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Thread: severe mood change

  1. #1
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    Default severe mood change

    Sandy is a year and 8 months old, I raised her from about 2 weeks old along with 2 other siblings that I released when they were ready. I kept sandy because she has neurological issues, she has always been really sweet, funny, playful, and a joy to have...for me.
    Once she hit about 12 weeks, she has always hated my fiance. She will chase him out of the room, chirp at him, swat at him through the bars if he gets close.

    A little over a week ago, I came home from work and Sandy decided I wasn't her friend anymore, my heart is broken. I cant touch her, get close to her cage, or she goes into attack mode, much like she has done to my fiance all this time. I cant clean her cage because she wont let me in it, the only way Ive been able to get her food bowl in and out is by threatening to spray her with water, she retreats to the top of her cage for a few moments while i as quickly as I possibly can, open the door and swap out her food.

    She is on the SBD diet, always has been. She used to come out for play time often, in fact, the weekend before all the happened, she let me give her a bath and loved it! We played for 3 hours that weekend and she showed no signs of aggression or that anything was wrong.

    I dont know what to do. I still go see her every day, and sit with her, and try to bribe her with food, and as soon as she eats the food, she wants to eat my face.

    I know shes a wild animal at heart, and sometimes this just happens. I guess my question is, do I adapt and try and give her the best life possible since she does have neuro problems, and find a way to block off her cage to clean it, or should I try and find someone to release her, since she can possibly never be let out of her cage again. Her cage is huge, I have her in a triple ferret nation cage.

    I just want the best for her, and I thought I was it..maybe I was wrong.
    ____________________________________
    -Kendra-
    & Sandy
    Sandy's Thread

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  3. #2
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    Is it possible it's just seasonal? Has she ever been in heat before? I think they go into heat at about 1 and a half.

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  5. #3
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    Shes been moody before, but only for a day or so, and she never turned on me. I mean, she can def be a sassy little thing. But this has been going on for about a week and a half and I didn't think that them being in heat lasted this long, but there is so much conflicting information online and I just dont know.
    ____________________________________
    -Kendra-
    & Sandy
    Sandy's Thread

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    Default Re: severe mood change

    Quote Originally Posted by kendradfw View Post
    Shes been moody before, but only for a day or so, and she never turned on me. I mean, she can def be a sassy little thing. But this has been going on for about a week and a half and I didn't think that them being in heat lasted this long, but there is so much conflicting information online and I just dont know.
    ...l have a male squirrel have had him for 6 years l can only speak for my squirrel but he gets moody when it starts to get colder ..he starts to take food up in his house getting more protective of his shelled nuts he still plays and is affectionate but l think he needs to get ready for winter and also when it's starts to get cold and the day light is later he stays in his house later in the morning then he come out and eats breakfast....but thats just my squirrel..i always think the same way he doesn't love me anymore has something happened i don't know about but around march he goes back to the same loving squirrel..l hope its what is happening with your fur baby

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  8. #5
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    Most likely she is in heat.
    An indoor squirrel runs about two months behind outdoor squirrels on breeding cycles.
    She should get better, but may not be as affectionate.

    What type of neurological problems does she have?
    Obviously, the severity would determine if it's possible to wild her up for a release.

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  10. #6
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    Quote Originally Posted by Javarat View Post
    Most likely she is in heat.
    An indoor squirrel runs about two months behind outdoor squirrels on breeding cycles.
    She should get better, but may not be as affectionate.

    What type of neurological problems does she have?
    Obviously, the severity would determine if it's possible to wild her up for a release.
    Her and her siblings were thrown from a 20 ft building onto the concrete ground, they were in a gutter, I lost one baby within a day from internal injuries, her sisters were completely normal, but I think sandy hit her head. Her head shakes, the best way I can explain it is like parkinsons. She misses her target, and will slip off of branches sometimes, I keep tree branches in her cage. and I get a squirrel to the face often.
    She is NOT graceful by any means.
    ____________________________________
    -Kendra-
    & Sandy
    Sandy's Thread

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  12. #7
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    How long does a heat cycle last for a fox squirrel? How long does the moodiness last?
    ____________________________________
    -Kendra-
    & Sandy
    Sandy's Thread

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    Default Re: severe mood change

    The actual heat is short.. only about a week or so.
    During that time she is grumpy, and will often make 'alarm' noises for no reason at all.

    If she misses her jumps occasionally.. she is NOT a squirrel that can be released.

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  15. #9
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    Quote Originally Posted by Javarat View Post
    The actual heat is short.. only about a week or so.
    During that time she is grumpy, and will often make 'alarm' noises for no reason at all.

