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.