So you found a baby(s) squirrel — Now what?

Baby Grey being fed in the correct position

Never feed baby on his back and never use a doll bottle.

So you found a baby squirrel, now what do you do?

It’s ok- take a deep breath 😊

The information provided below is to help you with the first steps on caring for a baby squirrel.

Improper care can cause the baby (s) serious harm and even death. These initial steps can be taken until you can find a licensed wildlife custodian. Keep baby warm, do not allow children to handle the baby and keep away from pets. Always wear gloves when handling the babies. They can bite and they can carry parasites.

It is illegal in Ontario to take in wildlife unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Unfortunately, there may be no one licensed or experienced to take the baby from you. Lets face it, most kind people want to help an orphaned baby rather than let it die or “let nature take its course”.

Make sure you are not kidnapping this baby!

Reuniting baby with mom is the best-case scenario and should be attempted if you think the mom may be alive, in the area and of course if it is safe to do so. Baby squirrels do best when raised by their mom but if for some reason, this is not possible, keep reading to learn more.

If a baby is sick, injured or cold the chances are that the mom will not come back to retrieve it.

Fly eggs look like small yellow dots or flakes on the babies, and if left alone will develop into maggots. Babies with any fly eggs or maggots should not be left for their mom. They must be taken in and all the eggs removed immediately. This will be addressed

Reuniting baby with mom:
As per Chris Clark from Chris’s squirrels and more. “If the babies are warm and healthy and there is a good chance that the mother may still be in the area, we recommend giving her about 2 hours to come back for the babies. If she has not come for them within the 2-hour time frame, then she probably won’t come for them.”

Place the babies in a box. You can place this box near the tree or area they came from. Make sure that the babies can’t get out of the box but the mother will be able to get in and get the babies. If the babies still have their eyes closed, they will need a heat source to help them keep warm. Even on hot summer days baby squirrels can get chilled quickly. A soda bottle filled with hot water and covered with a sock can be placed near the babies. Test to be sure the temperature isn’t too hot, and place a tee-shirt around it to be sure it doesn’t roll onto the babies.

Supervise the reunion attempt carefully but from a distance. Make sure the babies are safe from natural predators such as cats, dogs, hawks, crows, and snakes. But you must also remain out of mom’s sight, so that she feels safe coming for the babies.

If the babies are found just before dark, DO NOT place them out for mom. She won’t be moving after dark. You can put them out in place as soon as the sun is up in the morning. If she is in the area she will start looking for them then.

Here is a video of a baby squirrel crying. You can record this on you phone or play the video from your phone. Place the phone near the vicinity of the babies and play it. This recording will attract mom and hopefully bring her back to her babies. You must stay out of site during this time. If possible shut the ringer off on your phone, luck usually has it that just about the time mom comes for the babies the phone will ring. When mom comes back and may take her a while to move all her babies to a new nest. Please be patient with her.

Open this link to help mom and baby(s) reunite ——————> https://youtu.be/cpTiUTAeeH8

Baby will do best with mom but if reuniting did not work then here are the next steps:

Even though baby squirrels are the cutest things ever! – They do not make good pets, in-fact they make terrible pets and should never be kept as one. Not only is it illegal, but its also not in the squirrel’s best interest. This baby will grow up quickly and need to be set free once old enough to live the life of a squirrel and not a life in captivity.

If you cannot find a wildlife rehabilitator to take over and you want to try to help – Please note there is a commitment here. Time and some money. Bigger enclosures/cages needed along the way. Feeding the baby the correct milk replacer/formula. Feeding the baby the proper foods when solids can be introduced.

Red squirrels should not be released until at least they are fully weaned and at least 14 weeks old
Grey/Black squirrels should not be released until they are at least 17 weeks old. Note: same species just different pigmentation- you may see grey and black squirrels in the same litter.

***RELEASING A SQUIRREL TOO EARLY ONLY CAUSES MORE STRESS TO THE YOUNG SQUIRREL AND DOES NOT GIVE THEM THE BEST CHANCE AT SURVIVAL.**

REMEMBER, MOM WASN’T AROUND TO SHOW THEM THE ROPES ON HOW TO LIVE AND SURVIVE IN THE WILD. THEY NEED A CHANCE FOR INSTINCT TO CLICK IN AND SOME HELP FROM YOU.

