baby questions

[officalmoose]

hello all! i just want to start off by saying thank you for all the valuble info! theres so much! but i just have a few quick questions because i cant find the thread i saw it previously on.
ok so my baby is around 5-6 wks his eyes just opened this weekend but hes already lifting his tail, going to the BR on his own and is showing signs of "teething". so my question is when can i start giving him solid food/snacks? i have the block already on its way so i got that covered and he has a antler waiting on him for when hes ready.
is popcorn ok?
water bowl or water feeder? (like for hamsters)
pics coming soon

[HRT4SQRLS]

:wave123 officalmoose
:Welcome to TheSquirrelBoard

Oh yes, we need to see pics. :grin2 Now that the eyes are open you can give him a block when they arrive. I would cut the block in half and give just a half. When they get their first block they waste a lot. They will sniff it, chew it, crumble it, play with it and pee on it so it mostly goes to waste. I would give 1/2 blocks for a few days. The block should be the first solid food. You can slowly start introducing healthy veggies after he's eating the block.

While I'm sure he would enjoy popcorn, it is unhealthy so I would not start him out on something unhealthy. Maybe when he's older he can have an unsalted popcorn as a treat but definitely not now. He's too young for snacks. :tilt

I don't introduce a water bowl or bottle at this age. He gets all the fluids he needs from the formula. He will spill a bowl no doubt. When he gets a few weeks older where he's moving around a lot I would give a hanging water bottle(the type with the metal tube and ball bearing). Maybe a shallow bowl might work if you can figure a way to avoid tipping it over. Some put marbles in the bowl. My last babies made a real mess with a water bowl. :tilt

Welcome and I'm looking forward to seeing pics. :grin2

[SammysMom]

NO popcorn...you can get rodent block at Petco or other pet stores, but it is really best to not give anything other than block to start with. It makes it difficult to get them to eat the blocks if they get a taste of other foods first.
You can put a water bottle on the side of the cage for him.
Glad we could help with the info you need! Welcome to the Squirrel Board!

[officalmoose]

[

this is him =) its hard to get a pic of him not sleeping, he is a mover and loves cuddles.

[HRT4SQRLS]

:klunk Oh My, How sweet! :grin2 He is precious. They sleep a lot at that age.
You are SO lucky to have Fox Squirrels where you live. We don't have those type of fox squirrels in FL.

[officalmoose]

he was past out like this the other day. i thought it was too funny! :serene we have since moved him to fleece so we dont hurt his little toes

[Spanky]

He is adorable. :klunk

It is best not to use the "loopy" material like terrycloth (towels) since they get their nails caught so easily nad can injure themselves. Fleece, flannel and even T-Shirt material (in that order) are preferred.

[officalmoose]

so on his "teething", i call it that because i see his little teeth coming in, but he is also starting to chew and pull on his blanket. now i know some of that is him trying to perfect his nest but sometimes he just naws on the edges of his blanket. will the block help him with that. not like i care about the blanket but i just dont want him eatting it. when would be good to give him his antler?

[HRT4SQRLS]

They love to chew. They're squirrels. :grin2
He can have the antler but I doubt he will chew it.
He needs a stuffie to snuggle with. Get a small stuffed toy without button eyes. He needs a friend. :great

[officalmoose]

we have been looking for him a little stuffed animal to sleep with. i say he loves to cuddle because after we feed him and he does his business he likes to get sunggled up to us and past out. i usually have a blanket near me (the pink one in first pic) and he will spend 10 mins fixing his area up and constanly checkiing me or the hubby out, like hes making sure we are still there lol then a big yawn comes and hes out like a light. which the yawn is just too damned cute!
and thanks for all the help guys! ill keep the pics coming!

[Bitsy]

So cute! I got my singleton 2 of these in different sizes. She LOVES them. She likes to groom them before bed and then snuggle down into the bottom of the pile for the night :). No button eyes and nice and soft.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Classic-31238-Squirrel-Large/dp/B004ZJLLMI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457526684&sr=8-2&keywords=squirrel+stuffed+pet+toy

[DarkLies212]

Check dollar stores for stuffed animals without eyes. Last year Dollar General had cupcakes, donuts, and something else that were perfect squirrel sizes. Dollar Tree down here has little people with long limbs, stuffed baseballs, and other stuff that mine absolutely love!