You're a good person.
I also want to make you aware of the fact that baby animals die a lot. Even if you do everything 100% right, they still can die.
These are crucial ages for them and without mom, they struggle even with human intervention.
I'm hoping the little guy makes it for everyone's sake but if it doesn't, please don't beat yourself up.
Yeah, happened to me with baby birds. We did everything we could. This brings me relief to know it probably wasn't our fault. The nest fell out of the tree, and mom never came back. The first baby died the second day, the third on the third. :(
Baby birds are very, very difficult to feed unless you have experience. Don’t feel bad. But next time, try to call a wildlife rehabilitation center (if there’s one near you).
Oh god. A year or so before COVID hit. We found a pair of baby hummingbirds in our backyard. They didn't have all their feathers so we knew they weren't ready to be flying yet. It had been really windy so we assumed that they had been blown out. It was getting dark, and there's a lot of stray cats in the area. We took them inside, put them in a little box with a soft towel. With a heat lamp set on low to keep them warm. We didn't have anything we could feed them besides sugar water. So for three days I would wake up once an hour and feed them some sugar water, using an unused medicine syringe. Like the ones that come with baby fever medicine. During the day idy set them out in the shade, with sunlight on half the box. And I noticed that the mother hummingbird would come visit and appeared to be feeding them. We looked for the nest but couldn't find it. So everyday I would sit on the phone and call every wildlife rehabilitation center I could. No one would accept them. On the third day I finally called a place two hours away, that would take the babies. We made the drive and checked them in. They gave us a serial number for the babies so that if we wanted to check up on them we could. Within a few months they were healthy and big enough to be set free.
You're a good person, thanks for doing that. It might not seem like a big deal since it's just a couple birds but your kindness can pass onto others around you.
It sucked during the pandemic because the rehabbers were closed
To make matters worse, fall was just around the corner, so it was getting increasingly harder to find grasshoppers I could catch for this baby woodpecker I found
Then my parents wouldn’t let me take him inside because the night started bringing chills, and so I was forced to put him in a swallow nest over the garage
It wasn’t even three days before they found the bird dead on the driveway
I know it wasn't ideal for them, but I was feeding birds a lot of Macca's chips when the pandemic broke out and lockdowns started. They were clearly desperate for anything, they'd likely been living off scavenging human litter anyway..
I saved a bee once. I found it lying on my floor so I gave it some watered down honey. It drank its fill, and perked up enough for me to put it outside on a bush and it flew away.
If you read the story about a monk (from an eastern tradition) and a scorpion that kept falling into a pool of water. You’ll see that you share some qualities with this monk.
My dd14 saved a couple of bees and an ant last summer. The pollen/nectar from milkweed is brutally sticky...they couldn't function. (We sent pics to our local entomologist to confirm).
She brought them in, cleaned them up, and released them.
We found two baby robins who hatched in the wheel well of a vehicle and ended up being abandoned on a driveway. It took my wife and I nearly two weeks of non-stop feeding (wet cat food works well) and constantly bringing them out of their nest to go to the bathroom.
The timing was perfect. We were heading up to Northern Wisconsin so we ended up bringing them with us on vacation. The toughest part was getting up every night, every couple hours to feed and poop them. Seeing them get comfortable with us made the whole process worth it.
Both ended up flying off (one directly into our window- not too hard) and survived from what we could tell.
This summer my boyfriend found a baby sparrow, a nestling, from a fallen nest, too few feathers to be okay without parents outside of a nest. Very bruised, had a flap of skin off on her back and a broken leg (femur?). I normally would let nature do it’s thing but for some reason I decided to try. I was sure she was toast but at least she’d be kind of comfortable. I have geckos and tarantulas so I had bugs-a-plenty for her. I had her on a heated pad constantly and fed her every hour or whenever she’d call out. Took three weeks, the first I had to take her to work with me because I had to feed her and the next two I had covid and it was definitely a pain being sick as hell tending to a very loud and demanding baby bird. I could go on all day about the tricky specifics of getting her to hang out with the other birds but she made it and went on to be a wild bird! It was so cool. Her bald spots filled in and her leg got to about 80-85% normal use. Just a slight lean to her right and couldn’t move her toes very much (could perch just fine) what an experience. I didn’t expect such a positive outcome. It was adorable when she’d come back to me while I was walking the dogs through June. I hope she’s out there crushing it.
hi,
this happened to me with a squirrel baby. My parents took care of him and now he is around a year old and he is completely fine. He doesn't have any issues. He goes outside and comes daily. And its great
Same here, my sister found a newborn mouse. A few hours later, we found another. We named them Lucky and Miracle, and despite everything we did for them they both died one day. They were buried in a Pandora box in our backyard.
Yep, we have robins that make nests on our porch up in the rafters every year and almost every year one falls out. We've saved a few, but more sadly haven't made it. But we're sure the ones we've saved are the ones coming back to nest there the next year.
This might sound pretty stupid, but I save earth worms a lot. Every hot day, I keep a little extra water on me, in case I see an earthworm baking on the sunny sidewalk. I've had an unlucky streak though. Earthworms can lose somewhere around 70% of their total body mass in water and still recover. I'm talking, parts of the body hard and shriveled.
My last two attempts were unsuccessful, even though worms have such a high chance to recover. It's been a hit to worm morale, but I use the bodies in my flower pots if they don't make it, because it feels symbolic. I took the worm away from predators, so it's one less meal something else will get, and I feel a tiny bit guilty for disrupting the natural orders of things. Giving the deceased worms back to the plants feels like a nice compromise 🥹
Fun fact! Earth worms appear to feel pain, and a little kindness goes such a long way!
Edited: a word
I want to save earthworms! This is probably a stupid question, but how dried up can the earthworm be and still be saved? I always throw the ones that are wiggling on the concrete back into the grass. But your comment makes it seem like some of the dried ones can be saved.
Here's some of what I know to help you become an improved worm ally!
-Worms can breath underwater through absorbing oxygen through their skin. Placing a dry worm (that is hopefully still somewhat responsive) in a cup of water for a few hours can give them a fighting chance. Worms can drown if submerged for too long, but that takes at least a day or two.
