new squirrel owner heather and polly

[Heather12]

hello i am a new squirrel owner i have had polly since she was 5 weeks old she is now 10 weeks i beleave. she is doing great my one concern is i moved her to a bigger cage and bought her some new toys to hang in her cage and she doesnt seem very interested she will chew on them a little but not very much all she wants to do is climb on her cage and watch my every move she hasnt slept much since i put her in there should i be concerned??

[island rehabber]

Does she have a nest box or hanging cube to sleep in, inside the new cage? Squirrels need a place to hide, like the hole in a tree that they would normally be living in, or they feel exposed and restless.

[Heather12]

actually no she doesnt i am getting her one today she has always slept in a shirt in her old cage she is playing a little bit more today with her toys she is still very iunterested in what i do if i get up and mopve she stops playing and just watches me lol little stinker thank u so much for the advice

[Scott]

How did you come to possess these squirrels? Did you find them? Do you have any pictures? What are you feeding them?

[Heather12]

i have only one she was crying on my porch all day and we thought it was some kind of bird well my fience was going to work and i went outside and there she was just crying on my porch there was no way for her to get onto my porch so we have no idea how she got on there she was about 4 to 5 weeks when we got her so i contacted my friend who has had her squirrel for 10 yrs and she told me to give her puppy formula so i did and have been giving it to her ever since she will eat other things like strawberrys i only give her 2 slices and she loves apples she eats about 3 slices and blueberrys other than that she still wants her formula she is about 10 weeks old i dont have a updated pic of her but i can take one later. i just got her a big cage yesterday and bought her some hanging toys she is starting to play a little bit with them but like i said she is more interested in what i am doing all the time!!!!!

[Heather12]

also i let her run around my kitchen while im in there for about 2 hrs a day and i really really think she thinks im a tree lol she never bites me she actually licks me rubs her head on me and she prefers sitting on my shouldar or back and climbing on me rather than my counters and floor if i put her on my counter top to run around she only does for a short period of time then its right back on me she never ever means to hurt me she cant help the fact that her nails are sharp i do use a little nail clippers to clip her nails but they grow back very fast lol i was just wondering if its normal for her to always want to be around me and on me

[Heather12]

i am trying to put her pic on here but i says invailed file im not sure why?? i also forgot to mention i have a lot of animals and children lol i have 5 kids 21,18,15,11 and 5 i have 4 dogs, 2 rats, a chinchilla names sally and a huge bunny

[Scott]

Just email them to me on scottsgrassguys@aol.com and I will put them on for you.

[lennysmom]

Welcome to TSB Heather 12!:Welcome Thank you for caring enough to help this little one.:) It is perfectly normal for her to be very attached to you at this age. As far as her sharp nails go, I always wear a heavy robe or a hoodie when I have squirrels out to play so I don't look like I've been through the shredder.:grin2 A word of caution though, you want to keep her away from dogs - we have seen tragic accidents happen on the board before when people mix dogs and squirrels.
Also, are you planning to release her when she is old enough? Most squirrels prefer and long to be outdoors once they come of age, it's just in their nature. If you do plan to release, there is a process for that we can help guide you through when the time comes.
As far as diet goes, it won't be too much longer before she starts to wean you will want to have a healthy rodent block or a Henry's healthy block as the main staple of her diet, as well as healthy vegetables. Here is the link to the healthy diet chart for you to look at: https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels
I keep a copy of it posted on my refrigerator at home for reference as it is a good guide to things they should and should not have to eat and also things that are toxic to them.
Please feel free to ask any other questions that you may have.

[Heather12]

ok thank u very much i am unsure what i would like to do with her. at one time i was given a pet squirrel who was very old i had her for quiet a while and fell in love with her sadly she ended up passing from old age. i do hear of people keeping them as a pet but at the moment i am torn. can i get a rodent block at pet smart or walmart. i am also afraid that if i keep her as a pet i will be judged so at the moment i am unsure and the thought of it makes me want to cry

[Heather12]

i sent the pic to u through e mail im not sure if it went throught or not

[Heather12]

i just really want to thank u for helping i dont have any major concerns the only thing i was really worried about ( but its very stupid) is i keep reading they love toys so i went out and bought her some last night and she has started to play with them a little but i keep reading they love there toys would there be any reasons shes not really playing with them??? my fience seems to think its cause we just moved her into a big cage and shes getting used to it lol

