Moving a squirrel to a release cage

[Lighten-Up]

It seems to have taken me forever to finally create the release cage for my girls, but it will be complete by today. :-):serene

As a newbie to this, it seems like a daunting proposition to move them over, to which I have some concern and am writing this. :eek I have always interacted with them on their own terms, so this will be different for me. So I look to you who do this all the time, to give me some helpful thoughts.

Here are my questions:

1. I have heard that you can transfer them when they are in their nest box. Should this be done at night, because then I would disturb them, and I'm sure after the ordeal of moving them, they will come out once in the RC and find an entirely new environment! To me this seems stressful to find oneself in a new environment at night in the dark.

2. If I could get up early, and move them before they wake up, then they would be coming out in predawn light. This seems a little better.

3. Often they take afternoon naps in the nest box, so this time might work well, but they don't always, so this might not happen.

4. Any other good options? They don't hang around in my shirt so I can't do that.

Thank you for your thoughts. I know I am one who often overthinks and over analyses everything.... so I need nelp here, but I am excited for their next step. :dance

[Nancy in New York]

It seems to have taken me forever to finally create the release cage for my girls, but it will be complete by today. :-):serene

As a newbie to this, it seems like a daunting proposition to move them over, to which I have some concern and am writing this. :eek I have always interacted with them on their own terms, so this will be different for me. So I look to you who do this all the time, to give me some helpful thoughts.

Here are my questions:

1. I have heard that you can transfer them when they are in their nest box. Should this be done at night, because then I would disturb them, and I'm sure after the ordeal of moving them, they will come out once in the RC and find an entirely new environment! To me this seems stressful to find oneself in a new environment at night in the dark.

2. If I could get up early, and move them before they wake up, then they would be coming out in predawn light. This seems a little better.

3. Often they take afternoon naps in the nest box, so this time might work well, but they don't always, so this might not happen.

4. Any other good options? They don't hang around in my shirt so I can't do that.

Thank you for your thoughts. I know I am one who often overthinks and over analyses everything.... so I need nelp here, but I am excited for their next step. :dance

Seems like you've given this much thought and concern. Good for you.:w00t
I too overthink and then rethink, even after making my final decision. :) :shakehead

You can transfer them over in their nest box, but I would do it in the morning.
Just make sure that you have the top and entrance hole secure. You don't want
one to sneak out before they get to the release cage. :eek

You KNOW we love pictures, so hopefully you can post a couple of your little ones
in their new release cage sometime! :w00t

[island rehabber]

Because of two big reasons: 1) I hate pain from squirrel bites & claws and 2) I have a crazy half-renovated apartment in which a squirrel (or a cow) could get lost in and never be found for years, I have really worked on my techniques for transferring squirrels from one "container" to another :grin3.

Always have a nest box for them in their cage which is wooden and can be easily closed tight for a minute or two while transferring. Cubes, while our babies love them, are very bad for this purpose and should not be the only sleep area for RELEASABLE squirrels. (NR's can have all the soft, cushy cage gear they could ever want. They're not going anywhere.) If I can't take the opportunity of moving the kids while they're napping, or before they get up, I scare them a little bit so they dash into their box. A large black garbage bag is perfect for this: shake it a few times and everyone dives for cover. Then put a thick hand towel (you want a towel because fleece is too slippery) right into the hole or entrance to the nest box, put one hand over that towel/hole and the other on top of the box if it's the ty pe where the roof flips up, and lift the box out of the cage. CAREfully. :grin3

You can then bring them, in their box, to the release cage outside or into a small transfer cage for traveling. I have never had a release site that was closer than 20 miles from my home, so my kids always go into a small, strong travel cage. Some cat carriers are tall enough to accommodate a nest box and that's great, but be sure the squirrels can't chew right through that plastic carrier. You do NOT want to experience a squirrel loose in your car. Trust me on that one.

I hope this helps. Over the years I have gotten good at this -- but prior to wising up, I had disasters on every release day. And I mean DISASTERS. :grin3 :hidechair

[Lighten-Up]

Thank you both for your thoughts!! They have helped me greatly. :hug And yes, it is my nature to think very much over a thing before I do it. Most times it serves me very well, sometimes it makes me a little nutsy.

I have worked hard all day and so this is the first that I could reply. The release cage is complete. Whew. :-) :dance

I intend to move them tomorrow morning, and your input has made me feel much more comfortable doing this. Their nest box has two holes and no flip top, so I shall have to hold towels over both holes. I have a husband helper, as it will have to be unscrewed to release it while I am holding towels over the openings. Does anyone do this by themselves? How would you hold them in, and unscrew the box from the wall?

