FAQs
Have a question for the squirrel? Please contact the Mommy Squirrel here.
Have you fed or assisted the squirrel in any way?
No. We just let her be.
Can she see you in the room, or when looking at her?
No, not really. I made a cardboard blind on the inside of the window so she won’t be disturbed by our movements in the room. But I put a small rectangular viewing slot in the cardboard so that we can look through with just our eyes. I read that it’s the shape/outline of the human body that they react to. With the slot in the cardboard, she can only see our eyes, not our bodies.
Can you see her feeding the babies?
Yes, she flips onto her back, and scoops them up on her belly where they all find an open tit to suckle on.
How many babies does she have?
She’s had three litters as of August 2010: There were 3 babies in the July 2009 litter, 5 babies in the February 2010 litter, and 5 babies in the July 2010 litter.
Can the squirrel or her babies fall out of the window ledge?
No, she’s built the nest in between the window and the inside of the fire escape window security gate. It’s quite protected in there.
What happens when it rains?
The squirrel has made the nest out of numerous found materials including grasses, twigs, shredded paper and pillow stuffing — but she has gathered some plastic bag sections which she pulls over the nest when it rains. (Definitely a Brooklyn squirrel!)
How did they stay warm in the winter?
The squirrel added a huge amount of finely shredded newspaper to the nest before she had the winter litter. The shredded newspaper acted as a fat insulation layer. Most of the time when she’s home, she burrows in and lays on her back with them cuddled on her belly. Then she hangs her fluffy tail over the top, like a canopy. The babies usually stay bunched together when she’s away, and they can keep each other warm that way I suppose.
