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Has anyone ever had one or ever been in this position. Roughly 3 months ago I found a young squirrel in our yard, basically I think his mother died, and I basically helped him grow (the sucker likes his gatorade) but I set up a cage in the backyard which he made his home, and though I live in a slightly wooded area he sticks around, I don't feed him anymore but he stays in an open cage and follows me around the yard, he'll crawl all over me basically this is something I never seen, now my dilemma is his survival, should I take him to a park and let him go or do I continue doing what I am doing, even though it is not good for him, or am I just over-thinking the situation and just leave it be, and hope he eventually takes off? I love animals and though I did save the little guy I don't think the relationship is good for him. Overall for me it's a tough situation, since I do have a bond with him, any advice on this matter would be appreciated. Thanks
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He will continue to stay if you let him. My grandfather used to have what you'd call a 'domesticated' squirrel...lived in the backyard and such.
If he isn't problematic in any way...why not have a new, really cheap pet?
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There was a baby squirrel found at my cousins house when we were kids. We did the same thing, provided it a box for shelter, and some food, and it stayed around for years, even to the point he would come to the door in the morning and wait for us to come out.
Then after a couple years he just disappeared. I'd just let him be as he is. Keep an eye on him in the winter and maybe give him some scraps to tied him over, but more or less let him fend for himself.
No reason to relocate him unless he become aggressive.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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that's awesome, i'd keep him around, although, like mentioned, when winter comes around, i don't know if he'd be ok to survive. i would maybe give a call to some kind of animal sanctuary and get advice... they may want you to bring him there.
my girlfriend works for the police department and brings home animals all the time... baby racoon, ducks, geese, etc...
our dog was actually brought in, the minute my girlfriend saw her she said she was ours... probably the best decision we've ever made..
but the place we call here in illinois will take care of animals that had to be raised because of not having parents around... and they even give you a serial # that you can call and check up on at any time.
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Our little friendly squirrel survived at least a couple winters til he up and disappeared, we assumed he went chasing after a mate. And this took place in Avon Lake, not down here in Florida. 
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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I'd keep him around. Build a big, insulated wood box w/ cedar chip bedding for the winter.
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A customer of mine has a pet squirrel that rides around on his shoulder when he mows the grass . It sometimes manages to get in his house through his doggie door and sits in his bay window looking out over the yard. He has had him for several years and has had no problems with him surviving the winter .
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Steeler
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Is this going to eventually be a Disney movie or something?  I say let him go. He should be with his little squirrel friends...but first you need to let him make them!
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Um, let it go from where, it's already free to go and I'm sure there are other squirrels around. I'd keep things the way they are, but I'm probably not the best person to ask.
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He's free to come and go as he pleases, he takes off, but once I am in the backyard he's right by my side within minutes. By no means is he locked up or anything, I just put the cage (cat crate) out in the backyard... He's getting food from somewhere, as well as water (from the creek) but he's really attached.
I love it, but want to do the right thing and not hurt the little fella, thats why I am in the quandary I am in.
So far though from the sounds of it, he should be ok as is, and that's what I will probably do too... I figure when he "wants" some he'll leave, but again I want to ensure that his people friendly persona doesn't hurt his life.
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J/C
Hey Arch I know your fond of the outdoors and such but can you chime in with your thoughts, your knowledge of "outdoors" stuff might be handy for my issue. Thanks
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He'll tell ya to shoot it. 
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and probaby 20 different ways to cook it too. One thing Arch knows is small woodland creatures so his insight might be useful. Not sure if that sounds right but don't mean it in a perverted way.
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Quote:
J/C
Hey Arch I know your fond of the outdoors and such but can you chime in with your thoughts, your knowledge of "outdoors" stuff might be handy for my issue. Thanks
 I've been reading this thread, but not responding, intentionally. (my first thought - jokingly - was "let the squirrel find some friends, then shoot them and feed yourself" - and that was a joking thought, okay?)
