New Member here with a question about release

[MMerritt]

Hello!

I live in Southern Alabama right on the coast. I love almost ALL animals and it shows if you visit my home. We have a 1 year old German Shepherd named Quinley, a 3 month old Shih Tzu named Gigi, a cat named Grey Kitty, a Guinea Pig named Chestnut and a bunny named Bun Bun.

We also have a squirrel, named Clyde. Clyde and his siblings literally fell from the sky on a windy day hitting our driveway. They were pink with no fur and their eyes were still closed. I tried to wait for the momma to come back but after checking her nest, she left and didn't return. I knew immediately one wouldn't survive but hoped the other 2 would. Both were doing well but the female became ill. I took her to our wildlife vet and she was given fluids, antibiotics, etc. She did well and started to come out of it and then one night I just found her. She had passed away. I focused all of my attention on Clyde and he's doing really really well. He's about 7 months old now. He's currently living in our living room in a large bird cage. This is the room he has always known. When it's quiet, I let him out and runs and plays with me for about 2-3 hours, then goes back into his cage. I have put sticks for climbing, bird toys that dangle and even built him a new platform for his food bowl. I tried to move him into the office but he seemed terrified. He literally wouldn't move out of the corner of his cage and normally he comes right to me. I moved his cage back to the living room and he was fine. I've been wanting to try to release him because he is a wild animal but I'm concerned he wouldn't do well. He plays with me fine and of course I get scratches but he never bites me hard. However, he will bite others. I was thinking of building him a walk-in outdoor habitat but if was so terrified just being in a different room, I don't know what that would do to him. I'm not really sure how to go about preparing him. Any suggestions on what I should do? Do you just let him go? Do you build the outdoor habitat? Help?

Thank you!

[Spanky]

No, you do not just let him go (this is known as a "hard release"). Squirrels require a soft release:

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-How-to-Sticky

A large release cage outdoors is ideal.

A larger concern is how acclimated your squirrel might be to dogs, cats and other predators?!?

[TamiKakes]

The best way to release is a soft release.
You will want to build an outdoor release cage that no predators can get in (raccoons, possums, cats, ect) and a small opening where only she can get in and out of. This will be used once released and kept open for her so she has a "Safe place" to come if need be.

You will keep her in this cage for about 6 weeks with the ONLY contact with you is feedings. No playing/interacting.
This time is used to help her "wild up" and for the wild outdoor squirrels to get to know her scent/sound and for her to get to know them. This will help from her being bullied by the local squirrels.

[HRT4SQRLS]

to TheSquirreBoard

It concerns me that the little girl passed away. Can you give us an idea of the diet? This will determine if your little one is a candidate for release. Personally, if you've had him for 7 months I would overwinter him and release in the spring. It would give him the best chance for survival. I'm not sure if you are in north or south AL but I believe the temps are already getting cool. The trees will drop the leaves soon and he doesn't have a stash to take him through the winter.

[TamiKakes]

to TheSquirreBoard

It concerns me that the little girl passed away. Can you give us an idea of the diet? This will determine if your little one is a candidate for release. Personally, if you've had him for 7 months I would overwinter him and release in the spring. It would give him the best chance for survival. I'm not sure if you are in north or south AL but I believe the temps are already getting cool. The trees will drop the leaves soon and he doesn't have a stash to take him through the winter.

She stated southern Alabama.....

[MMerritt]

No, you do not just let him go (this is known as a "hard release"). Squirrels require a soft release:

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-How-to-Sticky

A large release cage outdoors is ideal.

A larger concern is how acclimated your squirrel might be to dogs, cats and other predators?!?

Thank you for your response! Clyde knows to run away from our dogs when he's in the house and I think he would know about cats. We have one, but the cat just ignores him so I'm not sure on that one!

[MMerritt]

The best way to release is a soft release.
You will want to build an outdoor release cage that no predators can get in (raccoons, possums, cats, ect) and a small opening where only she can get in and out of. This will be used once released and kept open for her so she has a "Safe place" to come if need be.

You will keep her in this cage for about 6 weeks with the ONLY contact with you is feedings. No playing/interacting.
This time is used to help her "wild up" and for the wild outdoor squirrels to get to know her scent/sound and for her to get to know them. This will help from her being bullied by the local squirrels.

That was another concern of mine! What if the other squirrels are mean to him? Lol I worry about things like that. Thank you for responding!

[MMerritt]

to TheSquirreBoard

It concerns me that the little girl passed away. Can you give us an idea of the diet? This will determine if your little one is a candidate for release. Personally, if you've had him for 7 months I would overwinter him and release in the spring. It would give him the best chance for survival. I'm not sure if you are in north or south AL but I believe the temps are already getting cool. The trees will drop the leaves soon and he doesn't have a stash to take him through the winter.

Yeah, It broke my heart when she passed. I tried everything I knew to do. I was sure she was getting better but she was just gone when I went to feed her again. I started them out on puppy milk, them graduated them to goat milk. Now Clyde eats the Henry's protein cubes with walnuts, almonds, pecans from our yard, deer corn, carrots, broccoli, etc. I worry he won't know where to find food or water. He drinks out of a pet water bottle that's attached to his cage. I've given him raffia ribbon that he likes to burrow in along with his coconut and a large cardboard tube that he likes to crawl into. He also has limbs and such to climb on along with a platform I made him for his food bowl.

[TamiKakes]

Yeah, It broke my heart when she passed. I tried everything I knew to do. I was sure she was getting better but she was just gone when I went to feed her again. I started them out on puppy milk, them graduated them to goat milk. Now Clyde eats the Henry's protein cubes with walnuts, almonds, pecans from our yard, deer corn, carrots, broccoli, etc. I worry he won't know where to find food or water. He drinks out of a pet water bottle that's attached to his cage. I've given him raffia ribbon that he likes to burrow in along with his coconut and a large cardboard tube that he likes to crawl into. He also has limbs and such to climb on along with a platform I made him for his food bowl.

The goat milk concerns me.... The puppy esbilac with the pre and probiotics is best- if not using the Fox Valley formulated for squirrels.

In the wild, they will find water from licking wet leaves/grass and other sources.

[Jen413]

Make sure you aren't feeding him too many nuts!! Have you looked at the food chart? It's extremely helpful. I'd axe the corn from his diet too.

Here's a link to the healthy food chart: https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-Pet-Squirrels

[Spanky]

Make sure you aren't feeding him too many nuts!! Have you looked at the food chart? It's extremely helpful. I'd axe the corn from his diet too.

Here's a link to the healthy food chart: https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-Pet-Squirrels

The diet sounds very off.

Also, about the cat you have that ignores him: You understand he is being acclimated to not consider cats a threat? The response seems to imply you are considering the (specific) cat's behavior and not the squirrel's survival needs (he needs to know cats are a threat). Once he is released he needs to not be indoctrinated to to believe cats do not present a threat. You are setting him up for failure IMO.