You put in the time and effort to care for this baby, so why would you want to kick him out to soon only to fail?

One thing that should be noted, please do not just hand over this baby to any one. There are some sick people that would take this baby to feed their snake or other omnivore pet. Hard to believe, but its true.

First things first – Keep that baby warm:

Baby needs to be warmed, then hydrated with the proper rehydrating fluid and then and only then milk replacer/formula can be introduced.

NEVER FEED A COLD BABY –NEVER!!

Wild babies need warmth to survive. Most animals in distress need warmth. A baby squirrel will not survive with out it. Newborns with the eyes still closed cannot regulate their own body temperature and they will need your help if found orphaned or injured.

NEVER EVER feed a cold baby squirrel. I repeat, never feed a cold baby!

Even if baby appears hungry he/she cannot be fed when body temperature is cold.

Aways ensure the baby is warm to the touch.

How to Warm a baby Squirrel:

Ways to slowly warm a baby squirrel while you are trying to get things organized

1) You can warm the baby in your hands or wrap in some soft material like fleece -this is only a temporary fix

2) Make a “heat sock” by filling a sock with cup of dry uncooked rice or beans tying off the end and tossing in the microwave for 30 seconds. Squish the sock and then squish the sock some more to remove any of the hot spots and evenly distribute the heat. This will need to be reheated often. Ensure that the heat sock does not go cold.

3) You can fill a water bottle with hot water and wrap that bottle in a sock and some fleece. This too will get cold and need to refilled with hot water

*****NOTE**** You must ensure that the heat sock or the water bottle will not burn the baby or that the bottle will roll on the baby and suffocate it.

What you are going to need:

A plastic tote – **Holes will need to be made in the lid for air**
Fleece, old Tee shirts, flannel, or even pet blankets from the dollar store for bedding –nothing with loose threads or a loose woven fabric as baby’s nails will get caught and this will cause issues. The material you use for bedding needs to be place in the bottom of the plastic tote. Place enough bedding in the tote that will help keep the heat in and allows the baby to move either deeper down into the bedding or crawl on top of the bedding if too warm.
Heating pad– set on low – placed under the tote/container but only under a 1/4 to 1/2 of the tote. Try to get the heating pad a bit along the side of the tote. In an unexpected moment like this a regular heating pad will do but, the best heating pad is the no shut off heating pad. A chilled baby will die. Placing a cake rack under the heating pad will allow air flow. Never let the heating pad come in direct contact with baby, Do not put the heating pad inside of the tote.

By placing the heating pad under just 1/4 to 1/2 of the container, this allows the baby to crawl over to the non heating pad side if he/she feels too warm or to crawl over to the side with the heating pad if getting too cold. Continue to check on baby frequently as he/she may be cold to touch, yet, wiggled off the 1/2 with the heating pad under it.

If the baby is weak or quite sick he may not be able to move with purpose – he will need the heating pad under 3/4 of the tote. As he improves you then can move the heating pad to under half of the tote.

Place the lid with the air holes securely on container at all times and keep out of reach from pets and small children.

Even if you have the sweetest pet, the squirrel will sense the pet as a predator and this will cause more stress than the baby is already under. Also, the squirrel should never be introduced to your pet even when it is older. Once the squirrel is released you want the squirrel to know that your pet or a pet looking like yours is actually the predator. The squirrel needs to know this in order to remain safe out there.

Keep container in a quiet area of your home. Please don’t let small kids handle the squirrel. It isn’t meant to be a photo-op. This baby is in need of help not pictures.

You will also need:

A digital scale to weigh the baby – these can be found in the kitchen tools section of Walmart, Canadian Tire etc. Baby will need to be weighed in grams.
Miracle Nipples – These are rehabilitator approved and being used in rehabilitation settings! Miracle nipples are designed to help avoid aspiration and mimic mom. There are different nipples for sale out there- don’t be fooled by those imitation ones- they are risky. An eye dropper will work while waiting on miracle nipples to be delivered. Never ever use Pet nursers or doll bottles, it may look cute but you are taking a huge risk and potentially causing Aspiration Pneumonia. With out antibiotics a baby will die from Aspirated Pneumonia, so all safety precautions should be taken.

As of recently, The Pocket Pet and The Squirrel has been approved as a selected site to carry these life saving nipples. Having them in here in Thunder Bay/ Shuniah Ontario will save the time of waiting for them to be shipped across the border.

