Hand Raising Orphan Gray Squirrels

Raising a baby squirrel properly is time consuming and takes a serious commitment. It is always best to get the baby back with the mother if possible. If the baby can not be returned to the nest put it in the tree if you know where the nest is and the mom will usually come and carry it up. If you don't know where it came from watch from a distance and many babies will be retrieved if mom feels safe to come down. She may spend an hour or more just watching. If orphaned or abandoned, they can be raised successfully. The goal should be to raise a healthy adult that will thrive on it's own. While baby squirrels are friendly, cute and playful they can inflict a serious and painful bite and are very unpredictable as adults, especially with strangers. For this reason, handle the baby as little as possible to prevent imprinting.

Squirrels are born naked and become fully furred by 7 - 10 days. Eyes open at 19 - 21 days. They become weaned at 3 months when hand raised. Sexual maturity is at 12 - 18 months, gestation is 44 days, there are 1 - 4 in a litter and an average of 2 litters a year.

A baby squirrel should always be warmed before offering food. Offer just open Formula (slightly warm to the touch) with a plastic eye dropper or syringe. Allow the baby to taste the formula and feed only a tiny bit at a time to prevent aspiration. As the baby becomes familiar with taste and the technique of feeding you can increase the rate of feeding. Make sure the formula doesn't get too cool or the baby will refuse it before becoming full. The number and amount of feeding depends on the age and size of the baby. A good rule of thumb is to feed whenever the baby appears restless (every 2 - 4 hours). A rough guide would be 1 - 2cc of formula for each ounce of body weight each feeding. Each time after feeding, the baby needs to be stimulated to urinate and defecate by gently massaging the lower abdomen and rectal area with a warm, damp tissue.

Diarrhea can occur and lead to dehydration. Substitute several drops of plain Kaopectate for a feeding or two. The amount depends on the size of the squirrel. Offer cooled boiled water instead of formula but don't withhold formula for more than 6 hours. Sometimes additional medications must be given. Ask your veterinarian if the diarrhea continues past 12 hours.

One week after the eyes open, add high protein baby cereal to the formula (a very small amount at first) gradually thickening to an oatmeal consistency which can be fed in a dish. At this time offer a variety of foods: apples, grapes, corn, seeds, dog chow, monkey biscuits and acorns when possible. Fresh water should be available at all times once weaning starts.

Squirrels will be ready for release at about 3 - 4 months. Make sure they have been eating well on their own for a couple weeks. For successful release, the squirrel must be housed in a larger enclosure to allow for normal physical development and the release of their characteristic nervous energy. For this reason, we do not recommend keeping squirrels as pets, they are wild animals and in all fairness should be given the opportunity to return to their natural way of life.