Last week, my husband rescued an orphaned baby ground squirrel that
was standing by the side of the road by his dead brother. We have been
feeding him per wildlife rehab instructions and he's doing fine. We
are worried, though, because we know we should release him into the
yard when he gets much older - god knows we don't want his life to be
limited to a cage -- but we have so many predators around (bobcat,
coyotes, our own outdoor hunter cat) that I am afraid he will get
eaten, or that he will walk up to somebody (because humans feed me!)
and they will get scared and hurt him. So my question is, legalities
aside (yes, I'm aware), has anyone ever had a successful experience
with a ground squirrel (or any kind of tame squirrel) roaming the house
alongside ferrets? I have a feeling that's not an option, either, as
they might always see him as food, but I'm wondering if anyone has
had a different experience, maybe when the size difference isn't as
extreme. Thanks for advice!

Jaya

[Posted in FML 6648]