I'm so worried

[macytree]

We were supposed to release Hunny a couple of weeks ago but we put it off because it was too cold. It wasn't really cold, we're in florida, but i was worried. Yesterday I put her outside to play on the tree like I do every day, but this time she decided not to come home when the sun went down. I worried all night long because it was cold, and dark, and I imagine scary to a little squirrel. My father-in-law kept talking about how she was going to get eaten by a cat and really upset me. I don't think she's going to be eaten by a cat though, I worry more that she'll jump on a stranger's head. If she's going to be attacked by anything it will be a hawk and there wasn't really any way I could teach her to be scared of hawks. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Anyway, I saw her this morning running around the tree but she still didn't want to come to me. I put down some food for her near the tree and left her alone. I know she'll be okay but I am not happy about this. I feel like I sent my baby off to college completely unprepared. My husband is really worried that she won't be able to find any water. Is that a legitimate fear? I think she'll be able to get enough water from the dew on the leaves and grass every morning, but I'm not sure.

I don't know what I need here, reassurance that letting her go was the right thing I guess. Keeping her was never really a consideration, we always planned to release her. When it got close to time to let her go though we both got cold feet and started talking about keeping her. I know she belongs out there but it still feels mean to put our baby out there and make her fend for herself.

I admire all of you who do this because I really don't think I'll be able to do it again. This is way too hard emotionally. Thanks for all of your help over the last 6 months, by the way. I never would have made it without you. More importantly Hunny wouldn't have made it without you.

[thundersquirrel]

i know you're probably expecting this, but don't worry. :)

hunny seems to have made a decision herself. if she's unwilling to come to you, she will probably avoid other people even more so. hawks are a threat that all squirrels must deal with, and they have ways of avoiding that end (calling to each other, the ability to smell, staying in bushy trees, etc).

there are some things you can do to help even though she's outside. if she has a wooden nestbox, you could nail it to a tree on your property. you can continue to feed her as well, and she's likely to want to stay. if she ever gets hurt, she'll know where to go for help.

keep in mind, also, that mating season is starting even in the coldest states. it's possible she's already pregnant, or is hoping to be so. again, she will stay nearby if she can. try not to scare her off; if she doesn't want to come inside, so be it.

i'm sorry you're worried. i understand. the first time we released red squirrels, i very nearly tried to catch them again! they turned out fine though. ;)

[island rehabber]

macytree, I agree with everything TS said :thumbsup. Hunny made her decision for herself -- this is what is meant by "let the squirrel decide". The fact that she's not even interested in being an indoor/outdoor, since she didn't even come back at night, really tells you what her convictions are. This girl has gone wild :D. That said, you will want to make things as easy for her as possible with nest box and nice treats available. Water isn't a big issue -- they do get most of it from leaves in the morning -- but why not put some out for her?

In my personal opinion, a squirrel like Hunny who so wants to be outside would prove to be miserable if kept indoors. That's when we see the bar chewing (resulting in that famous bald spot in the middle of the nose......), repetitive circling and pacing, nastiness, biting, etc etc. You've done the right thing, mamma! :thumbsup

[My Little Trouble]

It sounds to me like you've done a good job preparing Hunny,
and, more importantly, :D it seems that Hunny thinks you've a good job getting her ready.

I agree with TS and IR, if she's keeping her distance from you, the chances are that she won't jump on a stranger.
Her instinctual fear of predatory birds is probably intact - my Trouble is quite alert about birds,
even though he never had his natural mama's training about them.

If you are concerned about water, you might put a water supply (bird bath or something of that sort)
in the same area where you are putting treats out for your girl.
Our wild squirrels frequently visit the birdbaths, :) winter and summer.

[island rehabber]

Her instinctual fear of predatory birds is probably intact - my Trouble is quite alert about birds, even though he never had his natural mama's training about them..

It's true -- my rehab squirrels never see a raptor of any kind because their cages face a window looking out at water. However, when the gulls fly over and get too close, everybody squawks at once and dives into their nest boxes! All it takes is the look or sound of those wings overhead -- they know.

[TexanSquirrel]

:grouphug Sorry your little one has run off, but she's out doing what she really wants to do. If you feed her and put a box out for her then she'll have her freedom and her momma - the best of both worlds.

