Baby squirrels found?

I found 2 squirrels yesterday in my camper in a pile of socks without their mother and I plan on keeping them (my state allows it) as pets, I feed them half %26amp; half every twice a day.they had a lot of fleas on them but they're gone.





could someone give me some highlights on keeping them as pets?Baby squirrels found?
First off make sure they are kept warm! It needs to be warmer than the touch of our skin. Use a heating pad with fleece or fabric over it so that it does not burn the baby.


Do not feed the baby if its cold


when you do warm them up then start to hydrate them.


You should not start them on milk right away you should hydrate them with something else first!!


They baby wont die within 24 hours without food but will die of dehydration.


It cant digest food without proper hydration


Pedialyte is the best. The babies body will distribute the liquid to the cells that are lacking hydration and then use the rest to aid in digestion.


Once hydrated introduce


Esbilac Powder Milk Replacer for puppies with heavy whipping cream added


';Scientific studies show that Esbilac Powder more closely resembles mother squirrel milk than any homemade formula or other brands.';





Use a 3 cc syringe (no needle of course) and feed like that.


Do not mix it with water.


do not use a baby animal bottle. you can get fluid in the lungs and give them pneumonia and/or drown them


Dont use cows milk or any other product such as Hartz Nursemaid, Mother's Helper, human infant formula, goat's milk, evaporated milk





these products can kill the baby








AS FAR AS CAGING IS CONCERNED.


When they get older you will want to get a tall cage. Something like you would use for a sugar glider.


The taller the better with 3 feet being the shortest you should go!!


I have a 5 ft one for my gliders


Squirrels like to be high (like in trees) so a high cage will be best!





Check out the website I listed below for your information!!!


email me if you have any questions





ALSO


KITTEN REPLACER MILK IS WAY TO HIGH IN FAT... DO NOT USE IT!Baby squirrels found?
I would definitely check with your local vet, but already you are on the right track with the 1/2 and 1/2. I would suggest finding a hamster or guinea pig cage and maybe lining it with the socks they were already nestled in (if possible). As they get a little older, you'll want to switch them to a higher protein milk product, like 1% cow's milk. Once they can tolerate solid food, start with sunflower seeds or crushed acorns. They are obviously going to want to climb so, if funds allow, I would reccommend buying one of those cat trees, you know with multiple levels. I have one for my kitties and they love it so I could only imagine it would be heaven for squirrels!





Above all, make sure you are ready for the committment of domesticating a naturally wild animal. Potty training is pretty much out of the question, so I would say that you line everything with newspaper for a while. I can't say that training squirells will be easy, but with perseverance and guidance from your vet, I think you have just found two wonderful pets.
First off although it may be leagal for you to keep pet squirrels it is not leagal anywhere to keep wild ones as pets. But if you are going to insist on keeping them here's what you need: 3 cc seryinges, kitten formula (half and half doesn't have the nutrients they need to grow.), If their eyes are still closed you need to feed them more often and you need to stimulate them by rubbing their genitals with a warm damp cotton ball. Try feeding them every two to three hours but do not force them to eat expecially if you can see a large white blob in their stomach. Because that means they are still full. Keep them warm by setting a heating pad on low and covering it with a towl. Set a ten gallon aquarium half on and half off of the heating pad or by a small one made for reptiles(if you use one of these don't wrap it in a towl). They work very well. fold a hand towl in half and put it in the aquarium. Put the babies on top of the towl. They will probably try to get inbetween the layers which is fine. Make sure to handle them frequently otherwise they will bite. When they are older feed them rodent blocks, pecans(the kind that are still in the shell), califlower, carrots, strawberries, and other such veggies and fruits. They love grapes, pecans, apples.
You obviously have no knowledge of keeping them, especially that young. If they were in the camper, it's mother was more than likely to return to them. You should have left them for their mother to return to them. It is not legal without a license to care for such animals for anyone to keep them.





You have more than likely made them sicker by feeding them half and half, you are not supposed to feed them cows milk, for any reason!





The babies require a special formula and anything made for humans is not acceptable.





