Yesterday an apparently orphaned male baby squirrel was teetering around the yard, climbing on a workman's leg, falling in the pool etc. No parent, and it was wet (thus cold) so I brought it in in a dog crate, & gave it the hot-water bottle + grape-and-nut treatment. It has fleas -- lots of fleas -- which the local animal rescue group says means the mother isn't around.
I am trying to get rid of bay, which doesn't like me and makes little fake bites at me if my hand gets close (in glove). Lots of fur and fluffy tail. Can't tell about teeth (the nut meats seem chewed but not necessarily eaten); feet seem too big for the body; it is about the length of my palm + fingers with tail extra. It can climb a little but fell off a locust tree trunk twice. There are squirrels aplenty in the neighbourhood but none which seem interested (and last year I watched an immature ("teen") squirrel get killed by a larger squirrel -- by the time I scared the aggressor away, all I could do was watch the young one bleed to death with a completely ripped-out stomach. Gross, and I couldn't bear to watch this baby get ripped up if one of the non-mom squireels got "interested" in the wrong way.
My animal rescue group doesn't pick up squirrels. I am hoping that I can find someone in the area who wants a squirrel to raise, since my dog and I don't want the job. Advice on how to keep baby alive until I can find other help? I don't have time to get baby formula -- am hoping for some short-term advice. I have to go to work, so a speedy response is appreciated. Baby is buzzing from the next room as I write, and can chirp and give a really loud alarm screech.
Blue J