Article By Andrew Watts

I have always been an introvert, and the best way for me to make friends was to meet them on the Internet. One of the friends I’ve met this way was a lady named Tanya, who I met in a chat room. We always talked about our pet squirrels and other animals. At the time we met, I only had Scalisti, my male flying squirrel.

In the summer of 1998, my dad and I went on a trip to Massachusetts to visit relatives. While I was there, my friend Tanya emailed me telling me that she had money for me to buy a Richardson’s ground squirrel from a pet store in Florida, the state I live in. I’ve known about this species from my individual studies on squirrels, but at the time I didn’t know that particular species could be kept as pets. After my visit to Massachusetts, my dad and I have agreed to meet Tanya in Pennsylvania before going all the way back to Florida. She gave me the money, and I thanked her very much. I also got a chance to meet her pet gray squirrel.

A week after the trip, my dad took me to the pet store that had my Richardson ground squirrel, who I had named Rikki. Her name is short for the type of ground squirrel that she is. I had already purchased the cage beforehand. I’ve also had food, water, and a small animal hammock for her. Rikki resembled a miniature groundhog. Her species is closer related to groundhogs than to typical tree squirrels, but they are all in the same family.

When I brought her home from the pet store, Rikki was understandably tense from the trip. She did not trust me for the first few weeks. A shrill squeaking sound would let me know that she was nervous. Her tenacity was quite obvious when her hammock was torn to shreds and when she constantly chewed on the bars of her cage. She was also quite aggressive, wanting to bite me whenever I tried to pet her. But this behavior would soon change.

After a while of Rikki getting used to my presence, she was beginning to trust me, even though I accidentally pulled off part of her tail. I felt very guilty when this happened. She never bit me hard, and the only time she would touch me with her teeth was to groom me. Rikki was very cuddly and would take naps with me. My mom would often give her animal crackers as a treat. She called Rikki a "Hershey kiss" because of the way she sits.

A year had gone by since I’ve gotten Rikki and it was time for me to transfer to a university. I had just finished two years of community college. I had two choices: Stetson University, which was close to home where I would still live with my squirrels, or the University of Florida which was 100 miles away and I could only keep my squirrels somewhere else and visit them everyday because the dorms did not allow pets. I had chosen the latter because it was more in tuned to my field of interest, zoology, which became my major. I have been calling animal kennels in the area to see if they would board my animals and I found someone who worked at one who happened to have a thirteen-lined ground squirrel named Nina. Their place was an apartment where I rode my bicycle everyday to feed and spend time with Rikki and Scalisti.

The conditions were fine enough for me to buy another flying squirrel, so I did. I liked Rikki so much that I named this newcomer Rakita. There were close to a dozen cats living in the apartment, but they posed no threat to my caged pets. However, I did have some health concerns about those cats because of their smelly litter boxes.

Every day I would call the residents of the apartment where I kept my squirrels to make sure I can go there. Days that they were not available were quite hard on me. I would miss my pets on those days, especially Rikki. I usually came there on evenings, and to visit them was my favorite part of each day. During breaks, such as winter, spring, or summer break, I would go back home with my squirrels.

Time went by rather quickly while I was a student at the University of Florida. I have grown accustomed to travelling to the apartment every day on my bike to spend time with my animals. They all seemed quite healthy while they were there, until one day in the fall of 2000, when I found a strange lump in the skin on Rikki’s back. I did not think it was anything serious because it was rather small. After a few weeks it started growing, so naturally I was concerned. During winter break when I was back home, the lump was bleeding, so I took Rikki to a veterinarian to have her examined. She was given antibiotics, which did not help much. When it was time to go back to school, I had finally decided to get the lump removed. A vet working near the university, Dr. Greene, did the surgery. The surgical scar healed rapidly.

But it was not over. A new lump had grown on Rikki’s shoulder blade, this time under the skin instead of inside. I not only took her to the vet to get it removed, but also to have it examined. Several people from my squirrel email lists helped out with the cost of this surgery. According to the examination, the lump was a malignant tumor known as carcinoma. Rikki had cancer.

