Thread: Found an orphan squirrel today

Had kind of a slow day today, so Stacey(the wife) and I did a little shopping, came home and threw some steaks on the grill.
While grilling, this little squirrel fell out of a nearby oak tree. The little guy must have fell 25' or so.
I told the kids to leave it alone that it's mother may be looking for it soon.
After 30 minutes or so, I thought it was unusual that I heard no chattering up in the tree.
I went and had a look in the pool, yep, mom took a swim and didn't make it.
So I've got this little squirrel in a box on my screen porch. He fits in the palm of my hand.
I went to the store and got some baby formula, he seems to like that pretty good. I don't know what to do as far as solid or semi solid food.
Any ideas?

Maybe I'll send a couple of pics tomorrow.

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Be extremely careful with squirrels. Those little buggers will bite the tip off your finger in a heartbeat.

It is difficult to make a pet out of one.

So far, the kids haven't handled him and I hope they won't.
I told them the whole thing about how wild animals belong in the wild, or in this case suburban oak tree.
I told them that as soon as he can climb out of that box he's on his own.
I've already noticed that handling him has to be at a minimum and it must be done very carefully.

Is the grill still hot?

Hey, I'm just kidding.

Kevin,

Check your local area and see if there is a volunteer wildlife rehab center around. We have those here and its a place you can take injured animals or abandoned babies. Volunteers nurse them back to health and introduce them back into the wild.

Personally I do not think it will make it.
Dave

I rescued my cat Pumpkin when his mother abandon him and his brother in a trailer behind the hospital. She went in thought an opening in the trailer doors and gave birth. After that she left with her young except three kittens were left behind. My cat, his brother and a third that was found dead and decomposing.

My cat was smaller than my hand and barely had his eyes open. He was badly malnourished and would not have made it another day. His brother had a sever problem with his back legs and couldn't walk very well. Vet said it was from malnutrition.

Point being, Pumpkin is very anti social and doesn't like to be held or touched for more than thirty seconds then he runs away.

I'm guessing that the abandonment by his mother had something to do with his personality today.

Do you still have the squirrel??

I had a pet squirrel and it never bit me cause i had it since it was small, they are interesting pets. Mine ("sarge") would run around my shoulders and sometimes perch on my head. ( their little claws are sharp, and they gotta be)

If you feel it will not have a chance in the wild, or have not brought it to a rescue shelter, you could feed the little guy peanuts, sometimes my guy ate dry dog food.

adult squirrels are more likely to " bite your finger off" but right now that guy will need some caring after, fattening up, and maybe give him/ her oak seed pods, or whatever there is available for them to eat. Hey maybe your saving him from also drowning.

Give your local conservation agent (office) a call. They'll give you excellent advice as to what you should and shouldn't do. (In many locations it is illegal to take a wild animal and keep it in your home. Even for "humanitarian" reason.)

Well, if he is related to the guy who dug up all the pepper and tomato plants we planted, then my grill is still hot. On the other hand, if he is just a run-of-the mill squirrel then you should have him take a swim with his mother.,

You guys may remember me posting photos of a squirrel that jumped on me at a house I was inspecting. I was accused of photo-shopping it, but it was for real.

Now this guy lived outside, but was obviously a "pet". While I don't like them because of the mess they make in my bird feeders, they do keep my dogs in shape running the 100 or so feet from the deck to the back fence (trees).

If it's big enough to eat food on it's own, and isn't gimpy, it will probably be OK out in the wild. Of course, I'm not an expert, and haven't slept in a Holiday Inn for quite a while.

Good luck
JF

I just got back from a trip to Columbia, MO for my niece-in-law's high school graduation, and while we were hanging out on my brother-in-law's deck, a doe gave birth to two fawns in the neighbor's back yard. It became quite the secondary plot line to the niece's graduation.

Can't say approve exactly, but you gotta' give then credit for creative thinking:

Squirrel-A-Pult (TM) Pest Removal Service:

Clipmark

Originally Posted by Kevin VanderWarf

Had kind of a slow day today, so Stacey(the wife) and I did a little shopping, came home and threw some steaks on the grill.
I went to the store and got some baby formula, he seems to like that pretty good. I don't know what to do as far as solid or semi solid food.
Any ideas?

Maybe I'll send a couple of pics tomorrow.

My daughter "Stacey" worked at the Carolina Wildlife Rescue in Columbia SC for several years. They take care of hundreds of squirrels, possum's, birds, etc. every year. It is not against the law to keep a squirrel in SC.

Give them a call in the morning and they will give you advise on feeding.

A nurse friend of mine had a similar experience last week. She feed the baby squirrel every two hours. She gave it baby food squash. She had it in a cage with her in the car so she could feed it while at work. Unfortunately the little bugger did not make it.

It is kind of you to try and help one of God's creaters, good luck.

Steve Reilly
Villa park IL.