Seriously, though, are you the sole provider of food for this squirrel? Why? Because all animals have instinct, and if the squirrel is fending for itself food wise, I see no reason why you need to do anything different than you are. If you are the SOLE provider of food, you have a dilemma, so to speak, because if you take it somewhere esle, it possibly won't fall back on instinct - instinct to find its own food. (if mom died too early, she had no chance to teach the baby how to eat, to prepare for winter, etc.)
My guess is you are not the sole provider of food. You are not the sole provider of protection, either. There's a cage - but the squirrel took to that - you didn't force it. Squirrels are no different than any other animal in the sense that once they find shelter, they'll stick with it.
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Thank you sir, and though at first I did feed him for the last month and a half he's been on his own. So basically he just likes me, thats cool, thanks for that information bud! 
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K, had to post that quick before time expired (my wife and daughter were coming home and said they found a HUGE turtle just off the road....we rode the 4 wheelers down, found it off the road just a bit - big snapping turtle. Shell was about 12 inches across, maybe 15, 16 inches long). My wife didn't think it was a snapping turtle - but I knew it was by the shell, and the shape of its head. So I grabbed a long weed, whacked it on the head, and BAM, it snapped the weed in two) Anyway, back to the squirrel - as long as you don't have it caged (and putting a cage out for it, that it is free to enter or exit as it pleases), you aren't breaking any laws, first and foremost, and you aren't hurting the squirrel. "keep" it. Put food out for it - many, many people feed squirrels. No harm, no foul. As for winter? A squirrel is hard wired to hibernate for the most part. Keep it - and give it its freedom to come and go as it pleases. It considers you a pal/friend/parent figure. Just make sure it's getting some food on its own - if not, you'll have to fatten it up for winter. My honest opinion. However, it is still a wild animal. Friendly as can be most of time, it can still give a nasty bite.
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Quote:
Thank you sir, and though at first I did feed him for the last month and a half he's been on his own.
So basically he just likes me, thats cool, thanks for that information bud!
You have a pet squirrel - it's taking care of itself but likes you - so all is fine. It trusts you - that's what it comes down to.
Sorry bout my other post (the second one) being so late........phone ringing, wife calling, turtle watching........
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What ever you do Fletch, DON"T invite Clay57 over to your house 
I AM ALWAYS RIGHT... except when I am wrong.
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I had a neighbor who had a squirrel and kept him indoors all the time. He would take it to the park and go for walks with him riding on his shoulder. They are trainable. Never trained one myself. My biggest concern is if you let him live outdoors he may get a disease. They normally dont live longer then 4-5 years. My neighbor's did live to 9. Unsure if that is due to being indoors so much. Squirrels have photographic memory and can remember some ungodly number of buried nuts like in the thousands. Make sure you feed him in the early spring time. Thats when they need the most help ... more so then in winter, kinda like birds.
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No need to apologize arch, none what so ever, you basically solidified my own thinking, that's why I did stop feeding him I was worried about him latching on and relying on me too much, but he got bigger and I let him do his thing...
Thanks again for chiming in though you and others have reassured my initial thoughts, and though I am a huge animal lover/protector I just don't want to harm the little fella and getting information from someone a bit more "country" then me makes the situation a bit more comfortable...
Cool, I got a pet squirrel, I never realized how friendly they can be, and arch don't worry I won't forget about him being wild, that's why I started this thread to begin with, to make sure I wasn't hindering his natural life. I appreciate the comments, if anyone can think of something that was missed, please mention it, I am just looking out for the best interests of my little buddy!
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Maybe one of these days your pet squirrel can come visit my pet squirrel. We actually do have one in the backyard that we feed, and he comes up on the porch when I'm outside to say HI and scares the crap out of me. I never really considered him a pet though. That's something that my neighbor would have - once he caged up a raccoon to keep as as a "pet" until I finally told him that it was actually illegal. 
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Get rid of the cage. Not needed and could be a detriment in the long run.
It's a rodent...but the best thing to do would be to eat it come October.