[Squirrellie]

Since she made the decision, it must have been the right timing for her. Even though I've never raised & released one, I did have "empty nest syndrome" when my Twiggy & babies moved out, it's sad & it's impossible not to worry. But you will probably continue to see Hunny around and maybe even get to watch her raise a family of her own! I am sure she is happy out there!:) :)

I think putting water out is a great idea. I have a bowl out next to the food bin and they drink a lot from it daily. I do have to change it every day because the birds use it as a bath. In this pic we just had snow flurries & the water is frozen so she's inside the bowl licking the snow off the top.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Sounds like you have done a great job! She may very well come to you again to take treats some of mine still do even after 6 months of release.
They know who raised and loved them......they never forget:Love_Icon
And in the same token we never forget the love they brought to us.

[muffinsquirrel]

I hope you've seen your baby by now. They have a way of getting overwhelmed by the freedom for a day or two, and then coming back home, where momma (and the food) is.

I must say, your FIL really sounds like a little ray of sunshine! Just a bundle of laughs and good cheer! The kind that would tell an aspiring actress, as she went on stage, "break a leg".......and mean it!!!!

muffinsquirrel

[macytree]

I hope you've seen your baby by now. They have a way of getting overwhelmed by the freedom for a day or two, and then coming back home, where momma (and the food) is.

I must say, your FIL really sounds like a little ray of sunshine! Just a bundle of laughs and good cheer! The kind that would tell an aspiring actress, as she went on stage, "break a leg".......and mean it!!!!

muffinsquirrel

Oh yes, I was oh so pleased with FIL. I took his remarks better than hubby did though, I'm afraid he resorted to profanity after the third time FIL brought it up.

I can't thank you all for the reassurance you gave me today. I must have hit refresh a hundred times to read the replies. Every time I'd get panicky I'd hit refresh and it would calm me down again.

That said, she came for a visit tonight. I took the dogs out at 10 and saw her on a spindly little pine tree near the road. it is absolutely not the tree we put her on so i'm guessing she got scared off of the good tree by another squirrel. i knew it was her because she came running down the tree as soon as she saw the dogs and me. She wouldn't come to me though, I put my hand out, she touched it and ran right back up the tree. So I made Dh come outside with me and she ran right down to him and hopped on his shoulder.

She came in with us, ate a good meal, had some water, and went to sleep in her cage. Poor little thing was exhausted, she wasn't using her nest box and I guess she hadn't found a nest outside yet. We'll put her back out tomorrow morning and see if she wants to come in tomorrow evening. i feel a lot better knowing that she made it through her first night, i guess she was outside for about 36 hours total.

[thundersquirrel]

wow, thanks for the update! i'm glad to hear that she still knows where to go for a good night's sleep.

have you considered nailing her nestbox outside? maybe not yet, since she still came back, but soon? try looking for trees that other squirrels don't seem possessive of.

give her a stroke for me. :D

[My Little Trouble]

Awww, :Love_Icon Hunny came home for a sleepover, :) what a sweet girl,
I know this must ease your heart.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Rippie and Little girl did the exact same thing!! They came in after release slept 24 hrs straight through they were pooped!! Guess what they woke up and wanted right back out, we would like to think they love us enough to want to stay in and be with us but most squirrels given the chance to know the outside want to go (most anyway).
Freedom is the biggest gift you can give her, enjoy watching her explore and get some good nuts for her keep a nut box available (avail @ Wallmart)show her where it is so she can get treats anytime she wants them. Chances are you will continue to see her for a long time.

[Buddy'sMom]

I'm so happy for you that Hunny came home for the night!! :wahoo What a relief that she is ok. :thumbsup We went through the same thing with Buddy -- he would disappear for several days, scaring us to death, then would reappear and just want to sleep, sleep, sleep. Sometimes they just need to re-group for a day or two or three, and then they want to go back out and try again. Eventually, they get settled someplace and are comfortable on their own -- with a little support from the folks, of course! Keep putting out food and water for her. :Love_Icon

Is her nestbox now in a tree? :thinking If it is and she isn't using it, perhaps you can lure her inside with a few nuts? Does it have nesting material inside (blankies, leaves, pine straw, for example)? Even doing that, we found it quite hard to convey to Buddy that his nestbox offered a very lovely place to sleep (Kids! Can't give them any advice! :shakehead ). We never really knew where he was living, but suspected he spent some time beneath a pile of cinderblocks :shakehead :shakehead

I hope Hunny keeps coming to visit so you know she's doing ok.
:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[thundersquirrel]

coming home to do nothing but sleep? sounds a lot like college. :D

[macytree]

Hunny slept all day long. She went to sleep at about 11 last night and just woke up an hour ago. She ate, had something to drink, and went straight for the door. I took her out to the tree, she talked to another squirrel, it sounded like fighting to me but I don't speak squirrelese. Then she hopped on over to his tree, interesting.

