Need new home for 5 month old Red Squirrel

[bubblehive7]

I know you care, because you would not have posted here if you didn't. Please don't steal her and jeopardize your family stability, but if she even hickups, please call me and I will be on my way to meet you. Red paint would give her red poops, not red urine. Red urine only happens when there is blood in the bladder or kidneys. If there is a leak, it is only a matter of time, but I have told you this over and over, as you know. I do feel for you and please remember this. If Louise dies, it isn't your fault. You did everything you could for her. I know I was harsh at times, on the texts, but it was only to try to get it across to your mom and brother the seriousness of the situation. Please send me a text tomorrow, if she makes it through the night. I sleep with my phone right next to me, but I won't wake up to a text, so if you need me to be on the road right away, please call me and then I will know to watch texts. Bless you and your little Louise. You two will be in my prayers!! Louise

I appreciate your help so much. I knew your harsh tone wasn't directed at me, and I appreciate you being so honest about what can definitely happen to her. It's not comforting to get further confirmation that her red urine is likely from blood in her bladder or kidneys, and not the result of something she ingested, but I feel slightly better knowing that I'm not overreacting like they accused me of being. Honestly, overreacting is infinitely better than underreacting when the health of an innocent living being is in question. There was this moment where my brother stood in front of Louise's cage, looking into her eyes, silent. He touched his nose to hers. This lasted for a couple minutes. I honestly thought he was going to tell me that I could take her to get seen by a vet, because I honestly thought he cared that much. But he'd rather be stubborn and use his bad experiences to impair his judgement of what is right for Louise. I can't believe he could look into her eyes and decide that the remote chance of a vet treating her and making her worse is more significant than the very high chance that she has blood in her urine that needs to be diagnosed and treated by a professional. This definitely changes the way I see both my brother and my mom. I've learned an important lesson: Whenever an innocent animal could be brought in by us, I need to do everything in my power to find it a better home before it ever enters our house.

If a miracle happens and they change their minds, you will be called in a heartbeat. I'll update you tomorrow after I wake up and see her.

[bubblehive7]

Not that it matters, but cat saliva is deadly to squirrels.
If your mom has any doubt, she should look at the threads in
our forum All Squirrels Go to Heaven.
In there she will see many people that thought they could do this
themselves, she will see many in there fed the improper diet,
the cat caught squirrels, the squirrels that had no vet care.
It's a rude awakening to see just how many could have been saved.
But what she may find really interesting is to read about a little squirrel
that was turned over to a rehab center. Nuts was his name, hand raised
and loved by his family. I bet that finder wished she had the same offer that
Duckman has made to you, because then for sure her squirrel would still be alive.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...quot-Nuts-quot

My brother brought up a personal experience he had of a squirrel he and his girlfriend rescued from a cat's mouth. He talked about how it was injured, specifically had broken bones, and they nursed it back to health. They probably would insist that it had wounds caused by the cat's teeth, including cat saliva into the squirrel's body. They took it to a vet and got casts on it, and the squirrel got out of them within a day. He used it as reasoning that not every ailment requires veterinary treatment. Even when I told him that only a veterinarian is qualified to determine if she needs to see one, he was adamant that she "looks healthy and active enough" to not warrant a trip to ANY veterinarian. He also wholeheartedly believes that him and my mom are perfectly capable of taking good enough care of her that no one else could provide her better care, not even Duckman. My brother is stuck in his opinions and his ways, and I can't change his mind.

He believes in his personal experiences over anything else. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he exaggerates these stories, or maybe that squirrel was just extremely luckier than any other squirrel ever caught by a cat. I actually had no idea that cat saliva could be deadly to squirrels. That makes me even more concerned for her well-being here. Her partially decapitated tail is testament that our cats are capable of getting close enough to her to injure her. I've always worried that someday a cat could get physical with her, I just never realized that specifically cat saliva was deadly. I hope that Louise doesn't have to die or suffer in any pain because my brother insists on him being right all the time, and me being wrong all the time.

