Animal Stories - People Talking About Pet Squirrels



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Latest Animal Stories on Pet Squirrels (202)

Angie Fowler - 2010-12-03
I have recently found a flying squirrel. Age unknown, it was found under a garbage can lid by a friend. I have some knowledge of flyers, by working at Niceville Animal Clinic in Niceville, FL. for 10 years. I would like to know how to sex the flyer so that I may get another for its company. I would also like to talk to anyone in this area that might have a flying squirrel. Yes I do know about the love and care I am in store for in raising this beauty. Any suggestions for the flight cage and nesting box?

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April - 2011-06-22
I have 3 that are as healthy as they can be. Just thought I'd send you the web address that I used to take care of mine. I love this site.

http://arcforwildlife.com/flyers.htm
Derek Bass - 2011-10-19
I would like one or two pls contact me let's see what kind of arrange some kind of meeting. You can call me (386) 590 9174. Would like to hear back from you thanks

tall tails - 2011-09-29
Here's a link to building plans for a great squirrel nest-box. This can be used indoors or hung from a tree outside to give your squirrels a place to feel safe and warm while they sleep.

http://www.squirrel-rehab.org/misc/greysquirrelnestbox.html

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Charlie Roche - 2011-09-29
That is cool and well written - Thank you.
Linda - 2011-10-09
I built the Squirrel Box. Thanks. Now I can sleep throughout the night without wondering if a raccoon was going to get Penny! Thanks again.
Linda - 2011-10-18
Okay, I built the box, now Penny wants to live way up in the sweet gum tree. Man, that lumber was expensive. haha :)

Kristi Booth - 2011-09-27
I have a pet squirrel about 10-11 weeks old. He climbs fine and acts normal while climbing; but, if I put him on the floor, he wobbles and holds his head to the side and spins around. Is this neurological or something else?

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Charlie Roche - 2011-09-27
I don't know but I like to start with the basics. Have you ever seen a dog sorta thumping his back leg on the ground which spins him in circles backwards and his head to one side? It looks pretty silly. It is also a sign of worms. You could take a Q-tip and take a swab of fecal matter to the vet and have him check it out. I'd also clean out the ears for mites - just in case. I like to start with the easy stuff but if it isn't worms or mites - I have no idea.
two tails - 2011-09-29
Sounds like he has some kind of reverse-acrophobia. Just as many humans are fearful of heights, many squirrels are afraid of the ground. It's where they are most vulnerable to predators. If your squirrel ever had a traumatic close encounter with a predator, this could be related to that, or it could be a kind of vertigo similar to what we get when we're too high. Squirrels feel safer and more secure when they're above looking down on the world. Try letting him run the backs of your sofas and let him come down gradually on his own as he builds up the nerve and overcomes his fear.

linda hines - 2011-09-15
Any suggestions for a broken rear foot?

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linda hines - 2011-09-17
Thanks for the suggestion. He is getting around on 3. I felt terrible about the situation. He is climbing all around.

JOHNNY WAYNE CROWSON - 2011-09-14
I AM LOOKING FOR SQUIRRELS AND FLYING SQUIRRELS AND DOVES AND FABN FEATHERED TAILS PIGEONS AND SO I AM LOOKING FOR MALE AND FEMALES AND HOW MUCH ARE THEY COST ME AND EMAIL ME NOW, JOHNNY CROWSON

Dean Emelo - 2011-08-28
while checking my land and house after the hurricane,just found one on my front yard... a little guy with closed eyes and soaking wet, but has fur...I am trying to do the right things... he will drink deluted puppy formula from an eye dropper... if he makes it how do I release him back to the woods..I am keeping him in a covered fish tank in my laundry room....its a constant 86 degrees in there and he has lots of wood chips and old towels....I feed him as often as he will eat , every few hours but he has to endure me going to work.....any help would be welcome

thans Dean

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Maggie - 2011-09-11
The best thing to do is contact a local rehabber to take care of the squirrel for you.

Cortney - 2011-08-28
Today we had a big wind storm and i heard squealing so i ran out and looked around i found 3 baby squirrels on the ground i read up and found they were about 3 weeks old... i really would like to help them but not sure how please give me the bestttt advice you have i dont want them to die.

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mary - 2011-09-09
Puppy milk is the best milk that is close to the mom. If you are interested in giving them away please let me know. If need anything else here's my email jeanwinemiller@yahoo.com
thank you
mary

lise - 2009-09-30
How very, very sad that people would keep a wild animal such as a squirrel for a pet when there are so many dogs, and cats that need homes. These animals get put down everyday.

