How to Take Care of Baby Squirrels

It's a natural instinct to want to take care of a baby squirrel that has fallen at the bottom of a tree, but it might not need your help. Most likely the mother squirrel will bring its baby back up to the nest. A mother squirrel will come back for its baby even if it has a human's scent on it. However, monitor the baby squirrel for a couple hours, and if the mother doesn't return, then you can rescue it.

Things You'll Need

  • Heating pad or bottle
  • Syringe
  • Formula
  • Cage
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Instructions

    • 1

      Carefully place the baby squirrel into a blanket and bring it back to your house. Examine the squirrel to make sure it doesn't have any injuries. Since the squirrel has been away from its mother, it's probably cold and dehydrated. Use a heating pad or heating bottle to warm up the squirrel. If the squirrel has injuries, warm it up and get it to a veterinarian or animal hospital that cares for wildlife.

    • 2

      Determine the age of the squirrel so you know what kind of formula or food it needs. See the Squirrel Feeding Schedule listed under the Additional Resources of this article. The older in weeks that the squirrel is, the more formula it requires. Or it might be able to eat some solid food like vegetables, fruits and nuts.

    • 3

      Feed the baby squirrel formula from a 1 or 5 cc syringe. Pedialyte can be used to hydrate the squirrel and ebsilac powder can be fed to it on a regular basis. The formula should be at room temperature. Feed the formula slowly to the squirrel and make sure that it doesn't swallow any air bubbles. If this happens, turn the squirrel upside down and pat its back so the formula clears out of its nose. After each feeding, clean its face with a wet cloth and use a wet cotton ball to stimulate its bladder.

    • 4

      Set up a cage for the squirrel with a hammock where it can rest. A bowl of water should also be in the cage. When squirrels get older, they must be returned to the wild. If they are not returned to the wild, it's unlikely that they will survive.

    • 5

      Arrange for the squirrel to have a cage mate. Squirrels are social so being around other squirrels can help make going back to the wild an easier transition.

    • 6

      Release the squirrel back into the wild when it is 12 or more weeks old. Provide it with sunflower seeds temporarily until you notice that it's well settled. If possible, it's best to release them in the spring or summer so they have time to prepare for the fall and winter months.