[farrelli]

Whether the cat's get her, the internal problems get her, or that diet gets her, they're going to kill her one way or another. And it will be painful. We see diets like the one she has now killing squirrels all the time. It's probably the most common thing we see. It'll be out of the blue. She'll be seemingly great one day, and then the next be having seizures, be paralyzed, or be dead. It's called metabolic bone disease. Squirrels are prey animals, so they hide everything. She'll be in pain long before she shows the signs, and when she does, it usually too late. They're either dead or permanently paralyzed. I don;t know why your mother and brother insist on engaging in animal cruelty, but I hope you can convince them to turn him over, or at the very least, provide minimally acceptable care.

[sid'smommy]

Just take it! When they wonder where it went, help them search, and say "I told you so" the whole time. Maybe they will just shrug it off like the cat got it ...

[Duckman]

I wanted to give an update. After speaking with Bubblehive7, I am sending her some antibiotics and a bag of squirrel block (what we feed our overwinters and NR's here). She is still trying to talk her brother and mom into releasing her to me (her urine has turned darker red now), but I don't want Louise to die because of them. I truly hope the AB's will stem whatever is causing the bladder bleeding. I am also thinking that since the Squirrel Block is way cheaper to buy then nuts and veggies, they will decide to feed her this instead. Please keep Louise and Bubblehive7 in your prayers.

[SammysMom]

God, this one has been on my mind today. Thank you so much for continuing contact...

[TubeDriver]

I wanted to give an update. After speaking with Bubblehive7, I am sending her some antibiotics and a bag of squirrel block (what we feed our overwinters and NR's here). She is still trying to talk her brother and mom into releasing her to me (her urine has turned darker red now), but I don't want Louise to die because of them. I truly hope the AB's will stem whatever is causing the bladder bleeding. I am also thinking that since the Squirrel Block is way cheaper to buy then nuts and veggies, they will decide to feed her this instead. Please keep Louise and Bubblehive7 in your prayers.

. I hope this works out for this little Red.

[Nancy in New York]

I wanted to give an update. After speaking with Bubblehive7, I am sending her some antibiotics and a bag of squirrel block (what we feed our overwinters and NR's here). She is still trying to talk her brother and mom into releasing her to me (her urine has turned darker red now), but I don't want Louise to die because of them. I truly hope the AB's will stem whatever is causing the bladder bleeding. I am also thinking that since the Squirrel Block is way cheaper to buy then nuts and veggies, they will decide to feed her this instead. Please keep Louise and Bubblehive7 in your prayers.

Thank you for helping this little one.
This is NOT a good situation with the dark red blood.
How anyone can allow an animal to suffer,
is really beyond me.
So sad.

[California Squirrel Lover]

Hearing this makes me so sad for this poor sweet one. I wish they'd decide to let you help, Duckman

[island rehabber]

The brother is an idiot and little Louise's blood, ever darker, is on HIS hands.
Bless you, Duckman, for doing everything possible short of kidnapping her.....I am going to merely lurk because I just can't find anything positive to say about this man ....he is determined to be RIGHT, and so he will cause her death.

[sid'smommy]

The brother is an idiot and little Louise's blood, ever darker, is on HIS hands.
Bless you, Duckman, for doing everything possible short of kidnapping her.....I am going to merely lurk because I just can't find anything positive to say about this man ....he is determined to be RIGHT, and so he will cause her death.

Hmmmm... I seem to remember a case like this .. not so long ago.... DeJaVu.

[sassysquirrel]

I would take red food color and put it everywhere. Make the brother and mom think the squirrel is bleeding everywhere - maybe that might get their attention.

I would put red food color everywhere the squirrel goes. Cover her private parts with red food color. I would even cover her poops with it.

This might be totally wrong to do - but it might get their attention.


***This might be extreme - but maybe worth a shot????

[SammysMom]

I like this idea! If you mix red food coloring with Karo syrup it makes great fake blood.

I would take red food color and put it everywhere. Make the brother and mom think the squirrel is bleeding everywhere - maybe that might get their attention.

I would put red food color everywhere the squirrel goes. Cover her private parts with red food color. I would even cover her poops with it.

This might be totally wrong to do - but it might get their attention.


***This might be extreme - but maybe worth a shot????