Many will not recommend having squirrels in the house. But there are people who would like to have one as their pet. If you are one of them, then this article will give you all the information regarding squirrels and what kind of cost is attached to these creatures.
There are many facts about squirrels that make them unique, as there are over 1,200 squirrel species that can be found in the entire world. There are also different factors that get played when it comes to the asking price for these little rodents.
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How much does a squirrel cost?
In general, you can expect to pay between $100 to $350 for a squirrel in the market. A baby flying squirrel will be around $300 to $450. Of course, the breeder type, quality of living, species will factor in deciding the price for these rodents.
Can I buy a pet squirrel?
Purchasing squirrels is legal. Many states do allow citizens to own exotic pets, the restriction is only applied to specific types of exotic animals. So far, there have been no restrictions made for squirrel purchases.
If you want to have one, you can get it without dealing with dozens of paperwork. If you are eyeing out a flying squirrel then you need to pay a bit more than a regular one.
Flying squirrel cost
A flying squirrel can costaround $300 to $450 depending on the breeder. The adult variant will come around $250 and the transportation charge will be limited to $100 to $500.
Flying squirrels are the heavier demand from peoples. Hence the price tag for a flying squirrel is much higher than a ground one, another thing is that you should know the rules for normal squirrels and flying squirrels will not be the same.
What states is it illegal to own a squirrel?
You will encounter different regulations attached to flying squirrels compared to the common one. Some states such as Alabama, California, Colorado, and Hawaii have prohibited their citizens to own a flying squirrel.
Other states will require you to get a permit before you start thinking about getting a flying squirrel.
What states is it legal to own a squirrel?
While some states are not that bit stingy when it comes to rules. States such as Arkansas, Connecticut, and Georgia allow Flying squirrels to have as a pet without any sort of paperwork. Doing some research on your state or city’s policies towards squirrels and other rodents will be very useful in making the decision of purchasing the squirrel.
They are seen as normal cats or dogs, so you will have to depend on the research to make sure you are not violating certain laws that have been built towards these creatures.
The rules are not consistent as it changes from time to time under different administrations. Doing some background checks will come in handy. Once you have done your research, then you will be ready to have them as your pet. The next thing to worry about is the price of the squirrel.
Different cost of squirrel
The adult version of the squirrels tends to be cheaper compared to the baby version. For example, an adult flying squirrel will come around $250.
We highly recommend you to check in with your local office and wildlife service in your state regarding their relevant laws and regulation towards exotic cats.
The price of the squirreldepends solely on the breeder type. Maintaining these exotic animals will not be easy on anyone.
That is why known breeders tend to spend more money and invest in keeping their pets safe and healthy. A squirrel from a reputable breeder will have better health and a social personality that will help fit in anywhere with a bit of adjustment.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the lower end of breeders. As they are more likely to avoid crucial maintenance elements to save money.
If a squirrel listing asks for a lower price, then you need to look the other way. As the squirrels will probably from a non-reputable breeder. A cheaper price tag will cost you a lot of money in the future.
Not only will you have to do all the paperwork for the squirrels but the medical charges sometimes will cost more than the initial price of the pet. That is why it is highly recommended that you should obtain the squirrel from a reputable breeder.
The nature of the Squirrels
While some who are interested in having Squirrels are more likely to see this animal as a common to have, a vast majority of people, squirrels will be deemed as exotic creatures.
In reality, squirrels are very energetic and playful animals. They are very affectionate and will love to spend time with their owner.
Here is one of the interesting facts about Squirrels is that they are pocket pets. This means exactly as it sounds, squirrels love to fall asleep in the owner’s pocket. Knowing the nature of the pet will make up for a better pet experience.
While the pet is known for its affectionate social nature, it is better not to let children get close to this creature.
Squirrels require a bit more hands-on approach to make them function properly in a social environment. If you are planning to get squirrels for young children, then it is better not to let them handle it until they are a bit older to know the risk that these animals possess in the home.
It doesn’t matter if you want to get a common squirrel or a flying one, you will need to pay attention to the rules regarding the animals.
Maintaining squirrels cost
This is something beyond the handling of a child. An adult should carry out the maintenance so they will know what to do under difficult citations.
Unlike other domestic animals, squirrels will resort to different behavior that is very unlikely to see on other pet animals. That is why squirrels need a hands-on approach for proper maintenance.
While the initial price of getting a squirrel depends on the owner and the species they want for their squirrel. The cost of maintenance will differ a lot from the asking price of the pet.
