is it illegal to have a pet squirrel?

Question

it it against the law 2 keep a squirrel as a pet? if it like a baby and has no one and nothing 2 teach it the wild ways would it be alright 2 keep it please say yes!!!!??????....

Answer 1

It is illegal to keep a wild squirrel as a pet. In order to keep a wild squirrel, you need to have a special permit, like the ones held by licensed wildlife rehabilitators. Even then, you can not have it as a pet - you must properly prepare it and release it into the wild when it is healthy enough.

In some states, you may keep domestically bred squirrels, chipmunks, flying squirrels and other small animals as pets. You need to check with your state's DNR or your local office of the US Department of Fish and Wildlife to see what the laws are in your state.

If it is legal in your state, then you need to check in your municipality, as some towns have local ordinances against specific pets.

If you find that it is legal to have a domesticly bred squirrel as a pet, make sure that the one you get IS a domestically bred animal. If you are found with a wild squirrel, it will be confiscated. If a wild squirrel in your possession bites anyone, the squirrel would most likely be destroyed by the health department to test it for rabies.

If you have a wild squirrel in your possession, please surrender it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator at once. You can find one here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm

Answer 2

Pet Squirrel Laws

Answer 3

They don't want people owning wild animals like squirrels annd raccons because it poses a threat to the community, but you can have a pet tiger with the right permits...HA. I've owned oppossums, raccoons, a Canada goose, and severlel wild caught animals, including 3 of my 4 turtles with no problems with the law. All the animals I took in were problem animals or wounded. Though it is illegal to keep those animals, especially sense I live just inside the city the local wildlife agent gave me written documented permission to keep everything but the reptiles. ( He said he wasn't worried about me having common turtles and snakes as long as no endangered animals were kept. ) The conditions of me having such animals was that if they were wounded I could nurse them back to health and had to release right after they recovered. If I found a problem animal I was to contact our DNR for relocating instructions. If you find a young squirrel that appears to be an orphan you can 9 times out of 10 raise it as a pet and not have any problems with it involving the law. But then again it all depends on how stiff your wildlife officers and police are.

Answer 4

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People who say squirrels carry rabies are misinformed. Rabies is VERY rarely found in rodents. I live in the UK and we have notoriously strict rabies rules, but we allow freedom of movement for rodents, unlike any other mammal, because rabies is so rare with them. As to why they are illegal, unfounded rumours about rabies and viciousness is often the cause. Also, some states are worried about non-native fauna escaping and becoming a problem...for example, like the American grey squirrel has become a problem for us in the UK, because it is non-native and helping wipe out or native red squirrels. Some states just blanket ban everything, including many domestic pets! California even bans ferrets (which contrary to what people think, are a domestic animal, distinctly evolved from their ancestor the polecat, much like the dog has evolved from the wolf) and gerbils!

Answer 5

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RE:
is it illegal to have a pet squirrel?
it it against the law 2 keep a squirrel as a pet? if it like a baby and has no one and nothing 2 teach it the wild ways would it be alright 2 keep it please say yes!!!!??????....

Answer 6

Whether or not it's illegal in your state I would not reccomend it because my friend had a pet squirrell that fell out of a tree shortly after it was born and it had no one and dien maybe 3 weeks later. I would reccomend not getting too attatched to it (for instance, dont name it)but put it out in the wild with some seeds and feed it every day so it doesnt have to learn the ways of the wild but still wont die within the first month

Answer 7

Again, check the laws in the area where you live, but you also need to know that even if you can keep it, it won't really be like a "pet." Some neighbors of mine took in a orphaned squirrel via their vet, but eventhough it got used to people, it wasn't something that could let out to run around the house or be played with. They will always have sharp teeth and claws and can cause a lot of damage to your home and you. It might let you hold it once and awhile, but it's not a domesticated animal that's going to cuddle and play with you.

Answer 8

In most states, you won't be able to keep it because, A) in most states it's illegal to keep any native wildlife and B) because of the potential threat of rabies in any wild mammal.

I don't know what laws your state has, but in mine and many others, injured or orphaned wildlife must be take to a rehabilitator who will treat it and prepare it for release back into the wild.

Since you're someone who obviously cares about animals, if you have a rehabilitator near you, you might see if you can work there as a volunteer. Who knows, you might become a rehabilitator yourself in the future!

Answer 9

Who cares man just keep the cutie pie! Do you think it is wrong to help a friend in need? no it isn't! You are soo lucky to have found it so young just take care of it and you will be best friends for ever. Not to mention how cool it is to have a pet squirrel. Do some research on how to take care of one.

http://www.orphanedwildlifecare.com/

Even though the website above says it is illegal I still would just keep it. Good website check it out it answers your questions.

Good luck!
Pls put some pictures up of the cutie pie I so want to see it.

Answer 10

Laws vary from state to state. You'll need to check out the laws in your state.

Be aware that squirrels are basically rats. They need to chew all the time to keep their teeth worn down. They carry diseases and they're not easy to domesticate. Cute as they may appear to be, they can be very mean and vicious. Please consider things carefully before you try to make a squirrel into a pet.