What should I do if I find an orphaned baby squirrel wondering about?

If you find an orphaned baby squirrel wandering about, you should leave it alone. There are a number of reasons why that baby squirrel might be out there alone, and abandonment is just one of the options. A mother may be moving her babies. She might be coming back for that one and is just waiting for you to leave so that she can make her move. The baby squirrel might be sick and close to death. If the mother knows this, she will abandon the squirrel to ensure she can keep her other babies safe - the ones with the greatest chance of survival. It's not pleasant to think about, but that's natures way. Sometimes we should just respect nature. Of course, the squirrel could very well be abandoned, but if that is the case, there's probably still very little you can do about it. You can't pick the squirrel up, or touch it, because then you'll leave your scent on it. Once your scent is on it, the mother won't want to go anywhere near it. You'll essentially be killing the baby squirrel off by mistake. Also: if you grab the baby squirrel, what are you going to do with it? You can't feed it because you don't know what it eats. You can't take care of it because you don't know how to do that either. You will need to call a wildlife rehabilitation expert, and you could have just done that in the first place, leaving the baby squirrel alone where its mother may have come back for it at some point. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing, and if the baby squirrel isn't in your home, you should probably just leave it alone.



NEED LOCAL HELP? We are wildlife removal professionals servicing 95% of the USA. Click here to hire our local squirrel removal expert in your home town. Updated 2021. But read the below advice first!

Squirrels are special creatures who act like humans therefore the best thing one can do is trying their kids with animal dignity. A squirrel can be orphaned because the mother just dumped them or does not want to take care anymore. Make sure you bring this young one under the required care and find a way of solving the normal daily challenges.

Know the age so that you are in a position to determine the kind of care the animal seeks. The younger the squirrel the more care is needed to make sure that it will mature and grow to be something in the society. When the animal is young its eyes are closed and it needs to find a defense mechanism. It grows teeth, fur and ears start functioning properly by the time the animal is five weeks old.

A young squirrel is like a young human being in that it must feed often in order to keep the animal hydrated. Ensure the animal is well fed especially with fluids so that it can function normally. The young squirrel needs to stay hydrated for twelve hours and as a young one to should never be left without water. Give it as much fluid as possible for it to function properly.

It is taken care of just like a young human in fact that has to be fed all the time. How you feed the animal depend on the age. The younger it is the more attention these animals need. Feeding an older animal means that they get to take crumbles rather than taking milk and are given normal mixtures that can be mixed properly for consumption.

In case the animal is feeding well on its own it is alright to give them foods like nuts and butter that is known to be healthy. You do not have to be a guiding forever and as long as the animal can survive on its own just focus on letting it be. Do not force these animals to be left without parents because you forcefully drove these animals away.

Make sure that you are warm and welcoming to the animal. It needs to feel the love and protection it used to feel from the mother. It should be wrapped warmly so that it is in a position to maintain their usual temperatures. In case the child is more than one pick several of them and put in a box so that the can generate more warmth this making the temperature normal.

Make sure they get normal lives just like everyone else and understand the importance of these animals to grow up with other baby squirrels that can help take away the boredom. Know that you do not remove the wildness from the baby squirrel and do not expect after those delays that there will be someone tasking car of all these animals.

It will not change to be that sweet pet you have always wanted it to be. It will not start following your rules and no matter how many tactics they have picked they will not cause any harm. Feed it well and make sure it gets the best nutrients in case you want to find a friend and a partner for life. Let it play and have a normal life.


Go back to the Squirrels in the Attic home page.

NEED SQUIRREL REMOVAL HELP? We service over 150 USA cities. click gere to hire us in your home town. Updated 2021.