How to catch Nutty Buddy?

[Apple Corps]

My wife and I have been adopted by a family of 5 cuties. Nutty Buddy, Fuzzy, Daisy and the Twins. Nutty Buddy has arrived on our patio with a significant limp on his left hind leg. The hip appears ok as we watch him - he just will not put his foot / paw on the ground. He otherwise looks healthy - good weight and coat - but he is hurt. I have a vet lined up to see him but need advice on how to catch him. He will almost allow hand feeding but not quite - and he remains FAST.

Also - Fuzzy and Daisy have not shown up for the last day or so - very hot in Central California - we are a bit worried - do their visiting patterns change in the hot weather?

Many more questions to come but helping Nutty Buddy is the main priority.

Thanks much.

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

I would suggest getting a Havahart cage from Home Depot. Since your Nutty Buddy already knows where to find food, it should be easy. Just put a little of his food in front of the door and a trail leading into the cage. You may catch the wrong squirrel, but you can just keep releasing till you get the one you want. Also, you don't want to leave the cage in the hot sun, or unsupervised. He will panic when trapped, and you don't want to leave him like that for long. If you throw a towel over the cage when you approach it, it will help keep him calm while transporting him.

[Apple Corps]

ASG - thanks - thats kind of what I have been reading. Is it common in the summer months for our friends to just depart for days on end (more food available everywhere) / change their "visiting" pattern? I think I am going to wait and see if Nutty Buddy returns before getting the trap - perhaps nature will help heal him better than we can - but we really want to help. One of the vets we contacted got all wiggy that if we brought the squirrel in it would have to be treated and then turned over to a rehabber for release:skwredup

Duh - what could be more normal than returning him to the area (our yard) where he has been living? The good news is that there are other vets out there with a more common sense view.

Also - we are placing a new squirrel house in one of our redwoods. We had it made in Waverly Hall, GA and it even has a deck around it for lounging!

[VICTORIA]

what is a squirrel house? where can i get one?
thanks

[Apple Corps]

Victoria - we had a redwood "box" made up that is about 10" wide - 11" deep and 20" high - it has an "A" frame roof and a 4" square opening for them to get in and out. The bottom is made from "hardware" cloth - that allows decomposed leaves and what all fall through so you do not have to clean up very much. I'll post some pics later today - you can Google squirrel boxes and get the idea. They can be ordered online for about $35 for simple ones or you can go overboard like we did for around $80 + shipping.

Alton made ours up: www.thebirdhouseplace.com

[Secret Squirrel]

Hi Applecorps:Welcome !!!

In answer to your question about squirrels changing daily patterns , yes they do. At least mine do. Sometimes I won't see a certain squirrel for a week and then they show up like nothings wrong........kidz!!!!!!! I do belive the heat will make them less active too.

Also about the hurt squirrel, I would give it a few days and see what happens. As long as he is eating and you see him regularly I wouldn't worry. Usually they heal up just fine on their own and it's just human nature for us to want to help.
As for the vet who got the wiggy's....find a different one :peace

[Mrs. Jack]

We've had some very hot days lately for our area. I haven't seen nearly as much activity during them, although I did get the cute sight of baby stretched out flat as a pancake on the fence, keeping cool. I put out food in the early morning and evening and they come get it, I just don't see them as much during my own activities (sitting in front of a fan.)

My friend Jack came one day with a similar limp, all activities seemed normal except that he just would not put one foot down. It didn't occur to me to try and catch him, I sort of assume that the trauma of that and a trip to the vet for a wild animal might be worse than the injury itself, especially if it's something that will heal on its own. I just made sure Jack got some nice brazil nuts without the crowd shoving in. And in about a week he was using that foot again, so I hope that your Nutty Buddy will have a similar experience. Luck!

[VICTORIA]

thank you for the link. ill have to show it to hubby.

[Apple Corps]

Hi - thanks to all of you for the responses - they help a lot. My computer had a glitch today and I just got the OS reinstalled - when it rains it pours :-)

The Twins and Daisy made their visit today and some other Squirrel was banging away in the branches - not sure who it was (Nutty Buddy ?) - maybe the family is ok - hard to believe how attached you become to these little creatures.

