Squirrel

If you find a baby squirrel on the ground, it is possible it fell out of the nest.  If there are visible injuries such as blood, puncture wounds or broken bones, PLEASE CALL US.  If there are no visible injuries but the baby is cold, the most important thing you need to do is get it warm.   

There are several ways to warm up a baby but be sure you do not overheat the baby or heat it up too quickly.  One option to warm up the baby is to put the baby on a soft piece of cloth or fleece in a container with a heating pad on LOW setting underneath the container and only under HALF of the container.  Leaving HALF of the container bottom surface off the heating pad allows the baby to crawl to the cooler side if it gets too hot.  Another option is to put dry rice or beans in a sock, tie the end, and heat in the microwave for a minute or so. Put the heated sock near but not on the baby.  Be careful with overheating the sock; you just want the sock to be warm.

Once the baby is warm, you can attempt to reunite it with the mother.  Mother squirrels will often carry a baby back to the nest, but the baby has to be warm or the mother will think it is dead.  Place the warm baby squirrel and the container under the tree where you found the baby squirrel.  Leave the area or hide yourself because the mother will not come for the baby if she knows you are near.  If the mother has not claimed the baby in a few hours or if, upon checking, the baby is cold again, bring the baby into the house to warm again.  Do not leave a baby squirrel in a container outside overnight as it will be killed/eaten by a predator.

DO NOT FEED THE BABY.  Keep the baby warm and dry in a quiet and safe place inside.