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Thread: Plantain squirrel

  1. #81
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    Ok, I'm giggling at the sniffing thing. I admit that I sniff critters too, but I have yet to think my Skiddil smells like waffles! That would be nice actually... Now back in my ferret days, I admit I loved the smell of those silly things. I was in my local pet store a few days ago to get some supplies, and an employee was holding a baby ferret. I HAD to hold it...and what was the first thing I did? I sniffed it! At least I am in good company with the other sniffers here!
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  2. #82
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    Phew, glad I'm not the only sniffer After I posted that I began having doubts about whether it's the kind of thing you admit to on a public message board!

    Scrambled an egg for the little guy this morning but he didn't seem to recognise it as food, or didn't like the smell of it or something. He is like that with nuts too. I haven't found any he likes yet. Hopefully the USPS gets the protein here soon...

  3. #83
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    Sorry to bug you guys for help again.

    Naiki is well and happy and I think he looks great.

    But....

    He's super, super hyperactive. Has been for about 3 days now, and I think it's getting worse. So hyperactive that for 30 mins I've been trying to get a photo I can post and all I'm getting is blur.

    As my husband says, he moves like an electron. He leaps and runs all day.. Up and down the curtains, over the bed canopy, lamp stands and of course, us. The squirrels outside do this too, but it's new for Naiki.

    Could this be a diet imbalance? We've been soooooo careful about the calcium and phosphorous while we wait for the vitamins and protein from Henry's. Maybe it's boredom? We play with him for hours every day, but it's never enough for him! We bought him a stuffed bunny but he quickly got bored of that too. Just watching him is making me tired and dizzy. I haven't seen him still for more than 2 seconds all day. Literally, not figuratively!

    He seems very healthy. He's no longer growing fast. He's not big but he's very muscular and his fur is in good condition.

    Do I need to worry?

  4. #84
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    Let his outside cousins be your guide. If you see them zipping around in this manner, then his behavior is most likely typical of his age. Juvie squirrels (10 - 24 weeks) can be VERY hyper. I have seven right now who are fairly mellow; they do wrestle and tumble but then they'll nap for a few hours. However, two 10-wk olds of mine are absolutely nuts all day long (Trini & Ruthie) and it's why I have very few pix of them here -- they never stop and all the pix are blurred.
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  5. #85
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    Thank you! I will put my fears to rest for now, because I must confess I had never seen a plantain squirrel sitting still until we found Naiki. His activity was just so overwhelming I got worried.

    I am so grateful for TSB. I come from a country (Australia) where there are no squirrels, only shy, nocturnal possums. I had absolutely no reference at all for understanding them. I've never had children and always gotten older pets from the refuges, so Naiki is the first baby I've ever had. The feeling of responsibility is awesome. I find I spend more and more time each day thinking about him even when we are not together, reading about squirrels etc. When he takes my chin in his tiny, warm little paws and gives me a kiss, or rubs his little cheeks on me, I think I'm the most charmed mum there ever was.

    Yesterday I had to go to Singapore and back. I was gone for 18 hours so my husband drew squirrel duty. He must have thought I was mad giving him a 30 minute lecture for 1 day of squirrel care, but when I came back and found him feeding corn to my baby I nearly died! That is why he now has a squirrel food list in pictures hanging on the fridge. No more excuses!

    Anyway, it means the world to me to be able to get trustworthy advice about his health. Ta

  6. #86
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    It's amazing how they take over our lives.
    I also spend way too much time worrying and
    thinking about Churtle, to the point that my
    family teases me. I hate to be away from him.

    And I totally agree, thank goodness for TSB!!!!!
    Its great to have a place to come where everyone
    understands the obsession, and where you can get
    good, sound information to keep them safe and healthy.. TSB

  7. #87
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    It's so nice that you care for him so much and take on the responsibility so happily. It's always great to see someone that you don't have to convince to take proper care of their squirrel.

