Squirrels are some of my favorite creatures! They are so energetic, vocal and they can have an awesomely wicked attitude, but also be so sweet! Squirrels get a bad wrap for being destructive and while they are in fact destroying things, they are not doing it to be mischievous. The teeth of squirrels never stop growing and they must chew on hard objects to keep their teeth filed down or their teeth will grow right into their upper jaw and brain cavity killing them.
Baby Squirrels
Baby squirrels can fall out of a nest, be dropped by mom or stolen by cats and other predators. When you find a baby squirrel get a box and add grass, pick the baby up wearing gloves and lay the baby in the grass in the box and put the box in the tree nestled safely. Watch from a distance for 2-3 hours to see if mama comes back for the baby.
If mama does not come back within that time frame then it’s time to check that baby for dehydration and get warm enough to feed. Baby squirrels are so small that they are usually fed with an eye dropper or syringe. You want to make sure you clean them after feeding well and if they are not old enough to tinkle and potty on their own, use a warm tissue to aid them.
Baby squirrels thrive on this recipe- 1/3 goat milk, 1/3 heavy cream and 1/3 plain yogurt, I use plain Greek yogurt.
Baby squirrels need to be stimulated often while maturing to juvenile status.
I recommend that whether you are a male or female, purchase a sports bra a little bigger than needed so that you can put baby squirrels in them so that they can hear your heart beat. These little guys have a much higher success rate if they can spend an hour a day next to a heart beat.
Juvenile/Adult Squirrels
Juvenile/Adult squirrels whether they are sick or injured can be aggressive. Providing a complete body exam is the first thing you want to do. A man I was training in this field, sent me a video which is below with an adult squirrel he was examining.
Juvenile/Adult squirrels need acorns, pecans, walnuts and other nuts and seeds they would find in the wild as well as dried corn. They also need items like deer antlers, hooves or the dog treat pig hooves to chew one so their teeth do not over grow and create more problems for you to deal with.
I release 5-8 squirrels a year in my backyard because I love watching them. If you prefer not to do this then please release in a location that is a safe zone- no hunting, tall trees and a natural water supply.