She does have a nest box outside, it's got bedding and newspapers, and some treats. I doubt she'll ever use it though she was never fond of it in the house. This may seem stupid but I have two hand bags that she likes to sleep in so I'm going to hang them on the fence and maybe she can curl up in one of them, if nothing else.

I really can't tell if she's happy outside or not, she looks terrified but doesn't want to come to me, so maybe she knows she has to get used to it. Iam really happy that she came for a visit, that made me feel so much better. Thanks for the support! I will definitely keep you updated!

[thundersquirrel]

thanks again for the update!

i'm glad she got a good sleep. here's what i'm thinking;

if she doesn't use a nestbox, don't bother with the handbags. why? it's a bit dangerous. if a raccoon were to smell her in the bag while she was sleeping and defenseless, it might try to attack her, and she'd be cornered.

instead, i think you should continue letting her in the house at night unless she doesn't want to. it's a bit cold out, and leaves might be sparse for nest making. when spring and warmer temperatures roll around, she will probably figure out how to make a nest and such.

[macytree]

thanks again for the update!

i'm glad she got a good sleep. here's what i'm thinking;

if she doesn't use a nestbox, don't bother with the handbags. why? it's a bit dangerous. if a raccoon were to smell her in the bag while she was sleeping and defenseless, it might try to attack her, and she'd be cornered.

instead, i think you should continue letting her in the house at night unless she doesn't want to. it's a bit cold out, and leaves might be sparse for nest making. when spring and warmer temperatures roll around, she will probably figure out how to make a nest and such.

Oh good point about the raccoons. I don't think we actually have any in our neighborhood but the neighbor does have two indoor/outdoor cats and there are at least three possums that call our block home. I don't know if possums are a danger to squirrels but they're certainly scary, especially the monster ones we have.

Luckily we're in Florida and the trees still have plenty of leaves. If she wants to build a nest there is plenty of building material, I'm just afraid she won't know how. I guess that's silly as she was always good at building them in her cage, of course those were with newspapers and paper towels. Either way she knew to build a nest even when she was safe and warm inside.

She spent last night outside which wouldn't be upsetting except it rained and stormed all night long. Hubby went out to look for her several times and couldn't find her so I'm hoping she was nested down somewhere. Who knows she may have stayed dryer than he did. I'll let you know if we see her today, keep your fingers crossed.

[island rehabber]

I don't know if possums are a danger to squirrels but they're certainly scary, especially the monster ones we have.....


....Either way she knew to build a nest even when she was safe and warm inside.


Possums are harmless to squirrels, nomatter how big they are :), and your girl knows perfectly well how to build a nest. It's all programmed inside her little brain -- everything she needs to know to survive. Trust that you did a beautiful job raising her, and mother nature will take it from here. :grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

:grouphug :grouphug

[macytree]

I'm glad to know possums aren't a threat to her. I actually did a google after reading your post because I realized I don't know anything about them. I like having them around but they're huge and I'm pretty scared of them. They're actually bigger than my dogs so I worry about bumping into them when I'm walking the dogs at night. Anyway, I'm glad I looked them up they're pretty cool little animals.

Hunny decided to come home for the night again. We looked for her a few times today but couldn't find her. Right at 4:00 she came down to the bottom of the big tree and waited for hubby to pick her up. So she's in now. I don't think she had such a bad night out after all, she's been in for two hours and is just running around. She ate a little and drank a little but she hasn't been to sleep yet. She's actually building a nest in hubby's coat right now out of grocery bags. I guess I really don't have to worry about her building a nest outside. She's pretty smart.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

:wahoo :wahoo I am glad you will have another night of fun, play and peace with her. Have a good time...give her extra kisses.:Love_Icon

[thundersquirrel]

yay! great news, continue with the updates. :thumbsup

[4skwerlz]

So glad Hunny decided to check in with mom and dad. :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