Syringes: You will need syringes with out the needle, of course.

Size 0.5 – 3 ml (cc). The smaller the squirrel the smaller the syringe size. The smaller the syringe the smaller the drops of fluid that come out. There are syringes that can stick causing too much fluid to come out at once. Miracle O ring syringes are preferred by any one who has ever had to feed a baby animal. O ring syringes will not stick.

Oring syringes are the perfect solution for hand feeding animals. Because of the unique o-ring plunger, the syringe works perfect and you are able to use the same syringe repeatedly without sticking after a few uses. In most cases with proper cleaning these syringes will work for days and sometimes weeks.

Never use a syringe bigger than 3 ml (cc), this will cause aspiration. In a pinch, a pharmacist should be able to provide a syringe with out a needle for you until you can get your own supply. The syringes the pharmacist may give you are not meant to feed baby animals. Do use caution as the fluid may come out quickly.

This baby squirrel will need to have hydration for the next 24 hours unless the baby has shown a remarkable improvement. It is only then, the formula can gradually be introduced but no sooner than 3-4 hours. Do not panic thinking you need to feed the baby milk replacer/formula right away. The most important thing here is baby is slowly re hydrated.

In the mean time while hydrating baby you do need to get the correct milk replacer/formula

Fox Valley Formula 32/40 (specifically formulated for baby squirrels under 4 weeks old). This is strongly recommended but, while waiting on your formula to arrive you can use Esbiliac Puppy Replacement Powder NOT the liquid (this can be found at your local pet store—this should only be temporarily used).

Please note ** Esbilac Puppy Formula does not contain enough fat for the baby so you should add 1 teaspoon of heavy cream to ½ cup of mixed formula**

The Pocket Pet and The Squirrel is now the official carrier of Fox Valley Formula. This will save precious time as it has already made its way across the border. I am a huge fan of this formula due to the high standard in which it is produced, the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients it provides and the extremely successful outcomes it has on wild babies. I have been in contact with many wild life rehabilitators and they feel as strongly as I do with Fox Valley Formula.

You can make a recipe of Goat Milk Formula while you wait for your Fox Valley Formula to be delivered.

Recipe further down the article. Remember, feeding formula right away is a No-No.

Baby needs to be warmed, then hydrated and then formula can be introduced.

Only after the baby’s body has been warmed is when rehydration can be introduced.

Any animal that is dehydrated cannot digest food properly. If you feed this squirrel too soon it can become very sick or even die.

Dehydration is quite common for baby animals that come in to care. It is best to assume that this baby squirrel is dehydrated. You need to know the extent of the dehydration. You will need to do a skin tugor test or a pinch test. It is simple, all you have to do is gently grasp the skin between the squirrel’s shoulder blade /back of the neck or on its tummy. Hold for a couple of seconds then release. The skin will stay tented if the animal is dehydrated. Count how many seconds it takes for the skin to go back down flat.

Try this on the back of your hand.

Level of dehydration: Skin Tugor Test/ Pinch Test

–> If the skin snaps back instantly the baby is not dehydrated

–> If skin is tented 1-2 seconds = moderate dehydration

–> If tented 3 seconds = severe

–> 4 or more seconds = life threatening

Unfortunately, the Skin Tugor test is not always reliable on the pinkies (hairless newborns) or the emaciated babies (the starved, weak, ill baby).

Unflavoured Pedialyte is great to use for hydrating the baby. Pedialyte is found in the baby aisle of the pharmacy or grocery store. Dilute the Pedialyte with ½ warm water. This is due to the high salt content in Pedialyte. Read further down how to properly heat rehydration fluid/ formula.

If you are unable to get your hands on unflavoured Pedialyte. There is a homemade recipe that would work temporarily in a pinch. This is just until you can get your hands on some Pedialyte or Fox Valley Electro-stat Powdered Electrolyte (used by wildlife rehabilitators).

Homemade Recipe for Re-hydration:

2 cups warm water 1.5 tablespoons of sugar ½ teaspoon salt

Mix well and refrigerate unused solution.

Remember baby must be warm before attempting to give hydration!

Hydration is so very important and in order to monitor your progress keep doing the skin tugor test/ pinch test.

