4 SQUIRRELS in MA need new home for SPRING Release

[ElleShine]

Hello everyone, my name is Ellen. I have posted on here before about Violet and my other three squirrels. They are 6 months old, healthy and happy!

Due to some very unfortunate events, I have to move unexpectedly, and I am devastatingly admitting that I won't be able to take my squirrels with me. I am moving back home and there isn't enough room to adequately house them.

I am absolutely heartbroken. They have been the most important part of my life since August when I found them as babies.

I am asking if anyone is able to provide them with a safe and loving home where they can stay until they are old enough to be released. I live in Massachusetts, yet am willing to do WHATEVER I can to protect them and deliver them safely to someone willing to care for them.

I was planning on calling some wildlife rehabilitators in Massachusetts, but decided to first come to The Squirrel Board, because I know how much everyone here genuinely loves and cares for the little creatures. I just want them to go to a safe home where they can be released into the wild. I just want them to have good lives.

Presently, they are safe and sound, but I figured it was time to get on the ball about finding them a home.

When I originally found them, I called some rehabilitators, but no one returned my calls. That is why I decided to keep them and raise them. I did some research online and discovered that if I contacted a wildlife facility, there was a good chance they would be put to sleep, and I didn't want that to happen, obviously.

If anyone can help me, or knows someone who can help me, it would be greatly appreciated. It is absolutely breaking my heart thinking about parting ways with them, but I just want them to have the happiest lives possible, and have to be honest with myself that the best thing for them is to find a new home and caregiver for them.

Thank you all,

Ellen

[ElleShine]

I also wanted to say that if need be I will drive to meet someone out of state! I am willing to do whatever I have to to make sure they have a good home.

[island rehabber]

Ellen, we'll do our best to help! I am changing the title of your thread so it will clarify the situation, and catch more attention. It's easier to find someone to finish overwintering and then release four squirrels than it would be to (God forbid!) find someone to take in four non-releasables or "pets" :grin2.

[ElleShine]

Thank you so much!

[cava]

Keeping my fingers crossed you get someone to help soon. You've worked really hard up to this point. Sorry about the situation.

[Rocky1]

Do you know if they are releasable? If so, would you be okay with a trained rehabilitator safely releasing them in the spring? Sorry to ask a difficult question. I am trying to help.

[ElleShine]

No worries, thank you for responding! I have no reason to believe that they aren't releasable. I posted about Violet previously and how she's smaller than her siblings, but after separating her and monitoring her she is putting on weight, and is probably the liveliest of the bunch!

I would be more than willing and grateful to have a trained rehabilitator release them in the spring. It would actually help me sleep at night.

[SammysMom]

How long can you keep them before a rehabber would need to take them?

[ElleShine]

I could keep them up to a month. I have about a month to move out. I am absolutely willing to work with the kind soul who agreed to take them. Like I said, I just want them to be safe, and am more than willing to help out in any way that I could... financially, by traveling to meet someone, etc...

[ElleShine]

I want to say up to a month, however everything is up in the air right now. I do not want to bring drama to the board, but I'll just say that I had a bit of an emergency concerning the house that I am renting and the significant other that was helping me raise the squirrels over the past few days. My babies are fine, but I have to move back home with my parents for a little while.

Everything happened very quickly. I had a thorough plan to release them come spring, but cannot do so at my parent's home. They have 4 cats, a small house, and are sandwiched between very busy streets.

I am more than willing to help out anyway that I can. Financially, travelling to meet someone, etc. The most important thing for me right now is that my sweet squirrels are safe.

[ElleShine]

I want to thank everyone for all of the support! I found a home for my babies with a very experienced and kind wildlife rehabilitator. However, my only concern is that she has limited room, and would have to house Violet with her siblings again.

This is concerning to me... Violet has been separated from her siblings for the past couple of weeks. They were bullying her pretty badly, and when it is "play time" she is very nervous of all of them. She runs from them and starts chattering when they come near her. I am worried about her being stuck in a cage with them until Spring.

I addressed this to the woman who's taking them in, and she said that the bullying should decrease greatly because the four of them will be in a completely new enviornment, and if it does still occur, not to worry because there's always more than enough food in the cage.

I am considering keeping Violet, because although she is a wild animal, the thought of her being stressed out and scared for the next few months makes me want to cry. I don't know if I am babying her too much by thinking like this.

