How to Take Care of Children

Bring the drive into the house. After about 1-2 hours it’s time to accept reality. There are many reasons why the mother squirrel did not come, maybe it was injured or dead. In any case, this is the time to take care of your baby.

• If you have a dog or cat in the house, you must place the baby squirrel in a protected space, and other animals should never approach the squirrel.
• Remember to regularly keep the drive warm.

Find a squirrel rescue center. Call your local veterinarian, animal shelters, humane associations, and wildlife groups to get a referral for a squirrel rescue worker. You can also search online for the term “squirrel relief” along with the state and city names.

• Visit http://www.thesquirrelboard.com for a guide to raising squirrels until a rescuer is found. This is a forum where you can join and ask questions, they help you raise the pet until you find a rescuer.
• If you can’t find a rescuer, the squirrel committee will help you raise the baby until it can be released into the wild.

Keep in mind that some countries and states have strict rules about childcare. In the UK, it is a criminal offense to breed, keep or release gray squirrels into the wild, and can be punishable by up to two years in prison. Some states in the US such as Washington have laws that do not allow the possession or custody of a sick, injured or abandoned wild animal, such as a squirrel, unless you are transporting it to a qualified shelter. operating license. ^[2] Learn about the laws in your area and remember that you could be prosecuted if the law doesn’t allow for the keeping of abandoned wild animals.

Sanitize baby squirrels. Be aware that baby squirrels can carry parasites such as fleas, ticks, bed bugs and maggots. Use a comb and/or tweezers to remove fleas and ticks. The Petco brand also has a flea and bed bug spray designed specifically for small animals like hamsters. Always check to make sure the product is safe for baby squirrels. You can use chemical-free products like diatomaceous earth and Dawn blue dish soap (blue only).

• If the squirrel is very young, you should not apply chemicals to its skin. Spray the chemical on the cloth around the squirrel, and do not spray the wound. The chemical will hurt it if you spray it on the wound.
• Wash your hands immediately after cleaning your pet because the parasites can be passed on to you or other animals.

Check for dehydration. You can check for dehydration by gently pinching the squirrel’s skin. If the pinched skin remains in place for a second or more, it is dehydrated. A dehydrated baby squirrel needs to be given water as soon as possible because you don’t know when the last time it ate or drank.

• Wrinkled skin, sunken eyes or a haggard look are also signs of dehydration.

Select liquid. Most abandoned baby animals need water. A better solution is to go to the supermarket or drugstore to buy Pedialyte electrolyte water at the baby products section. Pedialyte also has its own product for rehydrating babies (the Gerber brand also has this). Squirrels like fruity flavors, but you can use unflavored water if you don’t have any other varieties. Do not use Gatorade water or any sports drinks.

• If you don’t have a supermarket or drugstore near you, here’s a recipe for you to make yourself:
• One teaspoon of salt
• Three teaspoons of sugar
• One liter of warm water
• Dissolve evenly

Use the mouth pump cylinder. This is a syringe without a needle. Do not use cylinders larger than 5cc, it is best to choose 1cc cylinders. You can go to your local pharmacy and ask for a needleless syringe.

Check the squirrel’s temperature. You don’t need a thermometer to measure your body temperature accurately, just touch the squirrel’s body to see if it’s warm. This is an important step before you give your squirrel fluids because it won’t be able to digest food if it’s cold.

Be very careful when feeding young squirrels that have not yet grown hair. If the red squirrel has not yet grown its hair, it is probably only about 5-7.5cm long. Young squirrels this size are very susceptible to choking and the liquid will flow into the lungs. This can cause pneumonia and lead to death. To avoid choking, hold the squirrel upright in the palm of your hand with the cylinder pointed at the upper dome of the mouth. Do not force your squirrel to eat – pump slowly while it is still willing to eat. It takes about an hour for the squirrel to eat 1cc, and you have to do this until it knows how to suck the cylinder.

• The liquid should be warm but not too hot. You can store the unused portion in the refrigerator.
• For young squirrels at this stage, you should only put a drop on its lips and let it suck on itself. If the squirrel doesn’t suck in the liquid, put a drop in its mouth so it can taste it first. Some will open their mouth wide to suck in liquid.
• If their eyes are open, you can push the syringe into their mouth and gently give them a few drops.
• If fluid spills out of your mouth or comes out of your nose, you’re pumping too fast. Immediately tilt their heads down for 10 seconds, then soak up all the liquid in their nostrils and wait for about a minute before continuing to feed.

Feed in the right amount. For young red squirrels that have not yet opened their eyes, feed 1cc every two hours; squirrels that have grown to full hair but have not yet opened their eyes is 1-2cc every two hours; The squirrel has its eyes open at 2-4cc every three hours until the rescuer calls you for instructions. ^[3]

• If the squirrel insists on keeping its mouth shut or becomes unresponsive when fed, bring it to an animal shelter immediately and request an electrolyte solution. If done correctly, your squirrel will start eating again. ^[4]
• Feed every two hours throughout the day until the squirrel is two weeks old. Then you feed it every three hours until it opens its eyes. You should continue to feed the squirrel every four hours until the squirrel stops nursing, about seven to ten weeks old. ^[5]

Stimulating baby squirrels. You need to stimulate the squirrel so that they go to the toilet when their eyes are not open, so before and after each feeding you must gently wipe the genital and anal area with a cotton ball soaked in warm water, or with a cotton swab. until they can urinate or defecate. Otherwise, the squirrel’s belly will swell and can lead to death.

