How to Raise a Baby Squirrel

Rearing a squirrel by hand is no task for the faint of heart. Just like parenting, it’s a labor of love, and greatly rewarding, even if it is challenging and sometimes stressful. No matter the circumstances of how you’ve come into caring for a baby squirrel, there’s lots that you need to take into account if you’re looking to raise and maintain healthy, lively squirrels who will go on to live a happy life, whether in the wild or in your home. Before you choose to foster a squirrel, first check to see if it is legal in your area, (you can check here for information on Canada and the US) and then follow the following steps to safely keep the baby alive and healthy. Squirrels require specialized care, so becoming a squirrel foster should only be undertaken by someone dedicated to their care.

The Items That You Need

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These are the items that you will need right away so that you can keep the baby alive until they reach 6 weeks old. If you’re unsure of the baby’s age, check this article for information.

• A plastic bin with a lid. (Buy here.)
• A heating pad that doesn't turn off. (Buy here.)
• Puppy milk replacer, such as Esbilac. (Buy here.)
• Unflavored rehydration solution. (Buy here.)
• A feeding syringe that allows you to control the flow. (Buy here.)
• Fleece or flannel to line the container. It helps to have 2-3 to change out the bedding quickly and easily. (Buy here.)
• A small electric scale. (Buy here.)

The First Steps to Take

Check on the Quality of the Baby's Health

1. First, check the baby for any injuries. You can do this by doing touch tests, such as touching the face, giving the paws a gentle squeeze, and stretching the limbs to see if the baby responds. The baby should move and react to touch. There may also be visible cuts, bruising, or swelling that could indicate injury. If this is the case, look up local rehabbers and vets on ahnow.org. They will be best equipped to keep your rescue alive and healthy, and able to return to the wild where they belong. Some injuries might not be immediately apparent, such as internal bleeding. If this is the case, the baby squirrel is likely to be lethargic and refuse to eat.
2. If the baby is not showing any signs of injury, you next need to inspect them for fly eggs. These will look like white or beige grains of rice located around the eyes, ears, and the anus. If you see these, they need to be removed and killed immediately. If they are not removed, they will hatch into maggots that will begin to eat at the baby, even while it’s alive.
3. Next, check if the baby is dehydrated. Generally speaking, it’s safe to assume that the baby is dehydrated to some degree, as you don’t know how long they’ve been laying on the ground, or how long it’s been since the baby last fed. If you give the skin on the belly a gentle pinch, you will see the skin sit up in a peak. Count how many seconds it takes for the skin to return to a flat position. If it takes longer than 4 seconds, than the baby is likely dangerously dehydrated.
4. Finally, take a look at how big the baby is. If they’re extremely skinny, they may be starving. If this is the case, the baby will need smaller, more frequent feedings to get them up to the normal feeding schedule.

Starting Care

Now that you’ve done the basic checks to make sure that the baby is okay, it’s time to start delivering the first stage of care.

Set up your plastic bin.

Yes, it absolutely needs to be plastic. Using a cardboard box will dehydrate the baby. Line the box with a fleece or flannel fabric. Towels and terrycloth will catch their little nails, which can lead to injury if they’re trying to yank their paw away from the towel, as well as cause unneeded stress to the baby.

Warm the baby.

To start, make a rice baby, or use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. To make a rice baby, fill a sock with 1 cup of uncooked rice or beans and tie it off. Microwave the rice baby for 30 seconds, then give it a squish to make sure that the heat is evenly distributed, and there aren’t any excessively hot spots that could burn the baby squirrel. Place the rice baby or water bottle into the bin, and place the baby next to it, then cover the baby with the fabric. Do not use a heating lamp, as this can also dehydrate the baby. Once the baby is warmed enough to eat, switch to a heating pad without an auto-shutoff that can be placed underneath half of the bin (not inside of it.) Set the heating pad to the Low Setting. Important note: do NOT try to feed the baby before it is warmed! If you feed them when they still have a low body temperature, the digestive system will slow, resulting in the formula you feed them rotting in their belly.

Rehydrate the baby before feeding.

To do this, you can use unflavored Pedialyte (preferably diluted with water at a 1:1 ratio) or you can make your own at home. In 2 cups of boiled water, dissolve a teaspoon and a half of sugar, and half a teaspoon of salt. Use a syringe or dropper to introduce any fluids or formula to the squirrel.

When warming the fluid, either set up a small container that can be placed into a bowl of boiled water, or fill your syringe and let it float in the hot water. Test the temperature of the fluid on the inside of your wrist as you would a baby bottle. The liquid should feel very warm, but it shouldn’t be hot. Baby squirrels will not properly eat if the fluid offered is lukewarm or cold.

Next, wrap the baby in a warm cloth (I prefer the baby washcloths like these) and hold it in an upright position. Place the syringe to the side of the baby’s mouth, and introduce a single drop at a time. It is imperative that you go slowly when feeding. The baby will take time to figure out feeding, and if it is over eager to eat, it can suck down the fluid too quickly, and it may aspirate, which will lead to aspiration pneumonia.

