There is such a difference in that period of time!! Marilyn, do you know how long you will have to be his nursemaid? If you have already told us, please forgive me for asking. I just don't have a great memory.

Linda

I don't know, Linda. I think their eyes open in 5 or 6 weeks.
I will worry about him until he is able to regulate his own body temperature. Once he doesn't have to be on the heating pad, I think he will be okay.

Wow, he's really grown.
Thanks for the update.

Ron

It is truly amazing. I wonder when he grows up if he will remember you and think of you as "mom"?
Clare

I don't know if any squirrel that grows up thinks of his mom, but as long as I am the one who is taking care of him, he will probably think I am his mom...or at least, close enough. :))

I am sure as long as he is around me he will associate me with being the one who feeds him. That's more along the lines of animal thinking.

I understand tho that squirrels get very attached to humans that raise them, and so I will need to find some other little squirrels for him to bond with.

Well look at him!! He's really changed alot in just 3 weeks. His little face is so cute. He still looks so itsy bitsy tiny!!

An inspiring picture and story.
He is really growing .....look at the change in the size of his feet.
You are a good person, Marilyn!

Awwww no more nekkid baby! LOL
If he gets fur that should help him keep his temperature regulated, right? I am sure there is plenty more to worry about where Vernon is concerned since he is still so young. But he is growing and its all from your love and care Marilyn! You're a GREAT Mama!

Marilyn...I have a friend who has raised several baby squirrels...She later turned one of them loose...

Every time she would go out to feed all of them, she would call that one by name and it would come running out of the tree to her. But it lived with the rest of them...I think she called it Rusty.

Then another one she tried to turn loose but it would always scratch on the door to be let in. So it ended up living it's live in her unfinished basement up in the rafters. When it wanted to go outside it would come up and chit chit chit at her until she came to let it out the back door. It never came in the kitchen. Just the basement and outdoors. When it got done doing it's things outside it would scratch to come back in.

Last time I saw her she said it had died.

She's one of those kind of people who just loves her pets...She said she cried for days.

But she also said...no more squirrels living in the house....lol

Vernon looks like he is beginning to feel soft. He no longer looks like a little alien.

patti

Thank you so very much for the wonderful work you do...and thank you for the update on Vernon. I think both of you have many fans who have been thinking of you all week.

What a difference!! I love these updates. Thanks, Supermom!!

Marilyn, you are doing a fantastic job with Vernon! He looks amazing. Please, please, please, do keep us updated - with photos, too!

Thank you for the update. What a difference from the last pic, he looks so much bigger. Fingers and toes are still crossed for him, but he looks so much stronger now, I bet he will be just fine.

Oh, my gosh, he's almost half-a-handful, Marilyn! He is just so cute, I can hardly stand it. Baby animals are so much work, but the payback is huge.... hope you're getting some sleep at night!

Patti, I understand how your friend feels. There is something special and more vulnerable about wild animals. I've had many pets all my life and some you never quite get over, but when you have a bond with an animal that is wild, it really is a special one. You worry about them more because dogs and cats and other domestic animals, you can more control their environment and care. You never know what will happen with a wild animal that you raise and release. The pic of me and the possum on my avatar at Meeting House is the first possum I raised after I started rehabbing...altho I had raised one before that...and I made the picture the first time she came back to see me.

Oh, I know she came back because she was looking for food, but she let me pick her up and put her on my shoulder. She came back for several months and the last time I saw her, she looked bad. I wanted to catch her and put her in a cage but I knew she wouldn't want that. With a wild animal, you always have to do what it is they want. If they insist on staying, I'd let them stay, but rehabbers will tell you that is wrong. And it is wrong to have animals in cages and them stressed out.

