Pearl, 1 year old come June 4th. Advice needed.

[Faith]

Hi all, So Pearly is developing well and her diet is fairly rigid- she is fed based on the nutritional recommendations per the SB. She seems to still be her happy self. She is an eastern Grey Squirrel that is now residing with me in OK. She was maloccluded and required bi-monthly trimmings up until about the February timeframe. Since then, she hasn't required trimmings at all.

It was my intention to keep her for life. But, since she has been leading a fairly normal squirrely existence, I am now torn between releasing her and keeping her. I think like all squirrels, she will be happy out of doors. She seems content indoors, but you never really know what goes through their gourds. I plan to build a squirrel release cage if she is to be released. And now, with cooler temperatures, this is the best time to acclimate her to the outside. In another month, I will have to wait until Fall, because it gets too hot to release her so dramatically from indoors to out.

She isn't aggressive, but she is clearly defining her needs with me. Meaning, she doesn't want to be cuddled as much. She stills runs all over me like a maniac and she comes when called, but she really likes to socialize on her timeframe. So long as her space is hers, she is fine running around the house like a crazy squirrel and sharing it with the family. Her space used to be both a room that was hers and then she had a Midwest triple stacked critter home that she slept in at night. About two months ago I noticed repetitive behavior where she liked to be in her room less and less. So now, she is in her critter home unless she is out with me. I work from home so she gets out several times a day and her critter home is now right by desk. I moved it from my bedroom because she began establishing set bedtimes. It used to be she stayed up with me until I went to sleep, but as she matured I noticed her needing more of a set schedule. The lights in my office typically go out at the same time everyday.

So here is my quandary. I committed myself to her for life. But since her teeth have evened out, I don't know if keeping her indoors is cruel. It would be one thing if she indicated to me what she wanted one way or the other, but she really doesn't. It is my guilt belief that makes me think she prefers to be outside, but I don't know. I have had her since she was 4 weeks old. I have Fox Squirrels in my backyard, not a lot, but I see about three to four on average. I live on 10 acres and I am surrounded by other 10 acre lots. The nearest Eastern Grey Squirrel that I have seen is 30 minutes to the west on my parent's property, but I will not release her there. They are too close to main roadways.

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Can anyone provide a definitive line as to how we assess what their best needs are in conjunction with our own human wants? Has anyone else come across this situation and how did you handle it and what were the long term results? Please help and thank you. And because I cannot help posting pictures of the Ferb, here is her latest after she stole some bread from me last week.

[stepnstone]

She was maloccluded and required bi-monthly trimmings up until about the February timeframe. Since then, she hasn't required trimmings at all.

Reputedly there have been some who's teeth do straighten out to align properly and have been
able to be released but this is what concerns me. Has she been evaluated by a veterinarian ?
Is she able to crack into a hard shelled nut?

[Faith]

No, to both questions. She was been evaluated by a rehabber earlier in her life, but hasn't been since I quit trimming her teeth. And she has never been able to crack a pecan shell. She tries, but cannot. She also cannot crack a walnut shell. She opens plastic bottles all the time though. Does this mean she should not be released? I have a vet nearby and can take her to him, but prefer not to unless absolutely necessary. I am in an illegal state. He has indicated to me he would treat her, but he also said threatening me that if she was in a cage all the time, he would have her removed. She isn't in a cage all the time, but I am not sure what too much is to him. I would say on average it is a 40% out of cage versus 60% in cage. Some weeks are more out and some are more in. What do you think of this percentage? Do I need to increase her average out of cage time?

Regarding her teeth, if she shouldn't be released, I can keep her as planned? Also, just to educate myself on Pearl's case, why can she not crack a nut if I haven't needed to trim her teeth?

[Jen413]

My boy requires regular trimmings. Sometimes he will go 7 days, sometimes he goes 20. It all depends on what he’s chewing on and how often he’s chewing on it. He can maintain them a little bit sometimes but it always catches up to him and I have to trim them. I don’t personally feel she’s gone long enough without a trimming to think she won’t need them done anymore. I definitely wouldn’t consider releasing her if she can’t crack a nut. My boy can crack one but it takes him much longer to crack then a squirrel with normal teeth. A walnut would take him days. It’s just my opinion, and I only have Sammy as a reference when it comes to malocclusion, but it sounds like she’s still an NR to me.

[stepnstone]

My boy requires regular trimmings. Sometimes he will go 7 days, sometimes he goes 20. It all depends on what he’s chewing on and how often he’s chewing on it. He can maintain them a little bit sometimes but it always catches up to him and I have to trim them. I don’t personally feel she’s gone long enough without a trimming to think she won’t need them done anymore.
I definitely wouldn’t consider releasing her if she can’t crack a nut.

I've heard others say teeth trimmings slowed down not having to trim as often but
the misalignment was still there. If her incisors top and bottom don't meet point to point the
problem is still there. Sometimes what caused her to be Maloccluted be it a fall or from whatever
it could also have affected the jaw leaving it weak. Not being able to crack a pecan is a big deal.
She certinally sounds like she's non releasable, I think you should just consider yourself

[Faith]

StepNStone and Jen413, you both are music to my ears. That is all I needed to hear. My guilt was heavy (due to family influence). And no, her teeth do not meet point to point. And as write this, her little head has poked out of her sleepy sack and she is slowly waking up. One of my favorite times of the day. Even in her crankiest moments, she is the sweetest baby. Her not being in this house would have left a large void. Thank you. Thank you.