Our first effort to hang the new house was frustrating - being 15' up on the ladder while trying to push the house against the tree - keeping vertical - reaching over he deck - holding the drill - and not falling off was too much. The new plan is to hold the house against the tree and vertical with some bungee cords and drill away - my 4th of July project. I put the new house on the patio and placed a few nuts on the deck - it wasn't long before one of the Twins came around - squeezed through the deck railings and snacked away.

Several days ago the Blue Jays were going after something in the trees - lo and behold - a huge fat house cat was up there hanging on for its life - big dog next door probably ran it up the tree. DO NOT read further if you are a cat lover. I despise cats as they predate and kill even though they are fed and not hungry. We have turned our yard into a sanctuary for squirrels, posums, birds - NOT CATS. My trusty pellet rifle put a lot of hurt on that cat - it will think long and hard before venturing into our yard again - if ever. While I was pushing it off the tree branches I noticed 3 humming birds trying to chase it away also - they gave way to me to reestablish security again. Today I heard them just over my head - they settled on a branch no more than 4' away - tilted their heads to the side and just watched me. It is hard to explain but I think they actually sensed that I was helping them and a "friend". Bed time - it's been a hectic several days.

[Apple Corps]

BTW - after hosing the patio off we will find several of the litle cuties "pancaked" on the pavers or the wet dirt cooling off. They lift their heads up to check us out and then just relax some more.

[Squerly]

NOT CATS. My trusty pellet rifle put a lot of hurt on that cat - it will think long and hard before venturing into our yard again -I am not a cat lover either and while I don't want them hanging out in my yard, I don't want to physically hurt them either. The pellet gun approach is too lethal but a paint ball gun works very well. The gun will make a loud "pop" sound when fired which doesn't sit well with the cat. And the paint ball is large enough that you can track it as it flies toward the target. If you actually manage to hit the cat the result is not damaging, but it does seem to leave a lasting impression on them. The paint ball gun works equally well with unwanted dogs, hawks, etc. (as well as the neighbors kid, but that's another story....)

[island rehabber]

I am not a cat lover either and while I don't want them hanging out in my yard, I don't want to physically hurt them either. The pellet gun approach is too lethal but a paint ball gun works very well. The gun will make a loud "pop" sound when fired which doesn't sit well with the cat. And the paint ball is large enough that you can track it as it flies toward the target. If you actually manage to hit the cat the result is not damaging, but it does seem to leave a lasting impression on them. The paint ball gun works equally well with unwanted dogs, hawks, etc. (as well as the neighbors kid, but that's another story....)

I dunno....I still think the garden hose is the best weapon, so long as it has a good nozzle on it. Cats hate it, the flowers love it, it's relatively inexpensive -- and it's easy to aim. Why draw blood when you can use water?

[Apple Corps]

Good Morning - the paint gun idea is one I had not thought of. The pellets I use are very flat headed and sting - not any blood drawn that I know of and no where near lethal unless one was inclined to aim at the head - which thus far I have resisted :-) The garden hose will not work for us because of the distances and it appears that the cats in question have enough sense to be wary and keep out of garden hose range. They do have a 6th sense about where they are not wanted.

That said - our squirrels (and dove and humming birds and possums and....) have a very safe yard to frolick in, get some good eats, drinks of fresh water, relax a bit and observe the odd human creatures that they have trained so well.

Later today we will try to get the new squirrel home hung in the redwood - I'll post on progress later.

Happy 4th of July to all of you :-)

[Squerly]

Why draw blood when you can use water?I understand your concern IR but the paint gun is actually pretty harmless. MommaSquirrel tested it out on me when I first bought it. :) It stings a little but aside from that, no big deal.


Later today we will try to get the new squirrel home hung in the redwood - I'll post on progress later.You may as well take some pics of the progress, something funny may happen and I'd hate to miss it. :icon_devil

[Secret Squirrel]

I have 4 cats and they just love to chase the squirrels and I use a "sweep nozzle" on my hose. It's shoots a solid jet stream of water 30 ft...depending on your water pressure. It's about 4 bucks at any home inprovement store or wally world. The best one is all metal but there are plastic ones that are about a buck each.