If I do keep her, I was considering seeking out the help of someone who could release her in the Spring. I'd like to keep her forever, one squirrel is a lot easier to manage than 4 where I'll be moving, but because she is SO active I know she'd love it in the wild. This just raises so many questions.
Will she be able to be released by herself?
If not, will she be able to lead a happy life in a cage? (Of course I'll still take her out for a few hours a day like I do now.)
Should I keep her with her siblings who, although mean, she is still familiar with? (The behavior is so odd. She doesn't like Pearl at all, but still plays with the boys sometimes. One minute she's running from them, the next she's playing)

If anyone can shed some light on the best thing for Violet, please let me know.

[island rehabber]

In my opinion and experience with bully squirrel situations, the act of putting them all in a brand new environment may very well change the dynamic of the group! It always amazes me, every season, how when I put a group of squirrels in the pre-release cage the smart-ass becomes a little wuss and the shy ones blossom. And sometimes the shy ones even become the bullies! A new environment which is nobody's territory means a clean slate.

I would give Violet a chance with the rehabber's setup, but ask the rehabber if you can check in frequently those first couple of weeks to see how it's going. Make it clear that you will take responsibility and take Violet back if she's in danger or unhappy to the point of harm to her health.

But give Violet a chance -- it's the best thing for her to be released with a gang, as they will hang out together for months after release.

[Nancy in New York]

I want to thank everyone for all of the support! I found a home for my babies with a very experienced and kind wildlife rehabilitator. However, my only concern is that she has limited room, and would have to house Violet with her siblings again.

This is concerning to me... Violet has been separated from her siblings for the past couple of weeks. They were bullying her pretty badly, and when it is "play time" she is very nervous of all of them. She runs from them and starts chattering when they come near her. I am worried about her being stuck in a cage with them until Spring.

I addressed this to the woman who's taking them in, and she said that the bullying should decrease greatly because the four of them will be in a completely new enviornment, and if it does still occur, not to worry because there's always more than enough food in the cage.

I am considering keeping Violet, because although she is a wild animal, the thought of her being stressed out and scared for the next few months makes me want to cry. I don't know if I am babying her too much by thinking like this.

If I do keep her, I was considering seeking out the help of someone who could release her in the Spring. I'd like to keep her forever, one squirrel is a lot easier to manage than 4 where I'll be moving, but because she is SO active I know she'd love it in the wild. This just raises so many questions.
Will she be able to be released by herself?
If not, will she be able to lead a happy life in a cage? (Of course I'll still take her out for a few hours a day like I do now.)
Should I keep her with her siblings who, although mean, she is still familiar with? (The behavior is so odd. She doesn't like Pearl at all, but still plays with the boys sometimes. One minute she's running from them, the next she's playing)

If anyone can shed some light on the best thing for Violet, please let me know.

I would be concerned too. I don't care how much food is in there, sometimes they just don't get along.
As far as keeping her, I would never keep a healthy squirrel unless it's THEIR choice.
You have to at the very least offer release.
Many single squirrels have been successfully released, it can be done.
If cages are a problem for this woman, would it be possible to buy a separate cage for Violet
or give her the one she currently is in?

[Nancy in New York]

In my opinion and experience with bully squirrel situations, the act of putting them all in a brand new environment may very well change the dynamic of the group! It always amazes me, every season, how when I put a group of squirrels in the pre-release cage the smart-ass becomes a little wuss and the shy ones blossom. And sometimes the shy ones even become the bullies! A new environment which is nobody's territory means a clean slate.

I would give Violet a chance with the rehabber's setup, but ask the rehabber if you can check in frequently those first couple of weeks to see how it's going. Make it clear that you will take responsibility and take Violet back if she's in danger or unhappy to the point of harm to her health.

But give Violet a chance -- it's the best thing for her to be released with a gang, as they will hang out together for months after release.


Just saw this after I commented.
You're right Maura we have seen this at Tomo's where a group
can be put in together in the release cage. BUT we have to also
remember that those cages are HUGE compared to what we use indoors. They have room to run
and hide a lot easier than in a smaller cage.

ElleShine, quick question, is this a LARGE release cage that's outside, or an inside cage?

[ElleShine]

It is a large release cage outside. I offered to give her my cage or find a new one, I guess the problem is literally no room to put a cage. She has some other grays in a separate cage outside, but inside is overwintering a couple of opossums, raccoons, and even a pair of doves.