I have spoken to some friends on the squirrel e-mail lists, and one of them recommended I use IP-6, which is a medicine that is supposed to slow down cancer. I found some on the Internet, and ordered it right away. It was a bottle that had capsules of the medicine, which I emptied and put into a salt shaker. I also used Echinacea to help boost Rikki’s immune system. I put it on her food and in her water every day. It seemed to be working for a while, but another lump grew back where the first one was. I also found a large one on her chest under her skin. I knew that there would be no use giving her another surgery.

The spring 2001 semester at the University of Florida was almost over, so I was ready to move out of the dorms. I found an apartment that my squirrels and I could stay in during the summer. Before I moved out of the dorms, I had my squirrels moved to the other apartment where I would live while taking my summer Genetics course. I visited them at this place for a couple of weeks until I moved there for the summer. I was glad I could finally live with my pets without having to ride a long way every day to visit them. Because of this convenience, I was able to buy a prairie dog. Shortly after, I received an email from a woman who had another prairie dog she didn’t have time to take care of, so she came over to give him to me. The two prairie dogs, Mancha and Bailey, are now bonded to each other and live in the same cage.

Unfortunately, Rikki’s condition was deteriorating. She did not eat much, and the lump on her chest grew so large it was hindering movement on her right forepaw. She would squeal whenever I tried picking her up. It was early June when I have decided to give her medication to ease her pain. That helped for a few weeks, but she would still squeal whenever I tried to move her. She was obviously in so much pain that I knew it was time to make a difficult decision. I made an appointment on June 30, 2001 to have Rikki put to sleep.

My parents came over and brought Rikki and I to Dr. Greene’s office on that melancholy day. After he was done, he came out of the office and told us that Rikki’s euthanasia was peaceful. I petted her and said goodbye for the last time, and told her how special she was. My parents brought her to their house in a small box and buried her in their yard. Flowers marked her gravesite.

Neither of the two new prairie dogs will serve as a replacement for Rikki, but I consider them to be fillers of the void that she left behind. I have informed all of my fellow squirrel-loving friends I met online, including Tanya, about my decision and they all agreed I did the right thing. They all loved Rikki from the start. At least three trees have been planted in her memory, and one lady promised to name the next squirrel she rehabs "Rikki."

They are very similar to the prairie dogs, but a little smaller and we think nicer looking. They do make a very nice pet especially when purchased as a young pup 4-6 weeks old. Our main selling period for these squirrels is May and June.

The Richardson's grows to about 8 inches long, and weighs about 1 pound, they are generally tan in color with some highlights of brown throughout there body.

Richardson Ground Squirrels are delightful little squirrels that closely resemble a prairie dog. Key differences include the size and temperament. Richardson ground squirrels grow up to be about the size of a baby prairie dog. While they possess the same charm that a prairie dog has they lack many of the draw backs that come with having prairie dogs. The odor will never be as strong. They do not develop nasty dispositions during breeding season, and they do not get as large. Their mannerisms are a cross between those of a squirrel and the prairie dog. Playful and affectionate, these little guys are sure to win everyone's heart (as we have experienced already among those who have seen them).

Basics:

Average life Expectancy: 6-7 yrs.Highly social - best kept in pairs or trios Gestation: 23-31 days. Litter size: 2-15.

Food:

Fresh fruits (only one slice per day is required) and vegetables (ex: apples, oranges, kiwis, lemons, grapefruit, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, peas, corn, squash, grapes, etc.) Small animal diet including nuts and seeds. Yogurt and/or cottage cheese two to three times per week. Safari Science Zoological vitamins and a few drops of Caloidal Silver to kill germs and bacteria and promote good health.

Accessories (What should be in the cage):

Solid epoxy coated galvanized metal wheel with bushings. This is essential to reduce weight problems. Large Nest box with Care fresh bedding and hay for nesting. A litter box with fresh cat litter (replaced once per week).

A few things to be aware of:

The Richardson Ground Squirrel does bite if Provoked, but not nearly as bad as the Prairie Dog. These little guys are very cuddly and love attention. If you only have one - please do not neglect it. Spend as much time with your pet as possible or get it a mate as soon as possible. Same sex pairs can be kept together. A large cage and solid exercise wheel are essential to happiness and health. The Hinestein Cage with mounted wheel is good for two. Don't go any smaller. These little critters are native to the Prairie Province's and northern United States. They grow to about 8 inches in length and weigh approximately 1.5 pounds. They are very similar to the Prairie Dog but smaller. They are normally tan in color with red highlights on their belly and dark brown on their backs. They love everyone that handles them, including strangers. They use a litter box and are very clean animals. They do not smell and their temperament is generally gentle. They are curious when young, but settle down in time. They love to be held and played with and massaged around the back of their head. They are chewers so if let loose in the house they can damage curtains and other items. We, however, let ours loose only when we are there to watch him. You can scold him or her by saying NO and taping them on the nose lightly. They will in time listen to your command.Ours is called TAZ and, I can't think of a better pet to have. We love all our animals but, TAZ has given us hours and hours of entertainment and loving.

