How old might this little one be?

[Laz’s Mom]

Two days ago, I came across a baby squirrel making its way across a sidewalk and towards a ditch that had been dug around the front of a house. I watched with concern as, under the gaze of a crow, he made his way to the front door. I heard a workman say “Don’t go in there or you’ll be exterminated”. He then shooed off the little one aside. I asked him what happened and he said the little one had fallen out of a nest on the side/roof of the house and had been crying for its mama. Seeing as the mama was no longer around, I took off my scarf and proceeded to pick it up. It chirped a bit but otherwise did not put up a fight. I placed him inside my top and brought him home. Can anyone tell me how old he might be? I’m thinking maybe 7 weeks or so? He is completely furred, has teeth and eats on his own - fruits, veggies, loves hazelnuts! He climbs all over the cage I keep him in.
The first night he slept inside my PJ top wrapped in a fleece cloth. The second night he slept in the cage, inside a box with a hot water bottle. I’m going to take it to a wildlife rescue on Saturday, and doing my best to keep him fed and happy until then.

[TubeDriver]

Yea he looks to be 6-7 weeks old. Eyes open at about 5 weeks. He should probably still be formula too. You could offer him some (powered version) esbilac puppy formula.

Two days ago, I came across a baby squirrel making its way across a sidewalk and towards a ditch that had been dug around the front of a house. I watched with concern as, under the gaze of a crow, he made his way to the front door. I heard a workman say “Don’t go in there or you’ll be exterminated”. He then shooed off the little one aside. I asked him what happened and he said the little one had fallen out of a nest on the side/roof of the house and had been crying for its mama. Seeing as the mama was no longer around, I took off my scarf and proceeded to pick it up. It chirped a bit but otherwise did not put up a fight. I placed him inside my top and brought him home. Can anyone tell me how old he might be? I’m thinking maybe 7 weeks or so? He is completely furred, has teeth and eats on his own - fruits, veggies, loves hazelnuts! He climbs all over the cage I keep him in.
The first night he slept inside my PJ top wrapped in a fleece cloth. The second night he slept in the cage, inside a box with a hot water bottle. I’m going to take it to a wildlife rescue on Saturday, and doing my best to keep him fed and happy until then.

[Laz’s Mom]

Thanks so much TubeDriver! So, it’s nice to know that my guess on his age wasn’t too far off I will pick up some Esbilac today. Should I also pick up some rodent blocks?
We just put him on a scale and he weighs 108.6 grams. My husband thinks we should keep him for another week before we take him to the local wildlife centre. He’s worried they’ll have too many squirrels to look after.
Should we even consider looking after him until he’s old enough to be released? We could certainly have an enclosure built our yard. Any advice on the best way to go about this would be very much appreciated!

[TubeDriver]

Sure, some rodent blocks would be good. Teklad or Henrys are the best available.

In an ideal world, I would say that handing him off to a wildlife center or rehabber is the best option. However, many wildlife centers are missing lots of staff right now and squirrels are often the lowest priority animals (larger mammals and birds get most of the attention). So, if you know about the center and trust them, you could hand him over. But if you don't know anything about the center, I am somewhat hesitant to just say "hand him over".

If you decide to raise and release him yourselves, just know that while it is very rewarding, it takes a real commitment. It may be illegal in your state. You would need to keep him inside for another 8-9 weeks. Then you would transfer him to an outdoor enclosure for a couple weeks after which you would open a portal in the morning and close it at night after he returns each day. At some point, he will make his own home somewhere and hopefully stick around so you can see him daily although sometimes they just take off and never look back.

So, if you can keep him inside for another 2 months and then can soft release him in your back yard, it is certainly possible for you to raise him. He will need to be on formula for another 3-4+ weeks (let him wean himself off the formula) and then he will be on rodent block and veggies. You will need an indoor cage like this: https://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/pr...itter-nation-3

It could be a single or double level cage and can be ordered from places like amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Critt...75982974&psc=1

Just know that while squirrels are really cute, they make terrible pets. But raising and releasing a squirrel back to the trees can be a wonderful experience.

Thanks so much TubeDriver! So, it’s nice to know that my guess on his age wasn’t too far off I will pick up some Esbilac today. Should I also pick up some rodent blocks?
We just put him on a scale and he weighs 108.6 grams. My husband thinks we should keep him for another week before we take him to the local wildlife centre. He’s worried they’ll have too many squirrels to look after.
Should we even consider looking after him until he’s old enough to be released? We could certainly have an enclosure built our yard. Any advice on the best way to go about this would be very much appreciated!

[Laz’s Mom]

Thank you for the detailed information and advice. All I know about the wildlife rehabilitation place is that it’s less than 5 miles away and has 5-star reviews on Yelp. I will make sure to read every single review before we make a decision on handing him over. Again, thanks so much for your help!

[Chirps]

Hi! Just saw this thread again and wondering if Laz went to the rehab or have you become squirrel foster parents?