UHM... wondering if by chance anyone knows of anywhere to get a baby squirrel. I have tried the "climbing a tree method" didnt work out so great. Also i know they are not "legal" in Iowa but i dont care, i will have one.
leave your front door open with a trail of peanuts leading inside, tie a string to the door knob, with you holding the other end. Then, just relax, read the paper and wait.
Get a skunk instead. They're lots smarter and make better pets. I had a squirrel that used to hang around my house in VA Beach, he was pretty domesticated. Used to come in the house, eat from our hands, stuff like that, would even let you hold him, but basically, that's about it, not really "trainable" or anything. Skunks are extremely intelligent and actually pretty affectionate when they're tame.
THIS is what I want! Ever since I seen them in a pet store!! Though I don't think the store is still open, this was years ago, I could check for ya though if you wish....
------------------ Me, I sell engines, the cars are for free, I need something to crate the engines in.... Enzo Ferrari....
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08:06 PM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
Build you a box with a trapdoor, a stick, and a string, and BINGO!
You will be better off getting a young one, though. Set up a nest in a tree, wait for breading season, give them some time, then wait till the mother goes to collect food for the young one, and BINGO!
Read up on them, study them, observe thier commings and goings, learn thier habits & needs, so you will be ready to take care of it properly.
Read everything you can. You'll want to do it right, for the sake of the animal. And don't forget, they bite hard & fast, with claws that are no joke! At least around these parts!
Why make a prisoner of a wild animal? Much more fascinating to watch them in the wild, in their natural habitat.I imagine a squirrel is a pretty fearsome biter...and if you must, then at least give him/her a partner to share the misery.There are thousands of cats and dogs who need a home..why not one of them? Or do you just want an 'unusual' pet'? I guess this sounds very much like a' flame', but it is only a genuine opinion from an animal lover..now waiting for the 'Peta/ treehugger' comments which MIGHT just be on their way Nick
[This message has been edited by fierofetish (edited 10-10-2006).]
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08:22 PM
fieroparts.com Member
Posts: 4831 From: Maine 207-934-1969 Registered: Jun 2000
all good ways to get a full grown squirrel, but i want a baby. i have TONS of them near me as live about 50ft form a forest and a park with walnu trees and a ton od acorns (sp?). As far as making a prisoner of a wild animal... every animal WAS wild to start, we domesticated everything we now call "normal pets". Plus you feel bad about keeping one as a pet and spoiling the **** out of it, but not eating them? Not tryin to be a dick or anything like that, but if i get it young, it wont know its "imprisoned".
i guess i have always been into "exotic" pets. My last was a big ass lizard! dont remember the exact type of monitor it was but it would eat 3-4 full size mice a day. It was about 3ft long i had to get rid of it because the cage (nearly half of my living room) was getting too small.
Where did I say I eat them?? And you cannot take the 'wild' out of an animal just by getting it as a baby..it takes generations to really domesticate a wild animal..and even then you can't really do it.And what would you feed this baby on, every half hour for the first 3 months? They don't eat nuts straight away!! And acorns are oak trees..just a FRIENDLY tip for reference.I already said I didn't want to flame you..just don't agree with it..but on the other hand, it ain't gonna get flattened on the local roads, so maybe you are possibly doing it a favour .Honestly, you will not get the 'wild' out of it by getting it as a baby....instinct is built-in from the second it was conceived,, Nick
quote
Originally posted by SLOWnSTEADY:
all good ways to get a full grown squirrel, but i want a baby. i have TONS of them near me as live about 50ft form a forest and a park with walnu trees and a ton od acorns (sp?). As far as making a prisoner of a wild animal... every animal WAS wild to start, we domesticated everything we now call "normal pets". Plus you feel bad about keeping one as a pet and spoiling the **** out of it, but not eating them? Not tryin to be a dick or anything like that, but if i get it young, it wont know its "imprisoned".
i guess i have always been into "exotic" pets. My last was a big ass lizard! dont remember the exact type of monitor it was but it would eat 3-4 full size mice a day. It was about 3ft long i had to get rid of it because the cage (nearly half of my living room) was getting too small.
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10:35 PM
84fierotrevor Member
Posts: 4998 From: puyallup washington Registered: Oct 2001
all good ways to get a full grown squirrel, but i want a baby. i have TONS of them near me as live about 50ft form a forest and a park with walnu trees and a ton od acorns (sp?). As far as making a prisoner of a wild animal... every animal WAS wild to start, we domesticated everything we now call "normal pets". Plus you feel bad about keeping one as a pet and spoiling the **** out of it, but not eating them? Not tryin to be a dick or anything like that, but if i get it young, it wont know its "imprisoned".
i guess i have always been into "exotic" pets. My last was a big ass lizard! dont remember the exact type of monitor it was but it would eat 3-4 full size mice a day. It was about 3ft long i had to get rid of it because the cage (nearly half of my living room) was getting too small.
one question, have you heald a full sized squrril up close before? they are cute when there far away. but when u look at there paws "hands" you will see how they are able to climg tree's so easy. i tried to save a squrril with a broken back about a year ago. those claws up close are huge. and if that squrril decides for some reason it wants to scratch you or attack you. or maybe you spook it or somthing else spooks it. your gonna go to a hospital. sounds dumb from such a tiny animal huh? im serious. same with racoons we had a negbor with a pet racoon. he never attacked anyone from what i know of. but if he ever decided to holyshit it would be bad. i have been attacked by a rotwiler before. and once chased by a pitbull. i got outa both situations unharmed. but i would rather face another dog attack then if a squirril went nuts in my house.