Rehydration fluid (unflavored Pedialyte, homemade hydration recipe, or Fox valley Electro-stat) can be given every 30 minutes to an hour for the dehydrated baby.

For the very weak baby he/she may only be able to tolerate a couple of drops at a time. Please be patient. If this is the case re hydration can be offered every 15 to 20 minutes.

Pedialyte is high is salt so this must be diluted with water. 1\2 un flavored pedialyte to ½ warm water

How to Properly Heat The Fluid:

Do not put fluid you are feeding baby directly into microwave. The formula may not be evenly heated and there may be hot pockets. It is said that heating formula in the microwave may kill /take away some of the essential vitamins.

Fill a coffee cup with very warm water. Fill the syringe with the mixed cold rehydrating fluid then place this syringe in the cup of very warm water for a couple of minutes. Then, just like you would do with a human baby, test the fluid by placing a drop from the syringe on to inside of your wrist. The fluid needs to be very warm, not hot or not cold. The fluid must be warm or the baby will refuse it.

When the time comes to feed formula you will heat it the same way. Another way to warm the “feeding fluid” is to put some of it that you already made into a smaller cup and then set this inside of the larger cup/container that has the warm water in it. From there you can fill a syringe up one at a time.

When administering fluids to a baby animal great care must be taken to avoid fluids getting into the lungs.

The safest way is to use a small syringe such as a 1 ml (cc) especially to start off and gradually increase the syringe size to a 3 ml. Never ever use a syringe greater than a 3 ml (cc). If you use too large of a syringe bigger than 3 mls (cc) there is an increase risk in aspiration that most likely will cause aspiration pneumonia. I cannot stress enough that Miracle Nipples and Oring syringes are the absolute best and I strongly recommend them. Yes, there are cheap ones out there- but they are cheap for a reason! Miracle nipples were designed to safely feed babies, they snuggly fit on leur lock or slip tip syringes with a decrease risk of baby swallowing nipple. There is also an area for kneading just as the baby would do with mom. O-ring syringes rarely if ever stick and therefore preventing too much fluid to come out at once. There are many types of nipples and syringes out there with some imposters claiming they are selling Miracle nipples when in fact they are selling cheap quality that is not safe to use. More on aspirated pneumonia to follow.

The baby squirrel must be awake when you attempting to give him/her fluids. You can wake baby up by gently wiping babies face with a warm wet cloth. Do not attempt to feed an unresponsive baby or a baby having seizures. Seek help Asap!

Proper Feeding Position for Baby Squirrel — A proper feeding position is very important to avoid aspiration. Baby needs to stay warm while being fed so keep baby wrapped up.

VERY IMPORTANT: Never pull the nipple out of the baby’s mouth! This can cause suction and force fluid to go into the inner ears in turn causing an infection, If the baby is firmly latched on to the nipple do not pull the nipple from baby instead let the baby let go of the nipple.

Do not place the baby on its back. For a tiny baby hold upright in your hand. The older baby who can walk, he can be fed while lying on his/her stomach.

How to feed baby

Before offering baby a syringe- practice over the sink first so you can get the feel of pressure. Fill the syringe with warm water, place the miracle nipple on syringe, then attempt to remove air from the syringe by holding the syringe up right and taping the syringe with your finger nail allowing the air bubbles to rise to the top of the syringe. Push on the plunger to remove the air and then refill/top-up the amount of fluid needed. Now gently and slowly push the syringe plunger, allowing the warm water to go into the sink. Feeding a baby MUST be done slowly.

From the side, place syringe on the baby’s lip and let a drop of fluid out by slowly pressing on the plunger of the syringe. This is where your practicing comes in handy.

Baby will lick the fluid and get a taste for it. Ensure he swallows this little drop before offering more. THIS MUST BE DONE SLOWLY!!!!

Baby may be confused at first with you feeding him so be patient and let him take the time to figure it out.

If you have more than one baby you will need to give your self some time and make note who you had fed so that they are all fed and no one was missed. Sometimes moving the fed baby into a different container will be helpful while you are feeding their siblings.

*****Pinkies /newborns are only fed one drop at a time. This is for Rehydration fluid as well as Formula.

It does take time so you will most likely need to reheat the fluid along the way.