... Hunny decided to come home for the night again. We looked for her a few times today but couldn't find her. Right at 4:00 she came down to the bottom of the big tree and waited for hubby to pick her up. ..... She's pretty smart.
And she's got you two trained pretty well!! "Oh, my ride is here now. I'll be back tomorrow!" Too funny!! :jump
Glad she came home!
:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Snipe]

That's too funny that she has dad going out and giving her a ride home :rotfl

It has too give you some comfort not only knowing that she can indeed survive outside, but also she is more then capable to find her way back when she feels the need. :)

[macytree]

I haven't seen my girl in two days. i'm not too worried about her though, thanks to all your wonderful help! the last couple of times i took her outside she seemed to be getting along okay with the dominant squirrel in the neighborhood so hopefully he's letting her hang out in the good tree. i'm not worried about her nest building skills anymore either, she's really good at it. we're putting food down for her and i hope to see her from time to time but if she's moved on then i'm okay with it. thanks for holding my hand.

[My Little Trouble]

I haven't seen my girl in two days. i'm not too worried about her though, we're putting food down for her and i hope to see her from time to time but if she's moved on then i'm okay with it.


I do hope that Hunny will stay in the area and visit you often, :D
but mostly, I'm happy that you feel such relief about her survival skills,
you were a great parent and raised a strong, self-sufficient fuzzer. :thumbsup Well done, you!

[macytree]

Gosh it's been five days now. I'm trying super hard not to worry but I'm a worrier by nature. I've seen squirrels that could be her but none of them have shown any interest in me so I don't think they are her. Dh is better at recognizing her and he claims all the squirrels I think are her aren't. I hope she's just busy or maybe knocked up, but I sure wish she'd pop her head in and let me know she's okay. I really miss her too. she was such a pain in the heiney but she was my pain and I miss her.

[pamela lee]

I'm sorry she hasn't been back yet but I'm sure she'll be fine. Peanut disappears all the time sometimes for as long as a month.
IT IS NOT A PERFECT WORLD WE RESCUE THEM FROM.
IT IS OUR WORLD WE RAISE THEM IN.
IT WILL NEVER BE A PERFECT WORLD WE RELEASE THEM TO...
BUT IT IS THEIR WORLD!
I'm sure she'll be just fine. I do hope she'll stop in to say " HI MOM " soon.

[fotheloveofsquirrels]

I'm sorry! I know how it can be to worry over your little ones.............:grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

It's such an emotional roller coaster after they move out. They have NO IDEA what they put their moms and dads through when they go off on their little jaunts. :shakehead We seriously wanted to rig a GPS tracking device for Buddy to wear so at least we could see where he was in the neighborhood. :rotfl

I hope she pays you a visit soon. In the meantime .... trust that she has good skills and good squirrelly instincts. :bowdown

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[macytree]

I'm sorry she hasn't been back yet but I'm sure she'll be fine. Peanut disappears all the time sometimes for as long as a month.
IT IS NOT A PERFECT WORLD WE RESCUE THEM FROM.
IT IS OUR WORLD WE RAISE THEM IN.
IT WILL NEVER BE A PERFECT WORLD WE RELEASE THEM TO...
BUT IT IS THEIR WORLD!
I'm sure she'll be just fine. I do hope she'll stop in to say " HI MOM " soon.


I know you're right, pamela. i saved that little quote way back when we first brought her home and I must have said it to myself a thousand times since then while convincing myself that release was the right thing to do. Oddly, I haven't been thinking it since i actually released her. i will have to start chanting it as i'm drifting off to sleep. i dream about squirrels every night now.

[macytree]

I'm sorry! I know how it can be to worry over your little ones.............:grouphug

thanks for the support, hopefully we'll see our munchkin tomorrow. dh is home so he'll spend some time out looking for her.

[macytree]

you're so right, buddy's mom. dh wanted to tag her somehow, like we have that technology. for awhile he was insisting on putting a collar on her, i vetoed that since obviously she could hang herself. then he thought we should use sharpie or paint on her back. i vetoed that as well because i was afraid the other squirrels would reject her because of the smell. i don't know how silly that way but i remember someone saying her squirrel attacked her because she put nail polish on. i assume if they don't like cosmetics on their people they probably don't like office supplies on their friends.

[Buddy'sMom]

:jump :jump I'm sure you're right -- they are so sensitive to smells.

