Feeding While We're GOne

[rrenner001]

We're going out of state next week for the holiday. Our gray squirrel, Big Al, is almost ready for release, and we'll work into that after we return. However, I am wondering how to feed him while we're gone.
A neighbor will come in 2 - 3 times a day to take care of our dogs, cats and fish, but the squirrel is another story. He's not going to want to catch him and get him back into his cage, and I wouldn't want him to try!
My thought is that I can make up four days worth of food for Al, and to have the neighbor just place the food on a paper plate and place it in his cage at night, when Al is sleeping.
Opening the cage will certainly wake him up and he may come out to investigate, but as long as the neighbor is fast, he should be able to slip the food in and close the door before Al gets our of his nestbox and then out of the cage. He's a pretty fast squirrel, but he also sleeps pretty soundly.
Any better ideas?? Thanks!

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Hi, Putting the food in at night when he is sleeping sounds like a good idea to me, although I just want to add it will be dangerous to let him have the run of the house while you are gone. There are so many accidents that can happen, I am overwintering an ill squirrel, I would consider it too dangerous to let her run when I am not here...and a lot can happen in 4 days.
Is there any possibility you can keep him caged while your gone, how big is your cage?

[rrenner001]

He'll be in his cage the entire time - my concern was that when the neighbor comes to feed him my squirrel will try to get out, and I don't want that to happen because my neighbor would not be good at getting him back in!

I am just looking for ideas to make sure he gets fed without the issue of him escaping from his cage.

He's got a large 4 x 3 x 3 cage and a large attached nest box.

[Pam]

I've had to leave my 5 year old pet squirrel at home alone. My daddy-in-law comes over to take care of Roxy. Before I leave on a trip, I cut all of her veggies into small enough pieces so he can feed her through the bars of her cage. I also leave plenty of nuts that will fit through the bars. Roxy drinks out of a water bottle that fits on the outside of the cage so he can easily give her fresh water.

[LynninIN]

I think the sentence in your first post about the neighbor not wanting to catch him confused a few of us at first.

Putting the food in at night while Big Al is in the nest box is a good plan. How about water. Is Al's in a bowl or bottle?

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Sorry renner, I hope you make out well!!

[rrenner001]

I can see how you might think Big Al was going to be out of the cage when the neighbor came - yikes! Sorry about that. I doubt I'd have a room left to come home to if I left him out unattended for very long!

Al has a water bottle that hangs on the outside, so that part should be easy. I guess his cage will have to get even messier than usual as I don't expect our neighbor to clean it out, but I doubt Al will care!

[TexanSquirrel]

I've had to leave my 5 year old pet squirrel at home alone. My daddy-in-law comes over to take care of Roxy. Before I leave on a trip, I cut all of her veggies into small enough pieces so he can feed her through the bars of her cage. I also leave plenty of nuts that will fit through the bars. Roxy drinks out of a water bottle that fits on the outside of the cage so he can easily give her fresh water.


I think this idea is the best! What type of floor does he have? If it is wire you will need to put something down so that the food doesn't fall through the floor.

[rrenner001]

It has a heavy-duty plastic liner. I cover it with newspapers, but it's still a mess - inside and out - as stuff seems to get flung around most of the time! They are messy eaters!

[MsOakley]

I've used the "feed while they're snoozin' " trick many times. Works like a charm. In addition to being helpful to our babysitters when we're gone it also is a good solution for an aggressiveness problem. This year in particular I had a few turn on me for no apparent reason. I took to slipping in at night to take care of their squirrely needs :-)

[Momma Squirrel]

I sure hope it works out, I would give it a trial run a night or two before you leave town just to see how your neighbor handles it.

Let us know how it goes.

[philomycus]

I've still got my two boys i'm releasing when I get back. They are on a screened-in back porch in a large cage. I'm just changing their blankies right before I leave, and filling food and water bottles before I go. Since I leave Wed and return Sun., they are really only without me for 3 days. Luckily, min LOVE the rodent block so I know they'll be fine.

My precious-honey-snuggum-bear-handsome-love-of-my-life-rodent Rocky is making the trip with me however ;)

[Pam]

My precious-honey-snuggum-bear-handsome-love-of-my-life-rodent Rocky is making the trip with me however ;)

Roxy goes with me when ever possible. :) I'm already dreading next July...we are going to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and I don't think they issue passports to squirrels. :shakehead

[philomycus]

I'm going to NewZealand/Australia next summer. i am going to die without my baby :(

[AnimalLuvR]

I can't begin to tell you how many trips I have NOT gone on for this very reason. I never seem to have any trouble finding someone to take care of our dogs, fish, cat, pony, ect...but when it comes to our two squirrels, I just worry they will get out on who ever feeds them, and that would NOT be a good scene. However...my mom found a way of feeding the grey, (at night, when she is sleeping) and the little flying squirrel during the day, when he is sleeping. The flyer has gotten so used to us opening the cage, he is more interested in how much luvin' he is going to get. I also leave a tv or a radio on for them while we are gone, so that they hear human voices. The grey also loves one of those stuffed squeaky toys, they sell for dogs. On occasion she chews it up, and we get a new one...then other times it is their for months. We tried to get one that resembled another squirrel, and she must have thought it was a threat to her territory, so she chewed the tail off of it in less than 20 seconds. Other than that, she loves to cuddle with them.

[TexanSquirrel]

:Welcome AL!