[Jen413]

She's a lucky girl to have a mom like you!

[stepnstone]

My guilt was heavy (due to family influence). And no, her teeth do not meet point to point.

No need.
She wouldn't be able to access the nutrition she needs in the wild being unable to "chew through" hard substances,
(especially through the winter months) add that to the incisors growing misaligned she wouldn't survive that long and
her death would be brutal. She's definitely non- releasable IMO.

[Faith]

Thank you, Stepnstone and Jen413. To celebrate Pearl staying with us, we have purchased another triple decker Midwest critter home so her cage will be twice as wide. That too immeasurably relieves my stress. She lost interest in her room. She paced and paced to get out of there and actually seems more restful in her critter home or roaming the house with me, the dogs, and her bunny.

On a separate note- all Pearl currently wants to eat is her veggies and occasionally her Henry's block. Because of this, I have been limiting her time out of cage and only giving her the rodent block and her Henry's block in an attempt to force her to eat them. I have been limiting her time roaming the house because she has stashes in places and some of them I do not know where they are until she pulls something out and I really want her to eat the block first. This has been going on for the last three days and she is militant about not eating her block. Am I being to rigid with her?

[Jen413]

I always give my babies their HHB or boo ball first thing in the morning and they get nothing until it's gone. Usually that happens very quickly and I have no issues. Sometimes Sammy hides his, but he gobbles them up like a mad man a majority of the time. Then they get another one when I get home from work. All of my babies besides Sammy will eat Harlan Teklad plain. Depending on how you normally do things, I'd just give her the HHB with nothing else. That way it limits her options and she's probably hungry in the morning. Then when she eats it you can put her normal foods in there.

Sammy has two DCN cages attached side by side. You'll have to post some pictures of your set up. Cava has two TCN attached side by side. I'm sure Pearl will LOVE it!

[stepnstone]

She lost interest in her room. She paced and paced to get out of there and actually seems more restful in her critter home or
roaming the house with me, the dogs, and her bunny.

Too many people have said "not my dog", "they grew up together," "my dog wouldn't hurt a flea," yada, yada, yada,.....
Too many horror stories on here already where that has been proven not to be true! They are natural predators!

I myself had the sweetest dog. He knew my girl was my baby, he even allowed her to ride around on his back.
She got jealous of the dog. She would wait until he was sleeping, sneak up and bite him on the toe and then run and
hide around the corner watching his reaction. Of course he'd jump up out of a sleep scream and snap at what hurt.
She was lucky she was faster but luck runs out and if one of those "snaps" would have connected it would have broke
her into. I stopped that "free roam" with my dog to protect her as well as him. I've read enough horror stories on here
not wanting to become one of them! I hope you too will rethink letting your baby roam around with the dogs.

[Faith]

Stepnsone, I will definitely correct that with the dogs. I have a Rottweiler name Brutus and he is a brute. And I have two Pits. I am guilty that I do let her roam the house with my two Pitbulls out and about. I never have her out with Brutus. He thinks playing means to pounce and I was always afraid he'd break her back. With the Pits, I can say they are lovable, but as you point out and as my husband reminds me, they have teeth for a reason. Kinda like when people ask me if they are friendly (the dogs). They have never shown aggression in the past, but it only takes the one time to change everything and we can never forgive ourselves for the lapse in judgement. So yes, I will rectify that in the future. Also, too many times have I wished that I had done something different that had a poor outcome. To lose Pearly, I don't know what I'd do with myself.

And yup, I will definitely post pictures of her new getup. I always like seeing what others do to give me inspiration, so if I can do the same, all the better.

As far as eating her block, she is playing hardball. I assume she is eating her Henry's some time during the day because I don't find them in her stash in her home, but she isn't touching her other rodent block. I will try the Tekland, Right now I have her on Oxbow and she used to eat it. Not now.

[stepnstone]

I can say they are lovable, but as you point out and as my husband reminds me, they have teeth for a reason.

Good man!
See..... we can be very versatile with the many things we're good for.

[Faith]

Hi all,

Posting a few shot of Pears added space. And for anyone looking for ideas to give their babies exercise, entertainment, etc... I take a small shipping box, fill it with paper towel pieces. I get a smaller box or plastic bottle and fill it with paper towel pieces. In that bottle or smaller box I wrap a piece of pecan (Pearl's favorite) in paper towels and put it in the box or bottle. I then put the bottle or box in the larger shipping box, put more paper towels in there and then close it. Her shnoz can smell the nut and she works at getting to it for a good hour, maybe more. Also, oddly anything soft. She loves the thick blanket in the middle at the rear of her condo. She naps in it and buries her treasures in it. And she loves her pillows. She rolls around on them back and forth. Gives me a real kick to watch her.

And sorry these aren't picture worthy shots of her condo, but I change up her toys daily because she goes through them so quickly and her active mind is constantly looking for stimulation. Hence there aren't a lot of fixtures,per say.