them; they live under the rocks and tunnel out of sight from predators.

[Handoff]

He was able to break apart a pecan. Does that count? And there are not any rocky areas around me but there is a park with woods and houses around it so he could find a new yard to explore.

[Nancy in New York]

If this is a cat caught chipmunk, he needs antibiotics.
Releasing him regardless of age, or what nut he can open,
without antibiotics is a death sentence.
Were you able to find the antibiotics.
IF NOT, I will send some.
I was going to send some last week,
but you already released your other cat caught one.

[Handoff]

Yes this chipmunk was cat caught. You can send me the anti biotics and i will keep him safe until they arive. Do you still have my address?

[Nancy in New York]

Yes this chipmunk was cat caught. You can send me the anti biotics and i will keep him safe until they arive. Do you still have my address?

Yup, all printed out.
I will get these in the mail first thing tomorrow, along
with the breakdown. You don't have a scale to weigh him do you?
If not, I will guesstimate the weight on the conservative side, so
I am not overdosing. I will also send a syringe.
You will need to do this for 5-7 days. Can you keep him
that long?

[Handoff]

Yes i can keep him for as long as it takes him to recover. I can also weigh him. Thank you for helping save my chippie! Once it arrives i will post his weight.

[Nancy in New York]

Yes i can keep him for as long as it takes him to recover. I can also weigh him. Thank you for helping save my chippie! Once it arrives i will post his weight.

Sounds great, thank you!

[TubeDriver]

:w00t NINY and Handoff make a great Chippie saving team! :thumbsup

[Handoff]

I checked on my chippie this morning and he escaped! I forgot to latch the roof so he was able to squeeze out. I had the room door closed so hopefully hes still hiding in the room. He might be small enough to fit under the door also. I set up one of my traps so maybe i will catch him again.