:-) I'll get some photos.

Thanks again for your help!
I feel so much more at ease.

:serene

[island rehabber]

It's much easier to have a second pair of hands and eyes when transferring squirrels. My BF stands by and holds the cage door open, but ready to slam it shut should anyone escape the box suddenly. Then as soon as I lower the box into the travel cage and pull my hands away, he's there to slam that door shut! He's good that way :grin3.

[Daisey007]

I just realized how differently we move squirrels to the release cage depending on the circumstances. Kind of makes me feel like I've been living in a bubble and out of touch with things around me! I usually move my squirrels with them inside one of my smaller indoor cages directly into the inside of my outdoor enclosure, then I open the smaller cage and release them inside.... it's a big walk-in enclosure. Prior to building the large enclosure, I managed to bring my release cage inside my house and put them directly inside of it -and then took cage with squirrels back outside.

Good luck moving your girls... I know you're excited!

[Nancy in New York]

I just realized how differently we move squirrels to the release cage depending on the circumstances. Kind of makes me feel like I've been living in a bubble and out of touch with things around me! I usually move my squirrels with them inside one of my smaller indoor cages directly into the inside of my outdoor enclosure, then I open the smaller cage and release them inside.... it's a big walk-in enclosure. Prior to building the large enclosure, I managed to bring my release cage inside my house and put them directly inside of it -and then took cage with squirrels back outside.

Good luck moving your girls... I know you're excited!

Oh this is also the perfect method.
I think that anyway we can get them from the inside
out, without an escape, is the perfect solution.

This is how island rehabber transported them from
my house last year.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-gKPxGjZ/0/M/i-gKPxGjZ-M.jpg

Just kidding.....she had a van, not her convertible. :)

[lennysmom]

This is how island rehabber transported them from
my house last year.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-gKPxGjZ/0/M/i-gKPxGjZ-M.jpg



:rofl4

[Daisey007]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Too funny! I LOVE IT!!!

[lukaslolamaus]

Oh this is also the perfect method.
I think that anyway we can get them from the inside
out, without an escape, is the perfect solution.

This is how island rehabber transported them from
my house last year.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-gKPxGjZ/0/M/i-gKPxGjZ-M.jpg

Just kidding.....she had a van, not her convertible. :)

Squirrels prefer to travel in style too:laugh2

[Gardentoes11]

I just moved my Simon to the release cage a couple of days ago, & I stuffed a couple of Tshirts into the 2 holes on his nest box, & he never tried even once to escape. He's a very shy boy, though, & I expected that. I'm sure that wilder babies might not be so cooperative! Screwed the flip top down, & put the whole thing in a big tote with air holes for transport, as my RC is about 20-25 miles away. Simon was a perfectly good boy while my Dad drilled extra holes along the bottom & top lips of the nest box so it could be more easily wired to the RC. I expected him to stay holed up in there for 2 days out of fear & stress, but within 10 min of pulling out the Tshirts, he was poking his head out of the nest box, & by the time I left 4 hrs later, he'd found his water on the floor & his food on the food shelf--so proud of my brave boy! He was transferred mid-afternoon, but he's not a tame squirrel by any means, so it was easy to get him in his nest box at that hour--he dove for it every time I walked in the room. Good luck with your girlies! So exciting!

[Lighten-Up]

The girls are in the RC! :grin2 I wanted to let you all know. It was quite an experience.

5am, I went into their indoor enclosure, it's a 7 foot cube, so there was no way I could carry them in their indoor cage to the outdoor one, that would have been sweet.

At 5am, they heard me, and both popped their heads out of the two holes and lay on the porch, hmmm. But as I approached at that early hour, and climbed the stool that is always in there for the purpose of me getting up high if I need to, they quickly retreated into the nest box. I put two towels over the opening and there was a massive attempt to get out, that subsided within only a minute or two. My soft voice and firm hold on the towels and they quieted.

Husband Helper unscrewed the box from the wall and we carried them out. Put it on the floor, and they did not come out, so I suggested, why not just put it up on the wall 7 foot high in the RC now? Then it will be all done, and they will have an immediate safe place.

