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Thread: Petey's Release Thread

  1. #1
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    Default Petey's Release Thread

    Hello all. I stumbled upon this post and have a similar situation, minus the frigid temperatures. I live in southeast Louisiana. My dog "rescued" a baby squirrel that fell out of the nest during Hurricane Ida, 7 weeks ago. "Petey" was believed to 4-5 weeks old at the time. I was unsuccessful at reuniting him with his mother. It's illegal to "raise" a squirrel in Louisiana but could not find a permitted rehabber willing to take him. I researched ad nauseam how to care for a baby squirrel. He was given FV 20/50 formula (he's weaned himself in the past week), his first solid food was HHBs and he's being fed the appropriate veggies, with limited fruits and nuts. Last weight, about a week ago, was 288 grams. He's hard to weigh - won't sit still. Lately, he is miserable being caged. The cage is 5'X3'X2' (largest I could find). He has a ton of toys and natural foods and entertainment. He was always given a ton of free play but I struggle getting him back in the cage. I let him roam free in a room and he literally won't let me leave. He lunges and attaches to me when I attempt to leave. I've had to take leave from work caring for him and send my dog to stay with my mom because she's obsessed with getting near him, they are not allowed together. I really miss my dog. Point being I've been very dedicated to caring for Petey. Because he's a singleton I was worried he was getting too attached. I decided a few days ago, despite everything I've read, to let him spend time in the tree where his nest was believed to be. I stayed with him the entire time. He loved it. He came when called and responded appropriately to "threats" (neighbors, my mom, loud noises, barking dogs, etc). He ran to me, his carry case or camouflaged himself in the tree. This tree is in my mom's yard, with my dog frantically trying to get out the house. Bad situation. I am now home, minus my dog, to where I believe Petey has a better chance of survival. Acres of dedicated green space, few neighbors and little traffic. I decided to take his cage outside to begin soft release. I know I'm not supposed to open the door but he's miserable so I did. Again, he loved it. He stayed close by until I stepped inside to grab him some snacks and when I returned he was nowhere to be found. Tears all day until he returned 6 hours later. He was different when he returned. More independent and a little fiesty. I know this post is EXTREMELY long but I don't know what to do. I know he's young but he's miserable. I'm miserable. I'm doing this alone. I'm tired. I don't have the ability to build him a pre-release cage and we can't get roofs fixed down here let alone hire someone to build a squirrel cage. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I just want what's best for my boy. Thanks for listening.
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  2. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Petey's Temporary Mommy from:

    Momar (10-18-2021)

  3. #2
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    Default Re: Release and freezing winters.

    Move his cage outside and provide cover from the sun and rain by placing a large piece of wood or tarp over the top of the cage. Allow him a week or two inside the cage to acclimate. After a week or so open the door and let him go. Keep the cage door open in case he wants to return to the safety of it to sleep, but be prepared to close him in at night if he returns so he can’t be attacked by a predator while sleeping.

    Do you have other squirrels in your yard? It’s imperative that you train your dog not to chase Petey or any other animals. I know folks say it’s instinct, but dogs can definitely be broken of that instinct and should be. I’m sure you would be devastated if your dog grabbed and killed Petey after you’ve done such an amazing job raising him.

    While you’re giving him time outside in his cage consider purchasing him a nest box that you can put up in a tree. Providing him a safe place to live and food through the winter will increase his chances of survival.

    Ideally we like to see squirrels not be released until they are 16 weeks old…especially singletons. But, your little guy has already tasted freedom so it’s extra hard to confine them back in a cage. But you definitely should till he’s a little older. It’s best for him, but I know hard on you. Tough love for a couple more weeks.

  4. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Mel1959:

    island rehabber (10-17-2021), Petey's Temporary Mommy (10-17-2021)

  5. #3
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    Default Re: Release and freezing winters.

