Friday, September 17, 2010

Baby Squirrel

Hubs comes in yesterday evening and says "Look what I found." I never know what to expect when he says that! "I say take that thing outside!" Hubs says "but I found him on the ground and he is weak and hot." I say "take him back to his mother. She will take care of him."

All this transpires, while I am on the elliptical and trying to get my time of torture over with.
With the squirrel wrapped in one of my best dish towels, he is searching the Internet on how to care for squirrels. You can't feed baby squirrels just anything because they are mostly vegans. Scalded milk or canned evaporated milk mixed with equal parts of water. When he is older he can eat nuts and veggies.

Yes, I know he is cute, but I don't want to have a pet squirrel. We have two cats and two dogs and that is all we need is a pet squirrel. So hubs ask me to find the dropper and I have to look every where until I find it. He feeds the little guy some water, places him in a plastic box that he raided from the closet with a heating pad and of course my best dish towel. He looks like he is dying to me and I don't want to be a part of seeing it die.
So after a few hours, he feeds him canned milk warmed to just the perfect temperature. He is getting better by the moment. He slept in our bedroom last night. I said " Maybe you should put the laundry basket over his bed?"

What is it about a man that makes him feel like he is twelve again? Hubs said " I have always wanted to raise a squirrel." So much to my surprise the little guy is doing well as far as I could tell by peeking in the laundry basket holes. He needs to be fed four times a day. I am guessing that Hubs will come home and feed this little guy at lunch time.

UPDATE ON THE SQUIRREL

The little squirrel is sleeping and eating so far. Hubs is now watching for any signs of injury or bruising in his diaphram. We hope he will not have any brain injury. I may have sounded like I thought this was funny, but believe me we do take this serious. We have contacted a rehabber and she has sent us all the information on what to do for this little squirrel. The next 24-48 hours are critical to it's survival. So far she is doing well. Sleeping a lot, eating and today he climbed up Hubs arm.

Thank you all for your comments and support. Also, I noticed that to read all of the comments you must scroll all the way down to the bottom.

LATEST UPDATE AS OF 8:45 p.m. 9/18/10

We found out the source we were using was not an official rehabber. I have taken her site down and will tell you about the correct site. Her name is Sara Rowe at scrag@aol.com

Hubs spent the afternoon searching for the correct food. We are now using Esbilac powder for puppies with whipping cream added to it as well. The little squirrel really ate it up. He escaped from his box covered with the laundry this afternoon. We have now place his box inside a pet carrier and the heating pad to keep him warm.

It has been an upsetting day full of research. My friend Michelle was responsible for getting the correct information to us. I want to say thank you, Michelle.

38 comments:

The Bear's Blog said...

Oh Miss Pam,

Your "hubs" is OUR HERO. The little one is adorable and we just can't wait to hear more.

If you have an animal refuge in your area they probably would take the baby, but....our guest is that he/she is staying put.

We love animal stories with happy endings. Mom is smiling from ear to ear.

Hooray for "Hubs", our hero. Yippee.

Heaps of Hugs,
P&S

Finding Pam said...

Prudence and Sissy, we are big saps when it comes to animals. Once he found a bunch of baby skunks. He took them to the vet and the vet said "No way!" Birds are my favorite to rescue.

I will keep you girls and Mom updated on the baby squirrel.

I will tell Hubs that he is your hero.

The Bear's Blog said...

Miss Pam,

Honest? Skunks? Oh goodness, um, that could be "smelly". Mom had a nursery of Monarch butterflies a few years ago. When the parsley had been eaten in the garden she brought the "caterpillars" in and kept fresh parsley in a little bit of water, and they all hatched. It was amazing to watch as the butterflies dried their wings and began to flutter. That was quite a summer....

(o: - yep, saps here too.

Love you,
P&S (0: (You're OUR HERO too)

Akelamalu said...

I can understand hubs wanting to care for the baby squirrell but what damage will it cause as it grows??? :0

DeEtta said...

I hope the little guy makes it, which I am sure he will. Look forward to hearing updates as they occur. You are a hero too by supporting your "Hubs".

Make it a good day.

Anonymous said...

Your hubby is so sweet! And the squirrel is so cute! You can't resist can you???

Rudee said...

Forgive me...

your husband should keep an eye on his nuts. Soon that squirrel will be strong enough to make off with them.

Anonymous said...

What a touching story. I love it. Sounds like you are going to have a pet squirrel. I might call the Humane Society and find out or a zoo of how to release them into the wild. How nice to do all this. All they and anyone needs is some TLC. :) Have a great Friday :)

crochet lady said...

Oh...cute! I hope little squirrel makes it. Your hubby is a sweetie to come to it's rescue.

Gail said...

HI PAM-

this story warmed my heart, I love your "Hub"....and you too of course for not giving him too much of a fight - you softee!! :-)
Great post, beautiful.\

Love to you and yours
Gail
peace and hope

Nessa said...