(I dreamed squirrels every night, too. ;) )

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[cr8zyanimalgirl]

I am like you Gamma I get too emotionally attached to animals. I too give all rehabbers a great deal of credit.:thumbsup It really takes a strong person to let go. I am sure Honey is out and having a great time meeting all kinds of nre friends.:crazy I do believe they never forget who raised them and gave them the most love.:Love_Icon

[macytree]

Can you believe I just now saw my baby!! She's been out since January 24th and we've spent hours and hours looking for her. I think I sort of gave up a couple of days ago and decided that she must have moved on to a tree in a different neighborhood.

Nope, not my girl. She's in the giant tree not 50 feet from my front door, hanging out with the dominant squirrel. They were running around the tree together this morning when I took the dogs out. I thought it was her so I started calling her and she ran right down to us!! She wouldn't come to me and went back up to her boyfriend but I know it was her and that's all that matters.

My baby is okay and apparently happy!! We really did do a good job with her and releasing her was the right thing to do. I doubt I'll ever do this again, it was just too hard on me. Then again should I come across an orphan...

:multi

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

:wahoo I am so happy you saw your little guy. It is a great feeling seeing them after sooooooooo long of wondering where they are and if they are doing ok. It is those times when we see our little guys running wild and free that makes it all worth it for us rehabbers. Rehabbing involves lots of sadness and worrying, but it is those happy moments when we watch an animal being wild and free like it should be that makes it all worth it (plus that cuteness when they are babies :D ).

[Lady Squirrelly]

:fireworks :fireworks :fireworks

So glad you were able to see your baby and know she was OK.

[island rehabber]

:thumbsup Great News!!!! Isn't it beautiful to see them in the wild, being squirrels and doing exactly what they want to do? :crazy
You're hooked, honey.....you know what's going to happen if another squirrel baby is in trouble anywhere near you.....:D......that's how they get us.

[Buddy'sMom]

:wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :multi :multi :multi :multi

I'm so glad Hunny showed you she's doing OK in the wild and is holding her own with the wilds!! :alright.gif :alright.gif :alright.gif

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

thought it was her so I started calling her and she ran right down to us!!
Oh what wonderful news to read, I am so happy for you I know how worried you were and we have all been there...its a killer not knowing but then they show up just to say "hey Mom look at me how much fun I am having"!:wahoo :wahoo :wahoo :wahoo
:bowdown :bowdown :bowdown
You did a wonderful job with her. Keep the goodies stocked up for her outside and shes sure to stick around.:Love_Icon

[kitkat 1]

You`ve done everything perfectly--even up to the worrying! I released my grey, Hercules 2 summers ago & went thru all the feelings you are now experiencing. The best is that he stil "visits"--taking a p-nut out of my hand & scrambling away w/ it as fast as he can! In the summer I try to leave my back door open early in the morn before it gets too muggy & 2-3 x`s a wk Herc will be hanging on the screen for me to let him in. He does 2 things only--goes the LONG way to the cat bowl & grabs a few a few morsels of dry cat food & scoots out the door! I talk to him on this journey but never try to pet him or interfere. We both enjoy his breif visits. kitkat 1

[Ryleigh's Sister]

I know how you feel. "read ESCAPED SQUIRREL! PLEASE HELP!" for my story.......... Im sorry that happened. I hope 'our' little squirrels are ok.

[macytree]

You`ve done everything perfectly--even up to the worrying! I released my grey, Hercules 2 summers ago & went thru all the feelings you are now experiencing. The best is that he stil "visits"--taking a p-nut out of my hand & scrambling away w/ it as fast as he can! In the summer I try to leave my back door open early in the morn before it gets too muggy & 2-3 x`s a wk Herc will be hanging on the screen for me to let him in. He does 2 things only--goes the LONG way to the cat bowl & grabs a few a few morsels of dry cat food & scoots out the door! I talk to him on this journey but never try to pet him or interfere. We both enjoy his breif visits. kitkat 1

that is so sweet kitkat. I can't imagine seeing my little girl hanging from the screen, that would be so cute. oddly, i don't think she knows where my house is. we live in apartments and her tree is a bit away from our apartment, which is good because the neighbor has two indoor/outdoor cats. it's funny, the squirrels seem to know exactly where her cats roam because there's a definitely boundary they never cross.