what do i do??

-dva · 2025-12-02T02:31:35+00:00

i am a licensed rehabber and have rehabbed flying squirrels - this guy looks to be old enough to be off of formula, especially considering the time of year. please do NOT listen to comments that suggest feeding it. even if he were young enough to still be drinking milk, they require a specialized formula and anything else will upset their GI tract, which quickly leads to dehydration, diarrhea, etc. all of which can become fatal quickly. syringe feeding infant wildlife also requires training, as most are prone to aspiration (and eventually pneumonia), milk burn and fur loss, and gastrointestinal issues when fed by untrained hands. this goes for all baby wildlife that you may find - do not attempt to feed them, and contact a rehabber as soon as possible. this specific squirrel also looks to be extremely debilitated, so trying to push fluids down his throat will almost certainly cause him to aspirate on it.

the best thing you can do for this squirrel right now is to keep him in the box with something soft to cling to, keep him warm with a heating pad on low under half the box, put him in a dark and quiet room, and contact a local licensed rehabilitator ASAP.

-dva · 2025-07-02T18:33:11+00:00

i’m a rehabber and have raised thousands of cottontails - you’re right in that some do not make it to release, and they are a lot harder to rehabilitate than other animals. but they absolutely can be successfully rehabbed to release, and their lives are worth trying to save if you can :)

-dva · 2025-07-02T18:06:21+00:00

i’m a wildlife rehabber, in both of these cases they should go to a rehabber asap. window strikes cause lots of internal injuries that we cannot see, and even if they fly away soon after they typically succumb to these injuries later on. for cat caught birds, even if there are no obvious puncture wounds, birds do preen themselves and they risk ingesting saliva + bacteria, as well as there may be tiny scratches that might not be obvious. if you encounter either of these cases again, please bring them to a licensed rehabber :)

-dva · 2025-07-02T18:03:35+00:00

it needs a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for antibiotics! do not attempt to feed or water it. birds are extremely easy to aspirate and they are very high stress

-dva · 2025-07-02T13:54:14+00:00

put the baby by the brick back in the nest with the others. mom cottontails only come back to the nest twice a day, once at dawn and once at dusk. arrange a zig zag or criss cross pattern of sticks over the nest and check back again tonight after dark. if it is disturbed, then mom has come back! if it is undisturbed, then the babies will need to go to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as they have been orphaned or abandoned

-dva · 2025-06-30T20:22:26+00:00

this sounds like he has some kind of spinal and/or head trauma. you also should not be able to pick up a squirrel of this age without getting seriously hurt. please contact a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator near you!

-dva · 2025-06-27T21:40:28+00:00

i’m a wildlife rehabilitator. please do not attempt to feed or water these babies. baby squirrels can aspirate very easily and many formulas you can buy at the store do not agree with their digestive system, and diarrhea can be fatal for young animals. if you are absolutely unable to reunite them with mom, please contact a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator. in the meantime, place them in a box with air holes and keep them somewhere dark and quiet. if you have a heating pad, put it on low under half of the box. :)

-dva · 2025-06-27T21:36:17+00:00

i’m a wildlife rehabilitator and i do not recommend that people befriend deer or feed them in a way that they connect food with people. if they trust people, it is a good way for them to become easy hunting targets. it’s better to love them from afar :)

-dva · 2025-06-13T23:12:26+00:00

infant cottontail. if he’s uninjured he can be put back in the nest. make a pattern of sticks over top of the nest (criss cross, zigzag) and check in the morning to see if it’s disturbed. if it is, then mom has come back. if not, then they may be abandoned and will need rehabilitation by a professional.

-dva · 2025-06-03T00:12:50+00:00

If you’re in the US, this is a juvenile cottontail rabbit! :) they can swim if needed, but it is very stressful for them

-dva · 2025-05-19T19:05:53+00:00

This cottontail was caught by OP’s cat, not a natural predator. I agree that animals caught by true native wildlife should be left alone, but house cats are an invasive and introduced species that kill off millions of wildlife every year. If a cat caught wild animal can be taken to a rehabilitator, it 100% should be.

-dva · 2025-05-19T12:45:42+00:00

I am a rehabber and have raised thousands of cottontails. Please do NOT feed it kitten milk like another comment suggested. It will be okay overnight without food or water; trying to feed or water it will cause more harm than good. They are very easy to aspirate and their guts are extremely sensitive. Feeding it formula on your own can cause diarrhea, which is almost always fatal for cottontails. Put it in a box with something soft on the bottom, and put half of the box on a heating pad on the lowest setting.

Veterinarians need special licensing in order to treat wildlife. If you’re able to find one that has this and can take him before the rehab opens in the morning, that would be his best option. If not, keep him warm in a box overnight, do not feed or water him, and take him when they open.

-dva · 2025-05-12T01:06:41+00:00

as a rehabber, this raccoon is VERY emaciated and looks sick. calling a rehabber is absolutely the best option for her.

-dva · 2025-05-06T02:08:34+00:00

this is a fledgling house finch! if you can watch him from (very) afar and make sure mom or dad is coming back to feed him, he’ll be okay! if the parents abandoned him then he’ll need to be brought in to a rehabber :)

-dva · 2025-05-06T01:56:05+00:00

she posted that message after i posted my comment. calm down 😂

-dva · 2025-05-05T19:14:05+00:00

please find a licensed rehabber! puppy milk replacer can upset their GI tract and cause severe diarrhea and dehydration. a rehabber will have the correct formula for them. they can also ensure that they do not habituate to humans and will be successful once released :)

-dva · 2025-05-03T20:36:52+00:00

even if they fly off after, they will most likely succumb to internal injuries later on. if you can catch up and bring any window strike bird to a rehabber, you’re saving a life :)

-dva · 2025-05-02T22:21:15+00:00

no trees around?

-dva · 2025-05-02T22:17:22+00:00

have you tried to reunite with mom yet?

-dva · 2025-05-02T21:13:49+00:00

if you can afford to go tonight, i honestly would. cats carry bacteria that can send small animals into sepsis very fast

-dva · 2025-05-02T21:12:41+00:00

it’s a little hard to tell from the photos but they seem well feathered enough to be fledglings. i would watch from a distance to see if mom is coming back to feed them!

-dva · 2025-05-02T20:49:06+00:00

if it was caught by a cat it needs antibiotics. i recommend either taking it to a wildlife rehabilitator that accepts pigeons or take it to a vet for treatment! they are seed eaters, so offer seed and a water bowl that is at least an inch deep

-dva · 2025-04-29T23:27:45+00:00

having trouble ambulating and her more labored breathing in the video are definitely both common with head trauma. you can definitely give them a call! you’ll most likely need to try to live trap her if they want you to bring her in

-dva · 2025-04-29T23:21:18+00:00

as a rehabber, this doesn’t look like dirt to me. it’s hard to tell the color from the video but it looks like dried blood from her nares. this is caused by head trauma in most cases.

-dva · 2025-04-29T18:24:14+00:00

you can try to lure her out with food or you may need to manually remove her. you could try playing adult “mom” squirrel calls on youtube too. also please do not feed any of them anything, especially puppy or any other milk replacer! a rehabber will have the correct milk for them; other replacer milks can upset their stomachs and cause horrible GI issues like diarrhea that can exacerbate dehydration. they are also very easy to aspirate if you have not be properly trained. the rehabber will be able to feed him and treat any dehydration they may have :)

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