A Detailed Guide to Raising and Training the Red-Bellied Squirrel

The red-bellied squirrel has now become a new favorite pet for people. Its agile limbs, domineering buck teeth, and fluffy big tail are all favorites of pet owners! Not to mention its big, black, glossy eyes. How do you raise a red-bellied baby squirrel into your own personal pet? There is a lot of knowledge involved. Now the editor will share this with those who have already become, and are about to become, the poop-scooping servants of the mighty red-bellied squirrel.

How to raise a red-bellied squirrel

1. A red-bellied squirrel around 3 months old is best to start with. Too young and it is hard to keep alive; too old and it is not easy to tame so it bonds with people. When a red-bellied squirrel first arrives home, it is very dirty, but do not bathe it, as it easily gets sick! Feed it milk-soaked sugar-free cake and apple (when feeding, call its name so that when it hears it, it will run over to you and eat from your hand). After one or two months, you can feed it raw sunflower seeds.

2. Let it get enough sleep every day, and give it a warm and comfortable environment to sleep in. At this time, the red-bellied squirrel will spend most of its time sleeping, and from time to time it will run all over the house getting familiar with the environment. At this time you must be careful: squirrels at this stage are clumsy and cute, moving with same-side front and back legs, so be careful not to step on it.

3. When the mighty one is 6 months old, can understand you calling its name, and interact with you, you can take it out for a walk! Attach a leash securely, bring its favorite food when going out, call its name from time to time, and give it a piece of food. If it lies down and refuses to walk, do not drag it hard, as it is easy to strain its paws.

4. At this point the mighty one's teeth start growing in, so you need to feed it hard nuts! Raw walnuts are the best choice! The food should be varied: cored apple, raw peanuts, raw sunflower seeds, raw pine nuts, raw chestnuts, and so on are all fine. Note that it should be low in salt, and do not give too much at one time, to prevent it from overeating.

5. When it is young, let the squirrel get used to your scent and your touch. Expensive nuts should not be fed often, in case it becomes picky. Do not keep disturbing it when it is sleeping, or it may get annoyed and bite! The editor learned this the hard way, covered in blood.

6. When the mighty one is about half a year old, you can feed it some calcium tablets from time to time to prevent rickets. Clean the cage regularly and change the cloth in its nest. You can keep it half free-range and half in a cage. It is best to raise two red-bellied squirrels together from a young age; if they are too old, they may not get along.

How to train a red-bellied squirrel

1. Do not rush to grab a squirrel that has just arrived by express delivery. Put it in a relatively large cage with enough space to move around. Squirrels are impatient, and a small space plus an unfamiliar new environment and fear can cause it to jump around for a few minutes after arrival and then die. So before buying a squirrel, you must first prepare a large cage.

2. Put food and water in the cage and let it adapt for two days first and get familiar with the environment. You can also put clothes you no longer wear inside so it gets used to your scent. Try to feed it at fixed times, just like people's three meals a day. Call its name when feeding, and over time it will come as soon as you call. Do not say you have no time; this is something that requires running-in, and only with effort is there reward. Even if you are playing games or on your phone, you can put it by your side and just let it watch you.

3. How to handle it and get it onto your shoulder. Through the above two methods, first let the squirrel not be afraid of you, then stroke it while it is sleeping or eating, and slowly pet it. If it resists, do not force-grab it; if it gets anxious it will bite you, and all your previous work will have been wasted. Put a treat on your hand to entice it; when there is food, it will ignore everything else. This is a very effective method.

How to bathe a squirrel

1. Fill half a basin with warm water, preferably 30-40 degrees. For the first bath, do not use body wash; first let the squirrel get used to the feeling of being wet. Afterward, the recommended option is the Johnson's baby bath series (HP neutral, does not sting the eyes), or some other pet bathing products.

2. Put the red-bellied squirrel in a wire cage (pay attention to the water level; it should only submerge half of it) and directly drop it into the basin, letting it thrash about (like dunking a pig in a cage). At this time, observe the squirrel's condition. If the red-bellied squirrel is not afraid of water, you can take away the cage. Support the squirrel with your left hand, half-soaked in the water, and use your right hand to massage and scratch it. 5 minutes is enough.

3. After the bath, pay attention to the amount of force, and gently push off the water on its body and tail. Then spread out a towel and wrap the squirrel in it to wipe it dry. Some are more rambunctious and will run onto their owner and rub themselves dry. At this point, either immediately grab it back into your hand, or wait until the squirrel has happily rubbed itself and then go change clothes.

4. Wipe it until it is more or less not dripping, then put it back into the small cage with a small towel spread underneath, and place it in the sun to let the squirrel groom itself (personally, I do not recommend a hair dryer, as the sound is too loud and easily scares it). Be sure to tie shut the door of the wire cage.

5. Before the fur on its body is dry, the squirrel will keep grooming itself. Once it is completely dry, you can let it out.

How much does a red-bellied squirrel cost

The retail price of a red-bellied squirrel is roughly 180-2500 (this price range includes factors such as fur color and seasonality). So ones with better-looking fur color are more expensive, and season is also a major factor affecting price, but mainly if you find one you like, price is not a problem.

Now it has reached the off-season for squirrels. Red-bellied squirrel pups are basically unavailable. What you can buy now are only juveniles around 60 to 100 days old. Compared with pups, juveniles are harder to train. At this time the squirrel begins to have a bit of wildness, will not let you grab it, cannot be handled, and still bites. This is also the reason many keepers do not want to raise sub-adult squirrels.