Help for a squirrel...

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TwoStroke

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There's a squirrel in my stable. It's burying it's head in my horse's shavings. It's tail is all raggledy... Any ideas on what to do with it?

TIA
 
It's grey. It's quite cute though. Every time I go near it buries it's head a little deeper. I think it might savage me if I try to touch it, though.
 
Put a bucket over it, something firm under it spider I'n glass style and drop it off at a vet maybe? It's obviously not well, could it have been hit by a car? They are full of manky lurgies so be careful.
 
Scoop it up in a bucket by putting it sideways and shoving it in with a shavings fork. Then put it on the muck heap or by a tree, two far more suitable place for burying its nuts. Hope it takes the hint and stays out your horses bed!
 
So I scooped him up in a bucket, as per hho instructions, and took him to the old rabbit hutch in my field. Why there is an old rabbit hutch in my field, I'm not sure. But now it is the residence of Mr. Squirrel. He chittered at me as I moved him.
 
TwoStroke said:
So I scooped him up in a bucket, as per hho instructions, and took him to the old rabbit hutch in my field. Why there is an old rabbit hutch in my field, I'm not sure. But now it is the residence of Mr. Squirrel. He chittered at me as I moved him.
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You aren't planning on keeping it captive I hope? You have to have a licence to do that.

Releasing grey squirrels is illegal too so best bet is to take it to a vet.
 
Moomin1 said:
You aren't planning on keeping it captive I hope? You have to have a licence to do that.

Releasing grey squirrels is illegal too so best bet is to take it to a vet.
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Why is releasing them illegal?? What if one got in to my house by accident - surely you can let it out again!!!
 
I left the hutch door open a crack so it could get out. Perhaps I should go to the police station and confess my crime?
 
But the squirrel in question has not been released it has just been moved from a stable to a field. It is the same location albeit just in a different place. It is not like this animal has been taken to a vets or rescue centre and then re-released which would be entirely a different matter.
I would also say though that I would not be keeping it if that is the intention. Has it just been placed in the hutch as a warm and dry place for it to go in. Is the door shut or open, it would be better open so the squirrel can go off and find a place again. If however the squirrel looks lethargic, injured, or ill in any way then it would be best going to a nearby rescue centre or wildlife centre.
 
It didn't look 100%, no. However I have no idea where any animal shelters are around here, and it's late. The hutch door is open; if the squirrel is still there in the morning I will consider taking it somewhere.
 
Of course you can release a squirrel, the death of one squirrel is not going to affect the status of red and grey squirels in thus country, unless you live in a marginal area, which most of us don't. :rolleyes:

OP hope the squiggle is gone tomorrow, if not give him some peanut butter, that livens em up :)
 
My son found a squirrel on our lane last year it was soaking wet and looked like it was going to squirrely heaven pretty soon, decided that if it was going to die it would do so in a warm dry place so put it in my airing cupboard. My son insisted we put peanuts and water in case it survived. It did survive and loved living in a warm room with plenty of nice food it took us 3 days to catch it and put it outside. Needless to say I had to re wash all my laundr:Dy! Moral of that story 'don't keep a squirrel in an airing cupboard'!
 
TwoStroke said:
It didn't look 100%, no. However I have no idea where any animal shelters are around here, and it's late. The hutch door is open; if the squirrel is still there in the morning I will consider taking it somewhere.
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They are classed as vermin I called animal rescue centres about the one we found and they said if they came they would destroy it.
 
Poor squirrel. Vermin or not, the way they bounce around all happy with their tail wiggling in that squirrely way makes me smile. Hope he survives.

Have you named him?? Nutkin?? I have a mouse that lives in Fred's stable in the right hand shavings bank (never anywhere else for some reason), it could be the same mouse that I keep catching or one of his many brothers but regardless he is called Houdini as he just keeps coming back.
 
Hit it over the head with a shovel grey squirrels are the reason that we are greatly lacking in song birds, they kill so many trees and need to be eradicated.

Bring back the red squirrel!
 
We used to have a squirrel called Beyonce at work, it had a huge bum and used to shoot out of a hole in one of the big green council bins, that was until it got run over :D
 
When I was very little. my mum rescued a baby squirrel from the garden - he was lying on the path. He lived in the house for a while (several weeks - the lounge curtains didn't look good) and we then tried to release him but he kept coming home. Eventually he came home less and less. Don't care they are vermin, they are so cute and he was very ciuddly and affectionate
 
Fantasy_World said:
But the squirrel in question has not been released it has just been moved from a stable to a field. It is the same location albeit just in a different place. It is not like this animal has been taken to a vets or rescue centre and then re-released which would be entirely a different matter.
I would also say though that I would not be keeping it if that is the intention. Has it just been placed in the hutch as a warm and dry place for it to go in. Is the door shut or open, it would be better open so the squirrel can go off and find a place again. If however the squirrel looks lethargic, injured, or ill in any way then it would be best going to a nearby rescue centre or wildlife centre.
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That is not a defence in the eyes of the law. The Wildlife and Countryside act offences are strict liability offences - ignorance and 'just left the door open' are not defences. It is an imprisonable offence potentially and you would be surprised how seriously it is taken (as is the spread of Japanese Knotweed). The minute you get that squirrel confined there is no excuse for letting it go again.

