Parent squirrels will still take care of their young even if the young have been handled. But other times the parent squirrels are either nowhere to be found or turn up dead. This is when PAWS encourages the babies to be taken to one of the two PAWS wildlife facilities. PAWS doesn't just send squirrels to foster homes with a thank you and a shoebox. Every squirrel foster parent undergoes specialized training, and receives all the necessary food, caging, heating pads and cleaning supplies.
All squirrels receive a formula-based diet, specially prepared for squirrels.
Once they are old enough to be weaned off the formula, they are given a staple diet, supplemented with foods from their natural environment. Fortunately for squirrels, their natural instincts are very strong. So we train our volunteers not to talk to the animals or cuddle them. Foster families need to provide a room for their squirrels separate from children, companion animals, and loud noises. The room has to have a constant temperature.