  8. #88
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by czarina View Post
    It's amazing how they take over our lives.
    I also spend way too much time worrying and
    thinking about Churtle, to the point that my
    family teases me. I hate to be away from him.

    And I totally agree, thank goodness for TSB!!!!!
    Its great to have a place to come where everyone
    understands the obsession, and where you can get
    good, sound information to keep them safe and healthy.. TSB
    I know what you are talking about, my family teases me also! they all say I am a little squirrely now!

  9. #89
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by joyceb11 View Post
    I know what you are talking about, my family teases me also! they all say I am a little squirrely now!
    Being squirrelly is clearly a high compliment!

    Just to wrap up this thread, which is kinda in the wrong place but I was soooo excited when I got here that I dived in without looking around:

    1. You are all lovely people who should be very proud to have worked together to create a place on the internet where squirrels of all kinds come first, and judgement is waaay down the list.

    2. After much thought, discussion, lip gnawing and fretting I think we have decided to keep Naiki as a pet. It wasn't our first choice, we wanted him to live outside with his brothers and sisters, but it might be the better choice for Naiki. Mainly this is because we are well intentioned but clueless goofs who made mistakes along the way, but it's also about circumstances.

    Naiki's unexpected appearance meant we weren't prepared. We got him as a lone squirrel when he was pretty close to weaning and should have been getting wilder, but we over handled and spoiled him and now he thinks he is a little people (or that we are his big, funny looking squirrel parents). We tested him outside which we shouldn't have done (more jumping in without reading) but it showed us a lot about him. He mostly stayed close and quickly began to fret when he wanted our attention. He was also totally fearless.

    We now have to move to a place where squirrels are hunted for food and don't have the time or proper cage for slow release here which he obviously needs. We will have those things later, so maybe we can change our minds down the track, but it might be too late. I get the feeling he's as attached to us as we are to him.

    Quite happy to hear opposing views if you think we are doing the wrong thing!

    On the plus side, he is happy and seems to have a pet safe temperament. We work from home and have plenty of time for him. As part of our visa requirements we must have a housekeeper, and my father lives near our new house, so pet care isn't an issue even if we have to go away. We have commissioned a woodworker to build a huge outdoor cage we can put trees in outside our new house, with a run to a smaller indoor cage, so he can be safe and hopefully have some of the best of both worlds.

    We're still waiting for vitamins and protein from Henry's but I think we have made huge improvements to his diet thanks to all your wonderful advice.

    Overall, the future looks pretty bright for this special little guy.
    Naiki the plantain squirrel from Bali

  10. #90
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    I think this is great. Where he is now you have tons of cats, and where you'll be you have no sqs because of hunting. As long as you get the diet all set, which you're on your way to doing, I think he'll have a great life.

    When do you know if you'll get permanent residency? And why do they require you to have a housekeeper? That's strange.

  11. #91
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    Default Re: Plantain squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by farrelli View Post
    I think this is great. Where he is now you have tons of cats, and where you'll be you have no sqs because of hunting. As long as you get the diet all set, which you're on your way to doing, I think he'll have a great life.

    When do you know if you'll get permanent residency? And why do they require you to have a housekeeper? That's strange.
    Good to hear. I thought about what you said - that I had to ask myself if he was happy - and watched him closely. I can only conclude that he is a happy little guy. He's very affectionate and doesn't have any repetitive behaviour that would indicate stress.

    Permanent residency is pretty much a foregone conclusion but takes a long, indeterminate time to process. It's a stone age system. The requirement is actually that foreigners must employ at least one Indonesian citizen (to contribute to local economy) and housekeepers are what everyone has. Unfortunately labour is valued at next to nothing. It costs a pittance to have domestic staff even if you pay well above the going rate and cover medical and schooling like we do. On the plus side it's usually giving a job to someone with little or no education and we have lots of help to look after our pets. Not having to clean, worry about paying bills or doing shopping leaves us with loads of time to give them love. A full time housekeeper here probably costs less than a squirrel in the united states!
    Naiki the plantain squirrel from Bali

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