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Orphaned squirrels

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Orphaned squirrels

Postby Pajarita » Thu Apr 06, 2017 4:02 pm

I forgot to tell you earlier that I am now caring for two baby squirrels. One of my sons in law is the boss of a road mechanic crew (they work on the big construction machines, like the ones that make roads and such) and, when they went to move one of those tall ones, a nest with two baby squirrels fell off. They put them in a box and waited to see if momma squirrel would come back for them but she never did so (of course) I ended up with them. They are grey squirrels and young enough not to have their eyes open so I don't know if they are going to make it. I named them Chip and Dale (I know, I know, not original and not even accurate as the original Chip and Dale were chipmunks and not squirrels) and clipped the tip of the hairs of the very end of Chip's tail to be able to tell them apart (this is mostly so I can keep track of which one is eating, peeing and pooping well). They survived the night and Chip is eating VERY well and already went 'to the bathroom' while Dale ate better last night but not so good today. I also started them on Baytril because I read that the most common cause of death with orphaned squirrels is pneumonia. I will post a couple of pictures tomorrow (if they are still alive) - they are SOOOOOO cute...
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby Navre » Thu Apr 06, 2017 4:15 pm

My sister raised a bunch when we were kids. They would usually release back into the wild pretty well, but you could always tell the ones she had raised. They would let you get a little closer than the rest.

She would put the cage out during the day, they would run around the yard and up the trees, and at dusk they would run back into the cage and they would be brought in for the night. Eventually they stay out the nights.

A friend recently raised one who she was unable to let go. She now has a "pet" squirrel. He's friendly enough and she keeps him in a ferret cage set-up.
He is also crazy.
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby alienlady » Fri Apr 07, 2017 4:40 am

Good luck with them ! I adore squirrels :D I only hope I can see thr photos :lol: I know a lady who has a regular squirrel visitor and it's Albino , it's the first time I've ever seen one, so beautiful :D
I meant to add that the day I received the photo a friend in NZ sent me a photo of an Albino Peacock ! Absolutely stunning! Never seen one of those either.
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby liz » Fri Apr 07, 2017 6:54 am

I was given 2 squirrels after a storm. I named them for the storms they came from. I loved them so much. I designed a cage big enough for them to flip around in and gave them a toboggine to sleep in. Even before they came off the bottle I started bringing things to them from outside just to prepare them for release. They really liked pine cones.
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby Pajarita » Fri Apr 07, 2017 10:27 am

Navre wrote:A friend recently raised one who she was unable to let go. She now has a "pet" squirrel. He's friendly enough and she keeps him in a ferret cage set-up.
He is also crazy.


Ahhh, that's because (I read this while doing research on their care) you can't raise a single one and release it. You need to raise more than one together so they support and learn from each other or they become too imprinted to people and cannot survive on their own.
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby Pajarita » Fri Apr 07, 2017 2:45 pm

And here's when they first came to me

Image

Me feeding Chip

Image

Chip hanging on to me

Image

Dale trying to climb on my hand (see the stick on the island? there are sticks like that all over the house so I always have one available in case I need to move a bird :D )

Image
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby alienlady » Sat Apr 08, 2017 2:13 am

Awww so cute ! Pass them over for a cuddle ! Thanks for posting the pics :D
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby liz » Sat Apr 08, 2017 6:06 am

The squirrels I got came without any fur. Because they were onlys I brought things inside to teach them what was outside. When big enough and knowing what was good out there for them it was time to release. The first squirrel I raised was with me way too long and believed that the house was his nest. He would only go a few yards into the yard before running back to find a way back in. I set up a squirrel feeder near my door to entice others in. He did not leave until he caught a scent from another squirrel. I put him out every morning when I went to work but would find him hanging on the garage door when I got back home. He would eat his supper and go to bed. This went on for a while before the other squirrel invited him to a sleep over. I put a squirrel feeder at the edge of the woods to make sure they did not go hungry. He did manage to be part of the wild squirrel group and became a real squirrel. I saw him and his friend at my feeder every morning for then next 5 years.
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby Pajarita » Sat Apr 08, 2017 9:55 am

As you can see, even though they are very young (eyes still closed but not newborns as they have hair even though the tail is 'skinny')m they are also quite big in size but that's because adult grey squirrels are biggish creatures (they can weigh up to 1.5 lb). And their little feet allow them to stick like Velcro to vertical surfaces :D

And, yes, they are the cutest things!!! And so very cuddly! Put them down and they immediately start crawling, looking for a warm body - put your hand in front of their face and they burrow into your palm curling themselves into a little ball (the grandson I care for in the afternoons warms up his hand so he can do it and goes AWWWWW AWWWWW AWWWWW the whole time he is doing it :lol: ).

I had to go through a bit of a learning curve figuring out how to feed them, how much and how often but with a bit of experimentation, I found the right way and they are now doing great (good appetite, nicely hydrated, active, etc). I do worry about releasing them though. I don't live, like you did, Liz, in an 'animal friendly' area so I can't just put them out during the day (lots of feral cats, dogs that are let out in the backyards and, unfortunately, also some bad people). Add to this my crazy dogs that run like maniacs after anything that moves and which go out 6 or 7 times a day, and the feral cats that prowl my backyard constantly because there is always food for them and I don't know how I am going to manage putting them out there and ensuring their safety... but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
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Re: Orphaned squirrels

Postby Bird woman » Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:58 am

Ever thought about having a rescue zoo? Jeeeeeeze and I thought I had a lot on my plate. :thumbsup: My hats off to you for all the critters you care for. :D BW
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