Please! What is this behavior, illness??

[Snicker Bar]

I'm the one who recently posted about the mice visiting at night- now I'm paranoid something has happened to one of my three non releases , Snickers. She seemed fine earlier today- I was cleaning their room, randomly passing out hickory nuts to keep them entertained while I swept and changed the bedding in their large outdoor porch. But tonight, when I reached in her hanging bed to get her for routine cuddle time, she is not right- she's acting paranoid, spastic? Hypersensitive, like she's extreme to spooked about something ?! She won't even take a piece of pecan - never turns them down. I brought her into our bathroom to let her run around; at first I wondered if she was blind (she doesn't consistently blink when I motion at each eye)? But she seems to know where I'm standing , and goes to my legs and climbs up me- sniffing frantically; just all nervous and freaky, so out of character. Could a bad nut have caused some kind of freak toxicity?? She doesn't feel hot; no other outward signs of disease. And she has always been the alpha female, so I doubt her sisters have caused this. What should I do?? I'm thinking minimally, of bringing her in for the night in her large , rarely used ( but familiar) cage and a cozy cube. I'm so worried; I love them all, but Snickers is my first- and she's got a special bond the others don't have with me. Any thoughts , ideas, suggestions welcome :( just not acting herself at all

[HRT4SQRLS]

Could she be in heat? I don't know how old she is.

It's really hard to know what causes a squirrel to change their behavior. They can get all spastic and alarm endlessly for no apparent reason. Something sets them off but it's a total mystery. Is it possible that she's paranoid about the hickory nut? They get pretty weird when a nut is involved.

I wouldn't worry about the not blinking. When they get fixated on something it's like they can't blink. I took one for an eye exam. She didn't blink one time as a bright light was shining in her eye. She had the 'deer in the headlights' stare.
Couldn't blink an eye. :tilt

It certainly wouldn't hurt to bring her in. I'm sure it would make you feel better. Hopefully tomorrow she will be back to normal.

One other thing, you didn't change soap or lotion did you? Different smells really set them off. Just a thought.

[Snicker Bar]

Sorry for delay, I was setting her up; and thank you so much for quick reply. I had the cage doors open and cube just hung, and left only long enough to get food and water- and she had already put herself to bed. When I handed her some tissues she frantically grabbed them and started a new nest- at least that is a familiar sight! Maybe it's those $&!?'! blasted mice- I worked three hours today; closing any openings I could find- they may be trying to run her out of her own hammock bed who knows, maybe that's the source of this- it was just such a freak change I worried she had some sort of brain trauma! But she's safe with me in the house- I'm going to start taking up all leftovers I can find in the evenings and set them down for their fat bunny roommate , so the mice will not have a buffet to lure them back. I'll give an update tomorrow ; thanks for reassuring maybe not a serious thing after all

[Duckman]

It could be something as simple as a new smell that spooked her, or it might be the mice (although that is doubtful, since mice don't bother squirrels because of the size difference. If it was a sewer rat, that would spook her and fit the behavior). I wouldn't worry too much about it unless this becomes normal all the time. I had one of mine spook off a flash of light (headlights) coming in from outside. Once I closed off the source, he never got spooked again.

[island rehabber]

Over the years and some 250 squirrels going in and out of this apartment, I can tell you the things that most horrifically freaked out a squirrel in my experience:

*the dishwasher (One 10-wk old just went catatonic on me; her heart rate was off the charts and she stared into space...then began alarming for over half an hour...:drama)

*helicopter passing overhead

*the sight of a very large tanker ship going down the Sound, visible out their window. One started alarming and chukk-ing and then they all joined in :shakehead

*waking one up late at night (12:30am) from a sound sleep to "say goodnight to him" when we came in late from a party. He was NOT amused, and screamed, barked and growled for half an hour! To this day I refrain from ever waking up a sleeping squirrel, and I am amazed at the people around here who do this regularly, as my guy was truly panicked.

Hope this helps a little.

[Snicker Bar]

Wow, I had no idea they could be so sensitive to sounds and sights...catatonic from dishwasher??? That had to be frightful to both of you?! Her appetite isn't great today but the spastic head turning, sniffing and darting is gone. She seems much more content in that cage with a cube it seems , for the time being at least. I held her in my lap for over an hour today ( while in the cozy cube) and she finally relaxed and do her reverse pancake for tummy/armpit petting) . She also nibbled and groomed my fingers and hand ...so I'm relieved now. I just now let her out for some exercise in the "woods" (big wired porch habitat) and she seems normal :) I guess my hard work on the vermin prevention paid off; not a single sign of the mice. The gaurd bunny enjoyed the leftovers instead of the mice. I will definitely keep close watch to see if this is a consistent pattern, but after reading your experiences, I feel kind of silly for overreacting ! I probably just startled her - I won't ever wake her again. And will probably just keep her in at night regardless ; she seemed to like the extra pampered bed accommodations ! Thanks again!