Introduction, a Thank You, and a Question

[sio2_h2o]

First, I wanted to introduce myself as a new member, but "lurker" for several months. :-) Several months ago we found that a squirrel nest in our backyard oak tree had been dragged down the branch and been shredded on the ground at the trunk. Miraculously, two babies were on the ground, still alive, but cold. We brought them inside and I immediately hit the internet to find out what to do. I was lucky enough to find The Squirrel Board, and found immediate info about what to do. Long story short, we weren't successful in reuniting them with mom, couldn't find a rehabber in the area who had room for two more one-week-olds, and so we decided to take on the challenge. We now have two healthy and happy 11-week-old Eastern Grey girls, and they literally owe their lives to you for all the great advice I was able to glean, even without joining.

Now, we're at the point of needing to prepare to release them, and I'm having a little trouble figuring out a few things. So, I joined the group (finally) so I could ask some specific questions. First, I'm finding a wide range of advice on the correct age for release. A lot of it seems to be based on location, and that makes sense, considering the varied climate. I am in central Texas, so hot, dry summers, mild falls, and winters ranging from freezing to spring-like. My girls are around 11-weeks-old (best estimate), on the way to weaning, although they still take a little formula several times a day, and eating a variety of foods. They are currently in a large ferret cage with "play time" outside the cage in a "child proofed" room, complete with tall "cat tree" climbing apparatus, several hours each day. They are quick, climbing, jumping, playing with each other, etc. Their behavior seems very similar to what we see in the wild squirrels in the area. We are working on a 4 foot x 4 foot x 6 foot outside cage that should be ready by the end of the week. Our plan was to slowly introduce them to the outside cage in place of indoor "play time" until they were spending days, and then nights outside. Have I interpreted that correctly as the best way to acclimate them to the outside world?

Assuming we get them living outside in the 4x4x6 cage, at what age should we release? Additional info, there are other squirrels in the area, as there are a lot of oaks in the neighborhood. Our plan is to eventually add an "escape hatch" to the cage and let them choose to go in and out, and keep providing food and water in the cage as long as needed. My concern is giving them that freedom before they're ready. We are willing to do whatever is best for the squirrels, and would appreciate advice on the best age, given the time of year. When does it become too late to release, and best to keep them caged until the next spring?

Sorry to ramble, and for so many questions! Thanks in advance for advice, suggestions, and correction you can give!

[island rehabber]

:Welcome Sounds as if you have a very good grasp of the "soft release" process for squirrels.
I can't write a lot right now, but others may chime in and give you more useful info. Spring babies, which yours are, really have a better time of it than summer babies so yours can most likely be out in the wild by mid-June, no problem.

[Mel1959]

Welcome! :Welcome Congratulations on raising two healthy squees!

I will share some info about how I handled the release of my two boys. First, it's best to wait until they are at least 16 weeks old before releasing. Most folks place them in the release cage for 2-4 weeks before releasing. My boys were 6 months old before they went to the release cage and they were in the release cage for 2 months. I had a large release cage (8x8x8) with lots of tree limbs to climb on and they didn't seem to mind being in there. I released them the middle of September, but I live in Central Florida. We don't have much cold weather to worry about.

We built our release cage around the only oak tree we have in our backyard. We placed the portal at the top of the cage right by the trunk of the tree. This made it very easy and safe for them to come and go from the release cage. We placed two nest boxes inside the release cage so they could get used to both of them. Just before we were ready to release them we moved one of the boxes up into the oak tree and mounted it. This way they had a place to sleep if they decided to "really" leave when the portal was opened. Or, they could come back to the release cage and there was a box there for them. They came back to the cage for a few days. If they come back to the release cage you need to close the portal at night so they are safe from predators and then open it again first thing in the morning.

My guys still sleep together in their box in the oak tree almost every night and come for treats daily.

Good luck! If you have other questions dont hesitate to ask. I have attached a couple pictures of our release cage. Sorry the one pic is sideways. :sanp3

[sio2_h2o]

Thanks so much to both of you for the advice. I love the idea of building the release cage around the oak tree! Ours is still in the "construction" phase, so I'll see if that would work for us.

