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Thread: Cage Inquiry!

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Cage Inquiry!

    Hi all!!
    I am a first-time poster and a first-time squirrel caretaker.

    Some background for fun: So I live in Michigan, and my Squeegee was found in the wheel well of my mother's car while I was visiting for Mother's Day. Unfortunately, a nest somewhere under the chassis was also found and told us that Squeegee's mother and sibling did not survive whatever time they spent in there. Squeegee was a stubborn fighter though and was very loud, letting us know he was in there and needed help! I believe he was around 4 weeks old when I found him. Now he would be around 6 weeks. Naturally, he was very emaciated and dehydrated when I found him, and I just want to say thank you to this board for helping me navigate his care on my own. I started him on Esbilac the day I found him (it was evening and luckily Tractor Supply was open) and kept him on that for a few days until I got my FV in the mail. So now, I feed him Fox Valley 20/50 formula, around 6ccs every 5-6 hours as of now (he weighs 88 grams--up from 56 grams when I found him two weeks ago!). He has started getting his Henry's Healthy Blocks, but as of now he just shreds them but definitely is developing an interest for later successful eating :-) He likes to chew apple sticks, sleep on my chest, and use me as a tree to run around. From what I can tell, he is an American Red with his grey-er summer coloring. He is super affectionate, a talkative loud guy (still), and super adventurous. I've attached some pics at the bottom of his progress and general cute face!

    Now to my question! Does this cage look appropriate for a squirrel rehab?
    https://www.exoticnutrition.com/Prod...pc-ENC104.aspx

    He is still very young, so I was thinking I could block off the top level for now so he does not have clumsy falls from a dangerous height. But then later, it would still work as I could just unblock that top tier to provide space as he grows without having to purchase multiple separate cages. It looks very similar to the cage that Henry's Pets used on their site that now says is no longer available. The bar spacing is 1/2"...is that too large for his age? He is currently in a large plastic storage bin with a heater under half of it with old sheets and an old robe for burrowing as well as a space without nesting sheets for testing his Henry's Blocks and chewing apple sticks. He also has a little climbing thing made of more apple sticks as well as a kapok seed pod that is hanging for him to chew or just mess around with. These are just hung on the side of the bin...right now I keep another sheet on top with an old shelf on top of that to secure it because he is turning into a little escape artist at times (there are still breathing holes in the bin don't worry). Obviously this is not ideal and is only very temporary but I want to make sure I am getting a good cage for his needs before spending too much money! Thank you all so much for your infinite wisdom and help, us newbies are eternally grateful!

    Squeegee through the last two weeks :-) (sorry, I don't know how to flip some of these to their correct orientation)

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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Cage Inquiry!

    This is a larger, vastly superior cage for less money: https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Critt...75982974&psc=1

    Better, sturdier, much safer, and bigger overall - covers for ramps, etc. I have 2 of these cages.

    You have a little red!!

    This type cage isn't meant for outdoor rehab back to nature without some real modification to prevent predators like raccoons from getting in.

  3. Serious fuzzy thank you's to CritterMom from:

    Diggie's Friend (05-24-2022)

  4. #3
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    Default Re: Cage Inquiry!

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    This is a larger, vastly superior cage for less money: https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Critt...75982974&psc=1

    Better, sturdier, much safer, and bigger overall - covers for ramps, etc. I have 2 of these cages.

    You have a little red!!

    This type cage isn't meant for outdoor rehab back to nature without some real modification to prevent predators like raccoons from getting in.
    Thank you so much!!!! I really appreciate the input! Definitely going to go for your recommendation: cheaper and better! :-)

    Quick question: you said it wasn’t meant for outdoor rehab back-to-nature…I had planned on keeping it inside near windows but is this not recommended? (I have cats as well and the best windows to put a cage near are in an open space that can’t be sequestered). If an outdoor cage is the way to go, should I have an age in mind for when to bring him out? Should it be full-time outdoor, even rain etc? I have a barn but predator critters also live in there…plus it’s kinda old and yucky and dim lol. Very grateful for any advice as I am a first-timer :-)

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Cage Inquiry!

    These are both indoor cages. When people do a "soft release" of their babies during adolescence, they put them outside in a "wild" cage where they can get used to the wild and see what they are going to deal with for a period while they are still being fed and cared for by their humans, and whle they are locked inside the cage and predators are locked out. After several weeks of this, the door is opened and they become free squirrels that have had a chance to sample the wild and learn about it safely. The commercially made cages are not good for this purpose - you want something larger, and the doors of the commercial cages are child's play for a raccoon to open. If your plan is not to release, then he should be an indoor squirrel with lots of one on one time with you, time out of the cage, and lots of enrichment IN the cage. If a squirrel is non releasable for some reason, you want them to bond with YOU, so you do not want to keep them outside or they will become wild. Having the cage rolled out for short periods of sun while you sit there with him is okay - leaving him there is not.

