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View Full Version : Doesn't want to eat block (and other q's)



teganlee
03-07-2017, 03:14 PM
My baby Gray is about 9 weeks old now and he's still pretty disinterested in block. He nibbles a little here and there but doesn't eat much. Admittedly, I've given him some other snacks - very sparingly - a little shaved carrot, a piece of apple, a pecan - and he was excited about all of those things (though couldn't chew well and mostly just sucked on them.) Is it okay that it's taking so long?

Also - I bought him an outdoor cage to start getting acclimated to but my friend says the openings are too wide and he'll hurt himself. (Bars are about thumb's-width apart.) Must I cover the whole thing in some kind of hardware mesh? (pic attached)

He has a ton of energy these days and I've been keeping him in a cat carrier and letting him run around the house when I'm home but I think he needs more space.

Also any tips on de-fleaing?

And what can I give him for toys? He needs chew toys I think.

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HRT4SQRLS
03-07-2017, 07:50 PM
Hi teganlee... Has your baby been on formula? If not he really needs to be. Unfortunately he is reaching the age when he would soon be self weaning.

Yeah, the snacks are a problem. I wouldn't give a baby pecans at all. They do love them but if they get hooked on nuts they won't want to eat anything healthy. I would give only the block. When he gets hungry enough he will eat it. After he's eating the block, healthy veggies can be offered.

I just wanted to make sure you knew why nuts are so bad for squirrels. Nuts are high phosphorus foods. A diet high in phosphorus (like nuts, seeds and corn) causes calcium to be leeched from the bones. This can cause Metabolic Bone Disease which is fatal if untreated. It's best to avoid this so a healthy diet must stop start when they are babies.

It might take tough love if baby resists the healthy foods.

Let me get the link for the healthy diet. http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

A drop of kitten Revolution between the shoulders will get rid of the flea. You have to get it at a vets office and I think it's too expensive so a warm bath in Dawn dish washing soap will kill the fleas. Make sure you rinse it thoroughly and keep the baby warm afterwards.

The recommended bar spacing is 1/2 inch. Wider bar spacing can cause serious injuries if they get their head though the bars. I put fleece on the bottom and shelves of my cages. Your baby would need some type of nest box or hanging fleece pouch or cube for sleeping in. The small wooden cockatiel boxes at PetsMart or similar stores work well for babies. They are NOT predator proof and can't be used outside the cage. When I have used a box like this I drill a couple holes in the back of the box and attach it inside the cage with bolts, washers and nuts. When squirrels get older they get sorta crazy bouncing around a cage and I'm always fearful they will bounce the box off of a shelf and get injured so therefore I secure the small nest box.

Baby squirrels like small stuffed animals. (No buttons on the eyes) They will roll and play with them like a kitten. :)

stepnstone
03-07-2017, 07:59 PM
My baby Gray is about 9 weeks old now and he's still pretty disinterested in block. He nibbles a little here and there but doesn't eat much. Admittedly, I've given him some other snacks - very sparingly - a little shaved carrot, a piece of apple, a pecan - and he was excited about all of those things (though couldn't chew well and mostly just sucked on them.) Is it okay that it's taking so long?

Also - I bought him an outdoor cage to start getting acclimated to but my friend says the openings are too wide and he'll hurt himself. (Bars are about thumb's-width apart.) Must I cover the whole thing in some kind of hardware mesh? (pic attached)
He has a ton of energy these days and I've been keeping him in a cat carrier and letting him run around the house when I'm home but I think he needs more space.
Also any tips on de-fleaing?
And what can I give him for toys? He needs chew toys I think.


Is he still on formula, if so what kind have you been feeding? If he were still with momma he would
still be nursing.
- A good quality rodent block should be the first solid food introduced and they should be eating it and
eating it well before ANY other foods are introduced. Starting out giving any nuts at this age is a big
mistake that will cause dietatary conflict with eating a healthy diet.
- The bar spacing on your cage does appear too wide, recommended bar spacing is no more then 1/2 inch.
One does not want the bar spacing wide to where they are able to chew on the bars as this can and does
injure the structure of their teeth and causes serious malformations that can jeopardize the life of the squirrel.
- To kill the fleas you can wipe him down with a damp cloth of orignal Dawn unscented dish soap to kill the fleas
or treat with 1-2 single drops of revolution kitten flea formula between the shoulder blades.
- Squirrels like small stuff toys to wrestle and play with. No beenie babies or other stuffed toys with beads in them,
no toys with the plastic eyes they could choke on unless you remove them first. Fresh branches or twigs are very
advisable for them to chew as well as deer antler and (bird) cuttle bone.