just a quick question

[tlcincmanager]

My two 9 week old babies got out of their outside cage today and spent all day up in a tree and didn't go anywhere but jump around the tree. (I pretty much had to move my office outside all day just to keep an eye on them). They came down at 730 to eat as they still want a bottle. Now they are in their inside enclosure asleep. Now...my question is, will they become depressed because I can't let them out for the next three days because of a huge storm? I am waiting on a nesting box that I plan on adding to their outside enclosure then of course will be putting it on their tree upon release, but I haven't received the nesting box yet and wanted to wait to release them until then...should I wait for that or is it okay to let them go after the storm?

[Nancy in New York]

My two 9 week old babies got out of their outside cage today and spent all day up in a tree and didn't go anywhere but jump around the tree. (I pretty much had to move my office outside all day just to keep an eye on them). They came down at 730 to eat as they still want a bottle. Now they are in their inside enclosure asleep. Now...my question is, will they become depressed because I can't let them out for the next three days because of a huge storm? I am waiting on a nesting box that I plan on adding to their outside enclosure then of course will be putting it on their tree upon release, but I haven't received the nesting box yet and wanted to wait to release them until then...should I wait for that or is it okay to let them go after the storm?

9 weeks is WAY too young to be out on their own.
You are SO lucky that they came back home.
Actually 9 weeks is way too young to be in a release cage.
Can you bring them back inside?
If they are still taking formula, give them all they want.
It's the BEST insurance against Metabolic Bone Disease.
What else are they eating.
Please bring them back in, they are way too young even for the
release cage.
At the absolute bare minimum, some put them out in a release cage
at 14 weeks. Most wait longer.

[tlcincmanager]

Well...when I say outside cage...I take them outside with me when I garden for about 1 hour a day. They get some air and I watch them....they are inside most of the day. My question was since they have gotten a taste of outside, will they become depressed about being back in the house?

[Nancy in New York]

Well...when I say outside cage...I take them outside with me when I garden for about 1 hour a day. They get some air and I watch them....they are inside most of the day. My question was since they have gotten a taste of outside, will they become depressed about being back in the house?

Sorry to say this, but a squirrel this age should never be outside without a cage around him.
His mother would not even let him poke his nose out of the nest, let alone feel the grass on his feet. :nono

IF you take them out, they must be in the cage, and NOT in direct sunlight.

They are resilient and young, they will not be depressed because of this.
Make sure you have lots of things to occupy them.
Many of us in the norhteast keep these babies through the winter months
so they aren't released in adverse conditions, ie lack of leaves, snow, cold temps.
When they hit around the 7 month mark.......then they get antsy.

I have said it before a million times on the board, but when a squirrel gets
antsy in a cage at a young age, that does NOT mean they want outdoors............
THEY WANT OUT OF THE CAGE. If you can safely give them some out of the cage
time inside, without the fear of animals and you can keep them pretty contained,
I would suggest that for an hour or two a day, supervised of course.

[Rhapsody]

Nancy is Correct........ :grin3 :Sham :Love_Icon

[Mel1959]

:yeahthat:goodpost