Men are so unpredictable. Great story though.

Finding Pam said...

Well folks the good news is the squirrel is drinking the scalded milk four times a day. The bad news is that it will take six months to raise him/her. So it looks like we will have a little guest staying with us until March 15Th. LOL!

He/she is really cute is all I can say. Hubs is so gentle with it. That makes me smile. :)

To be continued...

Wendster said...

How interesting when we find something that touches someone's heart ... it's like they are a changed person. Like we never get to see them THAT gentle til we see them really loving something.
I love it.
How wonderful for hubs that he is living a lifelong dream.
I agree with thom. Help it out but get information on what you should be doing so that this little friend can be successfully integrated into woodland life when he/she is released.
It would be a heartbreaking ending if he were released and then died from not knowing how to make it out there.
Good for you for letting hubby do this. You are a good woman.
xoxoxo
p.s. thanks for stopping by and for being patient as I found time to get to everyone's blogs. :) I enjoy you so much!

Finding Pam said...

Wendy, Hubs found a site of a woman that has raised over 2500 squirrels. He printed out a 42 page manuel on the subject. He even texted her. She lives in Houston. I think he is confident of the information. We will just take it one day at a time. Hubs thinks the squirrel is around 9 weeks old. Tonight the squirrel was more active and climbed up on his shirt.

Thanks for all the comments and encouragement for this little squirrel.

Hugs to you all.

Anonymous said...

Pam...My friend is a rehabber who specializes in squirrels. Please. Please contact a wildlife rehabber and give the squirrel to someone who does this and can release the squirrel for your good and that of the squirrel. She sees so many squirrels who are taken care of by people who love animals, but it is not easy to do and the animal deserves to live in the wild as it should be. These animals are not fed the exact formula and nutrients that a rehabber can and end up with health problems making them unreleasable.

The formula you described in not what they need as they need a specially made formula.

An adult male squirrel has a very nasty strong musky smell and personality that will be difficult for you to deal with.By that time it will be too late to release. Once they reach sexual maturity at about 6 months, you will be dealing with a female in heat 3-4 times a year or a male looking for a mate. I can give you info on how to find a rehabber in your area.

Please...do the best thing for the squirrel and the safety of your pets...a squirrel is not a pet, it is a wild animal.

Anonymous said...

http://www.squirrels.org/raising.html

Please read this for the proper formula as what you are doing is not right. It needs the proper nutrition. Also it is survives you need a wildlife permit as it is illegal to keep wildlife also you are going to need to protect your pets as an adult squirrel is not a good pet when they are sexually mature. They can be dangerous.

I really hope and pray that you will find the right care for this baby and give him the dignity of being a wild squirrel, not a pet. Please Pam....I know you want the best for animals.....

Anonymous said...

I am going to ask my friend who specialized in tree squirrels if you can call her for advice as to what best to do to keep it alive until you can get it to a rehabilitation place....Pam...when it gets older, they teeth and will tear up the place...

Finding Pam said...

Michelle, Hubs has already contacted a rehabber. The diet was only for immediate use until we could get to the heatlh food store and get all the appropiate nutrition for the little squirrel. It does indeed require a very nutrient rich diet in order to develop correctly.

Our aim is to have the little guy rehabbed and to be released into the wild. I would never keep something wild as all of God's creatures deserve to live the best life in their own habitat.

Thank you so much for your concern and all the information you have so lovelingly posted. I will keep you updated as to what goes on.

Finding Pam said...

Debra, We have a yard full of squirrels, too! I will pass on taking any more. LOL

GunDiva said...

We hand-raised a baby squirrel who had been abandoned by his mom and he was an amazing family pet for almost ten years. He played tag with the cats when we let him out; loved watermelon and pop (uncaffeinated). It was amazing to see him grow and learn and turn into a member of the family.

For the record - you can use puppy supplement milk from the pet store until he's old enough to wean to real food.

Nikki (Sarah) said...

Pam...I love this little guy...I want him. I love that Hubs wants to take care of him. You guys are the best..really...I showed this to my kids and we're all...we want one too....☺

Finding Pam said...

Sarah, while he is indeed a cute little baby squirrel, I would think raising him for a pet would not be good for a wild creature.

If this little guy survives we will rehab him and then in time release him back to the wild.

Rambling Woods said...

Pam....

The person from whom you are getting advice had her rehabbing license taken away by the state of Texas. She is not licensed. The squirrel rehabbing community refers to her squirrel diet as a "death diet".

Please see this web page for the difference in the proper and improper diet.