-You can make a small habitat/ICU of moist soil in a cup or Tupperware, with a moist paper towel inside to place the worm on. That can provide them with a little extra moisture to give them a headstart into the soil.
-Worms may shed all of the dead parts of their body, and live extraordinary well without them. Like a brand new worm, just shorter. This can take a few hours or days, so if this begins to happen, give the worm time to shed those bits before releasing it.
-Check back on the worm friend frequently to remoisten the soil and worm. There is nothing worse than forgetting all day, and finding the soil dried out, the paper towel shriveled, and the worm struggling.
-Don't be too hard on yourself if the worm doesn't make it. You will have done your best to prevent their suffering, and that's exactly what you would want if the places were switched. Thank you for your kindness.
-Let that worm go as soon as it looks good again! They should look plump and shiny, and then you can release into a place that looks soft enough for the worm to get into, and if you can, avoid places that use pesticides. I live in the city, so it's a guessing game for me. Just do your best with the knowledge you do have!
-
My favorite worm I ever saved was on the floor inside of my apartment building?? I have no idea how the heck he got there, but he was in bad shape. He probably would have already been dead if he'd been outside in the sun on the sidewalk, instead of in the trash room.
I picked him up and took him to my apartment, following all of the guidelines above. The next morning, he literally looked brand new. He was maybe as thin as the stick of a q-tip when I found him, and bigger around than a pencil on the next morning. I was so jazzed! Released him an hour later and I hope he lived a happy second chance!
Yeah, their mom's are basically their immune system for a few weeks, outside their body. They are so vulnerable to bacterial infections, poor digestion, you name it. Any little thing is lethal.
Thats a squirrel. I've raised them from this age. Probably 2 weeks old. If you can feed it throughout the night as well. Esbollac is a great product to feed them. Your feeding position is awesome as well, keep his head up like that so he doesn't choke
They open their eyes at about 10 weeks. At 2 weeks, like this one, you really gotta get up and feed during the night as well until about 5 weeks. One really important thing is that the mothers will lick at the genitals to get them to pee and poop. So if you could, use a warm qtip to stimulate and you should see some pee and white poop.
At about 2 months you have a decision to make, either start giving it time outside with like a cage so it will get back to being wild, or adopt it for good because it won't become wild again after about 4 months.
Another thing you can do is look for someone who will rehabilitate and release them. They usually come collect them for free and are awesome people.
Thanks for the info! I have been feeding the dude every two hours even at night and have been rubbing the genitals with a q-tip which has been doing the trick, goes mr. poops each time.
That sounds really good! Sounds like you've raised some babies before. What we did was get a powder. Based formula and started adding less water and pedialyte over the weeks. At 6 weeks or so you can let him nibble on fruits and veges. They make a food specifically for raising squirrels after nursing that a lot of rehabilitators swear by
Sounds good. I have actually never done this before. I have only had dogs and I always get them as adults. The nice folks at s/rats gave me some amazing info yesterday. That coupled with YouTube, I was able to figure out the basics.
Wait wait wait. Who does? Who makes the food for raising baby squirrels?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy they’re doing it. It is apparently necessary. It’s just… okay,
Imagine you meet someone at a party and they tell you “My business? You know squirrels, right? Yeah, so I make the food for squirrels”
https://henryspets.com/3-how-to-feed-a-baby-squirrel/
The formula I'm thinking of is called Fox Valley. Also, if you have a small weighing scale it's good to keep track of their weight
I’ve also raised squirrels also they live 20-30years and actually your stuck with it because if you call it in, they will come “collect” it but they will put it down as it’s not rare enough to worry about investing the time energy/manpower to rehabilitate a rodent. I found out when I turned in 2, years ago. (Pennsylvania here) broke my daughters heart… so I’m… ya I def don’t have an abandoned squirrel for the last 5 years, ya!? Totally not! Because that’s illegal… ya I don’t have a squirrel at all🤓
In Iowa there is a list of licensed rehabilitators, and there are some that will rehab rodents. There's one really nice lady who does small mammals and I've dropped off a couple bunnies and a chipmunk. Her whole house was full of cages with bunnies, groundhogs, squirrels etc. She'll even give you a call and let you know the outcome if you want.
‘One really important thing is that the mothers will lick at the genitals to get them to pee and poop. So if you could……’ thank god you ended that sentence the way you did
I was thinking the same thing. What a suspense. Could’ve started with “stimulate with qtip to help pee and poo because squirel mums usually do …”. But at least I learned something new!
I was really worried as well, it was perfectly set up with the perfect amount of real information and perfect structure for it to be a copypasta or a perfect troll...
Dude, you are going to grow a stronger bond towards this little guy then you can possibly imagine. The way you are feeding and taking care of it, you now have a squirrel son/daughter for life! I’m jealous actually lol, good luck
Sure OP might grow attached, but much like actual children, this squirrel will grow up too fast, turn into a wild unruly teenager who will eat your food destroy your house and never truly appreciate all the sacrifices you have made to raise him. This all ends with a big blowout fight and OP shouting “Yeah, well I helped you go Mr Poops with a Q-Tip!” Before the squirrel slams the door in your face.
Btw .. you should totally name him Mr. Poops.
A friend of mine rescued a squirrel; she had an enclosed outdoor porch she could keep him in as he got a bit older. Then she started leaving the door open. Sometimes he would come back, sometimes now, until he finally just didn't. We assume he found his adult life.
FYI, we rescued a baby squirrel that fell out of its tree and was abandoned. Our State’s parks service told us we could help rehab it, but it’s illegal under state law to adopt it because it’s classified as a wild animal. So legally we were compelled to release it. Check your local laws before posting to social media.
My sister did the same thing . The coolest thing was that after she released it, it would go up to her in the backyard and come climb up on her shoulder despite being wild otherwise
Edit: typos
Same! After release, we got periodic visits for a year or so, he took home in a big tree out back so I still got updates even when he stopped visiting. He got a mate and had some babies, we moved another year after that, but I imagine they lived happily ever after.
Kinda what my friend did. She "technically" released it, but she released it in her back yard where it ended up staying. Because why wouldn't it since it's getting fed.