[island rehabber]

I have 4 cats and they just love to chase the squirrels and I use a "sweep nozzle" on my hose. It's shoots a solid jet stream of water 30 ft...depending on your water pressure. It's about 4 bucks at any home inprovement store or wally world. The best one is all metal but there are plastic ones that are about a buck each.

Yep that's what I was thinking of.....it's almost as good as a power washer for cleaning off the bird poop on your deck, too! :goodpost

[Momma Squirrel]

I have to admit, when your husband comes to you and hands you a gun (paintball) and says come outside and shoot me, there is something inside of you that really gleams with pleasure :icon_devil He wasn't hurt but he sure did find the garbage can lid fast to protect himself, he had a real hard time in getting me to stop, I just don't know what came over me :dono Should have taken a video, I could have won that $10,000 !!!!

[Apple Corps]

You "guys" are a tough bunch

:jump

[Secret Squirrel]

Hey, if I was givin the chance......my hubby would see me a whole lot clearer !!!!
Just call her "dead eye" squrely!!!!!

[Apple Corps]

Secret Squirrel - small world - we are transplants to California from The Isle of Palms and Rock Hill.

[drnuttyhead]

AppleCorps, you may not realize this, but shooting a cat is a felony in most States. This is a serious crime, that has jail time associated with it.

[Apple Corps]

drnuttyhead - I am no lawyer but I doubt that shooting tomcats with a pellet gun is a felony in any state. It is a risk I gladly run to help provide a sanctuary for our squirrel budies who are under assault from too many fronts.

Jail time - get real.

[drnuttyhead]

drnuttyhead - I am no lawyer but I doubt that shooting tomcats with a pellet gun is a felony in any state. It is a risk I gladly run to help provide a sanctuary for our squirrel budies who are under assault from too many fronts.

Jail time - get real.


I suggest you check out http://www.animal-law.org/statutes/california.htm

If you really live in California, this section may be of interest:

Every person who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, or tortures any mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, or fish as described in subdivision (d), is guilty of an offense punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or, alternatively, by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.

If you want to see what happens to people who "torture" or inflect pain upon our friends, google "california animal cruelty". You will see lots of examples of people who are charged with felonies for very similar acts - Real Enough.

[Secret Squirrel]

SHAZAM!!!!:goodpost

[drnuttyhead]

Not to flog this subject, but here is a very similar/recent example:

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/7252/CO/US


In this case, a TomCat named TJ (sound familiar) was shot with a pellet gun, and wounded in the shoulder.

If caught, the shooter could face felony charges of causing serious injury to an animal. TJ survived and is recovering, but is reluctant to go outside.

[Apple Corps]

Not to flog this subject, but here is a very similar/recent example:

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/7252/CO/US


In this case, a TomCat named TJ (sound familiar) was shot with a pellet gun, and wounded in the shoulder.

If caught, the shooter could face felony charges of causing serious injury to an animal. TJ survived and is recovering, but is reluctant to go outside.


drnuttyhead - thanks for the citation - even though that was a CO case advertised by a "pet abuse" organization. I remain confident that "jail time" has not ever taken place for a pest cat shot in the rear with a pellet gun. In our area there is a leash law for dogs because people understand the nuisance that free running dogs can be (and danger in some cases). I suspect that real world enforcement is highly tempered with the expectation that cat owners - if concerned about their cats - should keep them under control and off their neighbors property. The smell of cat urine and damage to wheels and doors is also a problem.

Of interest - in the link you provided - the cat in question is now reluctant to go outside. Maybe it worked and that tomcat will not be roaming off the owners property doing its damage.

All of that said - it would avoid a lot of "drama" if cat owners understood that not all of us are cat lovers and do not want the various wildlife on our property attacked by their pets. We remain committed to do what we can to provide a sanctuary for the many "non predator" critters on our property.

Peace.