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Thread: Adopted by baby squirrel

  1. #1
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    Default Adopted by baby squirrel

    A funny thing happened to me last Friday. I was going up the cellar steps when I see a baby grey squirrel on the second to last step going up. As I approached, she shied away and ended up dropping a few feet under the stairs. I'm thinking great, now there's a squirrel loose in the house. I go outside for awhile when I came back I couldn't find her. A bit later I see her under the stairs and I wonder how I'm going to get her out. While I'm thinking that, here she comes out from under the stairs, and climbs up on my foot! So I slowly walk up the stairs thinking ok well that's one way. We get outside and she doesn't take off. On the contrary, she starts climbing up my pant leg!. Next thing I know she's sitting on my lap. Eventually I got up the nerve to pick her up and set her on the ground hoping she'll find mama squirrel or go wherever baby squirrels go. Nope. She climbs back up me to the shoulder. I sat outside with her for hours to see if she wanted to move on. I'd walk across the yard, she would follow me wherever I went. I'm thinking this must be a desperate squirrel since she's clinging onto a human, so I researched what they eat and such. I bought her some puppy formula and pedialyte. Both she took to right away. Plus she likes peanut butter Iike all rodents. I tried to get hold of a wildlife rehaber but haven't heard back from anyone. This whole thing is bazaar. I never considered myself a squirrel lover, but now I seemed to have been adopted by one. She'll have to go back to the wild at some point. I can't have a full grown eastern grey squirrel swinging from the drapes. I admit I've become attached to her. She's adorable and clings to me constantly. She curls up in her makeshift cage at night when I put her there. She's a great affectionate adorable pet at present, but I realize it's untenable. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance.

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  3. #2
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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelnapped View Post
    A funny thing happened to me last Friday. I was going up the cellar steps when I see a baby grey squirrel on the second to last step going up. As I approached, she shied away and ended up dropping a few feet under the stairs. I'm thinking great, now there's a squirrel loose in the house. I go outside for awhile when I came back I couldn't find her. A bit later I see her under the stairs and I wonder how I'm going to get her out. While I'm thinking that, here she comes out from under the stairs, and climbs up on my foot! So I slowly walk up the stairs thinking ok well that's one way. We get outside and she doesn't take off. On the contrary, she starts climbing up my pant leg!. Next thing I know she's sitting on my lap. Eventually I got up the nerve to pick her up and set her on the ground hoping she'll find mama squirrel or go wherever baby squirrels go. Nope. She climbs back up me to the shoulder. I sat outside with her for hours to see if she wanted to move on. I'd walk across the yard, she would follow me wherever I went. I'm thinking this must be a desperate squirrel since she's clinging onto a human, so I researched what they eat and such. I bought her some puppy formula and pedialyte. Both she took to right away. Plus she likes peanut butter Iike all rodents. I tried to get hold of a wildlife rehaber but haven't heard back from anyone. This whole thing is bazaar. I never considered myself a squirrel lover, but now I seemed to have been adopted by one. She'll have to go back to the wild at some point. I can't have a full grown eastern grey squirrel swinging from the drapes. I admit I've become attached to her. She's adorable and clings to me constantly. She curls up in her makeshift cage at night when I put her there. She's a great affectionate adorable pet at present, but I realize it's untenable. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance.
    Something happened to her mama, and she was starving. They eventually get desperate enough to go to humans and ask for help. I am glad you decided to answer!

    If you can take and post some pic of her we can tell you what age she is and when she will start to wean. In the meantime, lease no peanut butter. They like it but it isn't very good for them and getting her off to a good start so she is healthy when she is released will give her the best chance.

    This site has a wonderful instruction for raising a baby squirrel. It is 6 pages long and filled with good info: https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

    The same site sells the food we pretty much all use: https://www.henryspets.com/diets/ The first three tpes are best, the hazelnut and picky bites are the favorites. These are a supplement as well as a food, 2-3 of them for an adult squirrel plus healthy vegetables and limited fruit and VERY limited nuts for treats is a truly healthy diet. For a baby that is of weaning age you would begin with 1 per day and work up from that.

    I am so glad you took her in! I see so many videos of people who have this happen that stuff the baby in a tree and leave thinking they :saved" it and all I can think is "You left that poor thing to starve, even after they begged you not to."

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Thanks for the reply. I'm afraid I'm guilty of giving her peanut butter. I ordered some of the squirrel bites from Amazon. Should be here tomorrow. I have lots of pictures. Trying to find how to post them.

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Having trouble posting pics. I haven't joined a forum since probably around 05. I see Vbulletin has not improved in over 15 years.

