Squee Not Wilding Up?

[DarkLies212]

Long story short.

I took in a squirrel raised as a pet. He had been cuddled and coddled his whole (short) life and loves loves love human attention. He was released with Momma 1, but never left and started scaring neighbors (I think). He was captured and brought to me to put into the RC (diet wasn't bad before, so that wasn't a worry).

Fast forward 3 weeks later to now and he's still sweet and gentle - even to the hubby and me. When the hubby went to feed him this morning, Dude pulled an Ambrose and LAID on the hubby's hand during breakfast time! :eek

I released 2 others earlier this year who live in the area and have 2 more in addition to him that I'll be releasing in a few weeks. This is going to sound crazy, but I know y'all know what I'm talking about when I say that I don't feel that he's anywhere near ready. He hasn't told me he is like just about every other release has.

Wouldn't living outside for over a month and being free for about a week cause him to at least start wilding up? I'm worried about him..

[Nancy in New York]

Long story short.

I took in a squirrel raised as a pet. He had been cuddled and coddled his whole (short) life and loves loves love human attention. He was released with Momma 1, but never left and started scaring neighbors (I think). He was captured and brought to me to put into the RC (diet wasn't bad before, so that wasn't a worry).

Fast forward 3 weeks later to now and he's still sweet and gentle - even to the hubby and me. When the hubby went to feed him this morning, Dude pulled an Ambrose and LAID on the hubby's hand during breakfast time! :eek

I released 2 others earlier this year who live in the area and have 2 more in addition to him that I'll be releasing in a few weeks. This is going to sound crazy, but I know y'all know what I'm talking about when I say that I don't feel that he's anywhere near ready. He hasn't told me he is like just about every other release has.

Wouldn't living outside for over a month and being free for about a week cause him to at least start wilding up? I'm worried about him..

Plain and simple, I really don't think they ALL want release.
Once in a great while you'll get one that is so content and loves the
life they have.
I would never force him to leave, if he isn't ready.
How old is he?
Maybe he needs more time. :thinking
Poor confused little peanut. :(
I'm glad he has YOU!

[DarkLies212]

Plain and simple, I really don't think they ALL want release.
Once in a great while you'll get one that is so content and loves the
life they have.
I would never force him to leave, if he isn't ready.
How old is he?
Maybe he needs more time. :thinking
Poor confused little peanut. :(
I'm glad he has YOU!

Constant nutritious food all day, snacks, multiple fluffy sleeping areas while in the climate controlled indoors, medical attention, loving attention, enrichment - I wouldn't go anywhere either if I got stuck in a cage outside! :grin2 Funny you say that because the hubby DID compare Dude to Ambrose and Buster.

I'm not sure how old he is, but he looks grown. I definitely will give him all the time he needs and not force him, just worried about him. Unless he tells me he's ready, I just can't open that door.

What is it with these Southern Boys not wanting to leave home? :hissyfit

[lennysmom]

Constant nutritious food all day, snacks, multiple fluffy sleeping areas while in the climate controlled indoors, medical attention, loving attention, enrichment - I wouldn't go anywhere either if I got stuck in a cage outside! :grin2 Funny you say that because the hubby DID compare Dude to Ambrose and Buster.

I'm not sure how old he is, but he looks grown. I definitely will give him all the time he needs and not force him, just worried about him. Unless he tells me he's ready, I just can't open that door.

What is it with these Southern Boys not wanting to leave home? :hissyfit

Oh I think the southern boys just tend to be mama's boys!:grin2 Every boy I've ever rehabbed has been a real sweetie and then I have one 3 1/2 year old boy that still runs and hides in my robe wanting to be held when something upsets him.:shakehead:Love_Icon
I'm so thankful that you are going to give that boy all the time he needs.. he may just wild up more slowly, or he may never want to be released.. either way, he is a blessed boy to have landed in the care of someone so patient who will listen to his needs.:hug

[Jen413]

Aww....what spoiled little boy ever wants to leave home? It's kind of funny because I was just telling Sammy last night (Almost 10 months now) that I'm so glad he still has no desire to be a wild boy! He's still just as tame as ever. Now he doesn't want just anyone holding him still but he will sit on just about anyone at any time. I do believe that some (a very rare some) are content to live in a climate controlled, food bowl runneth over, room with a nice view and comfy bed kind of life!! :Love_Icon In Sammy's case I'm definitely okay with that! And I agree that you have to listen to what they are telling you.

[lukaslolamaus]

He sounds like a special boy:Love_Icon
Toby :Love_Iconwas always a happy boy indoors, whenever I would roll his cage on the porch he would get upset and wanted to be rolled back inside and of course I did. Missing my precious Toby :Love_Icon so very much.

[DarkLies212]

My mother visited Dude today. She went alone and they've never met. This squirrel allowed her to pet him! And didn't growl or anything :shakehead

Outside for 6+ weeks, free for a week of that time period and he's still acting like this. :shakehead He gets no attention aside from food in the morning and checking on him when I get home from work.

