I have very limited experience with rehabbing, so I hope you folks with many years and hundreds of babies can help. Obviously squirrels have quite different personalities, just like us. I have had at least three babies (from 3 different groups) that seem to be very scared and intimidated by everything. As youngsters they spend much of their time in the cube. When put in the release cage they spend most of their time inside the nest box. May is a perfect example. She spent 90% of her time in the nest box. When it came time for release she still stayed in the nest box up in the tree. She was scared of all the other squirrels. Her method to get away was to drop to the ground. I’m sure this is how she ended up with head trauma and why she seems quite happy inside the house.
. My question is, is there something I can do to help alleviate some of this fear that I see developing at an early age? I have a 10 week old that literally shakes while being fed, even though she’s wrapped in fleece. Am I doing something wrong?
My second question is about feeding block. These 5 Irma babies, who are about 10 weeks old, were given nothing but block and formula for about the first 3 weeks I had them. They are still taking formula a couple of times a day. They were eating the Harlan block very well before I introduced veggies. I have only introduced healthy veggies like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, arugula, brussel sprouts and cabbage, and I offer it one time a day. They eat all of them, but they also don’t eat much of the block anymore. And there lies the problem and my question. Is there something I should be doing to get them to consume more of their block? Should I offer fewer veggies? Should I decrease their formula? They take as much as they want at this point. Should I offer veggies every other day? I know the block is the healthy foundation for their diet, but I also know they are getting all the nutrients they need from the formula and don’t want to make them wean. Have any of you experienced rehabbers encountered this quandary? If so, how did you handle it?