Pearl, 1 year come June 4th. Advice needed.

Hi all, So Pearly is developing well and her diet is fairly rigid- she is fed based on the nutritional recommendations per the SB. She seems to still be her happy self. She is an eastern Grey Squirrel that is now residing with me in OK. She was maloccluded and required bi-monthly trimmings up until about the February timeframe. Since then, she hasn't required trimmings at all.

It was my intention to keep her for life. But, since she has been leading a fairly normal squirrely existence, I am now torn between releasing her and keeping her. I think like all squirrels, she will be happy out of doors. She seems content indoors, but you never really know what goes through their gourds. I plan to build a squirrel release cage if she is to be released. And now, with cooler temperatures, this is the best time to acclimate her to the outside. In another month, I will have to wait until Fall, because it gets too hot to release her so dramatically from indoors to out.

She isn't aggressive, but she is clearly defining her needs with me. Meaning, she doesn't want to be cuddled as much. She stills runs all over me like a maniac and she comes when called, but she really likes to socialize on her timeframe. So long as her space is hers, she is fine running around the house like a crazy squirrel and sharing it with the family. Her space used to be both a room that was hers and then she had a Midwest triple stacked critter home that she slept in at night. About two months ago I noticed repetitive behavior where she liked to be in her room less and less. So now, she is in her critter home unless she is out with me. I work from home so she gets out several times a day and her critter home is now right by desk. I moved it from my bedroom because she began establishing set bedtimes. It used to be she stayed up with me until I went to sleep, but as she matured I noticed her needing more of a set schedule. The lights in my office typically go out at the same time everyday.

So here is my quandary. I committed myself to her for life. But since her teeth have evened out, I don't know if keeping her indoors is cruel. It would be one thing if she indicated to me what she wanted one way or the other, but she really doesn't. It is my guilt belief that makes me think she prefers to be outside, but I don't know. I have had her since she was 4 weeks old. I have Fox Squirrels in my backyard, not a lot, but I see about three to four on average. I live on 10 acres and I am surrounded by other 10 acre lots. The nearest Eastern Grey Squirrel that I have seen is 30 minutes to the west on my parent's property, but I will not release her there. They are too close to main roadways.

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Can anyone provide a definitive line as to how we assess what their best needs are in conjunction with our own human wants? Has anyone else come across this situation and how did you handle it and what were the long term results? Please help and thank you. And because I cannot help posting pictures of the Ferb, here is her latest after she stole some bread from me last week. Attachment 301111