Improper Diet

This is the web site for the proper care of baby squirrels.....parts of it were written by my friend.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR INFANT SQUIRRELS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Sara Rowe - Columbus Squirrel Rescue
1-706-322-5012
scrga@aol.com


A squirrel rehabbed friend looked at the photos of your squirrel and says that it is emaciated and dehydrated. Are you stimulating it to urinate as they can't go on their own. She feels that it will die within a week. Read to see how to warm it and to feed it properly. She says it is very sick judging from the eyes, the gripping and the body. You need to find a licensed rehabbed and get it the proper formula and care as soon as possible. This is from a person with 20 years experience with squirrels.

Unknown said...

Pam, if your hubby talked to Clarissa or got information from her, you should know that the state wildlife department pulled her permits to rehabilitate wildlife several years back. She is no longer permitted to rehabilitate wildlife. Your state has their list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators online and it should not be a problem to find a rehabber that can take this guy. From the photos, he does not look like he is in real good shape and the improper diet he is being fed is only going to do him grave harm I am afraid. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/rehab/list/

Finding Pam said...

Michelle, where do we buy the powder for the squirrel? We live deep in the country and I do not know of any pet stores around here. Yes we are stimulating it to urinate.

Finding Pam said...

Michelle, where do we buy the powder for the squirrel? We live deep in the country and I do not know of any pet stores around here. Yes we are stimulating it to urinate.

elainecleo said...

The person you are getting info from is NOT a permitted rehabber, the state of Texas pulled her permit. Please go to some of the other links to find out how to raise this baby. Is it legal for you to have the baby? I know in Texas it is against the law unless you have been approved by the state.

j said...

My mother raised a squirrel a couple of years ago and it was such a blessing for her, but mostly the baby - it would have died had she not helped it.

I'm glad you and hubby had compassion for the baby.

Rambling Woods said...

It's great that you are getting good info now Pam...It is sad that there are people out there who misrepresent themselves and do harm to animals of any kind no matter how right they think they are. The other comments are correct, you should be able to find someone to take the baby who is a licensed rehabber at that website or contact Sara Rowe or contact me and I can put you into contact with my friend. I admire you for what you are trying to do and I know you only want what's best for the little baby....Michelle

Just Be Real said...

Awwwwww...... may the precious little animal survive and then share with his other friends just how nice human beings can really be. Thank you Pam for sharing this and for your husband to rescue the little guy. Blessings.

Noelle Dunn.... A Poet in Progress said...

You and hubby are such kind people...glad to know you were there for the little one. :)

Rachel said...

Oh my gosh - how exciting!

It must be like having a newborn in the house :)

And yes, those pictures just make you go Awwww!

Keep us posted!

Chickie said...

Aw, I hope the little guy makes it! I know someone who found a baby squirrel after a hurricane that was alone and after a couple of months it didn't have any problem going into the wild. (aka her front yard)

Sharron said...

Please find a local rehabilitator who can raise the squirrel with others and release a healthy one. Besides formula there are many other things to know about raising a squirrel. Do you know the proper Ca/Phos ratio to prevent MBD? Did you know that peanuts can cause metabolic harm to a squirrel? Rehabilitators are permitted by the local state departments and are required to take classes and study their species. It is truly wonderful that you rescued this little one and are working hard to care for it. Love it enough to get it to someone who knows how to continue the job.

Finding Pam said...

Sharon, thank you so much for your intetest and concern.

In order to preven MBD, Ca/pH ratio should be at 2:1 and a good commercial diet, that is balanced, is the place to start and that is what we are doing.

He is not on regular food and won't be for a while. For the other 20% of the daily foods there are many dietary books on the market that will help us in keeping the Ca/pH ratios close to the acceptable level.

Our little guy is drinking his formula and using his back legs to crawl up and is getting stronger every day. He is also being stimulated to urniate and doodle. He is very active and moving quite freely.

Finding Pam said...

I have to tell everyone that where we live there is no rehabber near at all. I went to the list and opened every one of those counties,and none of them where even near us.

I don't know why if you are concerned and leave a comment, but when I try to find your blog it is closed to the public. Please do not leave a comment if I can not contact you for information

Rambling Woods said...

Pam...I think that squirrel rehabbers found out that that person was still trying to give advice and that is why you are getting comments but no blogs. They are from the squirrel rehabber community. It was suggested that you contact
Sara Rowe - Columbus Squirrel Rescue
1-706-322-5012
scrga@aol.com

as she can help you find someone to help. One of the problems with rehabbing a squirrel is that it isn't all about food, but actually learning how to find food and the social skills of being a squirrel that are taught by the Mother and by being with siblings. It's a long process for these little guys. But I am glad that you have him headed in the right direction.

I'm sorry, I wasn't online today rescuing two little goldfinch fledges that for some reason were on their own after being chased off a lawn...long story..I was able to get them, warm them up and take them to a wildlife rehabber. Michelle

Sharron said...

Once their eyes are open they should start eating regular food. Their teeth are already there and need to start chewing. I don't know where you are located but if you share your zip code I will help find a rehabilitator. My website is www.squirrelmender.com