Someone say squirrel?? Yes, we are squirrel fans in the Wolf household. Yes indeed. We feed and water our forest friends regularly. We have dozens visit us and play with us through our glass doors. We became such fans, my son, Chet got himself a private bred Siberian Chipmunk (which are legal in most places because they are captive bred and from another country). My son Chet has taken in a couple squirrels and transferred them to rescuers for rehabbing. We really feel for you about your issues with releasing him. If he is released within a town or near a city, your worries are warranted. Populated areas push predators and prey very closely together not to mention the more direct dangers humans pose. Yet caging him with no trees to use to sail the skies is also sad. You have to balance out the two evils. Freedom, but sometimes a brutal existence vs safety and longevity, but with caging. Its a tough one. The only way to choose right is to either go to a very real extreme in relocating the animal miles into a forest away from a town, or go all out with expenses and energy so he can feel free! That's the only way to help your fears. Chet always wanted to own a squirrel, but there are many reasons he hasn't gone down that road. We got quite fearful because once they grow from babies, to teens, and then to adults their disposition can change drastically. They are temperamental, independent and have the energy of a ferret many times over. They have a fierce need to chew and destroy just like a large parrot. If a squirrel should ever really bite you, their bites are said to be hideous. I was scared about my allergies and asthma. I am horribly allergic to larger rodents. Then there was the issue with the ferrets. How to we space time out of the cage and so on? Surely a large wild animal like a squirrel needs lots of run time. A flying squirrel makes a little bit of a better pet. And British friends are not strangers to the fact that their little relative, the chipmunk, makes a good pet that is odorless, clean, small, and mild temperament. It's possible to own a squirrel and to keep them happy, yes. But it can end up to be very difficult for some. On the note of ferrets, I don't see that the ferrets would ever be able to be in contact with a ferret safely. A squirrel is a giant mouse. Plain and simple. So yes, the squirrel would always be prey. Adult squirrels can protect themselves quite fiercely at times. They have been seeing ganging snakes and standing up to hawks. But clearly in the small confines of a home the confrontation would not go well. Our chippie is the size of a large gerbil, so it's manageable to have her cohabitate within the same walls of a home. They live in different rooms. They have different play times. And chippies are just fine in huge tall cages much of the day. A squirrel would need an aviary of sorts if he didn't have his own room or get a lot of time out of a huge cage. I hope experts who live in close confines with multiple species like ground squirrels and ferrets speak up. Beth of Critter Camp. Also Diane Campel has a lot of experience with squirrels and ferrets! Meanwhile ........nnnt, yup, gooooooooooooooooooooootta pitch my movies. Gotta do it. Squirrels out of the bag. Chet with a fallen baby that a line man brought him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1DMnYsZxB8 Chet with his pet Chippie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xok_BHznXUY My cockatoo playing with a wild tree squirrel outside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxLkeWFC-Q8 [Posted in FML 6649]