Hey y'all. Do they say that in IL? Honey, you're speaking my language now.
Are you from the south?
to TheSquirrelBoard
Don't worry about him getting too friendly. They all do that when they're young. They are driven by instincts and those instincts tell them that they are wild at heart. It is very common for squirrels to reach a point where they start 'wilding up'. It's nothing personal, it's just what they do. Often they will pick a 'favorite' person as their adored ONE. This person can do anything with the squirrel because they are 'special' in the squirrels mind. Well.... everyone else is reviled and has no place in their world. They can get quite aggressive to other members of the family. That's pretty difficult when your precious squirrels decides he hates your kids or husband, etc. It can really create some difficult family dynamics when you have an attack squirrel in the house.
I know it sounds funny but we have seen it played out many times.
I'm going to bet some money here... after overwintering ONE squirrel I was SO ready for spring to come so that I could release my girl. I bet by spring your daughter will be just as ready for him to go to the trees as he is ready to go. In addition to that 'mean thing' they are also VERY destructive. They will destroy your house. If you thinks kids are destructive, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Enjoy your friend through the winter but I think you will be ready for release long before spring comes. I know, I was!
Diet is critical. I can't emphasize that enough. Limit nuts and seeds. They are only to be given as treats. They are EXTREMELY unhealthy for captive squirrels. Too many will actually cause death. Right now is the perfect time to learn about diet... BEFORE there is a crisis. Metabolic Bone Disease is deadly and the best part is that it can be prevented with a proper diet.