Are they fat??

[cava]

I feel like I am literally watching these two 7-8 month old squirrels getting fatter by the day. Frances is fatter than Basil, but they have fat thighs, butt tuffs above the thigh, shoulder fat, neck fat. I can't tell if I'm looking at super puffy fur areas or fat and I can't touch them long enough to investigate.

They get HHB's and lots of veggies twice a day, a couple of grape halves with each plate of veggies and one nut a day, split into pieces as a reward for getting back in the cage. There is always food left over when I feed them again (except for the fruit and avocado.)

They started getting avocado bits with each veg salad a couple of weeks ago. Is the extra fat making them fat?

I figured it was ok to let them beef up a couple of months prior to release--give them a head start. And the squirrels outside seem fat too, so is this just a winter coat?

Let me know if I'm overreacting. I just want to make sure they are in optimal shape for release soon. Thanks!

[Scott]

Cava, you know a lot more about this than I do, but if you have seen any of Pinkie's recent pictures she is an elephant.

[cava]

Scott, I haven't been on much lately, but I'll check your photos out straight away. My two are acting perfectly normal (for them) and have a LOT of energy, so I think they are just transitioning from skinny kids to husky teenagers. :grin2

[Rhapsody]

Sounds like they may just have their Winter coats on..... my Marvin goes from fat looking in the Winter to a slimmer sexy boy come Summer.

[SammysMom]

You mean like these clowns? They are just fine and will slim down to the perfect weight once released in the Spring!

[Lighten-Up]

SammysMom, those pictures are precious!!

Cava,
I remember that sometime between fall and winter last year, my two went from athletic squirrel to fat squirrels in less than a week. It was so dramatic a change, I was concerned and posted on the board. I learned that it was a seasonal thing. Everyone else said their squirrels were fat now too.

I know that it is important that they are not "unhealthy fat" and that was my concern as the squirrel nutrition chart emphasizes that they never get a bad kind of fat, so my indicator was that they were still lightning fast when they wanted to move somewhere, so because of that, I felt they had healthy winter fat, not debilitating too fat to move fat. :-) Hope that helps.

[cava]

Ok, #1 HOLY CRAP, THOSE FATTIES!! I love the pics and yes, like THAT!! I fear Frances's neck is going to swallow her face, like an uncumcised...:nono

#2 Thank you for the info. I'm glad I'm not the only one. At first I thought, oh it's just "lady" fat, then I looked at him hunched over gobbling dinner and thought, no it's an obesity epidemic and I have to check TSB to make sure I'm not feeding them to death.

Thanks for putting my mind at ease you guys!!