Once you see that the baby has rallied a bit, and the skin tugor test/pinch test has improved with the skin bouncing back quickly (usually after a couple of hours), depending on the baby’s initial dehydration state. The baby should be able to get formula within 3 – 4 hours. Some babies will need rehydrating fluid for up to 24 hours before formula can be introduced. This is dependent on each individual baby. Some people will still offer baby the rehydration fluid alternating with formula for a couple of days.

Do Not

Do not use human baby formula, scalded milk, breast milk or regular milk – this can cause death
Do not use any type of kitten formula/KMR or cat milk
Do not use liquid puppy formula
Do not use towels or fabric that is has a loose weave for squirrels bedding –the babies will get their nails caught and it can cause injury.
Do not use a card board box this dehydrates the baby (s)
Do not use Reptile warmers- This just doesn’t do the job in keeping baby warm.
Do not keep the container out side or in a porch or garage.
Do not let pets near the baby squirrel.
Do not let small children near the squirrel and do not let them hold it.

Let’s talk Formula:

Introducing the formula – use the same feeding method as mentioned in the rehydrating section.

I really want to stress this— No matter who tells your differently –DO NOT feed this baby- cows’ milk, baby formula, soy milk, kitten formula also known as KMR, or liquid Esbiliac.

Little Pinkies (under 10 days old) should have the Homemade Goats Milk Formula for 10 days and then start Fox Valley 32/40.

HOMEMADE GOAT MILK FORMULA- is only a temporary solution as it does not contain all of the vitamins and minerals the squirrel needs. Do Not feed this for more than 2 weeks.

Continuing to feed baby this will cause life long issues for him. This could lead to Paralysis caused from Metabolic Bone disease. More on this coming soon

Homemade Goat Milk Formula

3 tablespoons goat milk ** If you can’t find goat milk, double the yogurt- 6 tablespoons

3 tablespoons of plain yogurt

2 tbsp heavy cream

1/2 egg yolk

Keep refrigerated

Fox Valley Formula is species specified and for the squirrels, it is even broken down to age specific.

32/40 for under 4 weeks and 20/50 for over 4 weeks until weaned

Babies 10 days to 2 weeks old should be on Esbiliac or Homemade Goat Milk Formula, but this is only until the Fox Valley 32/40 comes in. Remember – this is dependent on the age you found baby. If you found him/her as a pinkie and fed Homemade Goats Milk formula then, you should not be continuing it at this stage. Hopefully have Fox Valley formula by now.

Mixing Formula

Prepare the formula the night prior. The mixed formula should kept in the fridge for no longer than 24 hours. So just make what you need. When you are ready to feed baby. Gently stir the formula without making it frothy and draw up the amount you will need in the syringes. Place the syringes in the very warm cup of water. While feeding the baby from the syringe leave the other ones in the water to keep warm. You may need to replace the cup of water when it cools down. If the syringe you are feeding baby gets cool, place it back in the cup of water to warm back up and use another syringe. Don’t forget to test the warm formula on the inside of your wrist before feeding baby.

When initially starting baby squirrel on powder milk replacer / formula such as Esbiliac or Fox Valley-dilute it at a 3 to 1 ratio. 3 parts hot water to 1 part powder formula. After the first few feedings you most likely can get to a 2: 1 ratio ( 2 parts water to 1 part powder milk replacer).

Example of 3:1 ratio –> 3 tablespoons water to 1 tablespoon powder or 3/4 c hot water to 1/4 c powder & 2:1 ratio–> 1/2 cup hot water to 1/4 cup powder.

By diluting formula the baby will have a much easier time digesting it. This baby has been through so much already, don’t put more stress on his digestive system. By 4 weeks old you can slowly wean to Fox Valley 20/50. To do this give 3 parts of the 32/40 formula with 1 part 20/50 – mix together and offer for a couple of days then 1/2 of the 32/40 formula with 1/2 of the 20/50 formula for a couple of days, eventually getting to the full 20/50 formula.

Powdered Esbilac Puppy formula should only be used temporarily as it does not contain all of the required nutrients as Fox Valley Formula does. Esbiliac does not contain enough fat for the baby so you should add 1 teaspoon of heavy cream to ½ cup of mixed formula.

For the first few feedings start with the 3 parts hot water and then decrease the amount of water over the next few feedings until you get to the 2 parts hot water.

Fox Valley Formula is species specified and for the squirrels, it is even broken down to age specific.