I can't imagine if he doesn't go.... 4 adult squirrels in the house :hidechair

Mr. DarkLies said at this rate, I'm going to have to stop taking them in totally :hissyfit He knows his only option if he's ever serious about that though :grin2

[Jen413]

Aww!! Yeah that's a lot of NR's to have under one roof! I'm struggling with a guilty conscience over equal out of cage time with Sammy and the little girl I'm baby sitting!! She growls at Sammy so I don't trust letting them out together.

[DarkLies212]

Still nothing after almost 3 months outside. :tap

Just got word that his first mom will be able to take him back in July IF he chooses so. :dance

[TubeDriver]

He has been outside in a release cage for three months? Have you tried opening up the portal during the day? Maybe he will wild up if he starts climbing the trees and has some interaction with wilds? My sweet boy Max will jump on us and sit on our shoulder or arm but he also clearly loves being outside in the trees. Seems like there are generally three types of squirrels

1) Can't wait to ditch you and be free outside

2) Still likes their human parents but wants freedom outside

3) the rare bird who really does just wants an inside, pampered life.

[Chickenlegs]

Look at Sweeper's Baby. The "wild" terrified her. She came in after momths outside for a medical issue and that was that. She rarely even goes near the windows.

[DarkLies212]

Whenever the doors are opened to feed him he takes his food and runs into the cage. We've even opened one entire side of the cage (the front is 2 large doors to get in/out in emergencies and cleanouts) and he never even ventured outside of the cage. :tap

Mom 1 mentioned he wasn't fond of being outdoors before and didn't really leave home.

I don't have that many squirrels in my yard. In fact, though I've released 4-5 here in the past few months, I haven't seen any in weeks (though the food is eaten). They're probably all in the woods behind the house..

CL - him being terrified and getting hurt is what worries me. Living by all the woods that I do...I'm afraid that he'll get hurt or snatched up by something if he's not really wild.

Why can't they all just be good girls and boys and do what they're supposed to :hissyfit

He really reminds me of Ambrose. He lived outside for months and months and never showed any interest of wilding up or trying to mingle with the others.

[Diggie's Friend]

I had my funny bone quota for the day tickled on this thread!

Ok, how old is he?

It may be that once his male hormones reach their height at the rut things may change, even so for now he is Mamma's Papa's boy, etc. etc... . My two cents worth is that he might make a super educational animal.

How is he with food, is he dominant, or is he as laid back? If he gets food on demand, you would need to retrain him out of that habit, for in the wild if a squirrel allowed to be dominant over humans doesn't get food on demand, they end up climbing up onto people being frantic for food out of hunger. This is when bites can occur.

We had a female here that came to our yard that someone had hand raised, that was allowed back in the house of the person who raised her. As a result of getting food on demant she became very dominant, and aggressive. She was the first I had seen come up to me and go right up my leg to get food. I tested her by putting my over the back, and it got nailed. Yet from what you describe he seems rather shmoozie by comparison, make sure he isn't dominant over humans. As for other squirrels, that will work itself out in the wild.

[DarkLies212]

Finally figured his age out: he was born early January/late December maybe, so he's around 6.5 months old.

He's definitely docile and not dominant at all. I learned early on about letting them become food dominant :hurt NOT having that happen again! :eek

He's just different and I think that's what's concerning me. My others always told me when they were ready - he's never even said anything. [y'all know what I mean] I don't know if that's because he was raised as a single and pretty much raised to be a pet?

He was fed whenever, now he gets his standard 1 meal a day as I do with all my releases (of course, it's enough food to last a day). When I go to feed him he will LICK my hand or LAY on my hand when I stick it into the cage to switch out the food bowls. He's never gotten aggressive with food or even with nuts. I'm pretty sure at one point I was even able to scratch his back (testing him to see if he would snap).

Keep in mind, too, that when he was transferred over, he wasn't aggressive towards me - a new human he had never met before in his 3 months of life. Also, just thought of this, but Mom 1 let a decent amount of people handle him. :thinking

Wish there was a way to force them to wild up :peace1

[Mel1959]

Maybe you have one of those special squees that doesn't long for a life in the trees.....like Fluffer! :grin3 If he doesn't want to be wild maybe there's someone close by willing to give him a forever home? It sounds like he has the personality that the folks that raise Twiggy, the water skiing squirrel, look for. Maybe that would even be an option? :w00t

[Chickenlegs]

He can come live at my house! I don't have any water skis tho.

[cava]

Is he alone or around other squirrels? May be he needs a squirrel buddy in his cage to show him the ropes and teach him how to be a badass? :Pals:strong:rockin:duel:love:beerchug

[kdhith]

Hi Ash :grin

I have a guy in the pre-release cage right now who came to me with similar circumstances. BuddyBoyBuddyBoy is a late fall 2016 baby who was raised as a singleton by his finder, who brought him to me to figure out his next steps. He was overwintered indoors with us for several months. Initially, he was very aggressive/attack-y with everyone, but then he came to LOVE me, but was still aggressive with pretty much everyone else (including the girl who raised him, when she came to visit). He managed to draw a lot of blood!!! Like, a LOT!! :nono

He has been out in the pre-release cage for probably a couple of months now (!), and of course I have had concerns about his LOVE for me (I think he wants to be more than friends :glomp), and his aggression towards others--and especially the combination of thinking it is ok to jump on humans and the desire to bite. That would not bode well for his survival.