If you see the fluid come out of it’s nose or dribbling down the chin, you’re feeding the baby too quickly! If this happens, flip the baby upside down and wipe their nose. Return to an upright position, then hold them upside down again until the fluid stops leaking from the nose. If you’re concerned that the baby has inhaled fluid, wait at least 10–15 minutes after the feeding, and listen to their lungs. If they’ve inhaled the fluid, you will hear a clicking sound on each inhale and exhale. It’s important that you give time before listening, as sometimes their swallowing can make a clicking sound that could confuse you. If they’ve aspirated, you must get them to a vet immediately, as aspiration pneumonia can be fatal if not treated with antibiotics right away.

Give the baby as much hydration fluid as it will take. If the baby is extremely weak, it is normal that they may only accept a few drops at a time. Offer them the fluid every 15 minutes until you see a change. If the baby is very dehydrated but not weak, give the hydration fluid every 30 minutes until you see that they’re more aware and functional.

Do not give a baby squirrel sport drinks like Gatorade or plain tap water, and do not overhydrate. Once they are responsive and perked up, they will require nutrition via the puppy milk replacer. Do not mix the formula with the hydration fluid. Instead, offer hydration between feedings. Continuously do the dehydration pinch, as dehydration may come back at any point.

Do not use a syringe with a nipple on it! This makes it far easier for the baby to aspirate, as they are the ones controlling the flow, and not you!

Feeding the baby squirrel.

Once the baby is active and aware, you can begin feeding it. Use the same syringe techniques as with the rehydration solution to prevent the possibility of aspiration.

Choosing the right formula:

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t simply give a baby squirrel any formula you can get your hands on, or cow’s milk. Kitten milk is not sufficient, nor is human baby formula. For pinkies that are 10 days old or younger, use a homemade goat milk formula:

• 3 tablespoons of goat milk
• 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
• Half an egg yolk

If you’re unable to find goat milk in the store (typically it can be found in the grocery store), you can use canned or powdered goat milk. Mix it according to label instructions.

Once the baby is older than 10 days, you can switch to Esbilac or Fox Valley 32/40. When the baby is 4 weeks and older, you can use Esbilac, or switch to Fox Valley 20/50. No matter which brand you prefer, the baby squirrel must be fed puppy milk replacer, and no other formula for other animals.

Figuring Out How Much to Feed

When trying to figure out how much your squirrel baby needs to eat, we use the 7% Feeding Rule. First, weigh your baby to find out their weight in grams. Multiple the number by 0.07. This will give you how many milliliters or CC’s of formula they need to be eating per feeding. Weigh them daily or every other day to make sure they’re still gaining the weight as they should, and adjust the feeding amount as needed.

Feeding Schedule

As the baby grows, it will fall into it’s natural rhythm of eating from dawn until dusk. Typically, squirrels will sleep through the night, as they are not nocturnal little creatures.

• 0–7 Days — Feed every 2 hours, and once overnight.
• 1–2 Weeks — Feed every 3 hours, and once overnight.
• 2–4 Weeks — Feed every 3–4 hours, and overnight only if needed.
• 4–6 Weeks — Feed every 4 hours. Overnight feedings should no longer be necessary.
• 6–7 Weeks — Feed every 5 hours.

As you get past these ages, you will be able to steadily wean the baby off of the formula and onto solid foods. Most squirrels will fully wean themselves off of the formula by 12–16 weeks old.

Toileting Your Baby Squirrel

Before 6 weeks old, your baby squirrel will need help with urination and bowel movements. This means that you will need to stimulate them to empty their bladder and bowels. You can use a warm cotton pad, q-tips, or a soft cloth to gently rub the genitals and anus to help them to relieve themselves. This can sometimes take about 2 minutes of stimulation before they begin to empty themselves, and they won’t pee and poop every single time you feed them. This should be done before and after feedings. You’ll see over time which the baby prefers.

While this task might not seem the most desirable, it’s entirely necessary for the sake of survival. Without making sure that their bladder and intestines are emptied fully, you’re sentencing the baby to a horribly painful death.

Final Thoughts

In coming articles, we will go over a variety of the issues you might run into as you raise your baby, as well as what the next stages of rearing a squirrel for release, as well as for home life as a pet.

Finally, if you’re raising a squirrel, whether as a pet or for release, please realize that there has to be a threshold where you are willing to bring them into wildlife rehabilitation if they’re not doing well. While we do tend to become attached to our furry little sweethearts, we need to be able to swallow our pride if needed. Keep a list of exotic pet and wildlife friendly rehabbers and vets on hand, as not all will be willing to take them on, or they may run out of room to take them in if you’re not prepared. It’s a good idea to also have the contacts for rehabbers and vets who are in towns and cities outside of your own, as many are willing to come and either pick the squirrel up, or meet you halfway in order to bring them in to treat, rehab, and release.