Caring For Infant Squirrels (Kits)

Female squirrels normally give birth to at least three Kits which are born blind and naked. These Kits measures about an inch or two only and would literally die without its mother's care. They don't have any chances of survival outside their nest and for an entire 75 days, they will be completely dependent to their mother for food and warmth. The mother will teach these Kits how to look for their own after this period is over. Eventually, these Kits will grow to become adult squirrels themselves which are ready for mating and reproduction as well. But before that happens, it is the mother that teaches them how to climb and how to do everything that will help them survive on their own after they detach from their mother.

However, there are many situations that can render a Kit orphan. For example, a simple storm would be enough to knock-down a nest and make all the Kits in it fall on the ground where they are completely helpless from predators. Or, their mother could die because of that storm, leaving the Kits to die in hunger waiting for their mother to come home. However, the storm is the most common reason why some Kits become orphans, but the lack of space. Some female squirrels are not conscious enough to build a large nest that can contain all its babies which are fast growing. As the Kits grow, they would end up crowding the nest too and they would push each other after several weeks. The mother squirrel would pick up fallen Kits, but unfortunately, the mother squirrel has this tendency to just don't mind an injured squirrel.

Human Help

Humans by nature are inclined to be fond of squirrels and it is very rare for humans who find infant squirrels to let them die without trying to help. However, it was later observed that sometimes it is better for us to keep away from a fallen Kit first (at least for several hours) to see if the mother will pick up the Kit. If we become too hasty and try to "help" the Kit immediately, we might have robbed it with its chance of being with its mother which is actually the best one to provide the Kit with whatever helps that it needs. However, if after several hours the mother has not appeared yet or if the baby squirrel is in the position where it can be harmed (eaten by predators, etc.), then it can be acceptable for us to finally intervene.

The first thing that should be done is to examine the squirrel for possible injuries. If the squirrel seems to be very distressed or if it has a bleeding wound, it is better for you to call for professional help immediately. Taking more time to try help the Kit on your own during such a complicated situation will only harm the squirrel more.

If the squirrel looks alright, check if it is dehydrated. To do this test, what you need to do is to check it nose and mouth to see if these exhibit dryness. The mucous membranes on the Kit's nose and mouth should appear tacky and red if it is dry. Also check for the pliability of the squirrel's skin. Just pinch the skin on the Kit's back, if your pinch remains to appear on the Kit's skin after the pinch, then the Kit is definitely dehydrated.

Dehydration can also kill the Kit if left for long, so after you have verified that the Kit is indeed dehydrated, immediately apply treatment. You can treat the squirrel yourself if you have the right tools and materials. But before you start to do anything else, you need to warm the Kit's body to 98 degrees Fahrenheit by wrapping the Kit in a warm towel for a couple of minutes.

If you are sure that the Kit is already warm enough, start introducing the medications to the Kit. Warm 1cc of "Pedialyte" and inject it into the Kit using a small syringe. This medicine is use hydrate human babies, should work just fine for baby squirrels too. This medicine is an over-the-counter drug so you can buy this in pharmacies anytime. If the medicine is not available, you can improvise by using the energy drink called "Gatorade". This drink is very popular that you can buy it from most stores, even the very small ones. When introducing the fluid, you need to make sure that the Kit is kept warm. This level of warmth should be kept too even during feeding (after the Kit is treated).

The Kit should be fed with "Esbilac" that is carefully mixed with water. Although other milk formulas can be used, Esbilac is mostly recommended because it is designed as a milk supplement for puppies, thus it is readily available in pet stores and it is not very much foreign to animals like squirrels. You need to allow the Kit "suck" the milk slowly. This may take a little practice but it is the best way to help the Kit survive as if it is still in its nest.

To mix the right Esbilac milk, you need to mix the following: 1/2 cup Esbilac, 1 cup water and 1/2 whipping cream. The cream that you should use should be fortified with vitamins and minerals in order to provide the Kit with the extra advantages of "formula" milk. However, some squirrels might be allergic to Esbilac and they would experience diarrhoea. If that's the case, choose PetAg which is an Esbilac product that is made from goat's milk.

Feeding Guide

0-2 weeks of age needs 9 feedings a day which starts at around 6AM and ends at 10PM. Overall, the interval between each "meal" should be two hours only and during each "meal", the Kit should be fed with at least 1/4 teaspoon of formula milk.

2-3 weeks, needs 5 feedings a day. Each meal should be about 1 and 1/2 cubic centimetres of milk formula and can be increase on a daily basis up to 3 cubic centimetres.

4-5 weeks, should be fed 4 times in a day. Measure of each meal should be 3 and a half to 5 cc.

6-7 weeks, still fed 4 times a day but with 6 cc of milk formula for each meal. The amount of milk fed can increase up to 9 cc.

8 weeks, fed twice a day with 10 to 14 cc of formula milk. You can also start to introduce solid food to the Kit for as long as they are cut into small pieces.

The infant should also relief itself after each meal in order to stay healthy. To stimulate this you, use a cotton bud dampened with oil and rub in gently across the Kit's genitals.