What do adult squirrels eat that's good for them?

[conuly]

I mean, what should they eat?

See, I was in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, singing a bit (well, I didn't have anything to read), and I heard a noise. I craned my neck a bit to see out the window, and it wasn't somebody listening to me singing badly, it was a squirrel, sitting in our Japanese maple (grow like weeds, they do), hanging upside down to eat the seeds.

If you know anything about those trees, you know their seeds are tinytiny, even to a squirrel-sized viewpoint. It seemed like an awful lot of effort for them, and, indeed, his tail (her tail?) wasn't as fluffy as we all like to see on our rodents (excepting those people who like rats and mice (will have their choice/and so will I have mine)), and I'm a bit worried.

So.

What sort of food do squirrels eat that I can get cheap that'll plump them up healthily, without making them a still-easier target for the neighborhood cats?

Comments

[genepool23.livejournal.com]

Seeds and Nuts. Rabbet pellets might work, too.

[genepool23.livejournal.com]

er, "rabbit"

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Squirrels will eat anything you put out for the birds *shakes fist*

[conuly]

Don't like birds much. They're noisy, and you know they're just talking about sex.

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

Rabbit pellets are for rabbits, not rodents. Squirrels have very different nutritional needs, I don't think they could get much nutrition out of them. You could try wild bird seed mixes, preferably with a lot of corn and sunflower seeds, which seems to be what squirrels really like. I'm not sure that it's what's "good" for them but it's usually what they try to scrounge from bird feeders. You could try a platform feeder attached to a tree. It's not catproof, but it's easier for squirrels to escape higher into the trees than to run from a dish on the ground to the trees.

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

Here's a sampling of squirrel-feeding gear I got from Google: http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/squirrel_feeders.asp

[sicpuppy.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be so sure about the 'rodents shouldn't eat rabbit food' thing. Some of the best and most respected rat breeders I know reccomend feeding rabbit food to their rats. Obviously not on it's own, but as a base in a homemade mix which would typically also include dried pasta, dog kibble, cereals etc. Whereas something which IS made specifically for rodents, like hamster food, is never reccomended for rats, neither are most commercial rat mixes. Go figure.
Now, squirrels aren't rats, and I have little experience with them but I can tell you what I feed my rats if it's any help, though I know rats are omnivores (and will take meat over grains any day if it's available) and Im not sure about squirrels. I guess they must eat meat, or at least insects.
My rats like cereals (the unsweetened ones are best, if you're being health conscious)like cheerios, and sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds have a lot of protein in them which, in rats at least, can cause skin problems if fed too much. They love them though. Another treat that they adore are meal worms, or wax worms. Rats go crazy for these, and I would assume squirrels would too. Only drawback is that you have to buy them live and that not only raises some moral dilemmas (for me at least since in reality theres little difference between feeding a live mealworm to a rat and feeding a live rat to a snake, something Im completely against) and you also have to keep them somewhere until they're needed. But again, lots of protein. And of course, nuts. Hazel nuts are good, because not only do my rats seem to like them, but it gives them something to wear their teeth on trying to get into the shells. And squirrels like nuts......or so Im led to believe by television and childrens books :P

I wouldn't worry TOO much about the cats getting them, I would imagine any healthy squirrel could out manouvre a cat, they're pretty bright and alert.

[azarias.livejournal.com]

I know that part of what my roommates' feed their rats is a mixture of bran flake cereal, whole-grain cheerios (the generic kind), seed mix, and "lab blocks," which are some kind of healthful supplement thing. Rats and squirrels are probably similarish.

[iguanasdefuego.livejournal.com]

You can put out those dried-up ears of corn thingies. Ickle Squirrelies love those.

[eclectic-1.livejournal.com]

Peanuts! Sunflower seeds!

(frozen)

[mikmelhan6.livejournal.com]

after your very nasty comment in parenting 101 about my use of the english languege that was very rude and uncalled for I read your journal and user info and see that you are mildly autistic so you say that makes it so you might be rude and not even know it so if you have offended someone you would like them to let you know. well you have offended me and for no good reason. I was only asking questions in parenting101 I was not choosing sides or being critical. I admitted several times that I was uninformed and thanked altarflame for her kind and understanding and very helpful comments. It was absolutly uncalled for for you to be such a jerk to me. Just because you study linguistics doesn't mean you need to be the grammar/spelling nazi. Don't you have anything better to do than be mean and nasty to a nice girl that is just asking questions? hasn't anyone told you that if you dont have anything nice to say then SHUT THE FUCK UP! your comment about my use of the english languege had nothing to do with the unschooling issue it was just plain shitty and rude.

(frozen)

[appadil.livejournal.com]

Er... and you respond to what she did wrong by following her to her personal journal instead of keeping it on the Parenting comm, where it would still be somewhat relevant? If you're going to call someone a jerk, even if they DO deserve it, it behooves you to not sink to a lower level than them.

(frozen)

[conuly]

No, I don't have anything better to do than to tell stupid people that if they are going to criticize other people's educational choices as "making their children less intelligent" they had better at least learn to SPELL, PUNCTUATE, CAPITALIZE, AND USE WORDS CORRECTLY.

And that rule about having nice things to say? Is a stupid rule invented by stupid people who prefered being nice to being honest. You think you can come on a community, insult other people's choices in how they educate their kids, and then act high-and-mighty when somebody calls you out on your own ignorance? Think again.

