What is best for Little Girl? Release Advice Needed

[squirrelei]

So Little Girl is 14 weeks old and doing great. I originally planned on releasing her in our yard, but there is a red shouldered hawk and her two fledglings who live on our property and they are eating EVERYTHING. I called a wildlife advocacy group and found a rehabber (she rehabs large fowl and I was too afraid to ask her if she releases her birds in the same area) who has a release cage. She puts all the squirrels together and feeds them for a month, then opens the door. She doesn’t do anything else, only visiting once per day to give them food.

I have raised Little Girl since she was born. Is putting her in a release cage with other squirrels and leaving her unsupervised a good idea? Or would she be better off living in captivity with us? She seems pretty happy (I have two young children who adore her, she has fun scampering around our house, eating her squirrel block and taking her daily nap in my shirt), though even the small amount of time she spends in her cage per day has resulted in a bald spot on her head from rubbing against the bars. I’ve read some horror stories about squirrels going into heat and attacking their humans…how likely is this since she was raised as a singleton?

My heart is hurting. Trying to make the right decision.

[DarkLies212]

It's very likely her first heat will turn her against you. Also, as she gets older, she'll probably only bond to one person, viciously attacking anything and everyone else. I have both a male and a female NRs and the male is much more easy going. The female is vicious, nasty, and rough. I've also read that females are meaner than males towards their humans.

I would think that just throwing her with others and leaving them is a bad idea - usually ends up in fights (check out this thread for proof: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ms+with+refuge)

Do you happen to have any friends or family who would let you release on their property?