Unreleasable Grey needs a home near Western, MD

[Jordan_Fish]

I have a one-year old female Grey that is completely tame that I'm hoping to find some sort of controlled environment for. She was rescued from a stray cat in my yard about almost a year ago and we have been caring for ever since. She has "bonded" to me, but is often very hostile towards my wife and has attacked her completely unprovoked on several occasions.

My wife has been through the entire process with me and we cared for her jointly until about 6 months ago when she took to me and started trying to bite my wife. My wife is afraid of her after being bitten so many times. She cannot be released because she has had some major problems twice from MBD (metabolic bone disease) and we do give her calcium supplements every night in addition to a very healthy diet. She seems completely normal and healthy now, but we stick with the meds to keep it from happening again.

She typically gets run of the house when we are home, but my wife can't relax and walk around like normal anymore. She stays on the couch under the blankets most of the time to avoid being bitten. They sometimes have a few seconds of interaction without an issue, but it is always short-lived.

If anyone has suggestions on how to train my little girl not to be aggressive, I'm open to it, but it may be best to find a habitat I know she will be taken care of in.

Looking forward to hearing some ideas! Thanks!

[SammysMom]

At only one year old and healthy, she could probably be given time and allowed to wild up for a release to her natural environment. What, if any, residual issues does she have from MBD?

[Jordan_Fish]

There is nothing apparent right now, but I was told she will never be able to be released as her MBD could return. She is still a little off balance and has trouble sitting on her back legs to eat. This may be due to the leg injury she had when I rescued her. She normally just gives up and lays on her side after wobbling around and situating a few times. If I hold her when she eats, she slowly leans back until she nearly falls and re-situates, or until I just cradle her like a baby. Some of this may be because she likes her belly rubbed, but it's hard to tell.

[Gray Squirrel]

I live in a state where unless you are a rehabber you cannot keep a squirrel and am not a rehabber and do not want to be because I do not want to have to answer to the state, but part of me thinks I might like to take this squirrel and see if I could get along with her if there was nowhere else for her. The other thing that worries me about taking a squirrel is that there are so many predator, dogs and sometimes a cat, that come around my house my house. I sometime think I would like to move to somewhere where the laws are more friendly to squirrels and there are fewer thing that kill squirrels, but I guess there are predators in most places. I think I will not move though because I would feel that I was abandoning the wild squirrels at my house. If I took her the way thing are now she would be aloud in part of the house and be free to go outside so she would have to come to me if she needed help.
Does anyone else wonder if something can be done about the bad laws that some states have? I know people who do not know what they are doing can hurt squirrels when they try to help them, but there are some that are not under government control that will take good care of squirrels. The laws some states make are bad for squirrels.

[Delo729]

I might have someone. How close are you to Waldorf/Laplata?

[Gray Squirrel]

From: ECole

There is probably no way for me to take this squirrel with the laws the way they are but if there is a way and if there no one else that will take this squirrel I would like to. This squirrel sound like she may be undesirable because she is hard to manage and bits, but I hope euthanizing is not an option. If it is when there is someone that will take her I think you can understand why some people get discussed with some of the laws that some states have.
One other concern that I have is that one or two of the squirrels that visit me may get jealous. I could also not take her to a vet but would have to take her to a rehabber and then I would lose her. but if it is just calcium she needs I could give it to her. I might be able to keep her inside for a while to see if she bonds to me, but I have two other squirrel that comes to see me that I do not want to shut out. I have a squirrel door for them that I would have to close.
I live alone right now so if she bonded with me she only bond with one person it will not be a problem. When I have been bitten by a squirrel I sometimes yell aw but I do not get mad. Sometime I get bitten a little hard than a squirrel should bite when playing with a squirrel and sometime when I am not careful when handing out nut and a squirrel gets my finger instead of the nut.
I do not know if can or should take this squirrel but if she is going to be euthanizing otherwise I will take her if I can. If you wonder why I think she might be euthanized even if someone will take her it is because I have read some of the material that rehabbers are sent when they inquire about how to become a rehabbers. If rehabbers do not want a bad reputation may be they should fight some of the bad laws that are passed. I hope euthanizing her is not an option, because I would love this squirrel. If I heard she was euthanized it would put me in tears.

[TubeDriver]

It sounds like your squirrel currently gets the run of the entire house? And will terrorize your wife?

What about a compromise, restrict her (I mean the squirrel, not your wife :)) mainly to a single room? Only allow her out when your wife is not home? Many NRs do not have an entire home to roam in, some live mainly in a cage.

[Jordan_Fish]

I might have someone. How close are you to Waldorf/Laplata?

I'm like 3 hours from Waldorf

[Jordan_Fish]

It sounds like your squirrel currently gets the run of the entire house? And will terrorize your wife?

What about a compromise, restrict her (I mean the squirrel, not your wife :)) mainly to a single room? Only allow her out when your wife is not home? Many NRs do not have an entire home to roam in, some live mainly in a cage.

This has been what I do now. I build a pretty big cage for her that she has been spending most of the day in, but there is only a 2 hour gap where I'm home and my wife isn't. Her current cage is 6ft wide, 5ft tall, and 3 ft deep. She has plenty of space to run and jump. My house is kind of small anyways, The first floor is as big as some people's living areas. 2 story house only 1000 sq ft.