Here are some of the critters I am rehabbing at the moment.
11 7 weeks old opossums
O/T O/T O/T critters piccies
here they are again
here are some bigger ones, about 12 weeks old
Do you all remember that pinkie squirrel I posted sometime ago???
Here she is now! A teenager!
She has one blind eye.
Another big opossum. He is smiling for the camera!
Oh Anna they are so sweet and precious. You are full of Love and Kindness, patience taking care of these little sweeties !
Oh how cute ! I love smiley opossum :))
How cute. : ) What are you feeding them in the first picture? Looks like jello pudding.
thank you Allison.
Pam, I tube feed them puppy formula three times a day. That is baby food. I give them mixed vegetables, chiken and fruit baby food. Their metabolism is very tricky and, if you give them the wrong food, their bones get too weak and diseased and they die. you have to be very careful in what you feed them.
The smiley opossum is just showing his teeth as he feels afraid. I just cuddled him after the photo and he felt better. :o)
AAWWWW so sweet ! You must fall in Love with each one !
I do, Allison. Especially with the sick or weak ones. But i feel really happy when they go to live their lives and come back for visits.
I am extremelly attached to the one who has a blind eye. It will be very hard for me when she goes away on her own. I worry so much about her. she is the sweetes little squirrel i have ever seen.
You really are good to them. They are fortunate to be in your care.
thank you Pam.
Anna~ They are cuties. You are doing some good work there...
anna my hubby does tree work and lots of times they find baby flying squirrels and regular squirrels. we have tried to raise them with failed attempts. maybe he needs to drop them to you when he finds them. he works in the atlanta area.
i have opossums that i see on the back deck at night eating my kitties food.
kelly
Kelly, i will dmail you my phone number so he can contact me.
Oh, thanks for sharing those baby critter pics!
Rehabbing is a challenge.... you have my admiration for the patience and caring and time you commit to these little ones!
Awwww thank you Critter.
*Spider blushes and hides under the sofa*
Spider you Rock :))
Ok Peeps, let's all do a big group hug
{{{{{{{{{{Hug}}}}}}}}}}
Ahhhhhh, that's better...
thank you Allison, and so do you!
awwhhh
Anna Today I potted one of my large Grey Lady's from a 5 inch over floweins pan pot to a 6 inch hanging basket . She has several flowers and looks nice ! I think I will pot up some more in hanging pots !
The ones you gave me are rooting under lights. I adore those orange flowers!
Thank you for sending them to me! :o)
Great ! And the flowers have a yellow throat with red polka dots. The flower color is a real deep red/oranre differnet :)) I kept one baby stolon and put it in a pot to root. One small I wraped it growing up one of the wire's on the hanger ! I'm going to so more plants one my alsobia Cygnet with her zillions of babies. They drink so much. About 16 oz a day.
Allison, do you feed them often? Do you give them the same food as AVs have?
I feed them VF-11 . I would not use a high bloom food .
I am soo jealous! I want to do this job! Maybe some day when I don't need to work full time :)
They are just TOO CUTE..thanks for sharing :)
Lorry, the hardest bit about this work is that we don't get paid to do it. Quite the opposite, we pay for everything for these animals.
From food to medical supplies, old baby nappies from thrift stores, boxes and cages. I spend a minimum of $50 a week on them. Esbilac milk costs abour $32 for a tin that lasts between one and two weeks. Different types of formula for different animals, multi milk for fattening them up. I also get fruits, salad green, spring mix, nuts ($7 a little bag of pecans), baby food of all types (mainly organic), baby cereal. hay, rodent pellets, syringes, feeding tubes, kitchen tissues, lots and lots of washing up liquids and soap for very soiled nappies, desinfectant, medication (apart from injections and antibiotics that I get free).
I also have to be able to tube feed (not for the squeemish), give injections, care for bites, broken limbs, fleas, ticks, bad nutrition, I have to recognize illness quickly so I can care for emergencies. Night feeds, 2 hour feeds, changes in diet according to gorwth, teach them to become independent and fear humans and , after all that work and heartbreak, i have to be able to open the door and let them go.
You know, i have been asking myself a lot now, why do I do it.
Because you are a die hard animal lover :) I know you don't get paid (unfortunate)
We undervalue such things as a society!
I would LOVE to do this though..I seem to take in every orphan I can find :)
Maybe some day :) and if it helps. I think what you are doing is awesome :)
I feel you are awesome too Anna. Your a very Special Angel !
YEAH, and I second that motion!! YOU ROCK FOR THE ANIMALS!
So, how did you learn all this, Spidie?!
Thank you peeps. Anyone can do what I do. There is no special talent involved, just wanting to help.
Betsy, I did a 10 weeks course in September but mostly i learned doing it and getting experience..
An amazing thing to do for God's creatures that cannot help themselves. Getting out my pop poms for a cheer for your awesome work!
Yes ! I Ditto :))
Spider, here is my husband, Kelly with "Rosie". I found her outside and she was crying and my cat was meanacing her so I shoed her off and imagine the shock when she came to me as i neared- like I was her protector. I couldn't believe it. I took her and I called the nature center and they said forget it, we are not interested. We went online to learn everything we could about caring for her and acclimating her to the outdoors. She lived with us for a month and she went with Kelly to work every day. As she got older, she started "hanging out" with another squirel and she picked up the habits and even though she would hesitate, she would take off as we neared. I think my husband was sad about not having her as his pet, but hopefully she's well in our yard. For a while, she did come when called. I think he had hoped to always be able to handle her and hand feed her, but she wouldn't do it. I had a great grandfather that hand fed all the squirels in his yard.
Susan
This message was edited Jun 11, 2006 9:38 PM
Oh Susan, that is lovely. I am sure she comes back for food. Most of the squirrels I rehab come for peanuts and treats.
You and your husband did the right thing. Squirrels are not happy as pets. One day they look out of the window and wish to go. They can then get very depressed and aggressive.
I bet she will never forget you. Do you put food out fot the squirrels that frequent your garden?
Thanks for sharing your sweet story.
How cute! Anna I have to say, I really admire you. I not much of a fan on oppossoms! We had one that kept getting on our screened in porch to eat my cat's food. I was afraid it would get in a fight with my cat as they both could open the screen door by theirself so I shooded it off the porch with a broom. It's very scary that close up especially with it hissing and growling at you! MY DH wouldn't even go on the porch.
Spider.. Oh my gosh! My husband said he felt she was getting depressed!! That's when we started to get her outside more and she made friends! I think he thought he was going to be able to take her to work whenever and ongoing :) We do have a squirel feeder, however, the free leaf mold that I have been getting has something that they just love! The will tunnel all through it to get "it " out and the next day I will have holes throughout the mulch..it looks funny, but no harm done.
Rosie would climb all over him as she pleased :)
Anna,
I want to come to your house and stay. All of the babies are so cute.
Susan, you and your husband did a great job with Rosie!
Makshi, you are welcome to come and stay.