South Texas Squirrel Lovers -- Got Any Extra Room?

[celinajune]

I have had my 3 baby brother squirrels since last August making them just about a year old now. My plan the entire time was to release them and honestly I think (hope) that they are still releasable (minus the fact that they are overweight...). I do talk to them, but I stopped letting them play with me a while back so that they could wild up. They are perfect nesters and each have their own tshirts and toys that are well placed in their houses. They also know how to store food (but sometimes end up eating it in the process of trying to hide it). The problem is that they are all boys and every time they are let out they just run back and forth on the cages trying to pick fights with each other.

I have everything needed to release them but now I am thinking it might be best to let them live OR be released in separate locations/houses.

SO with that said, if someone has room for a squirrel or a HUGE yard so that they are not in the same vicinity, I would be willing to drive/meet up as far as Brownsville, Victoria, or San Antonio. I currently live in Corpus Christi. I can make 3 separate trips. I just want to give them the best chance at survival, and not just automatically kill each other once released (which I have had to stop from occurring several times...).

I have their main cage (a 3 part cage with each having his own space), a release cage (the one from Henry's), and a squirrel house that I have yet to put in a tree. I can also buy/give money for more if they do go to different homes.

I LOVE them to pieces and would love to release them here but at this point I've realized they cannot share my small backyard, so they need to either be released or find permanent homes.

[kastillo]

You'd be surprised how quickly they disperse when let go in the wild.
I've released a bunch of separate males in the same yard, they don't fight for no reason, just mating behavior battle scars.

[Charley Chuckles]

If you have the means to release, have no worry about them all being boys, they will do fine once outdoors, mine hung out together for years,,,,but they will have plenty to do once they are on their own....you may want to go look at the release thread first

[celinajune]

Definitely probably just being a paranoid mom. : )
(I recently found a dead baby squirrel outside, and it really broke my confidence even knowing my boys are tough.)

Well on the note of releasing, I do have a couple of questions.

From my understanding of a soft release, I had originally planned to leave my squirrel outside for the day in his cage for about a week or two. BUT then I read somewhere about indoor squirrels not being able to be exposed to the sun for that long of a time at first (like 2 hours at a time). Which is right??? Also if it's raining is it still ok to leave them out?

Also if I did release them here, I again feel I would need to release them one at a time (the cage with 3 parts is way too big to move in and out) -- and I probably only have time to release 1 before winter. Would it be that bad to hold off until spring time for the other 2? (Making them about 1 1/2 years?)

Then, I was reading about the material/sizing on the soft release how to sticky. Like I said I originally purchased the cage from Henry's to put outside for release. Are the holes on this okay or are they too big therefore allowing for predators/little paws getting in?

[MollyBear361]

Look who finally showed back up! I was thinking of you the other day. I think the most common recommendation is for them to be released together. That way they have siblings to help them and aren't just stuck out alone with Noone having their back.
I released mine here last thanksgiving. Because you know we didn't have a winter.
I would think they would be so interested in getting out and exploring that they wouldn't care about fighting with each other. Just make sure they have three nest boxes available.

[celinajune]

Look who finally showed back up! I was thinking of you the other day. I think the most common recommendation is for them to be released together. That way they have siblings to help them and aren't just stuck out alone with Noone having their back.
I released mine here last thanksgiving. Because you know we didn't have a winter.
I would think they would be so interested in getting out and exploring that they wouldn't care about fighting with each other. Just make sure they have three nest boxes available.

: ) Yes -- finally had some time to log back on! Last fall the general consensus was my babies were too young to be released. But then I got super busy in the spring/summer and didn't have the time. So now we're here!

[farrelli]

You say that they're overweight. Can you tell us what their diet is?

[celinajune]

You say that they're overweight. Can you tell us what their diet is?

They eat twice a day. They always get one squirrel block and then a mixture of fruits and veggies. Fruits might include a piece of strawberry, a grape, a blueberry, a blackberry, a piece of an orange, a piece of an apple, a piece of a banana, sometimes pieces of melon. I cut out their avocado because I thought it might be too fatty. Veggies might be a piece of lettuce, a piece of broccoli, a piece of carrot, a piece of green bean (is that a fruit??? lol). Obviously not ALL of those at once, but usually anywhere from 4 -> 8 assorted pieces. Every Sunday they get an acorn.

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

I wish they were younger. I want to take them but i have outside cats. Dernit hard decisions.

[celinajune]

I wish they were younger. I want to take them but i have outside cats. Dernit hard decisions.

I know! I'm constantly helping furry four legged friends. I literally have cat treats, dog bones, and nuts in my purse in case I find a new friend while out somewhere. Haha.