# Raising a baby squirrel



## Sunshine1 (Jul 26, 2010)

I need help. My son just brought me a baby squirrel with it's eyes still closed. Are they easy to care for? What should I do?


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## j_seph (Jul 26, 2010)

Would love to have one. Guess you could get a formula at the pet store with a small seiringe(sp)


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## Sunshine1 (Jul 26, 2010)

I made some sugar water to see if it was thirsty. Got it to take maybe 2 drops.


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## 242outdoors (Jul 26, 2010)

gonna be alot poop when he gets a lil older


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## duck-dawg (Jul 26, 2010)

Canned goat milk from the grocery store would be my best guess. There used to be a bin in our Publix where you could donate a can of it to help rehabilitate fawns and other orphaned animals. I think there's also a formula that's made for baby animals that some stores carry...but I could be wrong.


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## gpcpittman (Jul 26, 2010)

*milk replacement*

If you have a feed store or a tractor supply store nearby you can buy powder milk or liquid. just mix by the directions and it is easier to feed it with a medicine dropper that comes with childrens liquid meds.


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## Sunshine1 (Jul 27, 2010)

This is Squeaker. I got some kitten milk from the feed store this morning. He has no interest in the bottle. So I have to force feed from a syringe.


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## SouthernBeagles (Jul 27, 2010)

Goats milk. It is the best milk replacer for any animal.


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## Tim1980 (Jul 27, 2010)

esbilac puppy milk replacer.  My wife has raised several baby squirrels. pm me if you need more info.


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## Roberson (Jul 27, 2010)

my Daddy rescued one when I was little. We raised him up and the little joker was just like a cat! He even played with our cats. He would get up on our shoulders and fall asleep........can't believe I grew up to be a squirrel hunter!


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## SneekEE (Jul 27, 2010)

I raised one, it was very tame. You will need a small syrange, have to force feed him at first, but after a couple days he will take it away from you. You can get kitten milk or goats milk to feed it. Seem like the one we had we got some type of formula from our vet.call your local vet, see what he sugests. Dont let it outside when it gets a little older, it will go up a tree and ya wont see him again. I miss my little squirrel, it was a great pet.


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## Sunshine1 (Jul 27, 2010)

Yeah he isn't too interested in eating right now believe it or not. Just don't  want him to get any more dehydrated than what he is. My chihuahua is HIGHLY interested in him..........gonna have to keep my eye on him about that.


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## Bamafan4life (Jul 31, 2010)

My pawpaw had several pet squirrls over the years. the storys he told me about them are some of my favoright memorys of him, he always let them loose when they got big, he had one that would get up in his shirt pocket while he would be on the swing, it was the only one he had in my life time, my nonnie made him get rid of it because it ran up her night gown lol, ill ask my nonnie tommarrow what they fed them and get back to you.


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## Bamafan4life (Jul 31, 2010)

242outdoors said:


> gonna be alot poop when he gets a lil older




member my pawpaw tellin me about that part to lol, try to litter box train him. now that would be something.


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## pine nut (Jul 31, 2010)

Esbilac is good.  In a pinch evap milk cut 5 parts milk and 1 part water.  Warm it to make it just about or slightly warm to touch of skin on your elbow. Keep baby warm and covered at night and when sleeping.  They don't open their eyes until 37 days of age.  Wipe their privates with a damp warm cloth to stimulate urination and pooping after feeding like you do orphanned pups.  This mimics the mother's licking and cleaning.  Might try pedialyte from drug store to increase fluids intake, or just plain filtered water.  If he or she makes it to the open eye stage  begin introducing raw nuts, unsalted always.  Then later cracked pecans etc to teach them to gnaw open nuts.  I raised a female this way but I have to tell you when she reached puberty if she found a whole uncracked pecan, she would lick it and guard it like it was a baby.  She was lightening fast and would attack you if you got near her nut/baby.  I had to let her go.  
I worried how to protect her in letting her go.  I nailled her cage to a tree where I could reach in and check her.  Drilled a hole just barely too small for her to exit but big enough for her to try gnawing her way out.  After she got the hole big enough she came back three nights  to spend the night then she built a nest in the tree tops and never came back.  We could call her name and she would come around and look at us from high up, but would not let us catch her.  Believe me  she would eat you up over her nut which she'd hide in her nest and lick until it was white.  Good luck it is fun but returning to the wild is best in the long run.  they are smart enough to make it if you get them to survive to adulthood.


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## contender* (Jul 31, 2010)

Sunshine1 said:


> This is Squeaker. I got some kitten milk from the feed store this morning. He has no interest in the bottle. So I have to force feed from a syringe.



Be sure if your force feeding that you don't give too much, they will suck the liquid into their lungs, too much and it's over. The warm cloth on their rear is very important too. If it's not pooping and peeing then it won't live and it won't do it if mommas not licking it's rear. Learned this the hard way trying to save beagle pups that are too weak to eat. I've only been successful twice out of 4.


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## Bamafan4life (Jul 31, 2010)

my nonnie said his squirrls eyes where open, and he fed them cornbread and milk mashed up. might be something you do if it makes it to older, keep us updated.


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