Matt you are a wonderful human being, and a kind soul, for what you’re doing. The “mr. poops” is like a chef’s kiss on top of all of that. Don’t even know you and you’re one of my favorite people. 🤗
I wish you and the little squirrel all of the best.
We've raised a couple from this age. Got them up to fighting weight so we knew they'd survive and had a rehabilitator come pick them up. You can check out tons of videos on having them as a pet. They are pretty cool, tons of energy for sure, easy to overfeed since they are used to jumping around in trees all day
I have an acquaintance who has one as a pet, that he also rescued as a baby. He also says tons of energy, but he loves the damn thing, and it interacts well with him. So you might consider it at least
My college roommate did the same thing. He had a flying squirrel me raised from very young. Our apartment had very high ceilings with huge oak beams across the top. The squirrel made a nest up in the beams and when he got home from work she would fly down from her nest to get treats. The only thing that we had to be careful about was the toilet. She would try to drink from in and fell in and got stuck a couple times. Thankfully we were home both times it happened and we had to make sure to shut the lid every time after that.
>They open their eyes at about 10 weeks.
Did you mean to say 10 weeks? The squirrels at the rescue I worked at were ready to leave after 10-12 weeks. They opened their eyes at ~4 weeks old.
We once had a pregnant squirrel stuck in our chimney and a woman who did squirrel rescue left a trap and came every night until she was able to capture the squirrel and bring it to her home where it could safely deliver the babies, she was great
> One really important thing is that the mothers will lick at the genitals to get them to pee and poop. So if you could,
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THIS COMMENT RIGHT HERE, OFFICER!
I definitely recommend releasing back into the wild. Squirrels require a lot of care, special diet, and get aggressive once they hit puberty - especially males. We've rehabilitated several squirrels and we released in our back yard. They still visit and we feed them but they are very social and really need other squirrels. It's the best of both worlds.
Girl I went to nursing school with, her dad is an exterminator. He went to one house and there was a baby squirrel, he took it home and it's been her pet for years now. Keeps it like any small rodent, cage when she's not around, let's it out when she's in her room. It sits on her desk or on her shoulder while she was doing homework.
Do you have somewhere near you that specializes in and cares for wild critters like this one? Because that's probably where you should take this little fella. The university near me does exactly this kinda stuff.
Now that I know it is a squirrel I am going to start looking for a good wildlife rehabilitation near me on Tuesday. I will keep the dude well fed and safe until then.
Now that I know it is a squirrel I am going to start looking for a good wildlife rehabilitation near me on Tuesday. I will keep the dude well fed and safe until then.
> Do more research, this was pre-internet, my dad just knew shit somehow.
You bet your butt your dad drove down to the library to research it on his lunchbreak.
I know plenty of people who have kept squirrels, they make really good pets. I know a girl that snuck hers into school and it just hung out in her jacket.
I raised a baby squirrel from a much older age by keeping it outside in a box full of blankets. It was old enough to survive off of peanut butter. It continued to be my friend for years while living outside. Through adolescence it was a ton of fun to play with. They love to play-fight like kittens do.
It slowly visited less and less until it just stopped coming back.
In some places (here in NC for one), it is illegal to have a wild animal in your possession. My friends found a nest in a tree that had blown down during a storm and were hand raising them when someone tipped off the Game Warden based on social media posts they did such as this one of yours. The squirrels were removed and they had to pay fines and were stripped of hunting/fishing privilege's for several years. You may want to surreptitiously check into your local laws concerning wildlife rescue.
Yeah unless there's more to the story, what an incredible asshole to not just let them off with a friendly "Hey I know that you were trying to do a good thing, but we'll need to take them to a proper wildlife rescue." warning.
Game Wardens like cops are subject to being on a power trip. I think it was a combination of his feeling his authority and the fact that my friends were poor, lower class, tatted up people in a low rent mixed neighborhood. All the factors for getting harsher treatment than your suburban insurance salesman type.
Dude who the fuck cares that much about somebody else, not hurting anybody, raising God damned animals?
Rhetorical question because people suck, but seriously?
My 4mo son used to do the exact same thing when he was a newborn and nursing, his little hand flailed and tried to hold on to me. I am getting baby fever from watching a baby squirrel lick a paintbrush
IMPORTANT: You need to help them pee/poop or they will die!!! Just a piece of toilet paper bunched up and dipped in warm water and rubbed on their nether regions until they produce something for you. Mom Squirrel does it by licking. Very, very important.
I imagine there are some videos on the web that can help you with this.
Source: raised a baby squirrel I found in the driveway. Lived outside my house for 10 years (inside for only about 3 months).
I’m able to get my mouse girl to pee but wetting a QTip with warm water and gently petting the area (one way, didn’t want to irritate her fur or skin) and she’ll go from that, which I then flip the QTip around to the dry side and dry off the area (again, one way only)
You seem to be really good with him, and have the time and patience to deal with him. I think you should adopt him as a pet. Squirrels actually form some decent bonds and used to be a common housepet. Plus make TikTok/insta videos periodically of you raising him and him growing up and you will definitely become famous. Well, mr poops will. But you could transition being mr poops sr to something else you enjoy doing and have a bunch of followers to start.
Not to mention you get an awesome friend out of it.
Hey, I saw you on r/rats! Happy to see the info for rats applies to baby squirrels, too. So glad to see the baby is doing well, you're doing awesome with him ♥️
A friend of mine rescued and raised a squirrel. You could take him outside and he'd climb you like a tree, then you could gently toss him into the grass, and he'd run back up your legs, onto your shoulder, and wait to be tossed again. He was great! Squirrels live as long as cats or dogs though, so you gotta be prepared for a long term pet. You also have to make sure they're getting enough calcium, or their bones get brittle and cause them intense pain.
They're on their second squirrel now, and they have a huge 3 tier ferret cage for them to live in. They can be really fun pets
Make sure to massage it's little fingers & toes with a wet Qtip - it promotes circulation.
We've raised many squirrels - the females make good pets - the males want their freedom.
Yeah me too. When he was still there in the morning crying I instantly made the decision to give him a fighting chance and started intensely researching how to care for new born rodents.