I believe the Richardson ground squirrel is one of the finest pets offered in today's market. Compared to the Prairie Dog, these little fellows make a much better pet. When the Richardson ground squirrel greets you, it opens it's mouth. This is their unique way of saying hello. They should be brought up as pairs, or trios but they will adapt to as long as you have time for them. They should have their own area for nesting like a small wooden box with hay and tissue paper so they can make their own nest.

Positives of Richardson's Ground Squirrels as pets?
LB: They are cute as little buttons! They are also up during the day, so you can actually interact with them if you are home then. I have found that they are willing to adapt their sleeping schedule to whenever I am up and around - if I am up in the kitchen (where their cage is) playing cards until 3am, so are the squirrels! They are also easy to feed (veggies, fruit, rodent lab blocks) and don't have a strong odor at ALL.
AW: Very sweet, cuddly, and lovable.
DA: There are many. First off they are about the size of a Guinea Pig. They are mostly quiet. They respond to you. They have personalities. They are probably the cheapest pet in the world to feed. Mine thinks that is a Re-incarnated queen from ancient times. She trys to look regal, sometimes she looks at me like oh brother I have to suffer this again but soon loses her demenor. She really is the perfect pet. She always says hello andthanks.

Negatives of Richardson's Ground Squirrels as pets?
LB: They can be REALLY stubborn. You can't change the mind of a determined ground squirrel. If they decide they want to do something (get around a blockade you have built to keep them from going up the stairs, for example), they will NOT stop until they have accomplished their goal. They also have this attitude when trying to escape from their cage. They will chew on each and every cage bar each and every day if they take it into their little heads to get out. Mine also nip when they dont' like something I'm doing. I think that is more a side effect of my training than anything else, though. I tend to put them back in their cage when they nip (which is of course, just whatt they want). They make a cute little chirping noise, but it can be a little overwhelming when they want something or when they are fighting. Especially early in the morning.
AW: Initially not a good pet (goes after your hand when you reach for them) but you have to earn their trust and this took a couple months for mine.
DA: You have to be involved with them alot.

Anecdotes/stories about your RGS pets?
B: The first night I brought my squirrels home from the petstore (on a different note, I would never get exotics from a petstore again), I put them in their new cage in a pile of t-shirts and papertowels and left them alone to go to sleep. When I came back, one squirrel was curled up in the t-shirts, while the other was laying flat on his back with his feet up in the air. Dead. I was very upset, here I had just gotten the squirrels home and one dies. I picked him up and his head kind of lolled off to one side and one foot twitched. After a couple seconds (just long enough for me to be SURE he was dead), he twitched and opened his eyes. Those darn squirrels sleep like LOGS!

One night, I came home from work to get the squirrels to take them to the vet for a checkup. I walked in, and there was ONE squirrel sitting in the cage with one of the cage doors open. Miso had escaped. So I began looking for him in all his usual haunts. Not under the couch in the nest. Not behind the bookcase. Not inside the chair. Not in the nest behind the cardboard boxes in the closet. Not in the back room where the lab blocks are kept. He was NOWHERE to be found. Frantically, I called my boyfriend at work. He was, of course, totally unhelpful. You can't help find a squirrel from work. I tore apart the whole apartment, but no squirrel. Finally, I let Peppercorn out of the cage on the grounds that another squirrel might go where the first squirrel had. NO luck. I had looked EVERYWHERE. Then, while searching the closet, I noticed that on the floor were a couple sweaters. I keep my sweaters folded on the shelf on top of the clothes hanging rod. But there couldn't be a squirrel up THERE, right? It's 6 feet in the air! I stuck my hand back into the folded sweaters and, sure enough, there's Miso folded up in the middle of one (with quite a collection of lab blocks that he must have carried up to the shelf in his pouches - and not just ONE trip, either!!). Was I ever happy! Unfortunatly, we still missed our vet appointment because by then, Peppercorn had gotten into something and I had to find him.. :)

Do they have scent glands or an offensive smell?
LB: They will 'musk' like a skunk (but not NEARLY as strong - rather mild, actually) when they are angry.
AW: She smells a little but it's an odor that you can get used to.
DA: Only when they are scared. When you first get them they will give off a musky kinda smell. Neat in it's own way reminds you of the wilderness. Once they learn who you are they mostly stop it exceptif you really scarethem.

