A baby squirrel is so small that when a female squirrel gives birth to its baby, it opens its eyes after 5 to 6 weeks. It won’t be incorrect if they are called the smallest babies in the animal world. They are helpless, blind, naked, and deaf after their birth.
Beginning Life of Squirrel Babies
As we have said that they are completely deaf and blind, and even they can’t open their eyes until 5 to 6 weeks. Mother squirrels grow their babies in their nests. Baby parents have made their nests in old houses or high on trees so the predators can’t reach them. Babies stay in the nests, and the mother squirrels feed them.
Diet of Baby Squirrels
In the beginning, the mother squirrels feed them with milk because they are too small. But when they are around 6 weeks old, they can eat solid foods such as apples, grapes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and kale. After 6 to 7 weeks, they can eat high-protein pellets with healthy nuts.
How Long Does a Mother Squirrel Feed her Babies?
When they are small, mother squirrels feed them. She goes out and gathers food for their babies. But when they turn 2 months old, the mother squirrel stops feeding her babies because they can now find their own food.
Do Baby Squirrels Cry for their Mother?
You also know that babies cry with they don’t see their mother. Same in baby squirrels. When they are hungry, they cry for their mother to feed them. So then the mother squirrel evening comes to her babies to feed them.
Care of Baby Squirrel
If you find a baby squirrel and want to look after it, you must take care of the following things. Some important and common factors that a caregiver must follow are;
Warming Baby Squirrel
Mother squirrel keeps her babies warm. We will also keep the baby warm but by different methods.
Fill a bottle with hot water. You can put that bottle in warm clothes or socks, but it keeps the bottle temperature not much hot that it irritates the baby. This is because we have to keep the baby warm, so this is the best way to warm babies.
Milk Feeding
Do not give cow milk to them; it can lead to death. Only feed them with milk replacer. You can feed them with normal milk until they are 7-9 weeks old. They need puppy milk or Pedialyte for their proper growth. Feed them milk with a bottle so that they will feel their mother and can drink milk without any hesitation.
Basics of Growing a Baby Squirrel
Babies are so fragile. Therefore, a baby caregiver should know this for a better upbringing. Like in human babies mother takes care of everything to raise her baby in good health.
Reunifying Baby Squirrel with Mother
That’s good that you are perfectly caring for the baby squirrel. For making the baby happy you should also reunify the baby with its mother. It will make the baby and the mother happy, and the child may have a better upbringing. This factor can also help a baby’s better growth.
Lack of Water
How did you know if the baby was dehydrated? So for this, you have to pinch the skin of the baby squirrel on its back. The baby is dehydrated if it doesn’t snap back at once. Other symptoms of dehydration include lack of appetite, pale gums, dry skin, lethargy, and also others like spiky fur. Pedialyte is the best solution to make up for dehydration found in pharmacies. Don’t be careless in this task as it can harm the baby with this disease, so correct the dehydration first, then feed them well.
Some babies suffer from major diseases like maggots, emaciation, hypoglycemic seizure, traumas, fleas, pneumonia, and bloat. We brief some major diseases that are found in baby squirrels.
Diseases
Hypoglycemic Seizure
Hypoglycemic seizure is due to a lack of glucose in the body, which makes the body weak. So if you see a baby squirrel with a hypoglycemic seizure, you should give the baby a small amount of honey. Also, give Karo syrup or mixed fruit jelly in small amounts to get them out of this disease.
Head Trauma
If you find a baby with head trauma, take it to the veterans for its recovery. Head trauma is caused by falling from trees, jiggling by other animals, or being hit by a car. Take the baby squirrel to the veterinarian so that they quickly start the treatment.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is common in baby squirrels and is caused when they aren’t fed properly or eat or drink fast. Symptoms of pneumonia include shortness of breath, running nose, and blemishes of tissues lungs. If a baby desires the liquid, there will be bubbles in its nose, so to avoid this make the baby onward quickly so that its head becomes down. Hold the baby safe until the liquid is cleared from the nose. You don’t have to do anything else, do this, and I am sure the baby will be all fine—restart feeding when their nose is healed.
Bloating
Bloating in baby squirrels is caused by overeating, irregular diet, and parasites. Please do not feed them water until they are not fully recovered. For recovery, sink its lower half in warm water and give them a massage. Try this many times. You can also use gas drops (simethicone) to eliminate gas from them.
FAQs
As they live in wildlife, so there are a lot of bacteria and things that make these innocent babies sick.
Almost all babies live in nests from where the mother squirrel brings her babies.
When born, they are around 3-4 cm long, have 2-3 cm of a tail, and weigh around 5-8 grams.
You also know that they are wild nature animals. Every baby like to live in its natural habitat with its mother. Their mother takes care of them according to their natural habitat. So I think their natural habitat is better than ours.
Don’t feed baby squirrels too much because if you overfeed them, they will get sick.
Conclusion
Baby squirrels are human-like human babies. They ask for good food for a good upbringing. So if you want to grow a baby squirrel, it is a must that you should be ready for this because a single carelessness of yours can lead them to a dangerous disease—for example, overfeeding, irregular diet, and other minor things. There must be a proper diet plan for baby squirrels. If baby squirrels get sick, they must go for their checkup by veterinarians. You must follow the treatment plan routine-wise given by the doctor. So these were the common carings for baby squirrels that a caregiver should follow.
