Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, I'm 16 years old & towards the end of last summer, i found a baby squirrel in my front yard (was a few weeks old at the time)...i ended up raising it & now it lives in my room in a ferret cage...i know its probably not the best thing in the world, but it seems bonded to me because it's still friendly with me but a tad agressive when i get close to him when it has food (grutting mainly)...it even grutted at one of my cats sitting on my bed watching it when it had food, so i know it's not releasable & i love it to death because i became bonded to it by raising it, so i know all you guys are probably going to hate me because i have a pet squirrel & its illegal, but i was interested in maybe becoming a rehabilitater & i was wondering what was involved & if it would be at all possible because i already have a pet squirrel & i wasn't sure if they have to evaluate your home...thanks

Being a wildlife rehabilitator it disappoints me to hear a wild animal is being caged up as a pet. I can totally understand the bond you built with the little squirrel though because I have raised over a hundred now to be released back into the wild Just so you know hand raised squirrels can go through a process that will allow him to get used to the wild and then be releasable. Sounds like you are set on keeping it though. Just make sure to keep it away from walls it will chew holes in them if its teeth can reach through its cage. Also it will begin to urinate through the caging onto your carpet and walls and anything else nearby... unfortuantely being wild animals they get territorial and will hang on the cage and pee through just to mark their area so splash guards are vital for your cage. They require a certain diet to keep them from getting MBD Metabolic Bone Disease which means if they have a small fall while learning to climb around on branches it can break its back if it hasn't had proper nutrition while it built its bone structure. Don't be fooled a lot of times nuts can leech certain nutrients from a squirrel.. so diet is really important. And yes as a rehabber I have had many visits to my home by the group I am with and also Fish and Game can enter your property to inspect it as well when you become a rehabber. It is great you are looking to educate yourself on proper care. Good luck with the one you've got and at finding a rehab group