Here is a website about orphaned squirrels and how to care for them. I suggest you call your local wildlife rehab and give them to them, since you have compromised their home. The babies also need fed a lot more often that what you are doing. You have probably dehydrated them and they may not live because of that.





http://www.squirrel-rehab.org/
youd probably do best to keep them similar to rabbits if you really want to keep them


in a big cage with some type of rodent food


make sure you take them to the vet and make sure they dont have any diseases, you can also get advice on the fleas.
just feed them warm kitten milk keep the warm and make sure they have plenty of sleep also make sure they have about 7 feeds a day or take them tom rspca u can also get the dog nappies there really cool they also like sweets and i had some wich i kept in a bin (empty on of corse)
I wish you would allow email so i could have emailed you.


Please stop the half and half immediately unless you want them to die.. who in the world told you to feed them that??





and no way are they 3 months old!!! if their eyes are still closed.. they are under 5 weeks. They start to get hair at about 3 weeks old... it starts to get a bit fuller and more on the tail at about 5 weeks.. and thats right about when the eyes will open.. also depending on whether these are grays or foxers.. grays open their eyes later.. about 7 weeks.





The milk in the half and half will kill them! and their isnt enough nutrients in it.





you need a puppy formula.. its called Esbilac.. get the powdered kind.. and mix one part poweder with 2 parts warm water.. you need to feed them every 4 hours.. but not thru the night. They may still also need a heat source.. do you have heating pad under 1/2 of whatever u are keeping them in? If not.. you need one asap! set the heat pad on low!


give them soft blankets to cuddle in.





and what state are u in that would allow u to keep a wild animal as a pet.. Not that i would ever turn anyone in.. lol.. b/c they just kill the animal.. but its usually not permitted.





also... mom might have just been out getting food.. how long did you leave them alone??


I bet she is looking for them. if you see her out acting all weird.. running around.. you should put the babies back where u found them!





They do not make good pets... they will chew everything in sight! And its very cruel to keep them in a cage.


THey can live for 15 years in captivity... and thats no life for a squirrel.





but for now.. start feeding them right so they can at least live.








PS I have learned the hard way.. that they do not do as well on the liquid esbilac.. if you check the ingredients.. they are VERY different than that of the powder.. so yes.. u will add water to the powder!


also.. if they are dehydrated... from diarreah.. THEN YOU USE PEDIALYTE!........ however.. if they are dehydrated from starvation.......... you use GLUCOSE WATER!





also you cannot use pedialyte alont with the formula.. one cancels out the other.. so if you have to use ped. then you MUST wait at least a couple hours before giving the formula.. with the sugar water.. you dont have to do that!





and yes.. the kitten milk ( KMR) is NOT suitable for baby squirrels..





seee.. it can be very confusing.... its easy to save a squirrel.. but even easier to kill one if you dont know what ur doing..





your best bet is to contact a rehabber! and i think someone sent you great links!





They will grow up to be nasty... they do not make good pets.


their nails are like sharp razor blades! and they play and will run around u like a tornado! They get very territorial of their surroundings... they dont like to be messed with while eating.. their bite can go right to the bone!!!





Trust me.. Ive got in dozens from people who raised them and thought they would keep them as a pet also..
Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You can find one here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.鈥?/a> or here: http://www.wildliferehabber.org/





Licensed wildlife rehabilitators have the specialized training to care for sick, injured and orphaned wild animals, and they have the required state and federal licenses that allow them to keep the wild animals until they are healthy enough to be released.





Do not take the animal to a vet - vets are for pets, and most vets do not have the expertise to care for wild animals; nor do most vets have the proper licenses that would allow them to keep a recuperating wild animal.





Do not attempt to care for this animal yourself. In almost every state, it is illegal to keep wild animals as pets, and if it is your intention to just care for it until it can be released, most states require people who rehabilitate wildlife for release to be licensed.





鈥淲ildlife rehabilitation licenses or permits are required to work with most native species, since wildlife is a natural resource and considered the property of the collective people of a state. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires federal rehabilitation permits to work with migratory bird species, marine mammals, and species listed under the Endangered Species Act. With very few exceptions, wildlife agencies require wildlife rehabilitation permits or licenses to rehabilitate wildlife.'; http://www.ewildagain.org/pdf/RecBooklet鈥?/a>








In most states where squirrels are permitted as pets, you can not just take them out of the wild - you need to purchase them from a USDA licensed breeder, or from a store or dealer that got them from a licensed breeder. Check your state requirements again before becoming too attached to these babies. Here is a site that might help: http://www.squirrel-rehab.org/pleaseread鈥?/a>





Best of luck with them!