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Thread: Life w/out Mama

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Idaho
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    Default Life w/out Mama

    Hi there,
    I need some help? Advice? Information? regarding some tree squirrels.
    In early spring, I noticed a mama and three young squirrels living in the wall of the apartment building next to my house (yes, it's a nightmare of a building, and should have been destroyed years ago...)
    Last Thursday, I found mama in the yard acting strangely - long story short, took her to a rehabber, "diagnosis" was possible poison ingestion and head trauma. 24 hours later, mama seemed fine, and rehabber and I released her.
    Later that night, I found her curled up and sleeping in the middle of my yard, and knowing that was not normal behavior, I put her in a carrier and kept her in for the night. The next morning, she ate grapes and walnuts, and I released her again, worried her babies were starving.
    They had left the next in the hole at this point (rehabber told me they left likely looking for food due to hunger) and immediately ran to her and tried to nurse. Mama didn't reject them, but didn't really act like she knew what she was doing, either. Just kept walking and climbing with babies scrambling after her.
    Unfortunately, that evening, I found mama passed away under the tree.
    The rehabber came back over, and we spent 2 hours trying to capture babies, to no avail.
    Rehabber told me they look to be about 8 weeks old - they look like small, adult squirrels: fully furred, bushy tails. Rehabber told me to leave food out for them - grapes, avocado, walnuts, peanuts, kale and green beans, in a small amount of water for moisture.
    Basically, I'm worried about them - are they old enough to survive on their own? I haven't actually seen them eat any of the food I've left, however they're still alive and don't look sick or dehydrated. They've technically been without mama since Thursday, save for the short period of time I released her before she passed. I keep reading about squirrels, but keep finding contradicting info - some sites say they can't survive until 10-12 weeks, others say 7-8.
    Again - we cannot catch them. Rehabber put out traps, but they've proven unsuccessful.
    Other squirrels in my yard are enjoying the smorgasbord of treats I've been leaving, but they do tend to leave the babies alone.
    I'm just a total stress case. I will be heart broken if they don't make it, but I don't know what else to do?
    I'm attaching a picture - I know it's hard to really tell, but if any experts out there can age this baby?
    And are they old enough to survive on their own? Or at least with me leaving food?
    Name:  IMG_9849.jpg
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Size:  148.4 KB

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    North Alabama
    Posts
    1,268
    Thanked: 1964

    Default Re: Life w/out Mama

    Poor babies!

    Thank you for helping them!

    If they are 8 weeks old then they have not weaned from mom. They still need formula for a couple of weeks at least.
    When they get hungry they will sometimes approach humans for help.

    Maybe you can capture them. And they are to young to make it on their own.

  3. Serious fuzzy thank you's to RockyPops from:

    Chirps (05-11-2020)

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    Rivendell
    Posts
    1,861
    Thanked: 2154

    Default Re: Life w/out Mama

    So sad. If they get hungry enough to seek your help, you may want to prepare for that now. If you have the means, maybe you could order some formula? The link at the bottom of my post has info on care of baby squirrels and food products you may be interested in if you are able.

    What about the rehabber? Does that person have any formula s/he'd be willing to give you should one or more of these babies come to you? Do you have or could you make any kind of large cage/enclosure so they will be protected until they wean? Squirrels wean themselves, that's why they'll need formula until they decide they don't.

    There are many threads here with ideas/plans for prerelease cages, healthy diet food pyramid, etc. If you have time you can check out this info to prepare should they seek your help.

    For now I'd try to gt my hands on a temporary cage, just to have something until you can get/make more suitable accommodations. You also don't want to go crazy and/or bankrupt and then not get them after all.

    At their age, if they were being raised by a human, they'd be drinking formula (Fox Valley 20/50) and would have begun eating a rodent block such as Mazuri Rat and Mouse Diet or Harlan Teklad Envigo 2018. The rodent block has complete nutrition. If you have a livestock feed store near you they probably have Mazuri. The other has to be ordered online. They would also have been introduced to some veggies from the squirrel food pyramid. So if you get these guys you'd be looking at formula and blocks, then veggies, then adding some fruit, and providing safe sticks/branches to teethe on, like mulberry, maple, oak, apple. You may luck out in that they may be able to drink from a shallow dish/bowl and you won't need a syringe and nipple, but you might want to order the nipples anyway from Henry's. Read around the forums for info, hope they come to you for help, and keep us updated please!
    "I hope everyone got or gets their Baby Love today"~Shewhosweptforest

    https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

  5. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Chirps:

    island rehabber (05-12-2020), RockyPops (05-12-2020)

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