Increasingly hard to get squirrels BACK in cage

[Droozy]

I have 2 males that live in the same cage, they get along very well. Their cage is about 5ft tall maybe 3ft wide and deep as well. (It was an old wardrobe before and we turned it into a cage with wire on the sides that they can climb on) i have a box for th3ir nest, a hammock, deer antlers to chew on, bedding on the bottom, bowls for food, 2 water bottles, and large tree limbs to climb on. Been having trouble finding toys they like but I also just out in a shallow bowl eith water in it as they also seem to play and splash in it. To my knowledge their cage has enough enrichment in it but maybe I'm wrong.

It live in a house and have 3 cats, I always put them up when I let the squirrels out to play. (The youngest cat likes to chase the squirrels and it freaks them out a bit but eventually if like them all to get along. I'm taking baby steps with this) They of course LOVE when I let them out and it's normally for a good hour or 2 but it's soooo hard getting them back in the cage that's it's starting to be too much of a task just for myself.

Just today I ended up feeling SO bad cuz I ended freaking out one that I couldn't get back in and ended up having to leave him alone for awhile cuz he was breathing really hard and didn't want me even reaching out to him.

Does anyone have any tricks or easy ways to get them back in? (A difficult task when you have 2 and the other tries to get back out when you out one in) I've tried luring them in eith food but they just take it and run back out of the cage.

[Droozy]

I should mention that BECAUSE it's so hard to get them back in I defiantly end up not getting them out as much as I should. I know I should let them out every day or every other day but I end up only letting them out a few times a week.

[LR]

Hi Droozy,

Cava has four she is juggling and says slowly turning off lights in the room helps get them back in.

I have two NR's and the only time they get a whole pecan or hickory nut is at night when it's time to go to bed. Jake is still learning the routine but Ruby knows that when the nut gets tapped on the table a couple of times and then on the cage it's time to climb in...

How old are your squirrels?

[Nancy in New York]

It live in a house and have 3 cats, I always put them up when I let the squirrels out to play. (The youngest cat likes to chase the squirrels and it freaks them out a bit but eventually if like them all to get along. I'm taking baby steps with this) They of course LOVE when I let them out and it's normally for a good hour or 2 but it's soooo hard getting them back in the cage that's it's starting to be too much of a task just for myself.

.

How old are these squirrels?
Are these non releasable squirrels?
Interaction with cats can be deadly to squirrels.
Even cat saliva can kill a squirrel.
Please do NOT allow interaction.

[island rehabber]

Nancy is correct -- NEVER trust a cat (or a dog) free in a room with a loose squirrel. Predator/Prey is the structure of this world of living things and you cannot change that any more than you can tell the sun to rise earlier in the day for your convenience. Eventually bad things WILL happen, especially when one cat has already exhibited its prey drive around the squirrels.

If you are raising these squirrels to release, the less direct interaction time with you, the better. If you want to give them runaround time in a closed room then do it an hour before dark....soon as you open the cage doors and close all the lights they should return to their cages as the room darkens.

[cava]

I totally agree about never letting cats around the squirrels. One bite, that's all it takes. And you're asking a predator and prey to play nice in a closed space.

As for getting my four back in at the same time.

1. Mimic the sun going down by closing blinds and turning lights off

2. Have a verbal cue while you are doing this. I say, "Go to bed! Go to bed, guys! Bed time!" (Having a verbal allows you to use this technique in the morning or any other time even when it's light out)

3. Keep a very strict schedule. I pretty much do the same things when I am in their room with them. Put their new dishes down, eat my dinner with them, clean/repair stuff in their cage, hand play with them and then they chill and we snuggle a bit. Sometimes they just get in there and wait when we are getting to the lights part.

4. It goes like this: Turn lights down (overhead light off, lamp on) Say the verbal cue. Mine all four jump on me, jump onto the platform where I have one door open and once they're all in, I close the door, open the closet door and get their almond out. It's the ONLY time they get a treat. When they go into their cage. They don't get treats for being cute or because I feel guilty or for my pleasure watching them eat them, etc. It's a reward for a job I need them to do. Period.

If they are allowed out twice a day, their second reward is a fruit treat. Mine only get one nut a day.

You can practice this verbal with getting into the cage for a treat with fruit treats until they sort of get it. Never give a treat until they are in and cage doors are closed or, like you said, they steal it and run back out. Defeats the whole purpose. Good luck.

[Lighten-Up]

My hat is off to Cava, who can get all 4 back into a cage daily.....

I had two squirrels, at first, I would take them out to feed, and they would go to sleep and it was easy to put them back in. Then as they grew, they got energy by eating and did not want to go it, if I got one in, the other would jump out when I put the second one in. I had to cancel a client one day, because I could not get them back in.

What I did took up a lot of space, but gave me peace of mind, since I could do what Cava did. I could not keep canceling people during the day.

I built a hardware cage around their 2x4x6 cage. I put a human size door in it. Their new cage was 7x7x7 feet. Now, I would walk into their cage to visit with them. Then all I had to do was walk out when they were not near the door! Once they leapt to my back as I walked out.... Opps. I never let them out of that larger cage, but I took the door off their little cage that was part of it, and they had the run of the large cage 24/7 while I overwintered them. It was filled with branches and play toys, and they ran large circles around it all the time. They went into their original cage at night to sleep of their own accord, as the door was always open to the larger area.

You'll find what works for you.

[HRT4SQRLS]

.... I had to cancel a client one day, because I could not get them back in.

What I did took up a lot of space, but gave me peace of mind, since I could do what Cava did. I could not keep canceling people during the day.
.

I sure hope you didn't tell them you were catching your squirrels. Might send the wrong message, you know!

I had to stop letting my rehabs out of the cage. I had 6 in a cage. When I opened the door it was like a swarm of bees. NO way to get those bees back in the hive. After 2 days they wouldn't even go back to the cage to sleep. That's when they had to go to the outside release cage until release.

[dextersmom]

My squirrels love almonds. I pour a bag of almonds into a plastic container,and when I want them in,I just shake the container,open it,and put it in their cage. They run in and grab one and find their spot within the cage to eat them. Wala there in!