Babies Help!!

[Emssiee]

I had a box in my tree that I took down today and 5 babies popped out. I haven’t seen any squirels going in/out of the box for some time. Not sure of their age but they are fully furry, I would say they are about 6weeks? My release (Adam) who visits me everyday also happen to have had babies about 2 weeks ago, but I don’t know where she sleeps/where they are. Since she got pregnant she started to act differently, walking straight towards humans without fear and being VERY affectionate with me (I’ve been wanting to post about it, bc now she even follows my neighbours and they are getting scared..) To return to today’s story, i stayed all day around my house to see if the mom of these babies would eventually come by but no parents came. When Adam came by my house this evening she saw the babies hanging around in the tree, and not so long ago they went inside the box, beside one of them, who kept trying to get at her tits, she wouldn’t allow him but allowed him to groom her back, and she groomed him in return. About 30mins ago she went in the box and never came back out. So I’m assuming she’s adopting them? But what about her own youngs?? They are only 2 weeks old and all alone right now I don’t know what to do?? She still hasn’t gone out from the box and now it’s almost 100% pitch black outside.

[Mel1959]

I think it’s pretty unusual for a squirrel to adopt another squirrels babies. I hope others will chime in on the likelihood of that. Are you sure she didn’t leave the box? Squirrels are little houdini’s! Could these older ones also be her babies? Maybe they’re older than you think.

[Emssiee]

I stayed in front of the box until dawn (which is currently on the top of the release cage (and secured with triple predator guards) since I was waiting for all the babies to return, and if without a parent, to block the opening and bring them to a rehabber that I met through the board here) but yes I’m sure Adam did not leave. I called her name many times and she stayed in there. I’m also sure it’s not her babies because those are 6weeks if not 7 weeks, and Adam pregnancy started beginning April, and saw her everyday getting bigger and bigger, I took pictures everyday, and then May 1 she showed up all skinny, I barely recognized her. So her babies are about 2-3 weeks old :/

But maybe because she’s been acting up since her pregnancy and not fearing humans and chasing them literally.. she even bypassed a cat from just a few inches under my eyes last week, she’s been reckless... maybe her hormones got into with her feelings?? You know like one of those rare stories on YouTube of a mama lion taking over a baby gazelle etc, and a dog being best friends with a baby dear etc..

Here’s the breakdown from week 1 when I first noticed she started to have tits to week after being bigger and bigger, and last picture is the day she showed up half her size on May 1, so she would have had her babies that day or the night of April 31..

April 9th. When I first noticed tities..
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Then April 17th
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Then April 26th
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April 30th
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And then May 1, skinny Adam
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And this is a picture from today of the babies from the box, they can’t be hers, they are way too old 301543

[Emssiee]

I think it’s pretty unusual for a squirrel to adopt another squirrels babies. I hope others will chime in on the likelihood of that. Are you sure she didn’t leave the box? Squirrels are little houdini’s! Could these older ones also be her babies? Maybe they’re older than you think.


Forgot to reply with a quote. Not sure if that makes a difference in receiving notifications?

[Emssiee]

Now I really don’t know what to do. The people that lives below me are threatening me about Adam because she keeps following them and trying to jump on them. Is this hormones behaviour?? I left for a week in April and came back to Adam starting to show tits. On that day she came on me and ate on me and was full on affectionate. Before that, never she would come on me, never since her release. She always kept her distance and feared humans etc. Then that same week upon my return, she jumped on a lady from a few houses below mine and digged into her pocket, as well as walking straight to another neighbour that was smoking a cig outside on his patio. I thought to myself maybe the pregnancy is having her real hungry idk.. Before that week I had to meet her everyday in a little path behind my house, she would never come to me/to my backyard. On that same week she started to come to my yard and wait for me at my door, follow me to my car and climb on me and being very affectionate like she used to be before her release (but never since) and now she’s following the ppl that live in my house and abandoning her babies to adopt others that aren’t hers??? I am way too confused right now, this is unreal..

[Jen413]

I have no clue what to think of her taking on another Momma's babies and leaving her own. Maybe it's possible something happened to hers at the same time something happened to these babies' Momma? Gosh that would be a wild coincidence though.

Maybe she's going up to people because she has babies and she thinks it's easier to get food from them then to spend time going around looking for it elsewhere? I wonder if you put some sort of feeding station up for her she'd just go there and eat instead of seeking out humans? I really don't know.

[Emssiee]

I have no clue what to think of her taking on another Momma's babies and leaving her own. Maybe it's possible something happened to hers at the same time something happened to these babies' Momma? Gosh that would be a wild coincidence though.

Maybe she's going up to people because she has babies and she thinks it's easier to get food from them then to spend time going around looking for it elsewhere? I wonder if you put some sort of feeding station up for her she'd just go there and eat instead of seeking out humans? I really don't know.



Thank you Jen! I also thought about this possibility. I did notice a few times that her tits seemed like they were getting chewed/pulled though. But Ive been wondering how come she’s been spending so much time with me (2-3hr) in a row everyday when she has babies left alone that needs to be fed on a regular.. She never seems in a rush to leave, after a big dish of food (nuts to burry, nuts to eat, blocks, avocado, veggies, a few fruits etc) she always stick around and browse for more. I usually leave with my car after she’s done and often she will be in my parking lot coming at me.

The station is a great idea! Although I am scared that it would attract all the other squirels from the neighbourhood to my home if I were to do that? In this case it would be hard for me to provide such amount of food, but I fear it would also become problematic to the other tenants on the property. But I do think that it would be better than having her chasing them that’s for sure.. Prior to this situation, I was planning to slow down on feeding her when summer begins to eventually just a few treats here and there. I have been feeding her everyday because she was released in the fall last year and wanted her to survive winter until food sources become available again. I do want her to become independent of her own.