Baby Oscar, Not Being Released

A very sleek Oscar.

Not until spring, that is. He was going to be released yesterday, actually, but it called for rain so the date was put off until today.

Although two of the female squirrels, Jackie and Missy, are probably ready, the younger female, Honey, is not. And as there was an unexpected snowfall yesterday that did not melt, it is deemed that the foursome should overwinter inside and then be released to the first warmth of spring.

See you back here in six months!

Such  a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables but Oscar still enjoys avocado the most.

Note the long white hairs in Oscar's tail. Maybe there's a bit of skunk in the family history.

Release Date Set

Yes, Oscar and his harem should be ready to be set free come October 30, 2010. The two older females, Jackie and Missy are ready to go and so's Oscar. However, Honey, is two weeks behind so if she's not ready, both Oscar and her will be wintered over inside. Hopefully, however, this won't be the case.

Oscar, the little escapee. Looks like a missile with really interesting feet.

We call him Big Foot, but not to his face!
Cheers, Shannon

The Sweetest Rodent in the World!

Oscar perches above where a dish of  his favourite food has been placed.

 Feast your eyes on these photos taken today. If in a couple of photos,  it looks like a squirrel is on the other side of the cage, you're guessing correctly. Oscar escaped! Lead us a merry chase.
Fun!

An overview of the two cages that are placed right up against one another so that the four squirrels become socialized.

See the tiny face peaking out?

Oops, Oscar dashed through the door when it was opened just enough to get a hand through when we went to pick him up. Here he is, on the outside looking in at Missy.

He wasn't keen on getting placed back in the cage.

Finally, he was tricked into going back inside. Five more minutes and it would have been time to net him.

Here he is with Missy and Jackie.  Honey, two weeks younger than Oscar  lives in the abutting cage.

Adorable!

Shannon in Ottawa

Visiting Oscar Tomorrow!

Updated photos and info. coming tomorrow on Baby Squirrel Oscar. I will be traveling to the outskirts of Ottawa where Oscar is in sanctuary due to draconian Ministry of Natural Resources dictates on the raising of wildlife by ordinary people.

Oscar has been living the life of Riley with three buddies, Missy, Jackie and  Honey. They have a palatial cage with superb care and all the delicious squirrel-type food they could ever desire.

 They have a nesting box in which they curl up and enjoy one another's body warmth. They are very happy little rodents!

Above are photos of Oscar from two weeks ago when I visited him. He was 12 weeks old at the time and amazingly, even though I hadn't seen him in more than a week, he remembered me. Imagine, that pea-sized brain recalling...a presence be it voice recognition or some visual clue or a smell locked in his head.

On the right is an alert and charming Oscar. Look at the long toenails on this critter! Click on photo to enlarge it.

And the photo of the teeny, naked, blind, and deaf embryo-like creature is Oscar as he was delivered to me by my cat in July. There are tiny puncture marks where the cat gripped him in his mouth, like a kitten, to bring him home. We think that the young mother squirrel may have given birth to Oscar two weeks prematurely which is why, for a long time, he was lagging behind in development.

Keep close by as I'll have photos and an update tomorrow on this amazing little being who has brought so much to so many people's lives.

All best, Shannon