Sweet Lucy
12-15-2019, 11:14 AM
I have been raising an Eastern Gray, “Sweet Lucy”, since she fell from an Oak tree in my front yard on Easter Sunday 2019. She opened her eyes a week later and has been my baby every since.
Her entire life has been inside this house. She is definitely a NR squirrel. Hawks, an owl and my barn cat patrol outside daily.
This past week she has bitten me hard a few times. This morning she was going about her cage aggressively and growling, clicking her teeth rapidly. There’s no question she is very upset about something…
Her diet since weaning has been 2 Henry’s picky blocks with either a monkey biscuit or rodent blocks in the morning. Evening I give 1-2 raspberries, 2-3 blueberries, small broccoli and cauliflower and sometimes baby carrot. Afterwards I give a couple pecans and walnut chunks. She is a pig and will eat readily.
Her cage is custom built metal, 7ft tall 4ft wide and 3ft deep with plenty of perches, a hammock, a large bomber hat upside down for nest, glass water bottle with metal tube, metal feeder bin. There is a cuttlebone, deer horn and a small limestone rock as well as all of the wood in the cage for her to chew (which she does). I clean out her cage every Sunday morning. This has been the cage and routine for 6 months and no changes have been made.
I get her out (she comes out to me) every day and often multiple times a day on the weekends. I supervise while she explores the sun room I keep her in. During the day she can be an active handful, during the evening she’s better than a cat in my lap.
I did change her Henry’s picky blocks for the Henry’s wild blocks for the last week now (more product and less expense). This has been the only change brought on by me.
I keep a watch on her front teeth, bottoms seem to get a little long and then shorten. They’re straight and I’ve always thought she was managing the length with the chewing.
She may be a little chunky but no where as obese as I’ve seen photos.
I make sure she is not stockpiling food in her hat. She did a while ago but I would take it out and it was never an issue. I can reach into her hat territory and pet her any time, she will even rest her head on my hand.
I’ve never been mean or hurt her. I’ve taken care to do the best I can with her after reading so much information on this board. Diet and calcium intake, scent precautions, I’ve invested immense time and money for her and I’m deeply attached to her.
What’s going on? Henry’s diet change? Female squirrel maturing? Other medical issue? Moon phase/ winter season change?
Someone with more experience than me please advise!
Her entire life has been inside this house. She is definitely a NR squirrel. Hawks, an owl and my barn cat patrol outside daily.
This past week she has bitten me hard a few times. This morning she was going about her cage aggressively and growling, clicking her teeth rapidly. There’s no question she is very upset about something…
Her diet since weaning has been 2 Henry’s picky blocks with either a monkey biscuit or rodent blocks in the morning. Evening I give 1-2 raspberries, 2-3 blueberries, small broccoli and cauliflower and sometimes baby carrot. Afterwards I give a couple pecans and walnut chunks. She is a pig and will eat readily.
Her cage is custom built metal, 7ft tall 4ft wide and 3ft deep with plenty of perches, a hammock, a large bomber hat upside down for nest, glass water bottle with metal tube, metal feeder bin. There is a cuttlebone, deer horn and a small limestone rock as well as all of the wood in the cage for her to chew (which she does). I clean out her cage every Sunday morning. This has been the cage and routine for 6 months and no changes have been made.
I get her out (she comes out to me) every day and often multiple times a day on the weekends. I supervise while she explores the sun room I keep her in. During the day she can be an active handful, during the evening she’s better than a cat in my lap.
I did change her Henry’s picky blocks for the Henry’s wild blocks for the last week now (more product and less expense). This has been the only change brought on by me.
I keep a watch on her front teeth, bottoms seem to get a little long and then shorten. They’re straight and I’ve always thought she was managing the length with the chewing.
She may be a little chunky but no where as obese as I’ve seen photos.
I make sure she is not stockpiling food in her hat. She did a while ago but I would take it out and it was never an issue. I can reach into her hat territory and pet her any time, she will even rest her head on my hand.
I’ve never been mean or hurt her. I’ve taken care to do the best I can with her after reading so much information on this board. Diet and calcium intake, scent precautions, I’ve invested immense time and money for her and I’m deeply attached to her.
What’s going on? Henry’s diet change? Female squirrel maturing? Other medical issue? Moon phase/ winter season change?
Someone with more experience than me please advise!