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    See if this works. Shes grown a bit since I've got her last Friday. She spends a lot of time sleeping, but I figure this is normal. When I have her out, she's well, squirrelly. She eats a lot. I give her apple slices, which she eats. Broccoli which she doesn't. And yes peanut butter. That will stop when I get her Henry's tomorrow though she may never forgive me. She loves to burrow. She'll dissappear under one corner of the covers and pop out another. Eventually she'll nestle against my neck and pull my hair around her. (My grandmother always said it was a rats nest) She didn't poop for at least 2 days. Now there are little black grains of rice appearing everywhere. At least they're easy to clean up. Identical to mouse turds. She figured out her water bottle immediately. I wonder how rodents adopt to those so easily. I've never seen one in a tree. Anyway, so far so good. It's too bad she can't stay like she is now.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Very cute baby. Thank you for caring, you are doing a good job!

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    A couple more pics.
    Attached Images Attached Images   

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by McCarthy View Post
    Very cute baby. Thank you for caring, you are doing a good job!
    Thanks. I've spent a lot of time worrying I'm doing more harm than good. I hope she adopts to the wild ok. As to when and how I should do that, I'm not entirely clear. Will she just stop taking formula and only want whole food?

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelnapped View Post
    Thanks. I've spent a lot of time worrying I'm doing more harm than good. I hope she adopts to the wild ok. As to when and how I should do that, I'm not entirely clear. Will she just stop taking formula and only want whole food?
    Squirrels require a "soft release" that occurs over a periods of several weeks. Soft release start not sooner than 14 weeks of age, and 16 is optimal. There is an entire forum full of good info:

    https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...ials-and-ideas

    Continue to allow her to have formula for as long as she will take it. It is the single best thing you can feed her. And yes, usually they will start taking less formula then one day decide it's not for them. I have had a few that taken formula right up until they went to the release cage.


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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelnapped View Post
    A couple more pics.
    Great photos!

    Can you build an outdoor cage for that soft release? Is your backyard a good place for squirrels? She may stick around for any amount of time after the release, or she may move on after a few days.

    Once you place her in the outdoor release cage, it is suggested to limit any interactions to the bare minimum, to allow her to wild-up and become independent. That may be a hard time for you after getting used to the lovely baby.

    Some people want to keep the squirrel as a pet and have a hard time letting go. If that is going to happen to you, keep in mind that most of them lose their cuddly behavior and become wild and very hard to deal with, usually after about 6 to 9 months when their hormones change. When kept inside a house, they will tend to chew up things you care about, they often only accept one person and attack family members and friends. They are also very messy and will leave a trail of food, poop and pee all around. At some point they may start biting you, most make it clear that they want to get out.

    The general census and experience around here is, that they truly prefer a life in the trees.

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Thanks for the info. I fully intend to release her. I know she will cease to be a cuddly baby. All you have to do is watch an adult jump from tree to tree. They're nervous creatures not suitable for domestic life. The attacking family members wouldn't be so bad lol. I used to have an African Grey parrot that was good for that. I still have her, but she isn't so mean anymore. I used to be the only one that could go near her. I can build a cage for her. I'm a carpenter after all. Any guesses as to age? I don't have a scale accurate for her size. I've been guessing on the formula she already seems to want less of.

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    I was very nervous and worried about the food i was giving a fully grown, wild, rescue that im rehabbing....
    They'll eat it if its offered.
    They wont starve.
    It took a leap of faith for me to bite on that, and it's true.
    I have fully switched the diets of around 8 wild greys to healthy veggies and some fruits.... all it took was for one of them to show the others it was good.
    Broccoli took longer to accept than colloflower...
    Salad greens were a mixed bag as well.
    And with all the info here, im able to easily work through a BUNCH of different options, and expose them all to new healthy stuff that isnt going to destroy their bodies, like straight nut diets will do.

    The henrys food blocks are seriously awesome too.
    My rehabber likes the picky blocks over the hazelnut ones, and the others love all of them.

    Pro tip : if you order the blocks, get a box of ziplock snack bags and put 1/2days worth of blocks in each bag.
    You will need to freeze them, and unfreeze before use.

    I have mine broken into 6blocks/bag and unfreeze a new one every day. Easy, fresh, and squirrels are happy!!

    This site is loaded with everything you'll want to know about squirrels, and the people hear have helped me get my injured momma on her way back to a future release.

    Last tip : i knew squirrels are able to chew.... i didnt expect them to be able to chew through insanely tough stuff... my current rehabber is a micro wood chipper.... and she isnt gonna stop until shes released.... ive been giving her a sacrificial wood block or 2, and shes shreds it..

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    Default Re: Adopted by baby squirrel

    Thanks for the tips gerbel. I've been giving her the Henry's picky blocks plus the formula. Nothing wrong with her appetite. She's noticeably bigger than when I got her 10 days ago and she's definitely more frisky. During the brief periods when she's not sleeping, she's very playful and wanting to explore her environment. She'll run up and "bite" my hand but she's never come close to hurting me (yet) I can tell she's just playing. Still, the shear speed they have can be disconcerting. She's very clingy. She's licking my face as I'm writing this. She really is adorable. I wish she didn't have to grow up.

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