    Thank you so much for your response. I have a nesting box that I've kept in his cage for weeks that I do plan to place in a tree in the woods while continuing to provide food and water. A few squirrels visit occasionally since I have bird feeders. I have no trees in my actual yard, which is protected by a fence, but my property is surrounded by acres of dedicated green space. I plan to place Petey and his supplies outside the fence to help protect him from my dog. She's an 8 year old Beagle. My only complaint about her is her obsession with chasing wildlife. Thankfully, wildlife has always been successful at escaping her in my yard. It's my mom's yard that's the issue and we spend a lot of time there. I've done everything by the books and fully intended on following the slow release process and waiting 4-6 months to release but I never imagined he would be so miserable caged or left alone to roam freely in a room despite having tons of play time and attention. I thought the round the clock feedings were going to be the hardest part. We'll try and stick it out. I do want what's best. Thank you!

  6. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Petey's Temporary Mommy from:

    Mel1959 (10-17-2021)

  7. #4
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    Default Re: Petey's Release Thread

    Yes, I see your dog as a significant problem. Beagles are hunters and they are fast. Please do what you can to discourage him from chasing wildlife.

    I will share what a dog trainer taught me about controlling undesired responses with a golden retriever I owned. He told me to put a very long lead on my dog attached to a chain type choke collar. Let the lead remain slack until the dog goes after something that he shouldn’t. Then take hold of the lead and when the dog reaches the end of it use the command “NO” as the choke collar constricts his neck. It is more about the sound of the chain collar and the command than the actual constricting of the collar. Dogs can be taught appropriate behavior if it is consistent. Much the same way that you’d teach them to not take food off a kitchen counter or urinate inside the house. YOU have to be the Alpha…not the dog.

    I have a 100lb Border Collie/English shepherd mix dog. As you know Border Collies love to herd. I have trained my dog to lay passively while we feed all the neighborhood squirrels every afternoon. The squirrels can be within 6 inches of him and he doesn’t move. The squirrels know he won’t go after them and have even jumped off of him while retrieving a nut. I share this because I didn’t do anything special…..I just would not allow his instinct to kill wildlife to prevail. I demanded coexistence.

  8. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Mel1959:

    island rehabber (10-17-2021), Petey's Temporary Mommy (10-17-2021)

  9. #5
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    Default Re: Petey's Release Thread

    Wow, that is the cutest picture of your boy. What a beautiful boy. While he is outside acclimating to his new environment, we want to keep him as safe as possible. One of the most important is keeping predators out of his cage. Too often squirrels are injured or killed by raccoons that can slip their hands in the cage. Make sure that the spacing is 1/2” x 1/2”. If you want, post a picture of your cage and we can check it for you.
    redwuff
    State Licensed
    Master Wildlife Rehabilitator

  10. 3 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to redwuff:

    island rehabber (10-17-2021), Petey's Temporary Mommy (10-17-2021), UDoWhat (10-17-2021)

  11. #6
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    Default Re: Petey's Release Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Mel1959 View Post
    Yes, I see your dog as a significant problem. Beagles are hunters and they are fast. Please do what you can to discourage him from chasing wildlife.

    I will share what a dog trainer taught me about controlling undesired responses with a golden retriever I owned. He told me to put a very long lead on my dog attached to a chain type choke collar. Let the lead remain slack until the dog goes after something that he shouldn’t. Then take hold of the lead and when the dog reaches the end of it use the command “NO” as the choke collar constricts his neck. It is more about the sound of the chain collar and the command than the actual constricting of the collar. Dogs can be taught appropriate behavior if it is consistent. Much the same way that you’d teach them to not take food off a kitchen counter or urinate inside the house. YOU have to be the Alpha…not the dog.