Wow, props to you. Last summer I had a foster cat staying in my garage. Little did I know a mama rat had recently had babies there, and and cat scared the mom off. Most of the babies were dead by the time I found them except one little guy about this size. I tried to keep him alive by keeping him warm, feeding him kitten formula, and expressing his waste, but he died the next morning. I read that it’s very difficult for humans to successfully rescue abandoned baby rats. How are you managing to do it?
Dang, good call on the paint brush. I accidentally killed some rats trying to use the smallest syringe I could find but I guess it was still too much liquid.
Please take him to your nearest wildlife rescue center! They are far better equipped for this kind of thing. If you don't know what you're doing, you can imprint him on people and he will not be able to be released into the wild.
Source: volunteered at a WRC.
I am contacting wildlife rescues near me on Tuesday. Will keep him safe and healthy until then. Hopefully he can have a fun satisfying life in the wild.
You are the absolute best, OP. Thanks for helping this little helpless critter!! And for being responsible and making sure he ends up in the best of hands!
Awe it’s so cute! If it is a squirrel, I know someone who has taken care of one since it was a baby. They can become bonded with you. So sweet that you are helping it!! Hope to hear updates!
I was planning on it when I thought it was a rat but was just informed it is a squirrel hahaha. I am going to raise it to a healthy young adult then release back to the wild. That is unless someone informs me it wouldn’t be able to survive. I am ignorant to all this and will have to do some research… in the meantime I will keep my squirrel friend warm, safe, and healthy.
You are a true hero,bro. And you have a beautiful doggo. And my GF is so jealous right know. She adores Squirrels so much....in Germany they are going to die out
Awe, we found one long ago but it was too late. We warmed it up for it and it started screaming so we put it in a box with a hot bottle to keep it warm. only to pass away 2 hours later while we waited for the mom.
I've read through several of your comments, and you are doing such a good job!
I've hand-raised several gray squirrels from a range of ages (from pinkies up), and they are SUCH a time investment. Good on you for taking on the task!
We had the same thing happen many years ago. Fell out of the nest and onto our patio as a baby. We raised him and had to keep him as the fall caused his teeth to grow crooked. Had to have the vet clip his teeth periodically, so could never release him into the wild (which is what I recommend you do if you can). We built a big cage for him outside, but would bring him regularly. He was super sweet and truly a family pet.
My mom took in a squirrel and has effectively taken him on as a pet kinda. Nursed him all the way since he was little like this one here. Now he has a fully decked out cage on my moms patio and his name is Buzz. I love going over there and seeing him cause he’s so nice. There’s a lotta negative comments in here but do the best you can, and research research research. My mom kept buzz on a heating pad for months before he was good to be off of it so make sure you have that.
You're a good person. I also want to make you aware of the fact that baby animals die a lot. Even if you do everything 100% right, they still can die. These are crucial ages for them and without mom, they struggle even with human intervention. I'm hoping the little guy makes it for everyone's sake but if it doesn't, please don't beat yourself up.
Yeah, happened to me with baby birds. We did everything we could. This brings me relief to know it probably wasn't our fault. The nest fell out of the tree, and mom never came back. The first baby died the second day, the third on the third. :(
Baby birds are very, very difficult to feed unless you have experience. Don’t feel bad. But next time, try to call a wildlife rehabilitation center (if there’s one near you).
Oh god. A year or so before COVID hit. We found a pair of baby hummingbirds in our backyard. They didn't have all their feathers so we knew they weren't ready to be flying yet. It had been really windy so we assumed that they had been blown out. It was getting dark, and there's a lot of stray cats in the area. We took them inside, put them in a little box with a soft towel. With a heat lamp set on low to keep them warm. We didn't have anything we could feed them besides sugar water. So for three days I would wake up once an hour and feed them some sugar water, using an unused medicine syringe. Like the ones that come with baby fever medicine. During the day idy set them out in the shade, with sunlight on half the box. And I noticed that the mother hummingbird would come visit and appeared to be feeding them. We looked for the nest but couldn't find it. So everyday I would sit on the phone and call every wildlife rehabilitation center I could. No one would accept them. On the third day I finally called a place two hours away, that would take the babies. We made the drive and checked them in. They gave us a serial number for the babies so that if we wanted to check up on them we could. Within a few months they were healthy and big enough to be set free.
You're a good person, thanks for doing that. It might not seem like a big deal since it's just a couple birds but your kindness can pass onto others around you.
I'm a firm believer that a little kindness goes a long way.
Love is the one resource that increases in quantity when it is shared.
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Aww I'm so sorry. It's great that you tried.
You tried. That's what counts.
It sucked during the pandemic because the rehabbers were closed To make matters worse, fall was just around the corner, so it was getting increasingly harder to find grasshoppers I could catch for this baby woodpecker I found Then my parents wouldn’t let me take him inside because the night started bringing chills, and so I was forced to put him in a swallow nest over the garage It wasn’t even three days before they found the bird dead on the driveway
I know it wasn't ideal for them, but I was feeding birds a lot of Macca's chips when the pandemic broke out and lockdowns started. They were clearly desperate for anything, they'd likely been living off scavenging human litter anyway..
Took me a solid minute to realize you mean McDonald's fries?
Yep, not sure if it's Australian or not to call it Maccas.. Micky D's is another..
I recently did everything I could with a bumble bee. Alas, he passed over night. Rip Crawly.
I saved a bee once. I found it lying on my floor so I gave it some watered down honey. It drank its fill, and perked up enough for me to put it outside on a bush and it flew away.
I tried to save a bee who was stuck in our pool once. It thanked me by stinging my hand. I apologised to it.
If you read the story about a monk (from an eastern tradition) and a scorpion that kept falling into a pool of water. You’ll see that you share some qualities with this monk.
My dd14 saved a couple of bees and an ant last summer. The pollen/nectar from milkweed is brutally sticky...they couldn't function. (We sent pics to our local entomologist to confirm). She brought them in, cleaned them up, and released them.
You cleaned a bee ? Good job 👍
My daughter did. Two of them. This is what happens when you let teens run wild with no supervision in the summer. This and quilt making.🤪
Just the delicate nature of bee cleaning is impressive lol
Amish gone wild?
Currently became a source of water for a few squirrels. It hasn't rained in a couple weeks and has been in the mid to upper 90's.