What is their average lifespan?
LB: Apparently 8-10 years in captivity, mine are only a year old and this is the first set I've had, so I can't validate that figure.
AW: About 11 years.
DA: This depends on their diet. If fed correctly 12 to 15 years in captivity.

Do they enjoy interaction?
LB: They like to beg for food.. they aren't really cuddly pets - if you want a cuddly pet, get a guinea pig. They are GREAT fun to watch, though.. especially if you let them out for (supervised!) playtime. They TEAR around the house like little huricanes! Mine dont' mind being held (especially if there is a treat involved), as long as it's not for too long.
AW: Yes
DA: Mine certainly does, and she was abused. She cannot decide sometimes between a good chin rub or fresh greens. You can pet her for hours and whe still won't get enough. You put her down and she comes to the door or her cage and chrips and rattles it for more. Someines she doesn't like to be picked up but if you rub her and pet her chin she relaxes and then she is putty in your hands or you hers.

What is their general personality, disposition, and attitude?
LB: Peppercorn is a ball of fire. He's currently the dominant squirrel of the two. He's very active (if I hooked a battery up to his wheel, I think he could power the whole house) and he's the more stubborn of the two. He's the one that tries to escape all the time. When they are out, he runs around the whole time until I catch him and force him back in. He is a real begger and loves just about ANYTHING to eat.

Miso is very laid back. He's the subordinate squirrel. He mainly sleeps and eats, but is definately the more cuddly of the two. He chirps a lot more than Peppercorn. When the two of them come out, he runs under the bookcase to sleep.

I don't know which of these personalities is the 'average' RGS one since I only have a sample size of two.

AW: Again, Rikki is very sweet, lovable, and cuddly. At the start she was mean, but she eventually earned my trust..
DA: She is always happy to be woken up for a chin rub. always. she will do just about do anything for food but maybe it is a toss up between moving from bed and food she sits and thinks along time about that! She thinks of me as another RGS who's main job is food factory and masseur.

Are they sweet and petable, or mischievious and playful?
LB: They have their moods of each of these. And it depends on their personality.
AW: Very sweet and petable.
DA: Sweet and petable.

How destructive are they for an average household?
LB: If you let them roam free, nothing will be safe. They chew on furniture, books, whatever they can reach. They dig in the carpet and pull it up to make nests. They gather anything they can carry for the nest (including clothes and little bits of string as well as carpet fuzz). They chew cords. If you have them in a cage and let them out for supervised playtime, they are not distructive at all (I think it's mainly the nesting that causes havoc). THey also particularly like to dig in potted plants.
AW: She's confined to a cage, but she'll occasionally reach for objects that are close to her cage.
DA: Not ever, yet.

Do they climb or tear up furniture?
LB: They will tear up furniture by digging/chewing, but only if left alone for a long time. Being ground squirrels, I suspected they would not be big climbers, but this is NOT true. They climbed up my clothes to get to a shelf on top of the hangers in the closet. They can climb up the chairs to get onto the kitchen table. Nothing is safe.. :)
DA: She can climb but doesn't like you to know it. Even if she is caught at the top of her cage trying to snag somthing interesting she gets a look on her face like "okay how did I get up here?"

Are there any problems associated with their claws?
LB: They get REALLY sharp unless they are clipped. I guess if you are a ground squirrel, you want to dig in things and if you aren't digging burrows, your claws get a little out of control.
AW: They are sharp, and sometimes she scratches me unintentially.
DA: Nope I clip them about every 10 days, but only a little.

How messy are their droppings?
LB: About as messy as a hamsters. They also tend to go in only one corner of the cage.
AW: Not at all; very dry.
DA: Mine was abused by being kept in a very small cage so she poops everywhere however I must say she rarely poops on me except when startled and rarely in her run about ball. She moslty goes in her cage.