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naturegirl - 2010-03-08
yes how very sad indeed when it is plain to see that an animal such as a squirrel would much rather be wild. however as with many things there are or can be extenuating circumstances. i hand raised my squirrel from aboout 3 weeks old. her mother had become a road pancake, she and her sibblings wiggled and fell from the nest. a local vet would only take 2, a hawk had taken the other. i feel blessed to have rescued daisy. not many people have the ability or desire to care for a squirrel they are very needy and taking the proper care of them is difficult. there are some squirrels for one reason or another that may never be released into the wild again. some people ofcourse release them quite successfully but being a caregiver to a squirrel i now see both sides. what is even sadder is that there are people such as yourself who as an animal lover would seem to turn their back on such a helpless little creature all because they have not been domesticated. there are many people who do not have the capability of having a cat or dog, but have had the good fortune of rescuing a squirrel. yes many good dogs and cats are put down everyday, many squirrels are eaten in the wild or are carelessly run down by the unsuspecting or uncaring driver. so because they are wild do they not also desrve a chance at survival? when i read comments like yours it leaves me wondering just what you might do if your "rescued dog" dropped a helpless baby squirrel at your feet. before making such bold and generalized statements i hope this enlightens you and others like you to your ignorance on this matter.
christina vannostrand - 2010-03-22
People have these animals as pets because at the time the squirrel needed to be saved. You can't just get an adult squirrel and make it tame. Most of the time wildness sets in and you must let them back to the wild. I have rescued many squirrels in my 30 yrs. I have rescued them as early as a couple days old. Even with constant hands on affection mother nature stepped in and I let them go behind my house in the country where 3 yrs later they are still back there, you can't get near them but they seem very happy and healthy.
kathie limehouse - 2010-04-07
Maybe they want a squirrel and not a dog or cat. Live and let live.
Mark - 2010-04-09
How do you weigh a life? Is a dogs more important that a squirrel? Just be thankful there are people out there taking care of animals in need; no matter size or shape.
Harry Hotshoe - 2010-04-15
Hey, easy there. Just because someone has a Gray Squirrel for a pet doesn't mean they have foregone any concern for your favourites. I actually dislike dogs and cats, but you may have all you wish and I wish you the best. I would not assume to push my love of hogs on you as example.
Kas - 2010-04-16
Not everyone wants another dog or cat. And what about people who only get cats for pets? Are they bad people because they didn't adopt a dog so they may as well have killed puppies themselves? Don't be ridiculous.

Besides, most of us who take in wild animals do it to save the animal's life. I have a squirrel right now that was brought to me unweaned and with a broken arm.
chris - 2010-05-10
Don't be a kill joy she saved one of god's creatures, they are all equal is his eyes.
Anonymous - 2010-05-19
And squirrels are either run over or eaten or catch awful diseases. Their average life in the wild is one year. In captivity they can live up to 20. They are intelligent playful affectionate animals with great personalities, they are a lot less maintenance than a dog. Choosing a pet or letting a pet choose you is a very personal thing you shouldn't be so quick to judge.
Anonymous - 2010-06-16
I have bottle fed an infant squirrel who was abandoned. He is now 6 months old and refuses to leave home. He is taken out every morning to run free in the trees and returns to me every evening when I come home from work. I do not entice him with food to get him to return. He is gentle and has become increasingly affectionate. He eats a balanced diet of things he would eat in the wild both on his own and from me. Would you call this sad?
Squirrels do not live in groups in nature they are solitary except for mating season. In nature the mortality rate is 50% in two years. Protected in this situation he could live over ten years. The record is twenty. Do some research before you condemn situations that you obviously know nothing about. By the way...we have three rescued dogs and three rescued cats and a rescued Amazon parrot who all live the life of Riley. We have raised and released 3 orphaned raccoons and another squirrel who did chose his freedom. John...Dayton Ohio
Meaghan3130 - 2010-06-17
A squirrel is wild by definition. This definition given only by us, humans. Squirrels can be trained, tame, they are great company, and can even be litter trained. The reason there is so many dogs & cats that need homes is because they are so easy to come by people neglect to realize the care they need. No one spays or neuters their dogs and cats. That is definitely a problem you should be bringing up the the hundreds of people on websites such as Kijiji giving away their felines and canines this very minute.

As to peoplehaving squirrels, there is no problem with that. People such as myself did a wonderful thing by saving a baby squirrel from being poked to death with sticks from children. I brought him back to health and raised him as if he was my child. We grew a bond, and he grew a bond with my family. I taught him to surive in the wild and tried to release him several times but he chose to come to my back door and make noises until he was let in.