Not sure this was the best idea. We attached it in the very dim light. Stepped back. I softly let the girls know they could come out as I took out the towels, and in less than a minute, I witnessed a flying projectile release from the box, :eek OMG, squirrel bolted from nest box with a flying leap into the new place from 7 foot in the air.....flying (gray) squirrel.....OMG landed solidly on a 4 inch thick branch a good 7 foot from the next box and ran to the other side in the dim light. RC is 12 x 12 feet. I thought they would stick their heads out and look around first to get their bearings, no siree. Concerned that the other hole was positioned where no branches were... I stood on the ladder and guarded the hole entrance on that side. In about another minute, :eek squirrel projectile number two was fired from the box like a canon, flying through the air into the unknown while I silently gasped and held my breath for the second time, sleepy, bleary eyed and in partial unbelief that I was actually witnessing this at about 5:30am. It too somehow landed on a branch and ran to another corner.

They stayed near the top, frozen forever it seemed, not moving. I left to do a few things when I realized that my presence did not seem to be adding anything. About and hour later, one squirrel had gone back into the nest box, I'm thinking that was Laurel, she had claimed the nest box previously as her daytime lair. The other, Sassafrass, she is still clinging to the branch that she first went to, she has not moved except to shift position, in about 6 hours. Laurel has not appeared out the nest box since she went in, except to peek out once when I entered to check on them hours ago.

How long should I expect them to be stressed? I can certainly understand why they would feel stress over this change, that is why I was so concerned about moving them. No one has eaten, not that they need to, my husband says they are bigger than the yard squirrels.

Has anyone else experienced a squirrel projectile flying out of a nest box without looking out first? I can certainly understand that if they felt the nest box was unsafe, the best survival tactic would be to flee it, that they did.

Good news, they are safely in the RC, which is on our property, so it is close by and I can check in on them easily. Again, I thank you all for your helpful thoughts, they really did help.

:serene

I appreciate the last few new comments, and laughed at the convertible transport...:laugh2 Seriously - way too funny!

I haven't forgot about photos...I'll have to find my notes on how to do that...and I'm needing to calm myself down from my own adrenaline rush....

[Nancy in New York]

WOW sounds like you've had one heck of a morning.
I have never witnessed that sort of flee from a nest box, :eek but
at least it was successful.
I do wonder when people talk about an escape route in a box in case
of predators, if this is the way they would react. Lord, let's hope so. :w00t

I think it will take a little time, a couple of days most likely, for them to feel comfortable
in the RC. Everything is new; sounds, sights, surroundings etc.

How old are these little ones?
I'm so glad they have each other as well.

Glad this step is over with. It can be one of the most stressful
experiences, IMO when having to transport these little guys, for
them and for YOU. :hug

[Lighten-Up]

Update!

Before I hit the send button on my last update, I went to the RC to see if the situation was the same it was, and I hit send.

Then I went out to spend some time with them, when I entered Laurel was out of the nest box. It's as if she said, "Oh no, she actually contacted TSB about this...."

Laurel went over to where Sassafras was clinging to the branch, and kissed her on the nose. And then Laurel began to explore while Sassafras clung to the branch not moving. After about 25 minutes of Laurel exploring, Sassafras did a 3 foot loop from her position, then about 20 minutes later, a 9 foot loop. Then I saw the spark come back into her, and she began running around exploring the new branches. :grin3

It is really windy today, so there are sounds of tiny tree branches falling and such. Not to mention actually feeling the wind...

Both are going over the entire place while I sit in with them. I am very encouraged, and I just wanted to send off this update.

These girls are 10 months going on 11 months old.

[Nancy in New York]

Update!

Before I hit the send button on my last update, I went to the RC to see if the situation was the same it was, and I hit send.

Then I went out to spend some time with them, when I entered Laurel was out of the nest box. It's as if she said, "Oh no, she actually contacted TSB about this...."

Laurel went over to where Sassafras was clinging to the branch, and kissed her on the nose. And then Laurel began to explore while Sassafras clung to the branch not moving. After about 25 minutes of Laurel exploring, Sassafras did a 3 foot loop from her position, then about 20 minutes later, a 9 foot loop. Then I saw the spark come back into her, and she began running around exploring the new branches. :grin3

It is really windy today, so there are sounds of tiny tree branches falling and such. Not to mention actually feeling the wind...

Both are going over the entire place while I sit in with them. I am very encouraged, and I just wanted to send off this update.

These girls are 10 months going on 11 months old.

I'm happy to see this update! :w00t
It's wonderful how they learn from each other and gain confidence.
These two little ones should do great, especially with a MOM like you!
You opened up a whole new world to these little ones, thank you! :hug

[Daisey007]

Congratulations on the successful transfer!! Now you will wear out a path between your house and theirs!! :Love_Icon