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Thread: Release Cage-- how long will they keep returning at night?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
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    NC
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    Default Release Cage-- how long will they keep returning at night?

    Okay, now I have a question: this is night two, and they came back to the release cage to sleep. I always make sure they have plenty of fleece bedding and close them up at night, but... are they ever going to move out to the houses? They have investigated them and Bo even checked one out for a while today, but it's now evening time and they're back in there and making their bed out of the fleeces I left on top for them to use in order to make their beds in the squirrel houses.

    Is this normal? Is this something they'll grow out of? Is there anything I can do in order to encourage them to move?
    --
    V/r,

    ~T.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
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    Default Re: Release Cage-- how long will they keep returning at night?

    They will move out when they’re ready. Personally, I loved for my little guy to come back to the release cage every night because I knew he was safe. It was a small sacrifice to arise early, before daybreak, to assure the portal was open for him when he was ready to begin his day. He returned to the RC for many, many nights while the weather was cool. Once it warmed up a bit he moved to a box and now has a drey in a neighbors tree.

    This does not make your release a failure. Some of these littles just take more time to get their bearings in the outside world. Enjoy it while it lasts!

  3. 3 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Mel1959:

    Grinderhead (03-16-2019), Nancy in New York (03-17-2019), Vox (03-16-2019)

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    Default Re: Release Cage-- how long will they keep returning at night?

    This is normal, and good! If my release do not return the first night, I panic... I always expect the to return the first night. And they usually return for while... 5 - 10 days.

    Every group / squirrel is different, but they may return nightly for a while. They might not be there a night to two when they do not return only to show up again for the night. You do not want to lock them out of the cage. This is their "safe space" while they try to fin their way in the big world.

    Rule of thumb is not to close up the portal until it has been at least a week without them returning.

    It takes them a while to find or build their own place. Sometimes they take up in an empty nest only to be kicked out when the "owner" returns.

  5. 4 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Spanky:

    Grinderhead (03-16-2019), Mel1959 (03-16-2019), Nancy in New York (03-17-2019), Vox (03-16-2019)

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