Just because a squirrel is defined by one person as wild does not mean they cannot survive indoors and make not only a good pet, but a good companion as well.
Anonymous - 2010-07-15
Yeah, so do squirrels...
erin - 2010-08-26
it is sad that cats and dogs get put down, but some people are unable to care for a cat or walk a dog, and a squirrel makes a fun interesting pet!
Urza - 2010-09-03
How very very sad that some people think it's very sad to keep a grey squirrel that has been rescued or would it have been more humane to let it die and adopt a dog or cat? Not all people like dogs and cats.
dancn4dinner - 2010-09-14
I don't think people choose to have them as a pet, but if left unattended they would die also? Would you walk by an orphaned squirrel and think "how very, very sad, I think I'll leave him to die". And then run off to adopt a cat or dog?
Emily - 2010-09-28
Rescuing wild animals is a good thing, I have raised 12 squirrels on my own, and they are very healthy and happy. All of them have lived well over their life expectancy, which is only 5 years. I have one that is 11! Wild animals need to be saved too, sometimes you can't pick and choose, you just have to do the right thing.
dee - 2010-09-29
If you found a baby squirrel with no way of feeding itself would you walk away? People who give stray dogs and cats homes also try to help a baby squirrel. After it is raised by humans it can not always be turned back to the wild.
Anonymous - 2010-10-08
How very sad that people breed cats and dogs to such a point that there are too many! It's choice and if some member of the public brings someone a small animal that can't look after itself most humane folk would help.
georgie - 2010-10-21
We rescued a squirrel we never asked for it to be a pet, and we do already have a dog. Tonight the squirrel had a fit now we're trying to help it back to health before releasing it back to the wild. :)
Dollene Davidson - 2011-07-15
I adopt and care for dogs (3), cats (6) AND my little squirrel Munson...who is really sick. That is how I found this web-site. My animals have all had their shots, heartworm meds and monthly flea treatment. They all eat better than I feed myself and have been to the dentist more in the past three years than I have. My squirrel was brought to me by my cat. I live in Florida 500 ft. from the beach, but am on an island, with tons of trees around my home. Munson was blown out of a nest during a Nor-easter. I thought it was a big roach. He had no hair and his eyes were not open. For a year, Munson went everywhere I went. I tried to release him...trained and prepared him for that day...he would not go. He chose me....I am his mama and the only one that can touch him.
Dollene Davidson - 2011-07-15
Lisa...please read down because I left you a message about your comment. I own many adopted dogs and cats...they are fed, taken to the vet and get better dental care than I provide for myself. I also foster animals when I can for our local island shelter. My little squirrel was brought to me by my cat many years ago. What would you have prefered for me to do...stomp him like a bug??? I searched for a rescue team and no one would take him in a 200 mild area. I live on an island. I researched how to raise him and kept in touch with a woman who had raised over 2500 orphaned squirrels. I took Munson to work with me everyday to make sure he got his 2 hour feeding. I taught him to go to the bathroom and watched him, when he first opened his eves. I tried to release him into the wild...gradually...and he would not go. I hunted for people with acreage off of the island who would let him go...he came back to his HUGE nice cage, that is in my room. Now he is dying and I am trying to save him...or, should I just let him die and go to a shelter and get another dog or cat to ease my pain?
Dollene Davidson - 2011-07-15
Lisa...please read down because I left you a message about your comment. I own many adopted dogs and cats...they are fed, taken to the vet and get better dental care than I provide for myself. I also foster animals when I can for our local island shelter. My little squirrel was brought to me by my cat many years ago. What would you have prefered for me to do...stomp him like a bug??? I searched for a rescue team and no one would take him in a 200 mild area. I live on an island. I researched how to raise him and kept in touch with a woman who had raised over 2500 orphaned squirrels. I took Munson to work with me everyday to make sure he got his 2 hour feeding. I taught him to go to the bathroom and watched him, when he first opened his eves. I tried to release him into the wild...gradually...and he would not go. I hunted for people with acreage off of the island who would let him go...he came back to his HUGE nice cage, that is in my room. Now he is dying and I am trying to save him...or, should I just let him die and go to a shelter and get another dog or cat to ease my pain?

Anonymous - 2011-09-05
I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 ferrets and a pet squirrel :) if someone wants to save an animal they will regardless of what they already have... No sense in judging people for trying to do what's right for an innocent helpless animal... I think it's actually very sad that anyone thinks it's right to put down other people for doing the right thing especially when the world is already so full of selfish inconsiderate people that wouldnt think twice to help a baby squirrel who couldn't even feed itself. Most people just think oh its wild that's where it needs to stay but really they know deep down that this animal needs help... They just don't care. I think it's great everyone on this site who has gone out of their way to help an animal in need wild or not.... keep it up :) and please ignore the people who have anything negative to say about it!!

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Anonymous - 2011-09-05
Yup and if they arent that's their choice but the people that do help animals in need such as squirrels shouldnt be bashed just because they are born wild!!

t. - 2008-09-01
Whole milk for humans will kill your squirrels, don't do it! Get them to a rescue center right away!

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A - 2011-08-01
Kitten milk is the best.
You can be as good a mother to the baby as the squirrel mom.
Also get real baby cereal and mix with h2o or kitten milk.
Keep the baby warm , even in hot weather.
Anonymous - 2011-09-05
Actually kitten milk isnt so good for them either it has a harsh affect on their kidneys... the best thing for them is puppy milk :)

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Animal Stories - People Talking About Pet Squirrels

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