Is it possible to keep Squirrels as a pet?

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Is it possible to keep Squirrels as a pet?

Squirrels and other wild animals make poor pets for numerous reasons. In various states it’s prohibited to keep them as pets, some states need licenses, and in other states, individuals are required to have wildlife rehabilitation training. Ann Arbor Squirrel control service can give further information about the difficulties on having wild animals as pets. Some folks want to discover a way around all this license nonsense, and while it’s tough to conceal a deer, adorable fluffy squirrels can fit a cage.

Squirrel as a Pet? Not So Fast

Wildlife rehabilitator and vet Terri Sutherland (not her real name because she gets a lot of rehab requests) take care of two unhealthy male squirrels who are not able to look after themselves; releasing them would be a death sentence. Here are some factors not to have a squirrel as an animal, amusing as they are.

Factors Not to Have Squirrels as Pets

The Squirrel Owns You
If you wish to go on vacation, you will need to find a house sitter with a great deal of patience and high pain tolerance. Even overnight trips need a house sitter.
Sharp Squirrel Nails
Those nails, which are created to pierce bark and permit them to climb trees, completely rake skin. The squirrels can simply walk across you and leave injuries. Landings leave sores
Sharp Squirrel Teeth
They do not have the bite inhibition reflex of domestic animals. If the first thing that crosses their brain is to bite, there is no counter-message to say that is a bad strategy. Since squirrels do not possess the chew inhibition reflex of domestic animals. If it looks tasty, it will be tasted. This includes wallpaper, drywall, furniture, and anything else you might have handy. Their teeth continue to grow throughout their lives. If you do not offer sufficient chewing products to wear these teeth down, the squirrel is in for severe illness.
Squirrel Diet Plan
Squirrels need a balanced diet that is time-consuming, difficult to provide, and expensive. A lot of money must be spent on supplements and filling in the gaps if you’re unable to provide a naturally balanced diet.
Squirrels Are Junk Food Addicts
People should not let their kids consume Twinkies for supper, and squirrels are no different.
Squirrel Energy
This is the amusing part of living with a squirrel, however, it is also the discouraging part. Squirrels need a ton of space and outside-the-cage time every day. Owning a squirrel is alike owning five young Labrador retrievers in a one-bedroom apartment.
Squirrel Messes
Squirrels like to keep their living areas tidy and toss anything “filthy” onto the flooring. This includes partly consumed bits of food, unliked food, wilted fruits and vegetables, nutshells, uneaten or partially consumed bugs, and other wastes. If your inquiring mind wishes to know, squirrels will hold on the side of their cages and aim the poop and pee onto the floor. They will poop as they run around your home. They often sit down and eat their own poop. Squirrels just want their own area to be neat and tidy. They don’t care about your area.

Are Squirrels Good as Pets?

The greatest factor to not own a squirrel is that they are wild animals, and if we genuinely like them, they deserve to be free. As time wore on, squirrels were progressively seen as pests; by the 1910s squirrels ended up being so abhorred in California that the state provided a widespread public attack on the once-adored creatures.

Are Squirrels Protected?

Starting in the early 20th century, individuals saw squirrels as pests, not animals. Squirrels were protected in wildlife conservation and exotic family pet laws. Today, it’s prohibited to keep a squirrel as an animal in lots of states. Animal experts think this is a good idea, due to the fact that squirrels are wild animals that, in spite of their cuteness, and must stay in the wild.