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Quote:
but the best thing to do would be to eat it come October.
 Don't even THINK about it!
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At least you provided it an open cage outside so it can come and go as it pleases.
Some woman on my wifes side of the family has a squirrel but keeps it inside and locked up in a cage. You get within two feet of this cage and the thing acts like it wants to rip your head off. Not sure if she let's it out or not.
How in the world can you fix something...
If you don't know how it's supposed to work?
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They don't need cages and unless you have proper permits it is illegal.
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Are you being serious about the permits?
I'll get rid of the crate, not really a cage since the front isn't even on, and is not under lock and key, but don't want to be considered trapping the damn thing.
Wow, if that permit thing is true, it kinda sucks when your trying to do the right thing...
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Quote:
Are you being serious about the permits?
I'll get rid of the crate, not really a cage since the front isn't even on, and is not under lock and key, but don't want to be considered trapping the damn thing.
Wow, if that permit thing is true, it kinda sucks when your trying to do the right thing...
i think because you leave it open and the choice is the squirrels, on top of it being outside, that there really shouldn't be a problem.
i think bringing one inside and trying to domesticate it is where the illegal part may come in.
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Quote:
Quote:
Are you being serious about the permits?
I'll get rid of the crate, not really a cage since the front isn't even on, and is not under lock and key, but don't want to be considered trapping the damn thing.
Wow, if that permit thing is true, it kinda sucks when your trying to do the right thing...
i think because you leave it open and the choice is the squirrels, on top of it being outside, that there really shouldn't be a problem.
i think bringing one inside and trying to domesticate it is where the illegal part may come in.
I'm no lawyer, or DNR guy, but I think you're right. It's really no different than the birdhouse my daughter and I made - or the birdhouses millions of people have.
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Quote:
Get rid of the cage. Not needed and could be a detriment in the long run.
It's a rodent...but the best thing to do would be to eat it come October.
They are tasty.
I agree on the cage...good way for it to turn in to food for some dog or big cat roaming around at night.
also...if it is a female squirrel, they can get "spring fever" and be pretty protective of that "nest" if you go near.
Many people have had pet squirrels, and one good thing is they don't get rabies as many rodents don't, so if the thing ever did bite you are scratch you, you are probably in the clear.
Toss the thing some nuts, dried corn, peanut butter..but as Arch said, if you feed it or not, it knows how to find acorns if it gets hungry.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong ![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/small-gator-chomp.gif)
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It's a male and trust me I know because I am jealous... And it's not a cage, its a small cat crate carrier with not front door, so he can come and go, he just likes to hang around. I nixed the thought of moving the cat crate, a dog can't get into my backyard, and he knows he can come and go, either way some day I do think he'll move on, but right now I will keep my little buddy around until he decides he wants to move on, but once it gets around late summer early fall I will remove the cat crate, but for now, he's staying unless he chooses otherwise.
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What ever you do Fletch, DON"T invite Clay57 over to your house
Anybody up for a game of Yard Jarts ?
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#gmstrong #gmlapdance
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I see nothing wrong with giving him a little shelter if you want but I'd elevate it to give him some added safety from prowling cats and such ( doubt he'd have a problem though as they are nimble little things ).
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I guess if he had a name it would be little buddy since that's what I call him, but I haven't given him a real "name" nor do I plan too.
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Raven
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I have been reading everyone's posts and I am just curious if RABIES played into any of these conversations? I am pretty sure the squirrel is "harmless", nonetheless, that would be a concern of mines.....
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Could have sworn I read somewhere that squirrels don't get rabies, or at the very least there is very little chance of it.
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Rabies from squirrels is so rare, it is considered non-existent.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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Quote:
What's his name?
LOL...My mother name's every animal...when I was young on the farm , we had this rat that would come into the milking parlor at milking time to eat the grain, she named it Ricky 
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name the squirrell Bernie
President - Fort Collins Browns Backers
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Yes but she called all the Pigs GMdawg 
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