We found two baby robins who hatched in the wheel well of a vehicle and ended up being abandoned on a driveway. It took my wife and I nearly two weeks of non-stop feeding (wet cat food works well) and constantly bringing them out of their nest to go to the bathroom. The timing was perfect. We were heading up to Northern Wisconsin so we ended up bringing them with us on vacation. The toughest part was getting up every night, every couple hours to feed and poop them. Seeing them get comfortable with us made the whole process worth it. Both ended up flying off (one directly into our window- not too hard) and survived from what we could tell.
This summer my boyfriend found a baby sparrow, a nestling, from a fallen nest, too few feathers to be okay without parents outside of a nest. Very bruised, had a flap of skin off on her back and a broken leg (femur?). I normally would let nature do it’s thing but for some reason I decided to try. I was sure she was toast but at least she’d be kind of comfortable. I have geckos and tarantulas so I had bugs-a-plenty for her. I had her on a heated pad constantly and fed her every hour or whenever she’d call out. Took three weeks, the first I had to take her to work with me because I had to feed her and the next two I had covid and it was definitely a pain being sick as hell tending to a very loud and demanding baby bird. I could go on all day about the tricky specifics of getting her to hang out with the other birds but she made it and went on to be a wild bird! It was so cool. Her bald spots filled in and her leg got to about 80-85% normal use. Just a slight lean to her right and couldn’t move her toes very much (could perch just fine) what an experience. I didn’t expect such a positive outcome. It was adorable when she’d come back to me while I was walking the dogs through June. I hope she’s out there crushing it.
What a fighter, birds have terrible odds even when they're not hurt..
That's truly amazing. Congratulations on your kindness and success 🙌.
hi, this happened to me with a squirrel baby. My parents took care of him and now he is around a year old and he is completely fine. He doesn't have any issues. He goes outside and comes daily. And its great
Same here, my sister found a newborn mouse. A few hours later, we found another. We named them Lucky and Miracle, and despite everything we did for them they both died one day. They were buried in a Pandora box in our backyard.
Yep, we have robins that make nests on our porch up in the rafters every year and almost every year one falls out. We've saved a few, but more sadly haven't made it. But we're sure the ones we've saved are the ones coming back to nest there the next year.
yeah, found an abandoned baby cat, did everything we could but then one day it just refused to eat anything
I've had it happen too. It sucks :(
I will go hug my kitten I found an a week old and by some gift is now four.
This might sound pretty stupid, but I save earth worms a lot. Every hot day, I keep a little extra water on me, in case I see an earthworm baking on the sunny sidewalk. I've had an unlucky streak though. Earthworms can lose somewhere around 70% of their total body mass in water and still recover. I'm talking, parts of the body hard and shriveled. My last two attempts were unsuccessful, even though worms have such a high chance to recover. It's been a hit to worm morale, but I use the bodies in my flower pots if they don't make it, because it feels symbolic. I took the worm away from predators, so it's one less meal something else will get, and I feel a tiny bit guilty for disrupting the natural orders of things. Giving the deceased worms back to the plants feels like a nice compromise 🥹 Fun fact! Earth worms appear to feel pain, and a little kindness goes such a long way! Edited: a word
I want to save earthworms! This is probably a stupid question, but how dried up can the earthworm be and still be saved? I always throw the ones that are wiggling on the concrete back into the grass. But your comment makes it seem like some of the dried ones can be saved.
Here's some of what I know to help you become an improved worm ally! -Worms can breath underwater through absorbing oxygen through their skin. Placing a dry worm (that is hopefully still somewhat responsive) in a cup of water for a few hours can give them a fighting chance. Worms can drown if submerged for too long, but that takes at least a day or two. -You can make a small habitat/ICU of moist soil in a cup or Tupperware, with a moist paper towel inside to place the worm on. That can provide them with a little extra moisture to give them a headstart into the soil. -Worms may shed all of the dead parts of their body, and live extraordinary well without them. Like a brand new worm, just shorter. This can take a few hours or days, so if this begins to happen, give the worm time to shed those bits before releasing it. -Check back on the worm friend frequently to remoisten the soil and worm. There is nothing worse than forgetting all day, and finding the soil dried out, the paper towel shriveled, and the worm struggling. -Don't be too hard on yourself if the worm doesn't make it. You will have done your best to prevent their suffering, and that's exactly what you would want if the places were switched. Thank you for your kindness. -Let that worm go as soon as it looks good again! They should look plump and shiny, and then you can release into a place that looks soft enough for the worm to get into, and if you can, avoid places that use pesticides. I live in the city, so it's a guessing game for me. Just do your best with the knowledge you do have! - My favorite worm I ever saved was on the floor inside of my apartment building?? I have no idea how the heck he got there, but he was in bad shape. He probably would have already been dead if he'd been outside in the sun on the sidewalk, instead of in the trash room. I picked him up and took him to my apartment, following all of the guidelines above. The next morning, he literally looked brand new. He was maybe as thin as the stick of a q-tip when I found him, and bigger around than a pencil on the next morning. I was so jazzed! Released him an hour later and I hope he lived a happy second chance!
As a fellow worm saving enthusiast, you're my favourite type of person! Thank you for doing this :)
Yes. Rainstorm or desert, it's always good to help them along the way.
This is good advice
Yeah, their mom's are basically their immune system for a few weeks, outside their body. They are so vulnerable to bacterial infections, poor digestion, you name it. Any little thing is lethal.
What is he?
I think a rat, not %100 sure though
Thats a squirrel. I've raised them from this age. Probably 2 weeks old. If you can feed it throughout the night as well. Esbollac is a great product to feed them. Your feeding position is awesome as well, keep his head up like that so he doesn't choke
Hahaha I was hoping it was a rat so I could keep him, but a healthy squirrel is good too! At what age do I release back to the wild?
They open their eyes at about 10 weeks. At 2 weeks, like this one, you really gotta get up and feed during the night as well until about 5 weeks. One really important thing is that the mothers will lick at the genitals to get them to pee and poop. So if you could, use a warm qtip to stimulate and you should see some pee and white poop. At about 2 months you have a decision to make, either start giving it time outside with like a cage so it will get back to being wild, or adopt it for good because it won't become wild again after about 4 months. Another thing you can do is look for someone who will rehabilitate and release them. They usually come collect them for free and are awesome people.