Now, I take a pool noodle into the release cage and give him a light whack every time he tries to jump on me. It doesn't hurt him, but he is offended by it. He has finally stopped even trying to jump on me (which breaks my heart a teenytiny bit, because I :Love_Icon him, too), and I feel that he will be safe to be released without endangering other people or, ultimately, himself. He will become a wild guy this weekend or next, along with the three others in the outdoor cage. I think the pool noodle trick has been successful.

Just an idea!

(edited to say, I do understand that aggression is not your guy's issue, but the attachment thing made me think of BBBB.)

Best,
Kate:Squirrel

[DarkLies212]

If necessary I could keep him, but I don't think my others would appreciate that. :guil

I wonder how Mom 1 would feel about him being a Twiggy? I know she expressed an interest in keeping him if that's what he chose...

He is alone as I never put him with anyone else because he was older and I'm not home long enough to watch them for hours at a time to ensure they don't kill each other :duel --> does anyone else think putting someone with him would be a good idea? If majority rules, I'll try it.. I'm getting another this week anyway :facepalm

[DarkLies212]

Now, I take a pool noodle into the release cage and give him a light whack every time he tries to jump on me. It doesn't hurt him, but he is offended by it. He has finally stopped even trying to jump on me (which breaks my heart a teenytiny bit, because I :Love_Icon him, too), and I feel that he will be safe to be released without endangering other people or, ultimately, himself. He will become a wild guy this weekend or next, along with the three others in the outdoor cage. I think the pool noodle trick has been successful.



Hi Kate!!

I thought of squirting him with a water bottle whenever I went to feed him and he would be friendly, but I've read some pretty controversial things about squirting animals with water bottles, so I never did it :thinking

You having the success makes me consider the water bottle idea again. I just want what's best for him and what will make him happy..

[Diggie's Friend]

I tried using a prop to try to get a female squirrel that another had hand raised, from coming after me to get on me in hope of being fed nuts. Yet all it resulted in was her fighting with it. Rather funny to see the squirel sit on it's bottom with the upper body up, and paddle it's front feet at the harmless prop. I first used a long empty cardboard paper wrapping tube, but she won that round paws down, ripping into it! :dance The props are just too much like another squirrel engaging them physically, they are just going to fight when it comes to wanting nuts from you, as they do to protect them from other squirrels from getting them once they have them.

The squirt bottle reaches a good 8 ft so you can get them at a distance. It presents no more an issue than them getting a bit of spray from a sprinkle they pass by it. Best to do the reconditioning to move away from you of course in the warmer Spring to early Fall months for obvious reasons.

Keep in mind when he gets his adult equipment working that will become a very strong influence for him to seek out his femine counterparts.

I love the name 'Squee' by the way; just imagine calling to him, "Here Squeeeee!".

[DarkLies212]

I tried using a prop to try to get a female squirrel that another had hand raised, from coming after me to get on me in hope of being fed nuts. Yet all it resulted in was her fighting with it. Rather funny to see the squirel sit on it's bottom with the upper body up, and paddle it's front feet at the harmless prop. I first used a long empty cardboard paper wrapping tube, but she won that round paws down, ripping into it! :dance The props are just too much like another squirrel engaging them physically, they are just going to fight when it comes to wanting nuts from you, as they do to protect them from other squirrels from getting them once they have them.

The squirt bottle reaches a good 8 ft so you can get them at a distance. It presents no more an issue than them getting a bit of spray from a sprinkle they pass by it. Best to do the reconditioning to move away from you of course in the warmer Spring to early Fall months for obvious reasons.

Keep in mind when he gets his adult equipment working that will become a very strong influence for him to seek out his femine counterparts.

I love the name 'Squee' by the way; just imagine calling to him, "Here Squeeeee!".

His first name was actually Squirbelton...I started calling him Dude because I have slight enunciation issues and that just aggravated me haha. I just use squee because I'm too lazy to type out squirrel :grin2

He's definitely got his man parts :eek But even with my female releases coming around, still nothing :hissyfit With his age, I would have expected at least something by now.

Good to know about your prop experience. I don't want to add any unneeded aggression, though at this point, maybe ANY would be helpful!!

[Jen413]

Squirbelton!! That's fantastic. I love it! HAHA! I hear it being said as Sir Squirbelton in my head with a fancy bow.:grin2

I hope he can wild up and be released like he deserves, but if not it's nice knowing his other Momma will take him back. My poor Sammy would have no idea how to be a wild squirrel. Every time I read this thread all I can think about is him.

[Jen413]

Has this little guy wilded up at all?

[DarkLies212]

Has this little guy wilded up at all?

Sorry for not updating this! Things have been INSANE.

He escaped one day :thinking I've never had any escape so I'm really unsure of how it happened. We have a few squirrels eat the food we leave out throughout the day (I'm at work when they come), so I haven't seen him or any others in months. After the months and months he spent outside, I sure hope he had the skills...