What can I do for or give to young male squirrel to keep him calm, and ...

[Marianne Kliewer]

I will be relocating my rescued squirrel with his 8' L x 4' W x 6' H cage in a few weeks. After relocating my squirrel w/cage, he will remain in his cage for approx a week to ten days at which time we will be doing a soft release. This is my first rescue and release experience. I have read somewhere about something to administer to your squirrel to reduce/prevent anxiety. I believe that the relocating experience could be quite traumatic for my little squirrel dude, and I want to make it less upsetting if at all possible. I am even planning to camp out with "Feltworth", (sounds like "fell to earth"), on his first night at the new location. Since the location is near to where I work, I will be able to spend time with his every day before as well as after his release. So please anybody out there, let me know what to do to relieve the anxiety he is sure to have during this upsetting time for him. THANKS to all.:

[Coralreefer]

I will be relocating my rescued squirrel with his 8' L x 4' W x 6' H cage in a few weeks. After relocating my squirrel w/cage, he will remain in his cage for approx a week to ten days at which time we will be doing a soft release. This is my first rescue and release experience. I have read somewhere about something to administer to your squirrel to reduce/prevent anxiety. I believe that the relocating experience could be quite traumatic for my little squirrel dude, and I want to make it less upsetting if at all possible. I am even planning to camp out with "Feltworth", (sounds like "fell to earth"), on his first night at the new location. Since the location is near to where I work, I will be able to spend time with his every day before as well as after his release. So please anybody out there, let me know what to do to relieve the anxiety he is sure to have during this upsetting time for him. THANKS to all.:

Stuff we use when transporting our little ones from our home to another location where someone else handles their soft release process is a product called "Rescue Remedy" Can be bought online. Henry's Healthy Pets carries it and I'm sure a ton of other sites.

[BigNibbler]

How will you be transporting him ? If it is a vehicle, perhaps a short drive ever few days to get use to the sound and experience could be good.

What material is his current cage. If it is metal for example and you will be doing a wood and hardware cloth box for release, perhaps you could build a mini box of about 2x3 to get him used to it. OR you could build the release cage, but keep a few parts, or internal shelves and cross woods and branches with him in his current home so that he will have stuff to relate to, so it won't be 100 % all new. That can make a big difference.

Rescue Remedy is primarily an alcohol base with some minerals. It may work for the most part on the humans who administer it better than the animals. Some people have confidence in it, others are skeptical. I have tried it on squirrels. and when I have, I can tell you that sometimes it did make me feel calmer. Other times it had no effect on me at all. Squirrels, well they never want to talk about it.