  6. Serious fuzzy thank you's to CritterMom from:

    KCullen (07-22-2022)

  7. #5
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    Default Re: Cage Inquiry!

    Oops - a couple tips RE: the Critter Nation cage. First, if you don't own one, get a rubber mallet like one of these:https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoors...ubber%20mallet

    Trust me. Even the directions that come with the cage recommend one. There are a couple places in the assembly that you are going to need to just whale away on it and you WILL need one. And they are cheap.

    Second, the CN cage is designed to be 2-level with a floor that bisects it that has openings for access to both levels. I strongly suggest you don't install that and make the cage so it is 1-level only and open inside. Then you can attach the shelves - do one up high and provide a spot for a nest, and some limbs or pieces of wood to climb. The cage is designed for ferrets and rats, both critters that are more ground dwellers and so enjoy the multiple levels but a squirrel just wants to be able to climb as high as possible!

  8. 3 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to CritterMom:

    Diggie's Friend (05-24-2022), KCullen (07-22-2022), Syd and Squeegee (05-25-2022)

  9. #6
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    Default Re: Cage Inquiry!

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    These are both indoor cages. When people do a "soft release" of their babies during adolescence, they put them outside in a "wild" cage where they can get used to the wild and see what they are going to deal with for a period while they are still being fed and cared for by their humans, and whle they are locked inside the cage and predators are locked out. After several weeks of this, the door is opened and they become free squirrels that have had a chance to sample the wild and learn about it safely. The commercially made cages are not good for this purpose - you want something larger, and the doors of the commercial cages are child's play for a raccoon to open. If your plan is not to release, then he should be an indoor squirrel with lots of one on one time with you, time out of the cage, and lots of enrichment IN the cage. If a squirrel is non releasable for some reason, you want them to bond with YOU, so you do not want to keep them outside or they will become wild. Having the cage rolled out for short periods of sun while you sit there with him is okay - leaving him there is not.
    That makes perfect sense thank you so much :-) I think I just conjectured the wrong info from your brief comment about its outdoor use, I absolutely understand now though! Squeegee is still so little (6 weeks-ish) that as of right now I’m not even worried about the logistics of a soft release, but I’ll assess a little later on and just get a new cage if need be! Your info has been beyond helpful to me, thank you for being so willing to share your expertise and use your time to help those of us that are learning as we go but trying to provide the best care for our little squirrelly babies :-)

    PS-I saw your other comment with tips for setup and I will make sure to get a mallet and definitely keep the cage open (aka no landing between “floors”)…I’m excited to create a little jungle gym for Squeegee!

  10. #7
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    Default Re: Cage Inquiry!

    First time I raised babies, so I am only a few weeks ahead of you. Soft release was their cage in a shelter house by the woods. The cage was from Craigslit or Facebook Market place. Do a search and you should be able to find a big cage for under $50-$60. I also have a borrowed cage a lot smaller. We kept the runt int he smaller cage. It's space between bars in about 1/2 inch and he can't get out.

    Now that the two big ones are gone, we put the runt in the big cage when we are in the room. It has bars about 1 inch apart and he could possibly squeeze thru. We put him back in the smaller cage when we are not in the room. Both cages have a wooden box in the top for him to nest in. They like to drag leaves and small sticks to the box for a nest.

    Seems like you are looking at a lot of money for a cage you may only need for 8-10 weeks. Keeping him long term is probably not a good idea, so a big expensive cage may not be necessary.
    Check locally for a used bird cage and see what you find.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  11. Serious fuzzy thank you's to mattb from:

    KCullen (07-22-2022)

  12. #8
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    Default Re: Cage Inquiry!

    I agree with MattB's point, I have founf Critter Nation and Ferret Nation cages on Craigslist and FB Marketplace for wayyyyy cheap. A full outdoor release cage is basically a large permanant structure. We used 4x4s recovered from 10' pallets as we could get those for free, and hardware cloth. I left the pallet intact so there is literally a "gap" between the walls of the outside vs the inside to prevent raccoon fingers, etc getting through. We have some very determined raccoons in our area! We added branches, squirrel boxes of various types, and a couple of shelves.

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