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Thread: Why does my female grey run laps in the fall?

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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Why does my female grey run laps in the fall?

    My “Mamma Girl” runs laps around my room starting before sunrise until right before it starts getting dark. She begins doing this towards then end of September/beginning of October, lasting til approximately December/January. She literally nonstop runs in a complete circle along the outter perimeter of the room, though @ times she switches up her pattern along the path.
    She’s so consumed by this, that it causes her to lose weight from her not stopping even to eat (although she will detour for a second here & there for a quick drink). It’s a real challenge trying to distract her from doing this. It’s almost as if it’s some form of OCD, like she has no control & just can’t stop. It breaks my heart just watching her & feeling helpless.
    Has anyone else experienced this?
    Is this normal? Is there anything I can do for her?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
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    Default Re: Why does my female grey run laps in the fall?

    How old is she? How many years has she been doing this? Does she have full use of the room or a cage she is let out of each morning? If this is something that only begins in the fall I wonder if she feels a need to forage and gather, but there's nothing to forage so she just keeps looking for she knows not what?

    Maybe rearrange things so she has a different "path" to traverse, to change things up a bit?
    "I hope everyone got or gets their Baby Love today"~Shewhosweptforest

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

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Why does my female grey run laps in the fall?

    I have heard of this behavior with female 'house squirrels' from at least two other rehabbers here on TSB. One was a fox squirrel, one a grey. Same thing:constant pacing or running, weight loss, compulsive behavior. In both cases it eventually subsided but it probably took years off the "owners" lives. We could only attribute this to a heat cycle or seasonally-appropriate behavior but never really understood the full cause. Hang in there.
    Island Rehabber
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    Wildlife Rehabilitator


    "Ancora Imparo" (I am still learning)
    Michelangelo


    *
    If you can't afford the vet,
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    NEGLECT IS ABUSE.

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  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    Villa Rica Georgia
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    Default Re: Why does my female grey run laps in the fall?

    My boy does this too. He's less than a year old. It started the beginning of October. He doesn't run the whole perimeter of the room, but he does take the same path over and over. Yesterday I rearranged his room so now he's running a new path that involves a little jumping, but it's still the same, run a random circle from object to object, pause and stare out the window for 30-60 seconds, then repeat. He has two sets of windows in his room so his path depends on which window he wants to stare out of that day. He never lets it interfere with eating though. I know this doesn't answer your questions, but sometimes it's nice to know you're not the only one dealing with something.

  6. #5
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Why does my female grey run laps in the fall?

    My squirrel psychology thought is that the squirrel is agitated and wants to be free, to leap from tree to tree.

    Do you intend to release the squirrel in the spring?

    Also, how old is the squirrel?

  7. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Rock Monkey from:

    Spanky (12-11-2020)

  8. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    United States
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    Default Re: Why does my female grey run laps in the fall?

    yup this is the case i have word for word and my boy is almost 7 years old--

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