    If she misses her jumps occasionally.. she is NOT a squirrel that can be released.
    Yes, she has been alarming at various nothings. When I decided to keep her, it was for life.
    So, Ill figure this out. If she's in heat, then I'll be patient and maybe give her some treats and slowly back away and put on the netflix for her or something. I work for a construction company and brought home some galvanized grate that im going to fasten to her cage to block off the very top unit from the bottom two so I can clean her cage with out her trying to get me until she decides she likes me again.
    ____________________________________
    -Kendra-
    & Sandy
    Sandy's Thread

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    Default Re: severe mood change

    has anything changed at all in your life? do you have another pet in the house?

    at work, are you coming into contact with maybe something new that she can smell on you and registers as danger?

    I just ask because these guys have such an incredible sense of smell, and they know what you did all day long. when there's a big change, it can set them off.

    my flying squirrel will be angry at me if I'm rehabbing a baby squirrel. I have to give her treats first so I don't smell like the other animals.
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  19. #11
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    It takes a special person to be owned by a squirrel Squirrels are moody by nature and can turn at the first breeze. The time of year also dictates their behavior fall being a more buzzy bity time than most other times, spring all is good, summer it can go either way, just depending on the day of the week.

    From my experience, one day her switch will flip and she will be sweet again. I don't know if I'd do the water thing, that could potentially make her scared of you and her switch won't turn back. Instead try to feed her after dark or before day break. Again from my experience even on their meanest days after bedtime, it's been ok for me to give them lovins and even hold them (I have one that is 10' tall and bullet proof, but has nightmares and wimpers for me to hold her at night sometimes, during the day - she likes to bite me. Go figure LOL!) Remove all stashes, bury boxes and try to be a presence around her a good bit of the day so she is not so territorial. Turning on a radio in another room so she is not alone and quiet is another trick I have successfully used. Be patient and remember they are wired to be wild animals and many of their behaviors cannot be controlled or helped.
    Oh and buy lots of band-aids. If your a squirrel mom - you are gonna need em.

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  21. #12
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    Quote Originally Posted by missPixy View Post
    has anything changed at all in your life? do you have another pet in the house?

    at work, are you coming into contact with maybe something new that she can smell on you and registers as danger?

    I just ask because these guys have such an incredible sense of smell, and they know what you did all day long. when there's a big change, it can set them off.

    my flying squirrel will be angry at me if I'm rehabbing a baby squirrel. I have to give her treats first so I don't smell like the other animals.
    Nothing new..I got a new puppy over the summer, but she hasn't paid her any attention, we have other dogs, I know she gets jealous of her when I carry her, but when I get home from work, I go see Sandy first and make my pup go away until Im done.
    ____________________________________
    -Kendra-
    & Sandy
    Sandy's Thread

  22. #13
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    Quote Originally Posted by riefderrico View Post
    It takes a special person to be owned by a squirrel Squirrels are moody by nature and can turn at the first breeze. The time of year also dictates their behavior fall being a more buzzy bity time than most other times, spring all is good, summer it can go either way, just depending on the day of the week.

    From my experience, one day her switch will flip and she will be sweet again. I don't know if I'd do the water thing, that could potentially make her scared of you and her switch won't turn back. Instead try to feed her after dark or before day break. Again from my experience even on their meanest days after bedtime, it's been ok for me to give them lovins and even hold them (I have one that is 10' tall and bullet proof, but has nightmares and wimpers for me to hold her at night sometimes, during the day - she likes to bite me. Go figure LOL!) Remove all stashes, bury boxes and try to be a presence around her a good bit of the day so she is not so territorial. Turning on a radio in another room so she is not alone and quiet is another trick I have successfully used. Be patient and remember they are wired to be wild animals and many of their behaviors cannot be controlled or helped.
    Oh and buy lots of band-aids. If your a squirrel mom - you are gonna need em.
    I feed her first thing in the morning before I leave for work, about 6am, she hasnt come out of her blankets yet and is still groggy and sleepy. She patiently waits for her food and is generally pretty sweet and quiet. I use the water bottle to threaten her, ive only sprayed her after she attacked my hand to let her know it WASNT okay, and now she knows that the blue bottle is BAD news and she doesnt want to be sprayed again. She retreats and stares down at me until I close the door then comes down. I havent threatened her with it in a bout a week because Ive been trying a different method of rewarding her when shes nice instead of punishing her when shes bad. Shes been letting me touch her feet and her nose the last couple of days, so progress..we're getting there.
    ____________________________________
    -Kendra-
    & Sandy
    Sandy's Thread

  23. #14
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    Default Re: severe mood change

    I have seen with my NR's the two year mark is kinda the turning point. With my first girl, she was being very territorial so I would protect my hands and when she lunged I'd put her in her house and tell her "NO" very stern. One day she bit me, hit a artery in my thumb and sprayed both me and her with blood. Absolutely drenched both of us. I could see in her eyes she didn't mean too, and she was as upset at hurting me as I was of the mess she made. After that we kinda had an understanding. I knew she didn't want to be mean, but she had too. She knew she didn't want to be mean but she's a squirrel and couldn't help it. They are just wired that way. Be patient and kind, don't take it personal. You will get to know the warnings and she will try to control herself. Just know sometimes she can't - because she is a squirrel and it's what they do.

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