At one time we had several squirrels that were brought to our house for my wife to rescue. We even considered making an official rescue for tax reasons, but never went through with it.
The males are much harder to deal with than the females, they also start marking territory as they get older. Much like cats.
We bottle fed them them kitten replacement milk using the little kitten bottles, and slowly weaned them onto nuts (no salt, only raw).
Once they got old enough to feed themselves we let them outside to a tree we had a feeder in.
Even after a year outside we would have squirrels that would come up and let you hold them, feed them, and would even try to come in the house. We even had one that jumped on your head as you walked by.
Before all this we had a southern flying squirrel, much smaller, and much cuter. He was small enough to go to the store in my shirt pocket. I would recommend you getting one of these ( NOT A SUGAR GLIDER ) make sure whatever you get you get them at a young age, prefferably bottle feeding age, if possible. This way they recognise you as their parent, and provider from a young age.
I am against just going out and robbing a nest, but I am all for you getting one that is doomed to dye, either becouse its nest was destroyed, or it fell out.
Just get a bag of peanuts and be patient. You will have more pet squirrels than you know what to do with and a great emergency source of ... Ummmmm baccon...
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12:24 AM
NEPTUNE Member
Posts: 10199 From: Ticlaw FL, and some other places. Registered: Aug 2001
There's a reason you don't see squirrels in pet stores. They make LOUSY pets. Even though a baby can be raised to be nearly tame, they never stop chewing, and can destroy your house. My company earns a lot of money removing (and relocating) squirrels from attics and repairing the damage. Skunks make lousy pets, too. But they're better than squirrels. Talk to somebody here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm
[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 10-11-2006).]
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04:11 AM
Patrick Member
Posts: 36239 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Registered: Apr 99
Veruca Salt: Daddy, I want a squirrel. Get me one of those squirrels. I want one. Mr. Salt: Veruca dear, you have many marvelous pets. Veruca Salt: All I've got at home is 1 pony and 2 dogs and 4 cats and 6 bunny rabbits and 2 parakeets and 3 canaries and a green parrot and a turtle and a silly old hamster! I want a squirrel!
"what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul"
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08:50 AM
Pyrthian Member
Posts: 29569 From: Detroit, MI Registered: Jul 2002
Originally posted by twofatguys: make sure whatever you get you get them at a young age, prefferably bottle feeding age, if possible. This way they recognise you as their parent, and provider from a young age.
Brad
YES! We've adopted 3 cats this way, and they are like your best buddies. They'll bond to you, and be like puppies. I even raised a Starling that way, and oh what a cool bird she is.
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12:37 PM
PFF
System Bot
ryan.hess Member
Posts: 20784 From: Orlando, FL Registered: Dec 2002
Originally posted by twofatguys: Before all this we had a southern flying squirrel, much smaller, and much cuter. He was small enough to go to the store in my shirt pocket. I would recommend you getting one of these ( NOT A SUGAR GLIDER )
i guess i have always been into "exotic" pets. My last was a big ass lizard! dont remember the exact type of monitor it was but it would eat 3-4 full size mice a day. It was about 3ft long i had to get rid of it because the cage (nearly half of my living room) was getting too small.
Therein lies the problem. Many people "get rid of" exotic / wild animals when they find out they make less than their vision of ideal pets.
Tim
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12:58 PM
SLOWnSTEADY Member
Posts: 1706 From: Hiawatha, IA Registered: Jul 2005
Therein lies the problem. Many people "get rid of" exotic / wild animals when they find out they make less than their vision of ideal pets.
Tim
no, it was a GREAT pet for me, but it reached the point where i felt bad that i couldnt make the cage any bigger, so i found a bigger better home for him. Its not like i just got sick of him or sick of feeding him or anything, just thought it would be nice for someone with more room to have. I am looking into other animals as well, like the sugar glider and my GF thinks we need a chinchilla (sp?). something small that could fit in my shirt pocket would be nice.
i can recommend a chinchilla instead of a squirrel. fluffier, tamer, larger and more satisfying a handful. you get all the positive attributes of a squirrel, yet none of the drawbacks.
my chinchilla, 'Kazooie'
his tail is very similar to that of a squirrel's, just that the bushyness is confined to the dorsal side.
Totoro here will demonstrate:
-"i'll trade you the Financial section for the Sports"
they're small enough to live in cages, yet large enough to be a satisfying handful to pet or have sit on your shoulder while you stroke them and sing to them.
i've owned skunks before, and would only recommend them if you don't mind them wandering around the house, getting into things, having accidents outside their litterbox, and hearing the "tchk tchk tchk tchk..." sound from their nails on the tile floor at all hours of the night. that, and their incessant plotting towards world domination.
[This message has been edited by TorqueWench (edited 10-11-2006).]
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01:49 PM
ryan.hess Member
Posts: 20784 From: Orlando, FL Registered: Dec 2002
Originally posted by TorqueWench: i've owned skunks before, and would only recommend them if you don't mind them wandering around the house, getting into things, having accidents outside their litterbox, and hearing the "tchk tchk tchk tchk..." sound from their nails on the tile floor at all hours of the night. that, and their incessant plotting towards world domination.
Sounds a little like Miss Stinky... (misty for short) My brother's ferret:
You can have Squirrels as pets in Iowa, They do have to have a usda paper work for them to be legal. I got raccoons as pets. There is a exotic animal auction in kalona,ia this weekend. It's about a hour south from you. You never know what people will bring. Talk to the right people and they can find you a person who breeds squirrels. I used to riase several exotic animals and went there to sell the excess. You probally could pick up a ferret for about $20. Here's a link.