Don't get me wrong I love grey squirrels, and for those people saying to whack it over the head with a shovel, shame on you. But laws do have to be followed for a reason.

It sounds to me OP like there is something wrong with the squirrel for you to be able to catch it in the first place. A vet would have been the best option.
 
Foxhunter, I will have you know that the decline of songbirds is in truth due solely to an elderly female tabby that I used to own. She would bring home a dozen or so birds each day, ranging from fledglings to the aged...

I miss that cat...:(

Seem to recall reading an article that mentioned the squirrels were now crossbreeding and hybridising. And that their offspring benefitted by having a better immune system. Apparently reds are very vulnerable to a squirrel virus thing but greys aren't. The virus was here already, so it seems nature doesn't care much for the reds...

Of course, neither do cars. Motorists are apparently utterly colour blind with regards to their squirrel squishing ways...

OP - it wasn't/isn't rabid by any chance? Channel Tunnel paranoia kicking in...
 
TED2010 said:
This ^^ If you can catch it and it's sick anyway, knock it on the head or get someone else to for you. You aren't meant to release it if it's a grey squirrel.
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No, seriously, don't OP! :eek:

Why don't people just take them to the vets and get them pts humanely?!!
 
Because being trapped, taken on a car journey to an alien environment and having a needle stuck in you when you are a wild animal might just be more stressful than a swift knock on the head?

If OP has caught the thing then she has to eithrr release it or keep it! I would have done exactly what she has done.
 
Moomin1 said:
That is not a defence in the eyes of the law. The Wildlife and Countryside act offences are strict liability offences - ignorance and 'just left the door open' are not defences. It is an imprisonable offence potentially and you would be surprised how seriously it is taken (as is the spread of Japanese Knotweed). The minute you get that squirrel confined there is no excuse for letting it go again.

Don't get me wrong I love grey squirrels, and for those people saying to whack it over the head with a shovel, shame on you. But laws do have to be followed for a reason.

It sounds to me OP like there is something wrong with the squirrel for you to be able to catch it in the first place. A vet would have been the best option.
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Now hang on a minute,the law must be upheld,blah blah,criminal offence,etc,etc.....

For goodness sake this rat with a tail is not being released into the area,it already lives there.Its not like it has been bred in captiviy and then been released on purpose.So how can it be an offense.
And whats wrong with a whack on the head with a shovel,pretty dam quick way to despatch small furry rodents,lot less stress than taking it to vets i would say.
I think the world has gone mad.
 
marlyclay said:
Now hang on a minute,the law must be upheld,blah blah,criminal offence,etc,etc.....

For goodness sake this rat with a tail is not being released into the area,it already lives there.Its not like it has been bred in captiviy and then been released on purpose.So how can it be an offense.
And whats wrong with a whack on the head with a shovel,pretty dam quick way to despatch small furry rodents,lot less stress than taking it to vets i would say.
I think the world has gone mad.
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How do you know someone is capable of killing something outright? If someone kills outright in one blow, then no offence. If not (which is quite easily done if they aren't used to doing it) then they could easily cause untold suffering. If you think that is acceptable then you are a disgusting vile person to be quite frank.

And just for good measure, rats ALL have tails!! Oh and the correct spelling is 'offence' not 'offense'. You also ask why it is an offence?!! BECAUSE IT IS NOT NATIVE TO THIS COUNTRY AND IT IS AN OFFENCE TO RELEASE THEM ONCE CAUGHT. Who are you to question the law?! If you fancy some bedtime reading, look up the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
 
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Naturally said:
Because being trapped, taken on a car journey to an alien environment and having a needle stuck in you when you are a wild animal might just be more stressful than a swift knock on the head?

If OP has caught the thing then she has to eithrr release it or keep it! I would have done exactly what she has done.
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So I take it you would whack your dog/cat/horse over the head with a shovel instead of taking it/getting the vet out to humanely inject then?!! Or if you picked up an injured feral cat, or badger etc etc is that what you would do?!

Oh, and I thought you advocated a swift knock on the head over taking to the vets to pts, so how come you are saying that the only options OP has are to either release it or keep it?!! Ask yourself whether you SERIOUSLY think keeping a wild animal caged up as a pet is humane?!!
 
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