[lennysmom]

ok thank u very much i am unsure what i would like to do with her. at one time i was given a pet squirrel who was very old i had her for quiet a while and fell in love with her sadly she ended up passing from old age. i do hear of people keeping them as a pet but at the moment i am torn. can i get a rodent block at pet smart or walmart. i am also afraid that if i keep her as a pet i will be judged so at the moment i am unsure and the thought of it makes me want to cry

Most of the time when they get older and out of the juvenile stage, they start to become restless and the thought of release becomes easier because you realize that they long for more than what you could ever offer them indoors. I know it's hard to think about right now, but you have a little while to decide for sure on that.:Love_Icon
I have always fed my squirrels the Henry's blocks, so I'm not sure which type of quality rodent blocks they would sell at PetSmart or Walmart. Hopefully someone else can chime in on that. If you did want to look into the Henry's blocks, you can purchase them at www.henryspets.com

[Heather12]

I also have one more concern about squirrel scratches polly is always scratching my poor hands and ive noticed like the muscle in my hands hurt im worried that it could be some kind of infection is that possible i havent had any fevers just musclue and joint pain in my hands exspecially my left hand thats the hand she likes to scratch the most

[Mel1959]

An infection from a scratch would be very red, swollen, feel hot to the touch, could throb and would be painful. I have found that squirrel scratches aside from hurting, tend to itch a little. Putting rubbing alcohol on them helps with that.

The rodent block you will find at the big pet stores like Petco, PetSmart, etc. will be brands like Oxbow Regal rat, Zupreem and Mazuri. I would not get Kaytee. If you have a feed store close by or a specialty pet store you might find some loose rodent block that you can buy by the pound. You don't want anything with seeds mixed in it. The rodent block looks like dog kibble. I have had wonderful luck with my squirrels accepting Harlan Teklad 18, the drawback is it must be ordered online like Henrys block, which is also well liked. You must get your little one to take a rodent block, it is the staple of a healthy diet for them.

Good luck with your baby. You have some time to decide about releasing, we don't recommend that they be released till approx. 16 weeks or older. One thing to keep in mind is that squirrels in northern areas must be released before cold temperatures set in, so they can acclimate, build a drey and get a food stash for winter.

[Heather12]

thank u so so much i have been reading alot about the rodent block this was such a big help u are AWESOME!!!! AND POLLY THANKS U TO!!!!!!!!!

[Gray Squirrel]

There was a recent post about squirrels getting into places they cannot find their way out of. A kitchen can be a dangerous place for Poly if she decides to go exploring. One repair man said he finds dead mice and rats that have gone behind refrigerator and into to refrigerator fans. One squirrel I know whet into a hole behind a bathroom cabinet and was hard to get out. Sometimes a squirrel will find a hole somewhere and won’t know how to get out. I do not know how to find the post but you may be able to find it if you look or maybe you could use the search option. A squirrel may be able to get though a smaller hole than you think or find one you did not know was there.

[Heather12]

i also have one more question since i got polly her pee has a horrible smell i have read in a couple articles that it was because of her being on the formula and once she is off it her urine wont have the horrible smell it has is this true or false i clean her cage every other day with murpheys oil soap as recommended on a couple sites i have read and let me tell ya cleaning her huge cage is a pain in the butt cause all the darn shelves it has in it

[Mel1959]

I have noticed that some squirrels urine has a stronger odor than others. I'm not sure why. Be on the lookout for signs of a UTI, like peeing frequently, discomfort or blood in the urine. Make sure there is adequate hydration available or offer some if still on formula.

Is it a critter Nation cage? I had my shelves in my critter Nation cage covered with fleece and then took them off and washed them every couple of days. I have heard of people using pillowcases for this purpose.

[Heather12]

im not sure where the cage was bought it is a ferret cage i think its from pet supplies and her pee is clear it looks like the color of water actually and she is either a red squirrel or a fox im not sure which one can i give her a water bottle??? i heard you can give them water to dilute there urine

[Heather12]

sorry she is a fox squirrel not a red lol

[Heather12]

i have a problem and a question i clean out pollys cage every other day i dont use bedding i use newspaper she has no food in her cage cause she is still on formula well why the hell does she has hundreds of fruit flies in and around cage i even have fly strips up is there anything i can do about them????? HELP

[Mel1959]

I'm not sure why you would have fruit flies. Are you sure there isn't a piece of fruit stashed somewhere in the cage. Do you have a cube or some fleece for her to burrow down in? They love to be hidden!