[maelorin]

if the squirrel's eating it, it's squirrel food.

they eat seeds and such. variety being the general idea for health.

our desire for monoculture doesn't do anyone any favours.

[snarkophagus.livejournal.com]

There are squirrels all over my yard. In several trees, we have feeders that we stock with sunflower seeds, which they love. When they actually see a human, though, they've started lining up at the edge of the patio, because they know that's where we keep the peanuts.

[genepool23.livejournal.com]

Seeds and Nuts. Rabbet pellets might work, too.

[genepool23.livejournal.com]

er, "rabbit"

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Squirrels will eat anything you put out for the birds *shakes fist*

[conuly]

Don't like birds much. They're noisy, and you know they're just talking about sex.

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

Rabbit pellets are for rabbits, not rodents. Squirrels have very different nutritional needs, I don't think they could get much nutrition out of them. You could try wild bird seed mixes, preferably with a lot of corn and sunflower seeds, which seems to be what squirrels really like. I'm not sure that it's what's "good" for them but it's usually what they try to scrounge from bird feeders. You could try a platform feeder attached to a tree. It's not catproof, but it's easier for squirrels to escape higher into the trees than to run from a dish on the ground to the trees.

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

Here's a sampling of squirrel-feeding gear I got from Google: http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/squirrel_feeders.asp

[sicpuppy.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be so sure about the 'rodents shouldn't eat rabbit food' thing. Some of the best and most respected rat breeders I know reccomend feeding rabbit food to their rats. Obviously not on it's own, but as a base in a homemade mix which would typically also include dried pasta, dog kibble, cereals etc. Whereas something which IS made specifically for rodents, like hamster food, is never reccomended for rats, neither are most commercial rat mixes. Go figure.
Now, squirrels aren't rats, and I have little experience with them but I can tell you what I feed my rats if it's any help, though I know rats are omnivores (and will take meat over grains any day if it's available) and Im not sure about squirrels. I guess they must eat meat, or at least insects.
My rats like cereals (the unsweetened ones are best, if you're being health conscious)like cheerios, and sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds have a lot of protein in them which, in rats at least, can cause skin problems if fed too much. They love them though. Another treat that they adore are meal worms, or wax worms. Rats go crazy for these, and I would assume squirrels would too. Only drawback is that you have to buy them live and that not only raises some moral dilemmas (for me at least since in reality theres little difference between feeding a live mealworm to a rat and feeding a live rat to a snake, something Im completely against) and you also have to keep them somewhere until they're needed. But again, lots of protein. And of course, nuts. Hazel nuts are good, because not only do my rats seem to like them, but it gives them something to wear their teeth on trying to get into the shells. And squirrels like nuts......or so Im led to believe by television and childrens books :P

I wouldn't worry TOO much about the cats getting them, I would imagine any healthy squirrel could out manouvre a cat, they're pretty bright and alert.

[azarias.livejournal.com]

I know that part of what my roommates' feed their rats is a mixture of bran flake cereal, whole-grain cheerios (the generic kind), seed mix, and "lab blocks," which are some kind of healthful supplement thing. Rats and squirrels are probably similarish.

[iguanasdefuego.livejournal.com]

You can put out those dried-up ears of corn thingies. Ickle Squirrelies love those.

[eclectic-1.livejournal.com]

Peanuts! Sunflower seeds!

(frozen)

[mikmelhan6.livejournal.com]

after your very nasty comment in parenting 101 about my use of the english languege that was very rude and uncalled for I read your journal and user info and see that you are mildly autistic so you say that makes it so you might be rude and not even know it so if you have offended someone you would like them to let you know. well you have offended me and for no good reason. I was only asking questions in parenting101 I was not choosing sides or being critical. I admitted several times that I was uninformed and thanked altarflame for her kind and understanding and very helpful comments. It was absolutly uncalled for for you to be such a jerk to me. Just because you study linguistics doesn't mean you need to be the grammar/spelling nazi. Don't you have anything better to do than be mean and nasty to a nice girl that is just asking questions? hasn't anyone told you that if you dont have anything nice to say then SHUT THE FUCK UP! your comment about my use of the english languege had nothing to do with the unschooling issue it was just plain shitty and rude.

(frozen)

[appadil.livejournal.com]

Er... and you respond to what she did wrong by following her to her personal journal instead of keeping it on the Parenting comm, where it would still be somewhat relevant? If you're going to call someone a jerk, even if they DO deserve it, it behooves you to not sink to a lower level than them.

(frozen)

[conuly]

No, I don't have anything better to do than to tell stupid people that if they are going to criticize other people's educational choices as "making their children less intelligent" they had better at least learn to SPELL, PUNCTUATE, CAPITALIZE, AND USE WORDS CORRECTLY.

And that rule about having nice things to say? Is a stupid rule invented by stupid people who prefered being nice to being honest. You think you can come on a community, insult other people's choices in how they educate their kids, and then act high-and-mighty when somebody calls you out on your own ignorance? Think again.

[maelorin]

if the squirrel's eating it, it's squirrel food.

they eat seeds and such. variety being the general idea for health.

our desire for monoculture doesn't do anyone any favours.

[snarkophagus.livejournal.com]

There are squirrels all over my yard. In several trees, we have feeders that we stock with sunflower seeds, which they love. When they actually see a human, though, they've started lining up at the edge of the patio, because they know that's where we keep the peanuts.