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Thread: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

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    Default Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Saw this cute squirrel's photo. How do I get Buddy this big? Looks healthy (is s/he??) or at least strong (and chubby and cute! )

    My Buddy is nothing like this. Is it because he is still a youngster? I'm just worried because he is a male and if he is smaller than other squirrels, he might be bullied and pushed out of the neighborhood?

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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Buddy will continue to add weight, he isn't full grown yet. Having a release cage to run around in should help build agility and strength. Also getting free time inside should help.

    Males just have a harder time, in certain ways.

    The fact that you are overwintering him means that he will be bigger and stronger when he finally goes out into the world. He will always have you as a back up food supply if he is able to stick around.

    Besides the other issues previously mentioned, hormones will lead them to wander. A female in heat has been known to draw males from more than a half mile away (which is bad where road traffic is concerned). It is a bedlam event, especially if the female engages in a break away. I would be willing to bet than many litters may mixed parentage on the father's side.

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    Buddy (10-25-2020)

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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Oh my, there has been a act of cuteness committed here; just look at that face!

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    Buddy (10-26-2020)

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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Quote Originally Posted by Buddy View Post
    How do I get Buddy this big?
    Do you feed Buddy any avocado? That has lots of good fat.

    I add organic, cold-pressed coconut oil to the sweet potato that I cook for Helen. (That product is found in the supplements aisle.)

    I had a conditioning idea and I don't know if anyone has tried anything like it. Put the squirrel in a cage, drive them a little distance to a road in a different neighborhood and every time a car comes near start playing a recording of a squirrel alarm call on the phone. Maybe then the squirrel might categorize the moving car as a threat, more so than they ordinarily would.

    (I will be releasing Helen miles from the nearest road, because I live on a busy road, along with other grievous hazards to squirrels.)

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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Quote Originally Posted by Rock Monkey View Post
    Do you feed Buddy any avocado? That has lots of good fat.

    I add organic, cold-pressed coconut oil to the sweet potato that I cook for Helen. (That product is found in the supplements aisle.)

    I had a conditioning idea and I don't know if anyone has tried anything like it. Put the squirrel in a cage, drive them a little distance to a road in a different neighborhood and every time a car comes near start playing a recording of a squirrel alarm call on the phone. Maybe then the squirrel might categorize the moving car as a threat, more so than they ordinarily would.

    (I will be releasing Helen miles from the nearest road, because I live on a busy road, along with other grievous hazards to squirrels.)
    Yes, I give avocado to Buddy. Some days he seems to love it, some days he is not interested. And yes, I give a little bit cold-pressed coconut oil once in a while as well. I know it has healing properties.

    I think your idea sounds good and it might work, but I'm no animal behaviorist, and not an expert on squirrels either. I don't know if it would create some other effect on them. I'd like to hear others' opinion, if anyone has thoughts on it.

    Buddy is quiet active too. So, I know even if he eats a lot, he burns a lot too. Thus, I always worry if he is eating enough, but I do that with my kids too!

    I guess sometimes we have to trust that the kiddos will eat if they are hungry and being healthy & strong is more important than being big/chubby.
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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Being active builds muscle, cardiovascular capacity, and agility, all of which are intrinsic survival skills for a squirrel.

    Buddy will get bigger. He isn't done growing yet. He will probably get to 500 g.

    Hmm. Helen loves avocado. It is what she eats first, maybe because that is one of her main sources of fat. Mama squirrel has to feed three or four little ones for three plus months, come Springtime. So, that is the challenge to being a female, finding enough food to feed four squirrels.

    Does Buddy still drink formula?

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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Funny you asked about the formula... I was just discussing that with my daughter, she thinks I should stop feeding Buddy formula. He is not very interested. I kind of "encourage" him to drink as much as he would take without objecting violently and tearing my hands off!

    We found him on July 27th. He probably was born a few days earlier... so he is about 14-15 weeks?

    I'd like to offer him to see if he is interested, but mostly, he is not. He eats a bit of yogurt on a dish though. Also, I noticed that he is much more willing to drink at night. Maybe he is closing the nutritional gap from what he has eaten all day long? But usually, he takes around 9-12 cc at night. Maybe 3-6cc during the day.

    How old is Helen? Is she still taking formula?
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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Quote Originally Posted by Buddy View Post

    I'd like to offer him to see if he is interested, but mostly, he is not. He eats a bit of yogurt on a dish though. Also, I noticed that he is much more willing to drink at night. Maybe he is closing the nutritional gap from what he has eaten all day long? But usually, he takes around 9-12 cc at night. Maybe 3-6cc during the day.

    How old is Helen? Is she still taking formula?
    It sounds like Buddy is weaning himself off formula, which is typical enough. Partly, I ask because of its fat content. He may have more appetite for avocado as he goes off formula.

    Helen is 7 months old. Helen never ate formula. She ate and eats yogurt. Cabot's Greek, whole milk, plain yogurt. It has heavy cream added. Sometimes I add real honey to it.

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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Got it! Yes. That makes sense that he might like fatty foods more without formula. Also, since early September, I've been adding FV booster to his formula, because he has been very small earlier for his age. I still add booster, which has apparently higher fat content. So, that also explains why he might not want or need as much fat/avocado.

    I'm going to weigh him tonight to see how much he weighs. It's hard to keep him still during the day.
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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    He is 454 grams...

    One of the article says "An adult grey squirrel will generally weigh between one and one and a half pounds."

    Looks like he has a lot more to gain....
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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Quote Originally Posted by Buddy View Post
    He is 454 grams...

    One of the article says "An adult grey squirrel will generally weigh between one and one and a half pounds."

    Looks like he has a lot more to gain....
    454 grams is one pound. That is already respectable. So, he is currently at the lower end of the range for a northern, Eastern gray squirrel, but I suspect he will continue to put on weight given the ample food supply and the ability to run about without worrying about predators, thus building muscle.

    Helen likes food which have multiple things mixed together. For instance, sweet potato with coconut oil, cinnamon, and a little nutmeg. If I were being really fancy I might add small bits of pecan. With the squirrel diet in mind, feel free to experiment.

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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    You're right! Somehow I read that one to one and a half kilogram (since we're measuring in grams). But yes, I guess he is already in the lower end and I'm sure, like you said, he'll probably gain more.
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    Default Re: Chobbo Squirrel... :)

    Animals have a great deal of information that is genetically encoded about food and predators. It is the most reliable way to ensure that critical survival information is passed on to the next generation.

    Unfortunately, I don't think a car fits any of a squirrel's predator models. I do think that anything fast moving raises a warning flag. So that is why I was thinking to try to condition a squirrel to see a moving car as a threat.

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