A follow-up question . . . you said that you didn't put them into the release cage until 6 months. How large was your inside cage? We have the two in a 2' x 3' x 4' ferret cage inside right now and they seem to be getting antsy to get out quite a bit. We are able to let them out for a few hours each day, and more on the weekends, but we both work, so they have to stay caged during the day. We were thinking it would be a good idea to let them stay in the release cage outside while we are at work. They are about 11 weeks now and we would slowly acclimate them to the outside cage over several weeks before just leaving them out there. Is that too young to be left outside all day?
Thanks!

[Mel1959]

Thanks so much to both of you for the advice. I love the idea of building the release cage around the oak tree! Ours is still in the "construction" phase, so I'll see if that would work for us.

A follow-up question . . . you said that you didn't put them into the release cage until 6 months. How large was your inside cage? We have the two in a 2' x 3' x 4' ferret cage inside right now and they seem to be getting antsy to get out quite a bit. We are able to let them out for a few hours each day, and more on the weekends, but we both work, so they have to stay caged during the day. We were thinking it would be a good idea to let them stay in the release cage outside while we are at work. They are about 11 weeks now and we would slowly acclimate them to the outside cage over several weeks before just leaving them out there. Is that too young to be left outside all day?
Thanks!

Our inside cage was 2x4x6. We took them out several times a day for supervised play. It was on wheels so when we were ready to begin the transition, I would wheel the cage to our covered screen patio during the day for a week or so. Then I started leaving the cage on the patio at night. Once we put them in the release cage we didn't bring them back into the house. I would think that it might be difficult and confusing to allow them to be in the release cage during the day and then bring them in at night.

My guys actually went to a release cage initially at about 4 mths old. I was going to have a friend release them at her property which wasn't close to me. I couldn't bare the thought of never seeing them again so after a week I went and retrieved them. So mine did come back inside at that point because my husband had to build the release cage. That's why they were so much older going into the release cage for good.

Every squirrel, and situation, is different. What's important is that your guys are old enough and capable enough to navigate the increased size of a release cage. Our boys were proficient jumpers because we had a lot of free space in the inside cage, as well as the time they spent using us as trees to practice on.

I've attached a picture of our inside cage setup.

[cava]

Could you let them be out there during the day and safely transport them indoors around dinner and let them sleep inside?

What is your spring weather like right now?

Where will your cage be in relation to your house and what kind of shade/rain protection will you have?

I think the longer you let them have days in the cage, the shorter your actual release cage time will be because they will have gotten used to the sights and sounds outside.

The rule is to let them wean off the formula naturally and not to force them. Are they still taking syringes or drinking it out of a dish? What solids are you feeding?

I read a lot of questions about releasing age and the consensus seemed to be 16 weeks but with a lot of RC time.

I think putting them in there during the day, weather permitting with food and cubes/nest box is a great idea. Careful not to lose one during transfers!

My cage is 4x4x7 and right outside the back door on a deck.287362

[sio2_h2o]

Yes, as strange as it sounds, they are fine to let me wrap them up in the tail of my t-shirt to transport them between their inside cage and the "play room," so I think they will be fine going between the outside cage and the inside. If not, we do have a large pet carrier that can be used.
One of them has completely given up the formula within the last two days. The other still takes formula from a syringe, but less and less each day. This is what the first started doing less than a week before she completely stopped taking it, so I think they will both be weaned within 3-4 days. Both are eating a large variety of foods from the "calcium rich" lists I've seen on this site and others. (We joke that they eat much healthier than we do! :-)
The outside cage setup is similar to yours. We have a large covered patio off the back door. The edge of the patio is close to the large oak tree where they were born. This seemed like a good setup to keep them dry and out of the wind, and then later have a safe trip between cage and tree. (Cage comes right up to wooden beams on underside of patio roof. Beams lead to branches of oak with less than a foot jump between them.)
Weather here is warm during the day and a little cooler at night. It is still possible to have a cold front come through at this point, but by release time that threat will be over.
Honestly, we're not trying to speed up the release time, just keep them happy and healthy during the day when we can't be home to take them out of the cage. If it helps the later transition, that's great, but that can take as long as it takes. I have just found such a wide range of "best age to release" information that I was hoping to narrow things down a bit based on our climate and time of year so we had a better idea of when to progress through each step. I very much appreciate the advice! This helps a lot. :-)

[sio2_h2o]

Sorry, I forgot one more question. Any suggestions on where to buy the next box? I see pine and cedar available . . . is there a preference? Thanks!

