inexperienced and in need if information

[kpev]

i have just found an infant grey squirrel and am feeding him (franklin) baby formula. after reading about the asperation issue i am prety sure this is not the right thing to do. his eyes are not open yet and yesterday he did not realy want to eat (just got him yesterday) this morning he was a little piggy
it is starting to get cold in newengland and i am concerned about keeping the little guy warm. any and all information you gan give me would be great including when and how to release him. my husband and i rescued another squirrel about 7 or 8 years ago and from what i am reading we did everything wrong but he still made it but came home every day to be fed then ended ur eating through the screen door to come in when we did not let him any longer.

[Buddy'sMom]

:Welcome and thank you for caring and wanting to find the right info. TSB is the place to get it!

FIRST: BABY MUST BE WARM! Get the baby on a heat source -- a heating pad on LOW under half the box is best. Then baby can crawl off iff too hot. If you can't get a heating pad right away, fill a water/soda bottle with hot water, wrap in a tshirt and place next to baby. Maybe one on each side if baby is cold. Replace water as it cools. Another alternative is a "rice buddy" -- fill a sock 2/3 with rice and knot. Warm in microwave (NOT TOO HOT) and place next to baby. Can use both socks. Re=warm as necessary. Ultimately, you need a heating pad for consistency (one withOUT auto-shutoff).

STOP FEEDING the baby the formula you have. More about what to feed and how will come later.

Is it possible to re-unite the baby and mom? We can give you info on how to do this if you can manage. Baby must be warmed first though. Let us know a little about the circumstances of finding him/her. Also -- go look to see if you see any others. If Mom has died, there may be others crawling out of their nests.

Note to TSB: I may not be able to get back here to continue, so others will have to chime in.

[Mars]

:Welcome I'm also in New England and have eyes open babies that I am making arrangements to winter over. It already to late and to cold at night to get them outside let alone release this fall. I will not be releasing till the leaves unfild in the spring. :)

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

:Welcome So glad you were able to save the little tyke! I agree with Mars, it is getting late in the year for releasing babies up in the northern states. I have 3 baby fox squirrels that are just opening their eyes and I am planning to overwinter them. Will you be able to overwinter Franklin? He will need a large outside cage (at least 4' by 4' by 6' tall) and a snuggly warm nestbox to keep warm. I think some rehabbers on here keep their squirrels inside to overwinter them though, so perhaps that will be an option for you. I prefer to keep mine outside because then they get used to the cold, but have food provided and somewhere warm to spend the nights. I think it prepares them for the next winter when they will be on their own in the wild. Plus it is easier to clean up outside than it is inside!

As for feeding Franklin, you should give him pedialyte for the next 3-4 feedings. How much and how often are you feeding Franklin? The unflavored pedialyte is best (at least that's what I always use and my squirrels LOVE it), but grape or apple flavored is fine too. Good luck with Franklin! If you ever decide that you want to take him to a wildlife rehabber instead of raising him yourself (they are a LOT of work and very expensive little creatures) just let us know and we can give you a few links to help you locate a rehabber in your area.

[kpev]

thank you all so much for the info.
the baby was found trying to make his way into the local fire dept.
and animal control was called.
the local officer is a friend of the family and he knew we would make sure he was cared for.
unfortunately we now have two other pets, a 1 year old cat with one hind leg severed and the other hind foot has only half a paw. great cat, thriving (completely unaware of his handicap) and a 13 year old min pin who barley tolerates the cat.
i would be willing to drive the little guy to a rehabber if any one knows any one in ma, nh, ct, i am in ma.

he is doing great this morning
i couldn't get the food into him fast enough, i think he will open his eyes
either today or tomorrow. he has at least one lower anterior tooth that i can see.
he slept last night with the comfort of a heating pad thanks to all of you
the sooner i get him to a new home the better it is already going to be tough to say good by

[hazel]

Go to Rehab Information and Locations forum in the Help Needed section. There you will find a link for a list of rehabbers in your state.

Don't bother looking up any state except MA. Can't take wildlife across state lines. Good Luck - oh, if you see that a rehabber is working out of their private residence, you'll score points if you wait until a decent hour to call. They get less sleep than most people but need it more!

[Abacat]

kpev, here's another link...
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_rehab.htm#DistMap

[Buddy'sMom]

Glad to hear the baby is doing well! Good job!! :thumbsup

If you can't find someone from the lists you have been given, come back here and ask again -- our rehabbers often have additional lists or sources to consult.

BTW ... we fully understand how hard it is to say good-bye -- these tykes grab your heart almost instantly!! :Love_Icon At the same time, it is an enormous undertaking to give them all they need, and some home situations (pets, small children, work or other demands, etc.) just are not a good fit with a baby squirrel. It takes courage to recognize that and to arrange for them to go to another caretaker. Pat yourself on the back for all you are doing to rescue and shelter this little one, and give him the opportunity for a happy squirrelly life!! :thumbsup :bowdown

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[kpev]

thank you all for your kind words and extensive information
i have been able to gather a small list of rehabers in ma.
and will contact them at a more apropriate hour.
i'll let you know how it goes.
thank you all once again:grouphug