Lonely orphan

[Stevesmom]

Hey I am new here and have been reading and learning alot but I am not sure about something. I found a 2 week old baby squirrel and did everything I could to find the mom or any other babies after a hawk get in the nest but no luck. He is about 5 weeks old, clean bill of health from the vet and growing like crazy. I have read that if they are the only one then they need more love and cuddles then if they were with others. But also if you handle them too much then they will not do good in the wild because they will not be afraid of humans or animals. So what do I do. How much does he need to be held. He loves to cuddle and I dont mind it either being a stay home mom. If I do plan on keeping him as a pet and he comes back when called would it be ok to let him play in the yard when we are playing outside?

[CritterMom]

No, you need to handle him and interact with him. They desperately need that social contact. If, after he is weaned and getting ready to hit puberty, he goes outside to a release cage, he will very quickly ally himself to the outdoor squirrels and separate from you. Once released, he may return or he may not, as HE decided. The boys tend to want to disperse - nobody needs a ton of boy squirrels in one place, but they are complete individuals and there is no way to know what their decision will be. The same is true for a "pet" - they may go in and out just fine or they may decide to stay out one day. Once they have their freedom, everything becomes THEIR choice.

[island rehabber]

:attention:goodpost

[Tashahaven]

Definitely handle him, play with him, engage with him as much as you can! You are his momma, his siblings, his friends and only source of companionship while he is an indoor squirrel.

He will wild up and LET YOU KNOW when he does, and have his space.

However it is important to separate him from your other animals if you have any. It’s always best to aire on the side of caution with that, because you don’t want them to become best buddies or comfortable with dogs/cats, & think they are safe. We want them to remain fearful of those animals, so they don’t run up to a dog or cat once released and become injured. 🥰