Can they be litter box trained?
LB: Probably - with my cage it wasn't worth it.
AW: Possibly
DA: Absolutely if you got them young.

Can they be trained?
LB: To a certain extent. I haven't worked with mine to try to train them to do anything other than come with I whistle. And that only works when I have a treat and they are hungry..
AW: Most likely, with consisitence.
DA: She is quite willful. She comes to her name. I bang on her cage door for treats and she really knows that. I doubt she can be trained further unless it really benefited her personally.

How are they with other pets, larger and smaller?
LB: No idea.
AW: She'll attack any pet of any size.
DA: They can be good or they can be territorial. Depends on both the sex and the personality. Males are territorial but females can be defensive. If they are scared mostly they hide.

What size cage do they need?
LB: The larger the better. They also like to run and dig, so a cage with a large amount of floor space (as opposed to a ferret cage which is larger in the vertical direction) and a digging pan or container of some kind is good.
AW: Mine is living in a standard ferret cage.
DA: I have mine in a large ferret cage. She is happy.

What do you feed them?
LB: I feed Brisky's prairie dog chow freely (a bowl full in the cage at all times). In the morning, they get something leafy and green (usually kale because it's very available here and it's very cheap) along with broccoli, sliced carrots, and some frozen mixed veggies. THen usually they get something when we're fixing dinner and while we're eating (as long as we're having veggies or rice - they won't eat meat at all) and maybe a few treats at bedtime (banana slices - they eat the whole thing including the peel, an apple core, a spoonful of apple sauce or baby food, those ears of dried corn they sell for feeding outside squirrels). I also feed rodent lab blocks (3 or 4 a day) and occasionally seeds (usually as a bribe when I'm holding them), both of which they LOVE. They also like to bury things like prairie dog chow (only occasionally - apparently it's not exciting enough to be worth the effort), lab blocks, and corn kernals. I Have a special 'burying litter box' by where their food is that sees a lot of burying action.
AW: Hamster/gerbil diet, bird diets, vegetables.
DA: Okay here is the important stuff. Timothy hay. No Alfalfa. Mine is quite fat becasue the person before fed her everything. Wrong Wrong Wrong. Some seeds as treats daily especially pumpkin(typed in by the RSH) Fresh apple slices, carrots, fresh pea greens, bok choy, mostly green stuff. No potato, no avocato. Carrot tops are loved. No meat, none never. They are brought up on very very very poor grass in the wild. keep everything low calorie high volume. If they gain some weight in winter that is okay but by summer they should be sleek agian. Avoid corn as it causes gall bladder problems over time. I add a very low dose of vitimans and minerals to her water. I might add a little calcium once in a while. They are the most cheap pet to feed. Remember low fat high fiber greens and root veggies to suppliment timothy hay. Oh and one other thing cereal. No sugar high fiber stuff. Mine loves a kinda whole grain flake we get here.

What vaccinations/vet care do they require?
LB: I took mine to the vet twice - once right after I got them to make sure they were healthy and once to get them a certificate of health. They were fine both times and the vet said he didn't want to give them any shots.
DA: None the only thing you have to check is that their teeth don't over grow. If they do the vet will have to clip them down. give them stuff to chew. Not pine or Cedar stuff. Yesterdays News for the cage bottom. And paper or a box of klenex as a treat to shread. Anything a gerbil or hamster will shread plus some larger chewy things like branches and some pottery. the only other thing they might get is a respitory illness do to excessive exposure to dust particles so anything you give them(like a blanky to sleepunder) should be a non shedding kind.

At what age would it be best to get one?
LB: Young. The younger the better, as far as I can tell. Obviously you dont' want to steal one from its mother before its weaned, but after that I think it would be fine.
AW: Less than 6 months.
DA: Young, young, young.

Other Consideration for owners of RGS's?
LB: They are fairly easy to care for, but they need a lot of attention to get the right foods (and chop up all their veggies and such) and make sure they get enough activity. They also are a bit messy with throwing things out of their cage and such, but no more than a bird or something like that.
AW: Give them lots of attention.
DA: They are low maintiance pets, perfect in fact, but you have to willing to spend time with them They love and demand attention. They go to bed early usually when the sun sets. You can wake them up of course but if you have long hours at work forget it. They sleep in in the morning.