lighting question

[rocketjsquirrel]

Since Freddie is going to be spending some time indoors now, I was wondering what the best type of light I should buy to provide natural sunlight?

[stacia]

Hi, the Ott light is the light that I've always used, but that's just me. .

[rocketjsquirrel]

Thank you Stacia! I was reading about lights and I got so confused about all the different kinds! I wrote down the names of some but thought I better get some experienced advice. Is it the Ott high definition natural light? 15 watt Eddison bulb?

[CritterMom]

I'm sorry guys. Ott really did get into quite a bit of trouble for representing their bulbs as full spectrum. What they are is full VISIBLE spectrum, which means the color is the same as sunlight. They are great for crafting or reading or sewing by but they don't have a bit of UV which is what metabolizes Vitamin D and is the reason you want sunlight.

I did a ton of research on this. The only lamps worth getting are these:
http://www.petmountain.com/product/r...-uvb-bulb.html

If you cannot get these - in the long, tube style, not the screw in fluorescents, you really shouldn't bother. This place has great prices, a fraction of what you would spend locally. The UV penetration is 20" below the bulbs.

[rocketjsquirrel]

Thanks Crittermom! I had also wrote down one called reptiglo 10.0 My next question is, where do I put it? Do I just put it in my overhead light or do I need to put it in a lamp? He's pretty much a free ranger, except at night when he goes into his sleeping box. Do I need to bring his big release cage inside so I can contain him in a smaller location until he heals up and can go back out into the wild world? I'm thinking that I might need to just keep him with me and make him a forever home inside. He is at such peace inside with me, whereas when he was outside, he was jumpy and nervous. He was a single baby and only met others when I put him out in his release cage. He was there for about a month or so before I let him go free. He would come down and sleep in his bed and did that for about 3 more weeks before he went on and slept in the trees. he came back everyday until he got sick. I thought something had eaten him.Then when he did show up he was in such pitiful shape that I have felt guilty since and am really afraid to release him again, for fear of what might happen to him. I know I'm just rambling, ...

[rocketjsquirrel]

just saw the part about not the screw in type! That is good to know! will be ordering shortly! Or do they sell these at PetSmart?

[CritterMom]

Here is a "down and dirty" on fluorescent bulbs:

These are T8 bulbs - the skinny fluorescents and you need a fixture that holds them. Four foot is the industry standard for fluorescents, both shorter and longer sizes are MUCH more expensive than the 4 foot. Lowes and Home Depot sell four foot T8 fixtures with a plug end that you can plug into any outlet for around $20 that hold 2 lamps.

I have a fixture that sits on the roof of my squirrel's enclosure, and there is a shelf about a foot below it that he likes to pancake on, so he is about a foot away from them when he does. They cannot be anywhere that your baby can access the bulbs or the cord, so that needs to be considered.

If you decide to go this route, order them. Pet Mountain's prices are literally half of what you will pay elsewhere - mine arrived in about 3 days packed well enough that you could drop them off a building and they wouldn't break!

Technically, if you feed a good quality food like the HHB's, they get enough Vitamin D without sun. I wanted to round out my boy's environment and so I got these. No offense to Stacia - I spent a ton on Otts for my parrots before I found out I had been sold a bunch of REALLY expensive light bulbs with a pretty light color that was doing nothing for them! So I spent a long time looking into the subject before I got sold another bill of goods!

[rocketjsquirrel]

Thank you! I will order the light , and I will definantly keep it out of reach of busy little squirrel paws and mouths! LOL! I have ordered the Henry's food. The vet has him on a critical care diet right now because he was so skinny from not being able to eat. He wouldn't have anything to do with that until I added yogert and baby food. She also trimmed his teeth a little. The problem I'm having with him now is that he refuses to knaw on anything. Not even his acorns, which used to be his favorite! all he wants is soft food. I guess I'm going to have to show him some tough love so he will start eating like a squirrel again!

[stacia]

respect