a Free Feeding/Formula on Demand

[MissSuzie]

Hello, Experienced Squirrel People. I am raising a 10 week old female, Bee, who has been staying with us for the past 5 weeks. When my dog found her she was stiff and cold, laced with puncture marks (not deep) and had crusted blood at both of her nostrils. i quickly warmed, rehydrated and began with goat milk puppy formula until fox valley squirrel formula arrived. As a mother who nursed a human baby, I kept this little one very close (in my hands, or soft cloth bag) all of my waking hours unless she was exercising or using the litter box (she is 100% on urinating in the box but poops indiscriminately, which is fine by me). I fed her when she showed signs of wanting to nurse, which seem fairly common across most mammals. mouth rubbing, searching for teat, nuzzling into the body. when she is not hungry she doesn't eat. when she is hungry i feed her until she is full. i didn't weigh her or measure how much i was giving, and i'm still not. i have now added henry's blocks as well as fresh fruit and veg, following the diet advice at henry's. i recently read elsewhere that squirrels are little piggies and will over eat. Bee isn't fat and looks very healthy. she gets a lot of exercise, as well. i have a floor to ceiling cat tree with ropes hanging from it and branches sticking off of it. she is out frisking about (supervised) for at least 8 hours out of the day. should i worry that she is over eating? i've been doing this for over a month now and she seems very healthy and energetic. have i made a big mistake by not weighing and measuring?

Thanks for the resource, all. looking forward to being a part of your community.

MissSuzie

[Spanky]

Have i made a big mistake by not weighing and measuring?

At her age it is okay unless she becomes bloated or gets diarrhea from overeating. It *seems* the practice of free-feeding started at about 6 weeks of age, so that is why the tragedies of overfeeding were avoided (IMO).

Not feeding by weight, especially in younger squirrels, is not recommended and should be avoided as it can actually be fatal... it takes a while for the stomach to get the "full" signal to the brain. Baby squirrels can literally eat themselves to death if allowed to do so... Best practice is the 5% - 7% from birth to at least 6 weeks.

[MissSuzie]

Spanky, your reply is much appreciated. i didn't introduce solids until 8 weeks, so for the first three (5-8 weeks of age) it was formula only, every two to three hours, when she became hungry. when she began to want more than the original amount she was eating i increased it a little at a time as her appetite seemed to desire. she eats with great vigor, and as soon as she's done she burrows into my lap for a brief nap with equal enthusiasm. She looks great, at least to my lay person's eye. i will figure out how to attach some pictures.

[Tashahaven]

She is absolutely ADORABLE!!!