    I have a 100lb Border Collie/English shepherd mix dog. As you know Border Collies love to herd. I have trained my dog to lay passively while we feed all the neighborhood squirrels every afternoon. The squirrels can be within 6 inches of him and he doesn’t move. The squirrels know he won’t go after them and have even jumped off of him while retrieving a nut. I share this because I didn’t do anything special…..I just would not allow his instinct to kill wildlife to prevail. I demanded coexistence.
    Thank you so much for this information! I will definitely try this technique. I'm embarrassed to say my dog has never been trained but she's a great dog. Surprisingly, she's never harmed wildlife. She loves to torment them though with the chase. This is her second squirrel, the first I was able to get to a permitted rehabber. Both she gently picked up and brought to me unharmed. At this point she's so jealous of Petey, I don't trust what she may do. This is valuable information so thank you for sharing.

  12. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Petey's Temporary Mommy from:

    Mel1959 (10-18-2021)

  13. #7
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    Default Re: Petey's Release Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by redwuff View Post
    Wow, that is the cutest picture of your boy. What a beautiful boy. While he is outside acclimating to his new environment, we want to keep him as safe as possible. One of the most important is keeping predators out of his cage. Too often squirrels are injured or killed by raccoons that can slip their hands in the cage. Make sure that the spacing is 1/2” x 1/2”. If you want, post a picture of your cage and we can check it for you.
    This is his cage, described as a feret cage. It's been drastically engineered since assembly. I tried to get one from Henry's but they are permanently out of stock. He originally loved it and never wanted to leave. Now I have to bribe him to get him in and he looks so pathetic if I leave him in it - my heart breaks to see caged animals. I reached out to a local wildlife sanctuary to see if they could now take him since he's no longer on formula and approaching release age. You can imagine the calls they received following a hurricane. Waiting to hear back. I know he should really be around other juveniles so I'm praying they'll have room for him. I want what is best and I'm not sure I can do it alone. Thanks!
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  14. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Petey's Temporary Mommy:

    island rehabber (10-17-2021), Mel1959 (10-18-2021)

  15. #8
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    Default Re: Petey's Release Thread

    My wife and I raised 2 squirrel's over last winter. When we did the the soft release I made two nest boxes out of cedar just like the 2 hanging off their cage and mounted them in the trees above the release site. I filled the 2 new nest boxes with bedding material out of the ones on the cage so it would smell familiar. To are surprise they found the new nest boxes and took up residence... Ricky stayed with us most of the summer and Lucy has just recently left after raising one baby squirrel. You sure can get attached to these little friends..

  16. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Momar:

    Mel1959 (10-18-2021), Petey's Temporary Mommy (10-18-2021)

  17. #9
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    Default Re: Petey's Release Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Petey's Temporary Mommy View Post
    I reached out to a local wildlife sanctuary to see if they could now take him since he's no longer on formula and approaching release age. You can imagine the calls they received following a hurricane. Waiting to hear back. I know he should really be around other juveniles so I'm praying they'll have room for him. I want what is best and I'm not sure I can do it alone. Thanks!
    Please be very careful doing this. Not all wildlife sanctuaries are trustworthy. The very words ‘wildlife sanctuary’ sounds so endearing but some are anything but. I am forever cynical because of some of the stories I have read on TSB. We know for a fact that some squirrels raised by the public have been put to death at wildlife facilities because of lame excuses like they are too tame. I won’t even legitimize their claim by using the term euthanized. One story in particular I will carry to my grave and I wasn’t even involved.

    Of course, there are good ones but the challenge is knowing the difference.

    The pic of your baby is absolutely adorable.