• In the natural environment, the mother squirrel will do this for the baby squirrel. If baby squirrels are severely dehydrated and have not eaten for a while, they may not urinate until they have been fed several times, and may not have a bowel movement all day.

Reduce the time between meals. If your squirrel is eating well and growing steadily without any problems, feed every hour for four to six hours. Use the following formula: ^[6]

• 1 part puppy milk powder
• 2 parts distilled water
• 1/4 part whipping cream or plain yogurt

Reheating food. Microwaves can be used to reheat food. As with liquids, this soft food should be given slowly to your squirrel. However, like Pedialyte, you will speed up the feeding steps pretty quickly. ^[7]

• Do not mix Pedialyte with infant formula. Start with the liquid milk powder mixture. 4 parts water to 1 part flour for 1 day. 3 parts water to 1 part flour for 1 day. 2 parts water to 1 part flour until squirrels stop eating soft foods.

Wean baby squirrels soft food. When squirrels can eat solid food (with eyes open), you can buy foods like Rodent Block (by Kaytee), Oxbow or Mazuri at most pet stores. These foods contain complete and right nutrition for squirrels. You can buy lump foods made specifically for squirrels at HenrysPets.com. Feed the squirrels with industrial food in the form of lumps until they are released back into the wild. ^[8]

You must not feed the squirrel seeds at first. Start with healthy greens (broccoli, kale, salads…). When the squirrel can eat all the lumps and greens, you can start feeding the fruit and seeds. Every day you only feed one seed and 1-2 small pieces of fruit.

• Like babies, baby squirrels will refuse to eat formula when they are past this age.
• If your squirrel pees on food, don’t worry, it’s just a baby squirrel’s habit.
• Only feed him one food at a time in small amounts to avoid diarrhea.
• Avoid picking up acorns to feed the squirrel as many of the seeds contain toxins that can kill it in a split second. ^[9]

Buy a large cage. Squirrels need space to run around a bit. You should buy a cage with a minimum size of 60x60x100cm with a stand, a bed and a place to hide and climb.

• Place the porcelain water tray in the cage. If you use a plastic water bottle, the squirrel will chew, destroy or ingest the plastic.
• Provide toys for squirrels. For example, some toys such as pine cones, sticks or large bones for dogs have been cleaned. Do not allow squirrels to play with anything that can be torn, swallowed, and thrown around (like a stuffed toy). ^[10]
• Place objects in the cage to grind their teeth as squirrel teeth are constantly growing.

Play with squirrels. Squirrels need social interaction, especially when they are alone. This means that you should take your squirrel out of the cage for at least an hour a day. If the outside space isn’t safe, you can put it in a large outdoor cage (you’ll need one anyway, but don’t transfer the squirrel to an outdoor cage without a carrier) or Move it to another cage located in a different location in the house. Do not let squirrels play outside without cover. Hawks and other predators are so much faster than you, they can grab the squirrel before you can react. Squirrels may panic and run away not knowing the way back.

• It’s a good idea to get them used to heights, so a curtain rod will come in handy here. You should not let squirrels run on the ground when going out to play, many pet squirrels are often run by their owners and have become prey for snakes, cats…
• Rescue workers will pair the baby squirrel with another squirrel before they open their eyes, so they will be very attached to each other when they grow up. Here’s another reason why you should take your squirrel to a lifeguard: two squirrels will help each other survive in the wild in a variety of ways. ^[11]
• Baby squirrels kept in small cages for too long can develop physical disabilities, either from limited space or from running around too small a cage.
• Once your squirrel stops eating formula completely, don’t take it out of the cage. Squirrels need to maintain their fear of humans to stay safe in the wild.

Move the breeding site to the natural environment. At 4-5 months old, you need to move the squirrel to an outdoor cage as large as possible, at least about 2 meters tall. Make sure the cage is resistant to predators.

• The cage needs to have a nest, sticks for toys, lots of surfaces for the squirrels to climb and jump on, and partially cover the cage to block rain. The cage should have a solid bottom, otherwise the squirrel may escape. If you’re making your own cage, use an anti-hide door to make sure the squirrel doesn’t jump out while you’re opening the door to feed it. Remember to make a door the size of the squirrel body to let it out later. This door should be made in a square with a side of 10cm. With such a design, when the squirrel is chased by a predator, it can return to the cage safely without worrying about the animal running after it. When it’s time to release, just open this door and allow the squirrel to go out and explore on its own. ^[12]
• You should keep the squirrels in an outdoor cage for at least four weeks before releasing them. During this time, you must feed the squirrel with natural foods so that it knows what to look for.