32/40 for under 4 weeks and 20/50 for over 4 weeks until weaned

When initially starting baby squirrel on powder milk replacer / formula such as Esbiliac or Fox Valley-dilute it at a 3 to 1 ratio. 3 parts hot water to 1 part powder formula. The following day you most likely can get to a 2: 1 ratio ( 2 parts water to 1 part powder milk replacer).

Example of 3:1 ratio –> 3 tablespoons water to 1 tablespoon powder or 3/4 c hot water to 1/4 c powder and 2:1 ratio–> 1/2 cup hot water to 1/4 cup powder ** The 2:1 ratio will continue for baby until weaned**

Once 24 hours has passed of baby being on formula. He/she should be on full strength formula of 1 part Powder to 2 parts hot water

You do not want to make a large amount at once as the formula is only stable for 24 hours after it has been prepared.

Suggestion for mixing is to put the powdered formula and hot water in to a protein/ smoothie shaker bottle to thoroughly mix formula

Or stir with a fork or spoon to remove lumps

Let the mixed formula sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours or more before feeding this batch to baby.

Ensure to mix/shake the formula before drawing it up in the syringes.

When administering fluids to a baby animal great care must be taken to avoid fluids getting into the lungs. Take your time and have good control of the syringe.

Baby needs to be weighed daily at the same time this should be done prior to feeding. If the baby is too wiggly – place a plastic bowl on the scale and weigh the bowl then weigh the baby in the bowl and subtract the bowls weight to get the correct weight of the baby.

Squirrels weight should be in grams. Weighing the baby daily helps you to know if they are gaining or losing weight. The amount you feed them will be adjusted according to weight

Do not let the baby over eat! — they will, if you allow it. Over feeding can cause bloat that can be fatal.

Watch for constipation or diarrhea. More to come on this section.

How much to feed the little squirrel:

Wildlife Rehabilitators follow the 5% – 7 % rule when calculating the amount to feed. A comfortable stomach capacity is approximately 5% of the body weight

It is recommended that you start with 5% (0.05)

Baby’s weight must be in grams and then multiply by 0.05 = the amount of formula you will feed the baby each feeding

After a few feeding you can go up to 7 % (0.07) but only if the baby is thriving. Many like to stay at the 5% rule.

Please keep in mind that the baby may not eat much the first few feedings.

If baby is emaciated (very skinny/sickly) you may need to start with less than 5 % and gradually work up to 5% and then slowly to 7%.

Here is an example on calculation:

Baby squirrel weighs 40 grams

40 x 5% = 2 ——— To get this total, calculate 40 x 0.05 = 2. This tells you that with each feeding you would feed baby 2 ml (cc).

As you can see weighing baby is very important.

How often to Feed Red Baby Squirrel:

Birth to 1 week: Formula feed every 2 hours and only once during the night.

2 weeks: Feed formula every 2-3 hours. Eliminate night time feeding

3 weeks: Feed formula every 3-4 hours

4 weeks: Feed formula every 3-4 hours

5 weeks: Feed formula every 4-5 hours.

6 weeks to 8 weeks: Feed formula 3 times a day

8-10 weeks: Some babies may have been slowly weaned at this age and some will want a night time feeding. It Definitely does not hurt to offer formula at this age

14 weeks: Baby should be getting ready to be released and will not be interested in formula

How often to Feed Baby Eastern Grey

Birth: Feedings every 2-2.5 hours for a total of 9-10 feedings a day. Night time feeding needed.

1 week: Feeding every 2-2.5 hours for a total of 7-9 feedings a day.

2 weeks: Feedings every 2.5-3 hours for a total of 6-8 feedings a day.

3 weeks: Feeding 6 times a day

4 weeks: Feeding 5 times a day

5 weeks: Feeding 4-5 times a day

6 weeks: Feeding 3-4 times a day

7 weeks to 8 weeks: Feeding 3 times a day

8-10 weeks: Offer feedings 1-2 times a day.

10 to 12 weeks: Should be weaned although some may still want a bit at bedtime.

14 weeks: Fully weaned and getting ready for release no earlier than 17 weeks.