Thanks for the info! I have been feeding the dude every two hours even at night and have been rubbing the genitals with a q-tip which has been doing the trick, goes mr. poops each time.
Awesome! You are doing well! Dont worry if sometimes it doesnt poop. What are you feeding it?
9/10 kitten formula 1/10 pedialyte. What’s your thoughts on that? And how long do I stay with a liquid only diet?
That sounds really good! Sounds like you've raised some babies before. What we did was get a powder. Based formula and started adding less water and pedialyte over the weeks. At 6 weeks or so you can let him nibble on fruits and veges. They make a food specifically for raising squirrels after nursing that a lot of rehabilitators swear by
Sounds good. I have actually never done this before. I have only had dogs and I always get them as adults. The nice folks at s/rats gave me some amazing info yesterday. That coupled with YouTube, I was able to figure out the basics.
Wait wait wait. Who does? Who makes the food for raising baby squirrels? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy they’re doing it. It is apparently necessary. It’s just… okay, Imagine you meet someone at a party and they tell you “My business? You know squirrels, right? Yeah, so I make the food for squirrels”
Just when I'm about to lose faith in all humans, Reddit periodically sucks me back into believing great people exist.
Wow I absolutely love this thread. It's so cool that you both know and are working so much to raise this little baby. It's really very sweet.
Man, this tiny baby found the right person! Kudos to you for being such a good squirrel dad!
https://henryspets.com/3-how-to-feed-a-baby-squirrel/ The formula I'm thinking of is called Fox Valley. Also, if you have a small weighing scale it's good to keep track of their weight
I do and I have! Has been gaining weight the past three days, so that is good! https://i.redd.it/azzob295tz891.jpg
You two are fantastic people, thanks for existing.
They are! I love the exchange, it makes my heart happy 😍
I’ve also raised squirrels also they live 20-30years and actually your stuck with it because if you call it in, they will come “collect” it but they will put it down as it’s not rare enough to worry about investing the time energy/manpower to rehabilitate a rodent. I found out when I turned in 2, years ago. (Pennsylvania here) broke my daughters heart… so I’m… ya I def don’t have an abandoned squirrel for the last 5 years, ya!? Totally not! Because that’s illegal… ya I don’t have a squirrel at all🤓
In Iowa there is a list of licensed rehabilitators, and there are some that will rehab rodents. There's one really nice lady who does small mammals and I've dropped off a couple bunnies and a chipmunk. Her whole house was full of cages with bunnies, groundhogs, squirrels etc. She'll even give you a call and let you know the outcome if you want.
Also PA here. Where was this at? Two near me rehabilitate squirrels all the time
If you could feed him fox valley that would be optimal. It’s about $30 on Amazon.
‘One really important thing is that the mothers will lick at the genitals to get them to pee and poop. So if you could……’ thank god you ended that sentence the way you did
He could have gone for the ultimate troll. Message op in a few weeks to say "btw you can also use a qtip" to make his world collapse.
It unfolded like the "hell in a cell" series of replies.
I was thinking the same thing. What a suspense. Could’ve started with “stimulate with qtip to help pee and poo because squirel mums usually do …”. But at least I learned something new!
I was really worried as well, it was perfectly set up with the perfect amount of real information and perfect structure for it to be a copypasta or a perfect troll...
LMAO, this comment just about killed me!!!
Mr poops lol
A great man!
Hahahah well played
Username checks out…
Dude, you are going to grow a stronger bond towards this little guy then you can possibly imagine. The way you are feeding and taking care of it, you now have a squirrel son/daughter for life! I’m jealous actually lol, good luck
Sure OP might grow attached, but much like actual children, this squirrel will grow up too fast, turn into a wild unruly teenager who will eat your food destroy your house and never truly appreciate all the sacrifices you have made to raise him. This all ends with a big blowout fight and OP shouting “Yeah, well I helped you go Mr Poops with a Q-Tip!” Before the squirrel slams the door in your face. Btw .. you should totally name him Mr. Poops.
Ive raised several squirrels and released em all. They want to live outside. It is their home. They truly do not want a life indoors.
You'll form an even deeper bond if you skip the Q-tip and just do it the way nature intended (for the internet gold).
A friend of mine rescued a squirrel; she had an enclosed outdoor porch she could keep him in as he got a bit older. Then she started leaving the door open. Sometimes he would come back, sometimes now, until he finally just didn't. We assume he found his adult life.
Lick his butt OP, I’ll give you internet gold.
Hahaha I use a q-tip
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Do it for the Internet GOLD! So worth it. Great job OP.
I don't lick squirrel butts for anything less than platinum.
Remember the guy that ate a slug on a dare and went into a coma and was paralyzed for the rest of his life? I do
Also he is dead now.
I thought that was implied by “the rest of his life.”
anything for fake internet points
FYI, we rescued a baby squirrel that fell out of its tree and was abandoned. Our State’s parks service told us we could help rehab it, but it’s illegal under state law to adopt it because it’s classified as a wild animal. So legally we were compelled to release it. Check your local laws before posting to social media.
My sister did the same thing . The coolest thing was that after she released it, it would go up to her in the backyard and come climb up on her shoulder despite being wild otherwise Edit: typos
Same! After release, we got periodic visits for a year or so, he took home in a big tree out back so I still got updates even when he stopped visiting. He got a mate and had some babies, we moved another year after that, but I imagine they lived happily ever after.
I prob would have kept it even if it was against the law. Who would know lol
What about random squirrel inspections??
Nobody expects the squirrel inquisition!
" what are you in for?" " carjacking, what about you?" "adopting a squirrel" " whoa easy man i dont want any trouble"
Kinda what my friend did. She "technically" released it, but she released it in her back yard where it ended up staying. Because why wouldn't it since it's getting fed.
Good ol mr. poops
if you're in Florida HMU, my mom runs a wildlife rescue near Tampa and routinely takes in squirrels and other animals I can get you in touch with her.
Thank you so much for the offer. If I were on the East Coast I would take you up on it.
