Hello all and thanks for having me. I would also like to thank all of you fine folks who care for these wonderful animals. Pleas allow me to share my story of how I become an unwitting care giver to a baby black squirrel.
about a week ago I was standing in my driveway talking to a couple friends of mine around 10:30 p.m. quite dark out, I felt something jump on my leg and not being able to see what it was off hand was freaking out at what it could be! living in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio I never had anything jump and cling to my leg like that in the dark and quite unexpectedly. my friend turned the flashlight on his phone and exclaimed "it's a GD squirrel!!"
well that calmed me down and I immediately thought to myself that this little guy may have some issues being that late and dark I had never seen a squirrel out that late. we have a ton of black walnut trees in the yard and we are used to seeing squirrels enjoying them but again never that late. Knowing now it was a squirrel and a very young one at that was able to place him on the ground gently and went to the garage to grab the travel cage my Daughter uses to transport her pet rats. the little guy was still hanging around my 2 friends when I returned about a minute later and I placed him the cage, I certainly thought that I did not want to leave him outside in the dark by himself not knowing if Mom was close or even available to come for him. I live on a busy street and see unfortunate "accidents" much more than any animal lover would ever want to see.
I made the decision to take him inside and when in the light saw that this poor dude was covered in fleas, with my adult daughters aid we bathed him in warm water with puppy flea shampoo (my god I hope that was o.k.) flea combed him to remove the leftovers and gently blew dry him. seeing as the time was now at least 11:30 running out to a pet store was out. We made the home made pedialyte after reading about dehydration and using an eye dropper we still had from the baby rabbits that came our way a few years back were able to get some fluids into him. we placed him in a larger cage with cedar bedding that my daughter has for her rats placed a heating pad under one half of the cage, placed some t-shirts inside. the squirrel burrowed in and seemed to fall fast asleep. all good yes? Well he seems healthy and he poops and pees what I can only guess from reading as normal.
the weather now has turned cold I would really love to see this guy back out free where he belongs but I am so worried that without his Mom he may not be able to cope with winter coming. I need some advice please on what to do or of there is a pro rehabber in the Cleveland Ohio area that would take this little guy and get him back where he belongs before my heart won't let him go. I have been following instructions about feeding BUT I can't get him to eat the rodent blocks I had overnighted, he surely likes almonds but I am fully aware that he needs other nutrition and I am at a loss as to how to get that into him so he can remain healthy. Offers of fruits and veggies are spurned. I apologize for the long post but I am desperate to help him.
Thanks and God Bless you folks!