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A

Anonymous

Nov 29, 2024

i have a pet squirrel what do i feed him?

I found an injured wild squirrel and would like some guidance on how to care for him. Specifically, what should I feed him to ensure he stays healthy?

10 Answers

A
Anonymous

Nov 15, 2024

SquirrelRescue is an excellent squirrel site that I often use that has complete diet information including daily recommendations (DR). Following are some of the foods suggested:

Rodent Lab Block

DR 2 to 4 small blocks

Vegetables

DR 2 to 3 slices

asparagus

cucumber

green beans

peas

pumpkin

Fruit

DR 2 slices

bananas

cantaloupe

cherries

grapes

pears

Nuts and Seeds

DR 2 nuts still in shell

pecans

peanuts

roasted unsalted pumpkin seeds

sesame seeds (high in calcium)

walnuts

Wild and Natural foods

DR unlimited whilst in season

pine cones

roses

dandelion greens

Animal Protein

live or dried mealworms

crickets

hard-boiled eggs

plain yogurt

Teeth Trimming Accessories

tree branches

sea shells

cuttlebone

You do need to be aware that not all trees are safe to chew on. Following is a list from a gerbil site I use of safe and unsafe wood:

http://egerbil.com/safe_woods_for_gerbils

SquirrelRescue has a more thorough list of foods you can give the little guy. The link is below:

http://www.squirrel-rescue.com/squirrel-diet.htm

It is good you are asking about nutrition as proper diet is necessary to prevent MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). MBD occurs from inadequate calcium and Vitamin D from sunlight conversion. It can begin in as little as 5 days. (The above diet link has a list of foods high in calcium.)Details on MBD and how to prevent/treat it are as follows:

http://www.squirrel-rescue.com/squirrel-diseases.h…

SquirrelRescue also has information on caring for an injured squirrel along with links to wildlife rehabilitaors. Following is the homepage containing the links:

http://www.squirrel-rescue.com/

You might also be interested in visiting the SquirrelBoard. It is an active and current squirrel forum with categories on life threatening help, non-life threatening help, nutrition and rehabilitator locations to name a few. You can also post on the forum once you register. At the very least it will give you emotional support which I always find to be a help in these kind of situations. The link to the forum follows:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/index.php

I wish you all the best with this squirrel. I am a huge fan of them, and feed the local ones on our deck every day. This past Summer I came across an injured one, too; likely from an encounter with a hawk. His right eye was swollen shut, and one of his front paws was broken. Fortunately he was mobile, so I just had to make sure I left plenty of shelled nuts and other easy to handle food along with fresh water outside. The story has a happy ending as both his eye and his paw healed. I hope your little one has an equally happy ending.

A
Anonymous

Jan 26, 2025

This Site Might Help You.

RE:

i have a pet squirrel what do i feed him?

i caught a wild squirrel that was injured i would like to know what to feed him.

A
Anonymous

Dec 13, 2024

Well squirrels all love peanuts so i suggest to feed him/her some. and also be careful not to spoil the squirrel so much because it will always depend on you for its food and wont be able to live on its own so you got to be careful

A
Anonymous

Feb 06, 2025

CORN:

Leave out dried ears of corn for your local squirrel population. They will enjoy working to get all the kernels off the cob.

SEEDS:

While many squirrels are partial to sunflower seeds, they also love pumpkin seeds and squash seeds. Seed cakes are an excellent choice for your squirrel population as well.

NUTS:

Squirrels love to munch on all kinds of nuts. You can feed them shelled nuts, but squirrels are perfectly capable of shelling the nuts themselves, and they are fun to watch while doing it.

FRUITS:

Because squirrels enjoy the occasional fruity treat, toss out fruit scraps from the kitchen or buy a mix of dried fruits for your squirrel habitat.

SQUIRREL FEED:

Commercial foods formulated specifically for squirrels are available from local pet stores and farm supply stores. These feeds are usually made from corn, peanuts and various seeds.

CONSIDERATIONS:

Supply your squirrel population with their own squirrel-specific feeder. Sunflower seeds are a great choice to tempt squirrels that have been using bird feeders to start using their own feeders. Just mix in some tasty sunflower seeds with their other food to attract them to their new feeder.

Squirrels are primarily vegetarians, living on seeds, nuts, fruits, fungi, lichens, buds, mushrooms, roots, pine cones, leaves, twigs and bark. They do not normally eat meat. However, if faced with hunger, they have been known to eat bird eggs, snails and insects.

They eat:

Acorns

Apple

Walnuts of trees

peanut butter with bread probably

Well a squirrel might eat an egg if it was laying there, like if someone threw it like to taste it and if they don’t like it they most likely might spit it out.good luck with your squirrel and remember to bring it back where it came from when its fine and ready.

A
Anonymous

Dec 25, 2024

We have fed our squirrel a fruit & berry nut wildbird food. We also give him apples pieces, unsalted peanuts, crackers, cheese. We try just about everything we eat except chocolate. Our Rocky has a super sweet tooth! Make sure he has a nesting area. Ours has some hanging ferret houses. We also put different kinds of branches in his cage so he can gnaw on them. Make sure he always has fresh water. Best of luck!

A
Anonymous

Dec 13, 2024

Feed him nuts and berries and whatever else they would find in the wild. Lol is the squirrel cute??

A
Anonymous

Dec 01, 2024

All fruits are fresh vegetables. A “vegetable” is a plant, any part of which can be used for food.

A
Anonymous

Feb 13, 2025

in most areas you need a lisence to own a squirrel. you should call your local aspca and they will heal him and release him back into the wild when he is ready. that is the best thing for him 8]

A
Anonymous

Dec 17, 2024

Why on earth would you catch a squrril? Well, just feed them nuts.

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