AnonDeplume
09-20-2016, 11:56 AM
Hello all. My name is Kel and i'm from the UK.
I am a 2 week lurker, first time poster, and can I first just say how wonderful this board has been, and your members are smashing! :grin2
So two weeks ago, my mum heard a horrible squealing noise in her kitchen. This went on for two days, and it was scaring her three cats. Eventually she found the source.. a baby squirrel behind the fridge.
It is a complete mystery how he got there. If the cats had brought him in, he'd have been dead. We are in an urban inner city area filled with cats.
My neighbour found a large squirrel tail in her back garden and assumed this might have been mum.. but this still doesn't explain how he made it past three cats and two doors into mums kitchen. :confused:
Anyway, I have experience fostering orphaned rats, so I was lucky enough not to be diving into this completely blind. He was warmed up, given pedialyte, started on Royal Canin baby dog formula every 2.5hrs, and has spent the last two weeks making me run the this forum for info every three minutes, lol. He is absolutely fine, and the change in him is crazy.
His name is Wilson. <3
He now has three formula feeds a day 15-20ml at 8am/2pm and about 10pm but he will only take it if it has 1/8th of a farleys baby rusk in it. He hates the taste. Is this okay?
He has his bottom teeth and his top teeth were already coming through when we found him. He will chew on rat nuggets (pets at home) but doesn't eat them properly, and I can't tempt him.
Wilson hs eaten every fruit and veggie we have offered him, and we like our fruit and veg. He also has a nut a day because I was told too many nuts can harm them(?)
I have given him some cuttlefish bone, but he mostly ignores it. He completely ignores the water bottle I have given him and prefers to drink from my cupped hand.
My main worries are that he's not getting enough calcium and refusing his rat nuggets, that I'm struggling to find UK specific foods and products for squirrels, and that he's not drinking enough.
His pee is clear. His poop is soft well formed pellets. His eyes and ears are clean. He has been bathed in a little puppy safe shampoo as he had fleas but these are now gone. He plays all the time, and has recently moved into a massive cage that dominates my front room filled with Maple branch, toys, and boces to chew on.. but he loves to snuggle with his teddy in the squirrel-safe nest I made him most.
He's alert and friendly, loves the sound of his own voice, and chunters away all the time, even while eating.
He loves mutual grooming (which my rats did) and is always (so far) careful with his teeth while playfighting.
He had his eyes open when he was found, but I am not 100% certain how old he is.. Can anyone give me a rough idea?
He's gone from;
3.9oz or 110.5 grams to
5.7oz or 161.5 grams
In two weeks.
I think he's okay, but I need constructive criticism, advice, comments.. especially UK-related.
Sorry for the essay. Thank you so much.
Xxx
(Then Vs Now pics: First pic of him his eyes are closed because he was so exhausted, but he did have his eyes wide open. Second pic is today.)
http://s1266.photobucket.com/user/anon_deplume/library/Mobile%20Uploads?sort=3&page=1
I am a 2 week lurker, first time poster, and can I first just say how wonderful this board has been, and your members are smashing! :grin2
So two weeks ago, my mum heard a horrible squealing noise in her kitchen. This went on for two days, and it was scaring her three cats. Eventually she found the source.. a baby squirrel behind the fridge.
It is a complete mystery how he got there. If the cats had brought him in, he'd have been dead. We are in an urban inner city area filled with cats.
My neighbour found a large squirrel tail in her back garden and assumed this might have been mum.. but this still doesn't explain how he made it past three cats and two doors into mums kitchen. :confused:
Anyway, I have experience fostering orphaned rats, so I was lucky enough not to be diving into this completely blind. He was warmed up, given pedialyte, started on Royal Canin baby dog formula every 2.5hrs, and has spent the last two weeks making me run the this forum for info every three minutes, lol. He is absolutely fine, and the change in him is crazy.
His name is Wilson. <3
He now has three formula feeds a day 15-20ml at 8am/2pm and about 10pm but he will only take it if it has 1/8th of a farleys baby rusk in it. He hates the taste. Is this okay?
He has his bottom teeth and his top teeth were already coming through when we found him. He will chew on rat nuggets (pets at home) but doesn't eat them properly, and I can't tempt him.
Wilson hs eaten every fruit and veggie we have offered him, and we like our fruit and veg. He also has a nut a day because I was told too many nuts can harm them(?)
I have given him some cuttlefish bone, but he mostly ignores it. He completely ignores the water bottle I have given him and prefers to drink from my cupped hand.
My main worries are that he's not getting enough calcium and refusing his rat nuggets, that I'm struggling to find UK specific foods and products for squirrels, and that he's not drinking enough.
His pee is clear. His poop is soft well formed pellets. His eyes and ears are clean. He has been bathed in a little puppy safe shampoo as he had fleas but these are now gone. He plays all the time, and has recently moved into a massive cage that dominates my front room filled with Maple branch, toys, and boces to chew on.. but he loves to snuggle with his teddy in the squirrel-safe nest I made him most.
He's alert and friendly, loves the sound of his own voice, and chunters away all the time, even while eating.
He loves mutual grooming (which my rats did) and is always (so far) careful with his teeth while playfighting.
He had his eyes open when he was found, but I am not 100% certain how old he is.. Can anyone give me a rough idea?
He's gone from;
3.9oz or 110.5 grams to
5.7oz or 161.5 grams
In two weeks.
I think he's okay, but I need constructive criticism, advice, comments.. especially UK-related.
Sorry for the essay. Thank you so much.
Xxx
(Then Vs Now pics: First pic of him his eyes are closed because he was so exhausted, but he did have his eyes wide open. Second pic is today.)
http://s1266.photobucket.com/user/anon_deplume/library/Mobile%20Uploads?sort=3&page=1