Pee and Poop Time

A baby squirrel under 5 weeks old will need to be stimulated to poop and pee. It really is quite simple. Use a warm, wet cotton ball, Q-tip, or the corner of a Kleenex, and flick lightly across the genital area. Some babies may need stimulation before and after feeding. Sometimes a baby may eat better if you get them to potty in the middle of a feeding. Some babies will stop peeing as soon as you stop “flicking”. If this is the case you should keep the warm wet cotton ball on the genital area so baby can finish his business.

TLC is needed:

Baby squirrels need lots of attention and affection, especially if he has no siblings. This will not hinder the release process in any way. Squirrels bond strongly with their human caretakers, but they do not “imprint” on humans like other wildlife. When it’s time for release, their wild instincts will kick in just fine. (copied from Henry Healthy Pets website)

Determining the age of a Red Squirrel:

Red Squirrel (tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Birthing season January to December Gestation 40 days

Birth to 1 week: They are naked, skin is pink and their eyes and ears are closed. 7 grams at birth

2 weeks: They are becoming vocal. Fur is starting to grow in. Approximately 20 grams

3 weeks: Approx weight is 30 grams. Eyes and ears begin to open. The head and tail now have fur and they have the coloring of an adult

4 weeks: Weight is 40 grams. They are starting to climb and lower incisors are coming in

5 weeks: Weight 40 to 50 grams. Fully furred. Upper incisors are coming in. Eyes are fully opened .

6 weeks to 8 weeks: Weight 50-80 grams. They are wanting to explore more. Start introducing healthy solids ( see healthy foods to offer) page –

8-10 weeks Weight 120 to 150 grams. They should be getting ready to go into the pre release cage

14 weeks they should be ok to be released

Determining the age of Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Birthing season can be early as February- March (first litter) Second litter: July to September Gestation: 45 days

Birth: 15-25 grams. They are born naked with pink skin and the eyes and ears are closed. The ears are flattened to the head and at 2 days old they unfold.

1 week: Weight 25-60 grams. Umbilicus falls off. Soft fuzz fur is coming in and you will be able to see whiskers. Ears start to separate from head. May be vocal

2 weeks: Weight 60-70 grams. Skin is getting darker and fur is starting. Eyes remain closed but ear canals open. Upper and lower teeth start to appear.

3 weeks: Weight 70-80 grams. Eyes start to open and fur is looking starting to look smooth. Under side of the tail has no fur yet. Lower incisors start to come in.

4 weeks: Weight 80-120 grams. Ears are open. Baby is trying to stand but wobbly. Tail is still not curled. Still sleeping most of the time.

5 weeks: Weight 120-150 grams. Eyes are opened and tail is now fully furred. Start offering rat and mouse rodent block such as Mazuri or oxbow ( found at pet stores) or the pocket pet and the squirrel squares. Time to get a bigger cage as they are becoming more active. They need to be able to get their exercise.

6 weeks: Weight 150-250 grams. They will now be able sit on their haunches. Tail will be curled. The can hold food in their front paws. Grinding teeth are coming in. Time to put in a pet water bottle or a small dish of water.

7-8 weeks: Weight is more than 250 grams. The are becoming more curious. Add branches into the cage as they need to climb. Start collecting natural foods for them.

8-10 weeks: They have a bushy tail. Needs more time to explore. They may not want to be held for formula

10-12 weeks: The should be able to eat through a walnut with shell. They will start to show fear of predators and even leary of humans. This is what you want- its survival for them. Now is a great time to have them get ready to go in an out door pre released cage. Some may take longer than others to be ready for this step.

17 weeks – time to get ready for release. Sometimes the squirrel needs a bit more time before they head out to the wild. You will get to know this squirrel and what works best for him. Remember he does need to be set free.

Great sites to get really good information:

The squirrel board—so much good information of different issues others have encountered. Great advice on how to get squirrel ready to be released. This is a great go to for so many questions you may have.
Chris’s squirrels and more– Not only has Chris developed the Miracle Nipple and syringe but also has a great information.
Henry Healthy Pets. Here you will find the correct foods to feed baby as they start solids

Please be aware there is really bad information out there. Stick to wild life rehabilitation sites and the 3 sites I have mentioned. Its actually concerning with the poor information available on social media.

I will be posting some issues that may arise and what to watch for and what to do such as diarrhea, constipation, aspirated pneumonia and bloat. Watch for more information to come.

“When we return wild animals to nature, we merely return them to what is already theirs. For man cannot give wild animals freedom; he can only take it away.”—Jacques -Yves Cousteau