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Thread: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    Good late morning! I am new to the board, although I have been rabidly reading posts and threads (lurking, haha). Thanks from the bottom of my heart for providing time, support, and priceless care information. I started helping rehabilitate critters of various kinds when I was an older kid through Girl Scouts with a local wildlife park in Florida. When I got out on my own, I was the local lady who would nurse post hurricane squirrels or bottle feed/raise kittens who lost their mother, etc. I loved it and still do. I took a hiatus when my daughter was a kid as she tried to help feed a squirrel without asking and it developed aspiration pneumonia. Now that she's in her 20s, I find myself experienced, albeit rusty, with a baby squirrel that needed me. He was cold, screaming, and there was no nest in site. He stumbled up to me, cried out loudly again, and I scooped him up as I was at a friend's apartment. His eyes weren't quite fully opened (one was, one partially open). It was near evening and a big rain squall had just come through, so I took him in for warmth, rehydration, and rehab. He had a couple of fur chunks missing from his tail, and we suspect a predator had him, but dropped him when he screamed and I went to look. I resisted naming him for about a week as I don't want to get attached (I'm attached, I failed), so I call him Cotton Eyed Joe as I don't know where he came from, and one day I won't know where he'll go! I have turned into the mother of a newborn with this guy, and he has become my 24/7 focus, haha. I talk like the mother of a newborn, fussing over bottles, pottying, and his general growth and milestones. My husband and daughter think he's adorable, but I handle his care, and they're probably tired of hearing about him all of the time.

    So much has changed since I started caring for critters almost 30 years ago! Again, I just wanted to say hello, thanks, and keep soaking up all of the knowlege I can. When I scrape off some of the rust, hopefully I can help others and give back. I am in North Central Florida and willing to help where I can. Until then, me and Joe are doing our best!

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

    Buddy (05-07-2021), Chirps (05-09-2021), Rock Monkey (05-07-2021), SugarMom (05-09-2021), sundoesshine (05-07-2021)

  3. #2
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    Welcome to the board. We are obviously going to need some pics of your baby. If you have been reading you have undoubtedly seen this linked to dozens of times, but just in case, it is a good refresher course! https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

    How old is he now?

  4. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to CritterMom:

    Chirps (05-09-2021), KCullen (05-07-2021)

  5. #3
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    He's about 6 weeks, with the start of top teeth coming in. I did read the get started posts right after I got him, thanks 😊 Been catching up on what comes next since. Trying to figure out how to post pics as my phone is my computer, but I absolutely will!

  6. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    City Island, Bronx, NY
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    Welcome KCullen! . There is so much info on this board, but if you get lost navigating just reach out and someone will help you. We love helping squirrels, and we love pix!
    Island Rehabber
    NY State Licensed
    Wildlife Rehabilitator


    "Ancora Imparo" (I am still learning)
    Michelangelo


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

    "Better one day in the trees, than a lifetime in a cage."

    '...and the greatest of these, is Love. '

  7. Serious fuzzy thank you's to island rehabber from:

    KCullen (05-08-2021)

  8. #5
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

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    Last edited by KCullen; 05-08-2021 at 10:22 AM. Reason: Double pic

  9. Serious fuzzy thank you's to KCullen from:

    Buddy (05-09-2021)

  10. #6
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    This is Joe from the day we got him (4/26) through 5/7. He dreams A LOT! Is this normal? He twitches, vocalizes, startles, etc in his sleep. He just started popping his tail up over his back last week when he is "on alert." He also now grabs my finger and licks/nibbles to let me know it's bottle time, haha. His Henry's blocks arrived today, along with his Fox Valley forrmula, so we will begin solidifying his diet a bit

  11. #7
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    Yes, they do make a racket in their sleep. Curling the tail over the back is normally done at 6 weeks.

    He is still a baby. At this point it is wise to give him a half of one of the HHBs a day - mostly at this young age he will just wrestle with them and maybe pee on them and play, but it also gets him acquainted with them. He should NEVER be forced to wean - continue to feed formula as before - when he starts eating the blocks instead of just playing with them he will naturally begin wanting less formula. We like to keep them on formula just as long as possible.

    He is adorable. Of course!

  12. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to CritterMom:

    Buddy (05-09-2021), KCullen (05-08-2021)

  13. #8
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    Oh no! I did not mean to imply that we're forcing him to wean! I just meant that we can start introducing solids daily. He's a sweet snuggler after he drinks his bottle, so I absolutely love those times ❤ I even bring him to work with me so he can be fed on time until he's old enough to go longer periods without formula. He hates getting dried off and cleaned up after his bottles, but he has started scooting on towels, washcloths, or t-shirts to dry himself. I took a couple of sizes of tissue boxes and made him drying boxes, which he also hides stuff in. His warm nest box includes shirts to snuggle in, a stuffie, and a couple of boxes to hide or dry off in. I do slightly dull his nails to keep the towels from snagging and I always watch him play. Towels removed when I'm not present. His nest box is in a hardware cloth reinforced ferret cage which he plays in as well.

  14. #9
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    Quote Originally Posted by KCullen View Post
    Oh no! I did not mean to imply that we're forcing him to wean! I just meant that we can start introducing solids daily. He's a sweet snuggler after he drinks his bottle, so I absolutely love those times ❤ I even bring him to work with me so he can be fed on time until he's old enough to go longer periods without formula. He hates getting dried off and cleaned up after his bottles, but he has started scooting on towels, washcloths, or t-shirts to dry himself. I took a couple of sizes of tissue boxes and made him drying boxes, which he also hides stuff in. His warm nest box includes shirts to snuggle in, a stuffie, and a couple of boxes to hide or dry off in. I do slightly dull his nails to keep the towels from snagging and I always watch him play. Towels removed when I'm not present. His nest box is in a hardware cloth reinforced ferret cage which he plays in as well.
    If it was me I would replace all towels with fleece. It’s fairly inexpensive, and there is never a worry to his nails getting hung in it. Things do happen quickly, and they can break a toe. That’s just in my opinion though.

  15. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Tuff:

    Buddy (05-09-2021), KCullen (05-11-2021)

  16. #10
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    Oh, so cute!
    Animals are magical....Thank you everyone who tries to help them, save them tirelessly...

  17. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Buddy from:

    KCullen (05-11-2021)

  18. #11
    Join Date
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    Location
    Ecuador
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    Exclamation Re: Hello, glad to meet y'all!

    I need information for my squirrel

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