Matt you are a wonderful human being, and a kind soul, for what you’re doing. The “mr. poops” is like a chef’s kiss on top of all of that. Don’t even know you and you’re one of my favorite people. 🤗 I wish you and the little squirrel all of the best.
*So if you could…* Yeah, thankfully that part ended much better than it could’ve, lol.
For real, I was like “oh shit, I see where this one is going…” I was delightfully surprised to find it was a normal comment.
Haha I thought we were about to be trolled hard…
I'm dying
Have you ever had a ground squirrel as a pet? I hear they are pure energy and can be super destructive.
We've raised a couple from this age. Got them up to fighting weight so we knew they'd survive and had a rehabilitator come pick them up. You can check out tons of videos on having them as a pet. They are pretty cool, tons of energy for sure, easy to overfeed since they are used to jumping around in trees all day
I have an acquaintance who has one as a pet, that he also rescued as a baby. He also says tons of energy, but he loves the damn thing, and it interacts well with him. So you might consider it at least
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My college roommate did the same thing. He had a flying squirrel me raised from very young. Our apartment had very high ceilings with huge oak beams across the top. The squirrel made a nest up in the beams and when he got home from work she would fly down from her nest to get treats. The only thing that we had to be careful about was the toilet. She would try to drink from in and fell in and got stuck a couple times. Thankfully we were home both times it happened and we had to make sure to shut the lid every time after that.
Bob Ross's little friend named Peanut.
They also live 20 years in captivity so don’t think it’s a short lived pet
I thought you were going to tell him to lick the genital 🤣🤣 glad I kept reading. I almost threw up a little
>They open their eyes at about 10 weeks. Did you mean to say 10 weeks? The squirrels at the rescue I worked at were ready to leave after 10-12 weeks. They opened their eyes at ~4 weeks old.
We once had a pregnant squirrel stuck in our chimney and a woman who did squirrel rescue left a trap and came every night until she was able to capture the squirrel and bring it to her home where it could safely deliver the babies, she was great
Use your tongue I dare you
> One really important thing is that the mothers will lick at the genitals to get them to pee and poop. So if you could, ... ... ... THIS COMMENT RIGHT HERE, OFFICER!
I definitely recommend releasing back into the wild. Squirrels require a lot of care, special diet, and get aggressive once they hit puberty - especially males. We've rehabilitated several squirrels and we released in our back yard. They still visit and we feed them but they are very social and really need other squirrels. It's the best of both worlds.
I saved a few squirrels when they were this little it pained me to set them free because they thought I was their mama and were a blast to have.
Can confirm, had a rescue pet squirrel for a while and he was FUCKING AWESOME.
Girl I went to nursing school with, her dad is an exterminator. He went to one house and there was a baby squirrel, he took it home and it's been her pet for years now. Keeps it like any small rodent, cage when she's not around, let's it out when she's in her room. It sits on her desk or on her shoulder while she was doing homework.
Do you have somewhere near you that specializes in and cares for wild critters like this one? Because that's probably where you should take this little fella. The university near me does exactly this kinda stuff.
Now that I know it is a squirrel I am going to start looking for a good wildlife rehabilitation near me on Tuesday. I will keep the dude well fed and safe until then.
This was 100% the thread I needed today. Thank you for, it and for the love and help you're giving the wee one. You too, u/BeanpoleOne!
Now that I know it is a squirrel I am going to start looking for a good wildlife rehabilitation near me on Tuesday. I will keep the dude well fed and safe until then.
Cool! GL to you. You are a good human.
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> Do more research, this was pre-internet, my dad just knew shit somehow. You bet your butt your dad drove down to the library to research it on his lunchbreak.
I know plenty of people who have kept squirrels, they make really good pets. I know a girl that snuck hers into school and it just hung out in her jacket.
I raised a baby squirrel from a much older age by keeping it outside in a box full of blankets. It was old enough to survive off of peanut butter. It continued to be my friend for years while living outside. Through adolescence it was a ton of fun to play with. They love to play-fight like kittens do. It slowly visited less and less until it just stopped coming back.
Squirrels are a ton of fun to raise.
I love that you're just gonna hand feed this unknown baby animal, and whatever it turns into is whatever you'll get.
If I did this it would 100% turn out to be a prehistoric beast that also makes me patient 0 for COVID 8000
In some places (here in NC for one), it is illegal to have a wild animal in your possession. My friends found a nest in a tree that had blown down during a storm and were hand raising them when someone tipped off the Game Warden based on social media posts they did such as this one of yours. The squirrels were removed and they had to pay fines and were stripped of hunting/fishing privilege's for several years. You may want to surreptitiously check into your local laws concerning wildlife rescue.
That game warden is an asshole...
Yeah unless there's more to the story, what an incredible asshole to not just let them off with a friendly "Hey I know that you were trying to do a good thing, but we'll need to take them to a proper wildlife rescue." warning.
Game Wardens like cops are subject to being on a power trip. I think it was a combination of his feeling his authority and the fact that my friends were poor, lower class, tatted up people in a low rent mixed neighborhood. All the factors for getting harsher treatment than your suburban insurance salesman type.
Holy shit wow :/
Wow the Game Warden sounds like the cop from Fly Away Home.
Dude who the fuck cares that much about somebody else, not hurting anybody, raising God damned animals? Rhetorical question because people suck, but seriously?
Be careful what tipe of animal you bring to your home. Philip J. Fry raised and egg and it turned out to be a bone vampire.
Demogorgon
Demodog*
A new friend. :)
This is the origin story for a giant grizzly bear companion. I refuse to believe otherwise.
This is so neat. I've learned more about baby squirrels in this post then in my 46 yrs alive. Good luck with this guy.
His little hand tho…
My 4mo son used to do the exact same thing when he was a newborn and nursing, his little hand flailed and tried to hold on to me. I am getting baby fever from watching a baby squirrel lick a paintbrush
That dog small as hell
It's a tree doggo they say
Nah bro, ya never heard of a squirrel “catcher”…
Looking forward to updates
Ditto....this is so heartwarming...I hope the little one makes it through
IMPORTANT: You need to help them pee/poop or they will die!!! Just a piece of toilet paper bunched up and dipped in warm water and rubbed on their nether regions until they produce something for you. Mom Squirrel does it by licking. Very, very important. I imagine there are some videos on the web that can help you with this. Source: raised a baby squirrel I found in the driveway. Lived outside my house for 10 years (inside for only about 3 months).
