Over wintering in New York?

[RosieSuperman]

Hi! I wasn’t planning on rehabbing this fall, but I’ve gotten so many calls already. I’ve got one little guy (6 weeks old) who will be too little to release for fall. I’m hoping I’ll get another call so he has more squirrels to keep him company, but my main question is: if I get a nice insulated outdoor shed and use maybe a chicken coop heater, can I over winter them outside? Has anyone in the NE ever over wintered outside? I have nice large enclosures outside that would fit in the shed, but inside I can’t fit a big enclosure. Any advice for a first time over winterer?

[blue1and2]

Hi
I live in Northwestern Ontario Canada
We get very cold winters -40 degrees.
I got my first winter baby red squirrel in February this year. He was about 8 weeks old.
I have an insulated “squirrel shack”
It is used for my spring/ summer squirrels.
I have a large cage in the shack. I have a heater in there that has hardware cloth around it so the heater/ cord cannot be chewed. Unfortunately i only had the one so i entertained him with my company as well as with stuffed animals, toys, a sand box and outdoor time in an enclosed area.
The heater kept it comfortable in there and prevented the water bowl from freezing.
During the day i would keep the door opened so he could come and go between the shack and the out door enclosure. At this time i would shut the heater off. I think this year i will make a door like a chicken coup so it will stay relatively warm inside while having a smaller opening in the door.
Not sure if this helps😊