  18. 3 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to HRT4SQRLS:

    Petey's Temporary Mommy (10-18-2021), redwuff (10-18-2021), stepnstone (10-18-2021)

  19. #10
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    Default Re: Petey's Release Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Petey's Temporary Mommy View Post
    Hello all. I stumbled upon this post and have a similar situation, minus the frigid temperatures. I live in southeast Louisiana. My dog "rescued" a baby squirrel that fell out of the nest during Hurricane Ida, 7 weeks ago. "Petey" was believed to 4-5 weeks old at the time. I was unsuccessful at reuniting him with his mother. It's illegal to "raise" a squirrel in Louisiana but could not find a permitted rehabber willing to take him. I researched ad nauseam how to care for a baby squirrel. He was given FV 20/50 formula (he's weaned himself in the past week), his first solid food was HHBs and he's being fed the appropriate veggies, with limited fruits and nuts. Last weight, about a week ago, was 288 grams. He's hard to weigh - won't sit still. Lately, he is miserable being caged. The cage is 5'X3'X2' (largest I could find). He has a ton of toys and natural foods and entertainment. He was always given a ton of free play but I struggle getting him back in the cage. I let him roam free in a room and he literally won't let me leave. He lunges and attaches to me when I attempt to leave. I've had to take leave from work caring for him and send my dog to stay with my mom because she's obsessed with getting near him, they are not allowed together. I really miss my dog. Point being I've been very dedicated to caring for Petey. Because he's a singleton I was worried he was getting too attached. I decided a few days ago, despite everything I've read, to let him spend time in the tree where his nest was believed to be. I stayed with him the entire time. He loved it. He came when called and responded appropriately to "threats" (neighbors, my mom, loud noises, barking dogs, etc). He ran to me, his carry case or camouflaged himself in the tree. This tree is in my mom's yard, with my dog frantically trying to get out the house. Bad situation. I am now home, minus my dog, to where I believe Petey has a better chance of survival. Acres of dedicated green space, few neighbors and little traffic. I decided to take his cage outside to begin soft release. I know I'm not supposed to open the door but he's miserable so I did. Again, he loved it. He stayed close by until I stepped inside to grab him some snacks and when I returned he was nowhere to be found. Tears all day until he returned 6 hours later. He was different when he returned. More independent and a little fiesty. I know this post is EXTREMELY long but I don't know what to do. I know he's young but he's miserable. I'm miserable. I'm doing this alone. I'm tired. I don't have the ability to build him a pre-release cage and we can't get roofs fixed down here let alone hire someone to build a squirrel cage. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I just want what's best for my boy. Thanks for listening.
    I am in a similar situation. My Rocky is about 12 weeks old. He dropped into our lives at 4-5 weeks and I spent most of the days playing with him, holding him, etc. Now he lives outside in the trees close to my deck. He comes to his cage on the deck every morning for breakfast and stays to hand wrestle and snuggle. Then he goes back to the trees. He comes back for dinner in the evenings and does the same. He has started drinking very little of the puppy milk and turns his nose up at rodent blocks in favor of shelled pecans and grapes. My question is what to feed him since he is now eating acorns and who knows what else in the "wild." Do I need to worry about calcium?

  20. #11
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    Default Re: Petey's Release Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    Please be very careful doing this. Not all wildlife sanctuaries are trustworthy. The very words ‘wildlife sanctuary’ sounds so endearing but some are anything but. I am forever cynical because of some of the stories I have read on TSB. We know for a fact that some squirrels raised by the public have been put to death at wildlife facilities because of lame excuses like they are too tame. I won’t even legitimize their claim by using the term euthanized. One story in particular I will carry to my grave and I wasn’t even involved.

    Of course, there are good ones but the challenge is knowing the difference.

    The pic of your baby is absolutely adorable.
    Thanks! This has been my biggest fear turning him over to a sanctuary. This particular sanctuary has been operating for 40 years. Initially, I was turned away because they didn't have the staff to formula feed anymore babies, they were at capacity. I've cried about this and prayed about this but I have to believe if they wanted to dispose of him they would have told me they could take him initially and done just that. They gave me some pointers and TSB helped with the rest. I planned to take Petey all the way to release but at this point I feel like I'm failing him. I have zero experience and very proud of how far we've come. I think his best chance of survival is being with other juveniles on protected land and I have to believe this reputable sanctuary can do just that. I will be provided a tracking number to get updates and photos when requested.

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