Advice needed! about an old injury

[chelsea]

So I only have my little ones because this guy I went to school with was chopping down a tree and unfortunately killed four others and the momma.... SO SAD.
and he was just going to release them how they were. they would have died but he didn't care. however, I can not leave any animal in danger, ever.
so I pleaded with him and he finally brought them to me.

he didn't even notice some of Dixons tail missing!!!??? wtf.
but when I got him his tail was already beginning to scab over and showed no indication of infection.
but now that its completely healed, the end is a tiny perfect ball.
someone said it could be puss trapped in there, however that would mean infection.
and wouldn't it hurt him when I touch it or when his brother chews on it(when hes trying to catch him haha) if it was infected?
I really don't think its infected because it has never seemed to bother him.
and when an area is infected its usually warmer than other parts of the body, that's not an issue either.
this might sound a little mean but I even pinched it and all he did was turned to look at me like "whyd you do that for??"
but still it did not bother him. physically anyways, im sure he was annoyed lol.
someone said I should go ahead and stick it with a needle just to see if puss comes out.

but I don't want to do that if its perfectly fine. I don't wanna risk giving him a wound and then it getting infected if hes fine!
so my question to anyone who has dealt with a missing tail (there has to be SOMEONE else out there), whats it supposed to look like?
is this normal/healthy

[sandycheeks]

It looks similar to my cat that is missing most of her tail. I would think it's fine looks healed to me. It will probably always bug him a bit. My cat chews on hers and I can tell it bothers her. Probably similar to phantom pain people experience after losing a body part.

[chelsea]

Oh my gosh. I didn't even think of considering that.
But from what I can tell it doesn't bother him.
He just ends up rolling over and over trying to clean it... so sad, but can't say it isn't cute. His brother cleans his tail for him.
Thanks for replying!
I have 2 cats and 2 squirrels.
Love the cat/squirrel combination!

[farrelli]

You do know that cat saliva carries a bacteria that's deadly to sqs, right? A bite can be fatal.

[chelsea]

yes i do!!
my cats and squirrels dont play with eachother.
but when the cats are laying down asleep in the living room, my squirrels will run by and jump on their face or slap their face....
It is SO naughty, but so funny.
i mean how else are they going to get a their bluff in on a cat?
my cats are 6&4 and are terrified of baby squirrels.... love it!

[chelsea]

AND my cats are inside cats so they arent used to seeing and catching live animals... they wont even eat chicken if i boil it for them, only cat food.
Their used to me bringing home rats, hamsters, and ferrets..
i think theyre waiting for when the squirrels get their new home, but they are in it for the long haul with us!
btw, i am not a rehabber. i just cant stand seeing animals living in poor conditions because their owner didnt think about the responsibility of the animals all the way through. so i'll take them in, get them pretty, and healthy and find them a home!

[sandycheeks]

I don't mean to be rude but that was not a good idea to let the squirrels and cats near each other. Now those squirrels are definitely not releasable ever. They will get eaten by the first outdoor cat that they walk up to and try to play with. DO NOT EVER LET THEM OUTSIDE AGAIN OR THEY WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY DIE.
I love my cats and my squirrel but they have never been in the same room and have only seen each other through a window. When Sandy was too young to be released but we wanted to have her outside with us, we bought her a chinchilla ball. Basically a hamster ball but much larger. That way she could safely be outside with us and run around on the deck. We also put her near the other squirrels under the bird feeder to get her used to being around wild animals. Anyway that or a very secure cage would be the only safe way your squirrels can ever be outside again. Please do not let them outside unless they are secure in a ball or cage.
After all that negative talk I would like to say thank you for helping these little ones and have fun with your beautiful squirrels. They are the best animals I've ever had the pleasure of having around. I can tell you really love them by all the scratches on your hands in the picture.

[farrelli]

Rodent balls are recommended against for sqs. They overheat and cause injury.

[sandycheeks]

Really I didn't know that. We had one for Sandy but we only had her out for 30min. or so at a time. She never seemed to be too hot but when she got older it was a fight to get her in it and you do risk getting bit by an angry squirrel.

[farrelli]

Yes, there have been many reports of it getting very hot in there, lids coming off, injury, etc.

[sandycheeks]

Fair enough, I guess we got lucky with Sandy not having any issues with the ball. She is a very tough and lucky squirrel in general. Considering that she was covered in fly eggs and must have crawled a significant distance to get on our deck or fallen out of the tree above my deck. Then being out in the coldest winter in history here and then recovering from her broken arm. She is an amazing girl and I can only give credit to her instincts and the prayers for her every day.