[Scott]

I'm happy to help with a new cube or two ..... PM me and I will help ...

this is fruit fly season .. put a coaster over your wine glass or your Orange Juice ..

[Heather12]

actually she has a nest i bought and she loves it i also use newspaper on the bottom of her cage which she loves to play in and then hid in it lol im not sure if they are fruit flies or nats

[Heather12]

hello i was told oxbow zupreem and mazuri and some good rodent blocks but the pic ive seen online has a rat and mouse on it is that ok to give to polly??

[Scott]

You did good Heather

[Heather12]

Why is it on the rodent blocks there is a pic of rats is this ok to give to polly?? I dont want it to kill her

[Spanky]

hello i was told oxbow zupreem and mazuri and some good rodent blocks but the pic ive seen online has a rat and mouse on it is that ok to give to polly??

Yes!

[Heather12]

ok thank u so much spanky!!!!!

[Heather12]

Im so sorry for being a pain in the butt lol but is it also ok to give polly a sweet corn squirrel log my fiance bought her one and i wasnt sure if it was ok to give to her

[redwuff]

Heather,

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO FOR POLLY IS TO GIVE HER NOTHING EXCEPT HER FORMULA, BUT BLOCK UNTIL SHE EATS IT LIKE A CHAMP!

Once she is weaned off formula, rodent block should be 80% of her diet. Especially do not give her any nuts or seeds. Please know that we all know how hard that is. It is so cute to see them take that nut and chew it. Do not give in until she is eating block well. Then nuts are given occasionally as a treat. This is Especially true if you plan on keeping her.

SHE MUST HAVE THE CORRECT DIET OR SHE WILL DIE FROM MBD. Read the emergency section of this forum. Someone comes on and says their squirrel is paralyzed or having seizures. The first question we ask is "what are you feeding?" Sometimes we can coach the owner and the squirrel is saved, but sadly often it is too late. Correct diet in a squirrel is vital! Since thesquirrel is in the rodent family they eat the same type of blocks that mice and rats do. Kay tee rat and mice food is fine to feed. They do not eat guinea pig or hamster or chinchilla food.

Keeping a squirrel as a pet is VERY hard work. Their requirements are many and since the amt of exercise needed is ginormous and considering how many other commitments you have, I would strongly urge you to prepare your girl for release.
It sounds like Polly is a sweet girl now, but as they get older, they often choose one person in the family to bond with. Other people are fair game to bite.

Please know that this is not about judgement. I want you to be educated in your decisions. I have 3 non releasable squirrels. As a rehabber, I should have euthanized them because they could not safely make it as wild squirrels. The two boys have been loves, in fact we just lost our 8.8 year old to cancer. He never bit anyone. Our other boy Cecil is two and has not bit yet! But he has very sharp teeth, is a young hormonal squirrel and could at any time. My last squirrel is a 6.5 year old female and is a shark. It is not if she will bite, but when.

I hope this helps. I did not mean to write a book but there is so much to know in raising these guys. We would love to see pictures. I love foxers!

[Heather12]

thank u for the help i also have noticed when polly runs around her cage and plays with her toys if u stick your finger in her cage she will bite it hard she has only done it twice today and once the other day is this normal?? other than that she is sweet other than getting me with her nails by accident

[redwuff]

How is she doing with the change in her diet?

[Heather12]

she is doing fine the only problem is i cant get her to drink water so she is still drinking her formula even if i just put a little bit of formula in the water and fed it to her in her syringe she was out running around and playing at least i think its playing im pretty sure anyways she runs around runs up to me runs all over me the runs on the floor and continues then she will run up to me bounce back a little bit the run up me again i just dont understand why she would of bite me of all ppl im pretty sure each time shes biten which was three she was in the middle of playing but she bute hard the 3 times she is estimated at 12 to 13 weeks which is what we figure she found her on our porch and she was still little little and that was 3 months ago i did hear in there teenage yrs they do get aggressive at about what age is the teenage yrs?? and she gets the oxbow adult rat food for her food and i was told that was fine i just am not sure how much to give her so i give her a handful not sure if that is to much