Safety for Children Handling Squirrel

[atlantamom]

Hello,

I am so happy to have found this board!

Yesterday, I found a baby squirrel, probably right at two weeks of age. Made a nest for him, put him in it in a tree, waited for mom for 2.5 hours...no luck. Spent 3 hours on the phone trying to find a rehabber...no luck. So Annakin the Squirrel came home with me.

I have two kids, ages 3 and 6. They are very good with animals. Is there any danger in letting them hold, pet, or feed little Annakin? I will always be right next to them to make sure they are gentle with him, and from what I've found on line, squirrels seem to be very clean and safe creatures (not to mention adorable). Is this true?

Thank you so much in advance for any help!

[Milo's Mom]

I'm glad your children love animals and are good with them, but I strongly encourage you to NOT allow them to feed the baby.

Once the baby is familiar with the nipple and starts sucking aspiration pneumonia is going to be your biggest fear. He will suck too much and accidentally inhale it into his lungs and you're going to have to hold the plunger back to control the flow of formula. If he does inhale formula and blows it out his nose and ends up with aspiration pneumonia you're going to need to find squirrel safe medications within 24 hours or he will most likely die.

I don't see any problem with the kids gently petting the baby and if your children are seated on their butts on a chair or the floor there should not be an issue with them holding the baby for very short periods of time.

The baby needs to stay warm and human hands are not warm enough, so the ideal place for the little one when you're not feeding it is in its bed.

Keep in mind squirrels do have teeth before their eyes open and they are pretty good at using them too....once the eyes open if they get startled the game is on. They will bite.

I know some of this sounds harsh and even abrupt, it's not on purpose. It's purely for concern of the squirrel and your children and I wanted you to know the truth.

Personally, if I had children I would allow only supervised gentle touches and pets. Squirrels and children do not generally mix well. And in my mind the risk of harm to either or both is simply to great.

[atlantamom]

Not harsh at all! Great info for squirrel newbies like myself. (My husband and I have decided to study and take the test to become rehabbers, but in the meantime, rely on info from experienced folks like you).

Thank you again :)

[Milo's Mom]

Not harsh at all! Great info for squirrel newbies like myself. (My husband and I have decided to study and take the test to become rehabbers, but in the meantime, rely on info from experienced folks like you).

Thank you again :)

:thumbsup You're very welcome.

Hope you start a thread and show us pics of your little Annakin as he grows up.

[Mommaluvy]

Ditto


I would not let them feed. But gentle pets and holding while children are firmly planted on their behinds :) should be ok.

As always make sure best practice hand washing is following that petting.

I will also say.. Do not post photos of kids handling wildlife on Facebook etc. not sure if it's illegal, or just frowned upon. But I have heard rumors about a raccoon and a teen and it did not end well. But coons are totally different.

Pfft.. However.. My church ran a feature story on my family last October and our squirrel adventures before I found this information out and there were plenty pictures of them holding baby squirrels ( kids were in early teens)

And I got my start in legitimate rehabbing with a zoo at the tender age of ten.. I had bunnies, birds and possums.

So.. No feeding, supervised holding, and washing of hands :)

[gardenjewel]

I would probably say they would be safe right now, however, Your squirrel will soon learn how to bite, every squirrel does.... its hardwired it to their brains. They bite when they are happy , sad , hungry, bored, nervous, sleepy, loving or you used a different soap!!. They explore their world by biting it. Most of those nibbles are not hard but some could go to the bone, and for no reason at all. They are wonderfull creatures just as they are..... but they can not be trained like a dog and they are unpredictable.
Second, Their little claws cut like knives and even while young they will scratch for the same reasons they bite.
So although your children would probably be safe right now will they be able to understand that in a month or two they could get seriously hurt?
Baby squirrels are also very fragile and easy to aspirate while feeding.
If it were me I would never let a young child hold and feed a squirrel. I would let them 'help' me and pet the squirrel while in my hands.

Thanks for taking care of this baby. It is a tough job and they have very specific requirements....but you found the best place to get the right info. What are you feeding him? Are you keeping him warm?
Julia

[LaurelLynn]

I agree with what was said about not having children feed but definitely have them help in other ways and grow up with a crazy love of squirrels like the rest of us nuts!

My youngest wants to be a rehabber like me and I involve him as much as possible when it's safe to do so. He doesn't help feed but he interacts with them, helps me with the chores of making formula, folding fleece blankets, washing bowls ect

Right now the poor kid is my right hand man, bringing me everything every time I call because I have 19 squirrels at the moment and pretty much just sit and feed all day while he runs back and forth lol!

It's a wonderful experience for kids and develops an empathy for animals that will last forever. But be aware of teeth and sharp nails and get them in the habit of washing hands before and after handling them