However, I have a possum that will not leave. His nestbox blew down one time and he was out, and he found it on the ground and was asleep in it the next day. He has been out a few times and always comes back. I left the door open on his cage for a long time, but now it is usually closed because I don't want anything going in there and bothering him. I check him all the time and he never paces the cage. He just eats and sleeps mostly. He had a bad injury when he was little and I thought he would die. He was in the house in a box for weeks. Then he had horrible scar tissue so I put him in my biggest cage so he could get exercise and stretch the scar tissue. He doesn't want to go...so he stays...even tho he is taking up valuable real estate. I'm not a good rehabber. A good rehabber would have put him down, I suppose or dumped him out and made him make it on his own, but I see hundreds of possums a year and I know what pitiful lives most of them have. So, if he wants to stay here, that's okay.

His short life is such an amazing story - congratulations on your success raising him - he's beautiful!

Marilyn, did you ever see the movie Parrots of Telegraph Hill? He rehabbed parrots and had one who just would not leave, and when put outside, would fly inside at the first opportunity.

Thank you for taking time to post the pictures. Everyone loves seeing them.

Susan

He's looking well cared for and staying healthy. Him luvs his mommy.

Susan, yes. I saw that documentary about the parrots. It was wonderful. I could watch it again and again. Normally I will not watch anything that concerns animals. I am too emotionally attached, but I thoroughly enjoyed that one.

Marilyn....you are truely a God sent! You are amazing to raise these poor little ones that others would just allow nature to take its course.

I like that you share the younger photo...we can see how he has grown.

THANK YOU For sharing Vernon with us!

Thanks for the update Marilyn! Keeping my fingers crossed for Vernon!!

awww...he's just growin up a storm...thanks for taking care of the little guy!

I'm sure that there's even a thank you from Vernon on this list. Great update.

You bet we animal lovers want you to continue with your updates and pictures. I come hunting for your posts to see his progress. God willing, through your hands, little Vernon will survive and thrive. Thanks for being such a great caregiver, not only to Vernon, but to all the animals you have helped.

Oh wow Marilyn, he's almost a handfull now. In the 1st picture he's just within your curled fingers. Bless his little furry heart. Your doing such a good job.
Leslie

He's looking so much better! Sort of like a new born puppy (only smaller). I didn't know it took so long for their eyes to open. Looking forward to that picture!!

Amazing!!!! What a good mommy you are.

Wow Marilyn. Dittoes on everthing all have said. When I see the name Vernon on a post I get scared. So glad this is good news!

Vernon, we love you!

I love Vernon! Please let us know how the little guy does. You are so great to be his foster mommy!

You are doing a great job. It is so nice to see you are so diligent about his care. It speaks highly about your heart!

Here is a link that might be useful: Our family journey through autism!

Wow, that little guy sure is growing and looking good. And he should with all that loving care. I have just one question for you Marilyn. When do you ever find time to wash your wings or do angel wings just naturally stay clean?

I can't wait til he opens his eyes and sees mama.

He's a cutie.

OMG! Vernon is sure growing and filling in nicely! Thanks for the update.

Vernon probably won't think I am a squirrel...he will probably think he is a human. :))

He is so cute and he's grown so much. I love your updates.

I love that little fuzzy face! He's looking good.

Gayle

Marilyn,
I too come hunting for your update post on Vernon. Bless you for taking such care of Vernon. He is so precious. I see more hair, bigger feet too! Can't wait to see his eyes open and running around your lap.
My prayers continue coming your way for both you and Veron.
Thank you for the update - we do want to hear!
LOL
Peggy

Hugs to you both!(only Vernon's are little bitty :^)
J

"Vernon probably won't think I am a squirrel...he will probably think he is a human. :)" You got that right Marilyn. LOL When I watch them reason and try to get into our bird feeders, I'm not so sure they aren't human. :)

He's sure looking like a darling little squirrel these days. All thanks to you of course. You are going above and beyond Marilyn and it's so refreshing to know there are folks like you out there. (((((Marilyn)))))

This is such a beautiful story. I am bookmarking it.
Vernon has grown so much! Perhaps we see it more than you do because you are with him all the time.

I'm praying that Vernon will thrive and have the chance to open his eyes and see you, and am thanking you for your loving care of him.

Sadly, I lost Vernon today. I will make a separate post about it. Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes and were interested in his progress.

I just came back to look at him one more time.