You can expect to spend more on maintenance than the initial price. This is something that most people avoid before buying any exotic pet.
These pets have their own requirements that need to be met daily for them to function properly without showing any sign of weakness or aggressiveness.
Here the owner needs to get all the proper maintenance accessories for the squirrel, so they will behave properly in a normal household.
Cage requirement cost for squirrel
Creating a perfect environment for the squirrel will be necessary for their mood. The cage here needs to be three feet tall and four feet wide. You can put a nesting box and some branches inside the cage to make it very squirrel-friendly.
A decent size cage will cost somewhere between $180 to $300 or above. The size of the cage and the material used in making the cage will impact the overall price of the cage. Some owners tend to purchase a second cage for outside usage.
Keeping the squirrels inside the house all the time might not be the best thing for their overall health.
Sometimes they need to go outside, building an outside cage will help them see the outside world without catching any danger.
Cage for flying squirrel cost
If you are planning to have flying squirrels, then you need to build tall wire cages that are far higher from the ground.
Make sure there are fewer small spaces between the bars so the pets will not leave the cage easily. This can cost between $150 to $200. Adding some branches will keep them busy as their teeth will keep growing throughout their lives.
You also need to put a nest that will cost you around $25. If you don’t want to pay that amount, then you can resort to building one yourself by using old t-shirts and shredded newspapers. Flying squirrels are more active so having more space in the cage is good for their health. as they will have room to get around from one side of the cage to another without any restrictions.
Food cost for squirrel
A proper amount of food will keep the pet healthy. The squirrel diet consists of plants, seeds, nuts, and fruits, nothing expensive.
Many owners who own squirrels like to feed them sunflower seeds, pellets, pumpkin seeds, and other sources to provide them a decent amount of energy every single day. Occasionally you can mix the diet with fruits, berries, vegetables, healthy cereals, and biscuits.
The food products for a squirrel will not go beyond $20. You can get basically everything you need to feed your squirrel for less than $20.
Squirrels demand food that is high in protein fat and carbohydrates. Plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, fungi, and vegetables are appropriate for the squirrels to have.
Combining them will also be effective in bringing the squirrel the essential nutritious product they need to carry out their daily activity. What you don’t want to do is to give them packaged squirrel food, most of the time feeding packaged food leads to malnourishment.
Making packaged squirrel food a regular entry will hurt the health of the animal. Always prefer to give them seeds, nuts, fungi, vegetables, or fruits instead of opting out of processed food.
Accessories cost For squirrel
Squirrels are active in nature, so adding 15-ounce glass water bottles provide them enough water to keep their system running.
Since squires are notorious for climbing to a higher position in seconds, think about adding some branches or other stuff that helps them climb to the top position.
Many owners have wheels for the squirrels to go through a deep exercise routine every single day. A squirrel wheel will cost less than $10, you can get a decent one for less than the price of $10 to $20.
Consider adding a stuffed animal inside the cage to keep them socialized and play. Like most animals, squirrels are social creatures, as they prefer the company of otters to keep them engaging.
Inside the cage, it is very likely they will get lonely. So here you will need to make a switch to some random stuffed toys to keep them busy for a long time.
Vet visits cost for squirrel
A healthy squirrel will have a different appearance than an unhealthy one. A healthy one will have a clear nose, clear eyes, a glossy coat, and a healthy weight.
If a squirrel is lacking any of the features, then they are more likely to suffer from some disease.
Here taking to the vet will answer most of your problems.
A regular check-up will put most of the problems in pets at bay to a point where you don’t need to spend an extravagant amount dealing with expensive medical bills.
If your squirrel is not looking good then it is better to take them to a vet than avoiding it.
Any kind of skip on their daily vet visit will take a toll on their overall health. To a point where you have to resort to expensive surgery to keep the squirrel back to healthy form.
All of this can easily be avoided by performing routine vet visits. Vet visits will not cost above $70, the price may change regionally but it will always land near the $70 range.
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Conclusion
While owning a squirrel might sound unusual to some people.They do make up for a fine pet animal to have around the house. In fact, they are one of the most popular pet animals people have in many different countries.
Squirrels are cute and their friendly nature wins the heart of most people when they catch the first glance. But you should consider the initial price and the price to pay for maintenance. They will differ, skipping the maintenance price tag will cost a lot in the future. Daily maintenance is crucial when it comes to any pet creature, for squirrels the same holds true.