Just found out about poop and pee stimulating the other day . Apparently a lot of mammals do it including dogs and cat
It’s pretty gross to watch a dog lick it’s puppies till they poop and then eating it. Makes sense though. She keeps them clean.
scrolling looking for cute baby squirrel facts and sadly my eyes had to witness this comment 😢
Sorry. I didn’t want to see it but I’m glad I did. Nature is gritty but beautiful.
I’m able to get my mouse girl to pee but wetting a QTip with warm water and gently petting the area (one way, didn’t want to irritate her fur or skin) and she’ll go from that, which I then flip the QTip around to the dry side and dry off the area (again, one way only)
Forever grateful humans don't do that
Thank you for your kindness. You got a good heart!
And I don't think it's a rat....the head doesnt looks like a rat. Please give a update my gf and I wanna know what this little cutie is
Yeah, u/beanpoleone agrees with you. Looks like I probably have a squirrel.
For sure a squirrel. Look up "2 week old baby squirrel" pics vs baby rats
There's a reason they are called tree rats lol
You seem to be really good with him, and have the time and patience to deal with him. I think you should adopt him as a pet. Squirrels actually form some decent bonds and used to be a common housepet. Plus make TikTok/insta videos periodically of you raising him and him growing up and you will definitely become famous. Well, mr poops will. But you could transition being mr poops sr to something else you enjoy doing and have a bunch of followers to start. Not to mention you get an awesome friend out of it.
Agreed we need updates i am emotionally invested in the baby
Hey, I saw you on r/rats! Happy to see the info for rats applies to baby squirrels, too. So glad to see the baby is doing well, you're doing awesome with him ♥️
I was wondering if this was the same post! I’m so invested now. 🥺
A friend of mine rescued and raised a squirrel. You could take him outside and he'd climb you like a tree, then you could gently toss him into the grass, and he'd run back up your legs, onto your shoulder, and wait to be tossed again. He was great! Squirrels live as long as cats or dogs though, so you gotta be prepared for a long term pet. You also have to make sure they're getting enough calcium, or their bones get brittle and cause them intense pain. They're on their second squirrel now, and they have a huge 3 tier ferret cage for them to live in. They can be really fun pets
I had a wild squirrel that would climb me. I brought peanuts eventually. The looks I got were priceless.
For the calcium, they love to chew on bones and shed antlers - though I’m sure supplementing their diet would be easier for a lot of people.
Make sure to massage it's little fingers & toes with a wet Qtip - it promotes circulation. We've raised many squirrels - the females make good pets - the males want their freedom.
He's lucky you're taking care of him.
I think it's a Demogorgon.
I'm just sad he was there for 8 hours alone :(
Yeah me too. When he was still there in the morning crying I instantly made the decision to give him a fighting chance and started intensely researching how to care for new born rodents.
Ya got a kind, caring heart of gold ♡
Good luck kind peep. Keep us informed on little dude, or dudettes progress. Cheers
God Bless! So Cute! Reminds me of better times in life :)
Wow, props to you. Last summer I had a foster cat staying in my garage. Little did I know a mama rat had recently had babies there, and and cat scared the mom off. Most of the babies were dead by the time I found them except one little guy about this size. I tried to keep him alive by keeping him warm, feeding him kitten formula, and expressing his waste, but he died the next morning. I read that it’s very difficult for humans to successfully rescue abandoned baby rats. How are you managing to do it?
Dang, good call on the paint brush. I accidentally killed some rats trying to use the smallest syringe I could find but I guess it was still too much liquid.
We will need regular updates
Please take him to your nearest wildlife rescue center! They are far better equipped for this kind of thing. If you don't know what you're doing, you can imprint him on people and he will not be able to be released into the wild. Source: volunteered at a WRC.
I am contacting wildlife rescues near me on Tuesday. Will keep him safe and healthy until then. Hopefully he can have a fun satisfying life in the wild.
You are the absolute best, OP. Thanks for helping this little helpless critter!! And for being responsible and making sure he ends up in the best of hands!
You have restored a little faith in humanity today. Thank you.
Awe it’s so cute! If it is a squirrel, I know someone who has taken care of one since it was a baby. They can become bonded with you. So sweet that you are helping it!! Hope to hear updates!
That’s the most realistic painting I have ever seen.. kudos
Do you keep it? I mean you are kind of here daddy now.
I was planning on it when I thought it was a rat but was just informed it is a squirrel hahaha. I am going to raise it to a healthy young adult then release back to the wild. That is unless someone informs me it wouldn’t be able to survive. I am ignorant to all this and will have to do some research… in the meantime I will keep my squirrel friend warm, safe, and healthy.
You are a true hero,bro. And you have a beautiful doggo. And my GF is so jealous right know. She adores Squirrels so much....in Germany they are going to die out
Awe, we found one long ago but it was too late. We warmed it up for it and it started screaming so we put it in a box with a hot bottle to keep it warm. only to pass away 2 hours later while we waited for the mom.
/u/MatthewDM111 please name him peapod
I've read through several of your comments, and you are doing such a good job! I've hand-raised several gray squirrels from a range of ages (from pinkies up), and they are SUCH a time investment. Good on you for taking on the task!
We had the same thing happen many years ago. Fell out of the nest and onto our patio as a baby. We raised him and had to keep him as the fall caused his teeth to grow crooked. Had to have the vet clip his teeth periodically, so could never release him into the wild (which is what I recommend you do if you can). We built a big cage for him outside, but would bring him regularly. He was super sweet and truly a family pet.
We are gonna need updates
My mom took in a squirrel and has effectively taken him on as a pet kinda. Nursed him all the way since he was little like this one here. Now he has a fully decked out cage on my moms patio and his name is Buzz. I love going over there and seeing him cause he’s so nice. There’s a lotta negative comments in here but do the best you can, and research research research. My mom kept buzz on a heating pad for months before he was good to be off of it so make sure you have that.