[TubeDriver]

Violet has really done well by herself under your care. I can't predict how she will do if she is reunited with her sibs? If it works, it would be the best thing for her but if not then a fallback plan has to be agreed to by all parties involved!

I think she can be released either with her sibs or alone as a singleton, plenty of rehabbers here have successfully released a singleton. Keeping her as a NR when she is healthy is not really fair to her, as Nancy said she should really have the choice and most squirrels chose freedom outside in the wild! Let us know how things work out for you and your fuzzbutts!

[SophieSquirrel]

I don't care how much food is in there, sometimes they just don't get along

The more food there is the more there is to fight about! It's a non-stop drive to gather and hide and every other squirrel is the ENEMY, even in the human land of ever-flowing nuts!

The only food I have on demand in a cage housing more than one is Teklad as they never fight over that. They get their coveted HHB's, fruits, veggies and shelled nuts outside the cage. I have a pair housed together (Lucky and Sophie) 0.2 that I can feed equal pieces of fruit/veggie at the exact same time and each will run in a separate corner to eat. If one finishes first she will immediately and without hesitation assault the other for her remaining piece. :rofl4

Found this on Youtube - Red's and Grays... Wait till they get older!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG769iA_96k

[Nancy in New York]

The more food there is the more there is to fight about! It's a non-stop drive to gather and hide and every other squirrel is the ENEMY, even in the human land of ever-flowing nuts!

The only food I have on demand in a cage housing more than one is Teklad as they never fight over that. They get their coveted HHB's, fruits, veggies and shelled nuts outside the cage. I have a pair housed together (Lucky and Sophie) 0.2 that I can feed equal pieces of fruit/veggie at the exact same time and each will run in a separate corner to eat. If one finishes first she will immediately and without hesitation assault the other for her remaining piece. :rofl4

Found this on Youtube - Red's and Grays... Wait till they get older!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG769iA_96k

LOVE this video. Reds are my BEST.:Love_Icon
I really miss that sound. :(

[HRT4SQRLS]

The video totally cracked me up. Whoa... don't mess with those little buzzsaws. :grin2

[CritterMom]

My fave is that they just keep fussing as they stuff their faces, their righteous indignation a bit muffled by chow!

[Mel1959]

That’s the first time I’ve heard the chatter of a red. I was very surprised to see them stand up to the gray. Is this common in the wild? Too funny!

[SophieSquirrel]

That’s the first time I’ve heard the chatter of a red. I was very surprised to see them stand up to the gray. Is this common in the wild? Too funny!

Very common to stand up to Gray's yet in the UK the Red's are being driven to extinction by competition from invasive Gray's and Parapoxvirus.

You think the chatter is funny here is a red trilling!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NOrVCaPzE8

[Nancy in New York]

That’s the first time I’ve heard the chatter of a red. I was very surprised to see them stand up to the gray. Is this common in the wild? Too funny!

Threadjack

Here's my little Jeffrey ready to take on this grey who's on HIS screen. :tap
Sorry to make it so large, not sure how to downsize from photobucket.

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/Baby%20Jeffrey%202009-20011/June102009029.jpg (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/nancym518/media/Baby%20Jeffrey%202009-20011/June102009029.jpg.html)

[CritterMom]

LOL - The slapfight part of that clip is hysterical. And Jeffrey :Love_Icon:Love_Icon I see he brought a pecan to taunt the gray.

[walls]

I am in upstate NY and could possibly help. Let me know. I'd be happy to tell you what the situation here would be.

[Mel1959]

Threadjack

Here's my little Jeffrey ready to take on this grey who's on HIS screen. :tap
Sorry to make it so large, not sure how to downsize from photobucket.

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/nancym518/Baby%20Jeffrey%202009-20011/June102009029.jpg (http://s673.photobucket.com/user/nancym518/media/Baby%20Jeffrey%202009-20011/June102009029.jpg.html)

Jeffrey looks ready to battle even though he’s about a fourth the size of the gray!

[Mel1959]

Very common to stand up to Gray's yet in the UK the Red's are being driven to extinction by competition from invasive Gray's and Parapoxvirus.

You think the chatter is funny here is a red trilling!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NOrVCaPzE8

Those little reds are absolutely adorable! :Love_Icon:Love_Icon