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Thread: Do baby squirrels like to be groomed?

  1. #1
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    Default Do baby squirrels like to be groomed?

    For a creature that turns into a spinning sawblade when you try to pick her up (thank you guys for the blanket suggestion, it was really helpful!) little Benny really seems to like being "groomed." I...think? This evening I wiped her all over with a warm, damp paper towel and she fully melted into a little puddle with her eyes closed, tilting her head into the towel when I scrubbed around her ears or cheeks. Eventually, she started doing some odd stuff that I didn't really understand. She started licking the blanket I was holding her in! What was that all about? Eventually it turned into some feeble attempts to groom herself. Was I "teaching" her how to groom? Or just annoying her so much that she had to wash off like cats do?

    P.S...will she ever get better about being scooped up? I hope so!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Do baby squirrels like to be groomed?

    They certainly do, and it is a good way to bond - but do it the right way! Humans want to pet with their hands smoothing the hair down. Mama squirrel is licking the baby to CLEAN him and the only way to do that is to lick against the way the hair grows. My squirrel will zone out really fast if I use my index finger to do short little against the grain strokes in top of his head between the ears.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Do baby squirrels like to be groomed?

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    They certainly do, and it is a good way to bond - but do it the right way! Humans want to pet with their hands smoothing the hair down. Mama squirrel is licking the baby to CLEAN him and the only way to do that is to lick against the way the hair grows. My squirrel will zone out really fast if I use my index finger to do short little against the grain strokes in top of his head between the ears.
    Thank you! I started scratching her chest earlier and she pulled back her leg so I could reach better and almost completely rolled over for scratches! It was so sweet! And then she scared me because she turned around and put her mouth on my finger. She didn't bite, exactly, but she pressed her teeth into my finger pretty hard for a second and then let go. This is the first time I've felt teeth and I was startled and afraid that if I yanked away she'd really bite me! At the same time, she was also doing these purring, fluttery sounds with her mouth? Was she taste-testing me? Trying to make me stop? Changed her mind before the Big Chomp?

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    Default Re: Do baby squirrels like to be groomed?

    Quote Originally Posted by BobbleheadBabySquirrel View Post
    Thank you! I started scratching her chest earlier and she pulled back her leg so I could reach better and almost completely rolled over for scratches! It was so sweet! And then she scared me because she turned around and put her mouth on my finger. She didn't bite, exactly, but she pressed her teeth into my finger pretty hard for a second and then let go. This is the first time I've felt teeth and I was startled and afraid that if I yanked away she'd really bite me! At the same time, she was also doing these purring, fluttery sounds with her mouth? Was she taste-testing me? Trying to make me stop? Changed her mind before the Big Chomp?
    They purr like kittens when they are happy. They hold on using their mouths when interacting and wrestling and playing with their sibs (and it is naturally a bit harder than WE want because their sibs have fur to protect them so they need to be taught to not do it HARD). They also will just zone out, very delicately nibbling your fingers. I wear light cotton gloves mostly to protect from claws when I am playing with my guy and he will plop in my lap and nibble the fingertips of those gloves for an hour if I let him.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Do baby squirrels like to be groomed?

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    They purr like kittens when they are happy. They hold on using their mouths when interacting and wrestling and playing with their sibs (and it is naturally a bit harder than WE want because their sibs have fur to protect them so they need to be taught to not do it HARD). They also will just zone out, very delicately nibbling your fingers. I wear light cotton gloves mostly to protect from claws when I am playing with my guy and he will plop in my lap and nibble the fingertips of those gloves for an hour if I let him.
    Oh wow, thanks! That's very neat. So how could I interact back positively? When I moved my hand she flinched, but I'd love for her to feel comfortable enough to play with me.

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