[TubeDriver]

Cedar has been associated with pulmonary inflammation so you might want to avoid that.


Sorry, I forgot one more question. Any suggestions on where to buy the next box? I see pine and cedar available . . . is there a preference? Thanks!

[Eva]

First, I wanted to introduce myself as a new member, but "lurker" for several months. :-) Several months ago we found that a squirrel nest in our backyard oak tree had been dragged down the branch and been shredded on the ground at the trunk. Miraculously, two babies were on the ground, still alive, but cold. We brought them inside and I immediately hit the internet to find out what to do. I was lucky enough to find The Squirrel Board, and found immediate info about what to do. Long story short, we weren't successful in reuniting them with mom, couldn't find a rehabber in the area who had room for two more one-week-olds, and so we decided to take on the challenge. We now have two healthy and happy 11-week-old Eastern Grey girls, and they literally owe their lives to you for all the great advice I was able to glean, even without joining.

Now, we're at the point of needing to prepare to release them, and I'm having a little trouble figuring out a few things. So, I joined the group (finally) so I could ask some specific questions. First, I'm finding a wide range of advice on the correct age for release. A lot of it seems to be based on location, and that makes sense, considering the varied climate. I am in central Texas, so hot, dry summers, mild falls, and winters ranging from freezing to spring-like. My girls are around 11-weeks-old (best estimate), on the way to weaning, although they still take a little formula several times a day, and eating a variety of foods. They are currently in a large ferret cage with "play time" outside the cage in a "child proofed" room, complete with tall "cat tree" climbing apparatus, several hours each day. They are quick, climbing, jumping, playing with each other, etc. Their behavior seems very similar to what we see in the wild squirrels in the area. We are working on a 4 foot x 4 foot x 6 foot outside cage that should be ready by the end of the week. Our plan was to slowly introduce them to the outside cage in place of indoor "play time" until they were spending days, and then nights outside. Have I interpreted that correctly as the best way to acclimate them to the outside world?

Assuming we get them living outside in the 4x4x6 cage, at what age should we release? Additional info, there are other squirrels in the area, as there are a lot of oaks in the neighborhood. Our plan is to eventually add an "escape hatch" to the cage and let them choose to go in and out, and keep providing food and water in the cage as long as needed. My concern is giving them that freedom before they're ready. We are willing to do whatever is best for the squirrels, and would appreciate advice on the best age, given the time of year. When does it become too late to release, and best to keep them caged until the next spring?

Sorry to ramble, and for so many questions! Thanks in advance for advice, suggestions, and correction you can give!

Hello All,

My name is Eva. I live in the Santa Cruz mountains with my husband. I'm volunteering with the Native Animal Rescue (NAR) organizations; Two weeks ago I attended a squirrel rehab training and one week later they called me to foster 1 male and 1 female 5 week old grey squirrels. I'm a little exhausted but I'm finding the work to be pure joy. I need help finding a GOOD & SAFE nest box. I'd prefer to order it online. Does anyone have a good resource. Thanking you in advance.

[stosh2010]

]Yes, as strange as it sounds, they are fine to let me wrap them up in the tail of my t-shirt to transport them between their inside cage and the "play room," so I think they will be fine going between the outside cage and the inside. If not, we do have a large pet carrier that can be used.


PLEASE------------
Be warned that OUTSIDE sounds and smells....are very unique and different from any interior smells--.will stimulate your squirrel's senses....and they will BOLT...
and you will be heartbroken !!
Your shirt will not keep them contained....for sure.
Please use a carrier and be safe----and INSURE A SAFE TRANSPORT TO YOUR RELEASE CAGE....





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[stosh2010]

Two things I did for my release cage:
1- I had a half-cover on top of the cage--because rain is normal and it gave them a little protection from bad weather. I know they will experience rain in the wild, but with less options inside the cage for cover...my sloped half cover directed some of the rain away from the cage doors.
2- the portal door--when you finally open it--should be just large enough for a squirrel. I used 4in by 4in.
That allows your squirrels to run back in, if being chased by bird or beast...and not allow the chaser to get inside.
I also found a good branch and screwed it to the tree, so that it ternminated just 4 inches from the portal door, allowing a speedy re-entry is ever necessary.