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View Full Version : Food, cage and releasing back into the wild



tiffytt1
06-12-2017, 03:05 PM
I found a baby squirrel roughly several months ago. she was lethargic and a bit dehydrated but to my surprise ran up to me b/w my legs and i have been caring for her since then. we started with small boxes and moved to bigger cages and now shes in a tall ferret cage which shes outgrowing. up until about a week ago she was eating veggies and a little fruit we have oak tress so acorns as well and some sunflower seeds and still was drinking her milk well with me syringe feeding her and she was eating baby food as a supplement also. she doesn't want the milk at all period and that concerns me bc she needs it for the calcium i know. so what else can i do for her to get her nutrients? she also has a water bottle which she chewed to pieces but i had an alternate shallow water bowl and now i have put another water bottle on the outside the cage so she isn't able to chew it but i have yet to see her drink it? how to get her to drink water? and are the veggies providing her enough water? What other foods can i feed her?

Also we will be releasing her because when playtime comes around she has started to look around and try to find a higher route to go to , she has chew toy, branches , wood blocks she has alot, and she has never bit me but nibbled a couple of times but she is so active and doesn't have enough space maybe to release this energy(she is let go with me in a decent size bathroom 2xs a day sometimes 3 for at least an hr a time in the morning its normally 2 hrs while im cleaning her cage. any tips on what to do with an active squirrel other than releasing her?
as well as tips on how to go about releasing her into the tree she feel from?

sorry for all the questions I'm an animal lover and have had so many animals including exoctic animals like chameleons which are so hard to keep alive and did very well with a pair who had babies 5 times and that is how the mom died on the 5th delivery she became egg-bound and i could only comfort her it truly was heartbreaking and several months after her passing the boy stopped eating , playing,etc and these were reptiles so just as im sure all of you are attached to your animals I am too and just want whats best for her,(squirrel) so please help? i'm estimating that she is 3months old. thank you for any advice.

cava
06-12-2017, 07:41 PM
Hi there. Welcome to TSB!!

It sounds like she is wilding up and growing up and will soon be ready for release. No matter what you do in the house (playtime, toys, etc.) it will never compare to a life of unlimited freedom, the opportunity to breed and be a mommy and to enjoy all that nature has to offer her.

Here is the food order: formula, blocks and formula and once she is eating blocks very well you may start to introduce some veggies. Nuts should only be given once or twice a week for a treat. (blocks=a high quality rodent block sold at pet stores and online. We can make recommendations...)

She will eventually self-wean but you can leave a dish with formula next to her water dish and she may drink at her leisure.

She is drinking water, we just don't always see it.

Below are some links to other pages on TSB. One about nutrition, what she can have and how often...read it ALL.

The other about release and what it entails. If you don't think you can release at home, let us know and someone close to you may already be set up for it and able to help out.

Also, feel free to post photos, we love them.


https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels



https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels