Current Events > Just saw a squirrel

(+) Yeah! (+)

Tried to take a photo but too many branches in the way >_>
They are so cute!

Oh you!

They musta been fucking like rabbits here because i'm seeing a dozen daily in my yard, easily. Used to be 4-5 scattered throughout the day.

MabusIncarnate posted...

They musta been fucking like rabbits here because i'm seeing a dozen daily in my yard, easily. Used to be 4-5 scattered throughout the day.

The spring babies would be nearing their full adult sizes by now and the fall babies will be popping up any day now.

When I moved into my home there was a fox around, kept those rodents away fox is gone

Have a Fox here almost every night as well, they are so cute.

How difficult would it be to domesticate a squirrel as a household pet?

Do you need to start off right from birth?

I see peregrine falcons on the disc course I go to often, hunting squirrels.

Squirrel!

Steffenfield posted...

How difficult would it be to domesticate a squirrel as a household pet?

Do you need to start off right from birth?

Don't. My family does animal rehab and so we've hand raised hundreds of baby squirrels and raised them to release them. Besides the razor claws, they'll climb everywhere and chew up stuff. Your Tupperware container filled with cereal? Their snack bin now and it'll have plastic bits and poop end up inside. Your window sill? Chewed up and you're not gonna get your deposit back. And if you lock them up in a cage then they WILL lose their mind because they're meant to have a huge roaming territory when you account for trees as additional space they can occupy, and the ones that come from those situations become so aggressive they're a danger to other squirrels and basically condemns them to an early death if you release them.

The only squirrels we kept longer than a few months to make sure they were large enough to safely go outside were ones with severe issues. Ones who had sustained an injury that would make them unable to live outside. Or one adult squirrels who got covered in tar and suffered neurological issues as a result.

https://youtu.be/ojZVpb0cVkE

gunplagirl posted...

Don't. My family does animal rehab and so we've hand raised hundreds of baby squirrels and raised them to release them. Besides the razor claws, they'll climb everywhere and chew up stuff. Your Tupperware container filled with cereal? Their snack bin now and it'll have plastic bits and poop end up inside. Your window sill? Chewed up and you're not gonna get your deposit back. And if you lock them up in a cage then they WILL lose their mind because they're meant to have a huge roaming territory when you account for trees as additional space they can occupy, and the ones that come from those situations become so aggressive they're a danger to other squirrels and basically condemns them to an early death if you release them.

The only squirrels we kept longer than a few months to make sure they were large enough to safely go outside were ones with severe issues. Ones who had sustained an injury that would make them unable to live outside. Or one adult squirrels who got covered in tar and suffered neurological issues as a result.

:(

I've seen several cute videos online of someone owning a squirrel.

Thought those were adorable.

Steffenfield posted...

:(

I've seen several cute videos online of someone owning a squirrel.

Thought those were adorable.

Those people, almost without exception, do animal rehab and those squirrels can't be released due to issues. One of my favorite squirrels like that, she's nearly 4 now so super old. But she has issues that would have made her die within days outside because of how it would hinder her ability to function. And even inside, there's special attention to detail needed to care for them. Also you'd basically be spending $30 a week or more on giving them health greens to eat. And you'd still need nuts and other things for them to break down their teeth on and those are much more pricy.

gunplagirl posted...

Those people, almost without exception, do animal rehab and those squirrels can't be released due to issues. One of my favorite squirrels like that, she's nearly 4 now so super old. But she has issues that would have made her die within days outside because of how it would hinder her ability to function. And even inside, there's special attention to detail needed to care for them. Also you'd basically be spending $30 a week or more on giving them health greens to eat. And you'd still need nuts and other things for them to break down their teeth on and those are much more pricy.

Okay.

Perhaps I'll get myself a hedgehog instead. :D

Steffenfield posted...

Okay.

Perhaps I'll get myself a hedgehog instead. :D

They're hard to care for BUT can actually make good pets without hindering their quality of life.

Plus then you can make Sonic jokes all day.

Watching a squirrel right now while sitting on my balcony with my cat

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/0/9/AAXm8_AADmM9.jpg

gunplagirl posted...

Don't. My family does animal rehab and so we've hand raised hundreds of baby squirrels and raised them to release them. Besides the razor claws, they'll climb everywhere and chew up stuff. Your Tupperware container filled with cereal? Their snack bin now and it'll have plastic bits and poop end up inside. Your window sill? Chewed up and you're not gonna get your deposit back. And if you lock them up in a cage then they WILL lose their mind because they're meant to have a huge roaming territory when you account for trees as additional space they can occupy, and the ones that come from those situations become so aggressive they're a danger to other squirrels and basically condemns them to an early death if you release them.

The only squirrels we kept longer than a few months to make sure they were large enough to safely go outside were ones with severe issues. Ones who had sustained an injury that would make them unable to live outside. Or one adult squirrels who got covered in tar and suffered neurological issues as a result.

Yeah newborns here will walk up to you, I try not to feed them too much because I see the damage they have done to my shed and bird feeders alone. They are very destructive and are capable of chewing through things you wouldn't even consider.