Baby squirrels will only leave the nest if they are in dire straight.  Generally when the mother has been killed (car, dog, cat, raccoon, etc.)

On this day these babies came to me in dire straight scared, hungry, and hurt from falling out of the tree. The littlest is a boy. It took me an hour of crawling on the ground and infinite patience to convince him I was there to help. Once I cupped him in my hands, he became a black hole of emotional need. Like buttaah, Lol!

At first, I wrapped him into a towel and put him back up in the tree. Mom should come for him. Right? An hour after he was in the tree, big sister came down and huddled with the outside of the towel. When I went back out, big sister let me touch her almost immediately. I had to stand next to the tree for about 40 minutes and had to catch her with a towel.  I put her up to my chest so when she finally quit fighting me, she would hear and feel my heartbeat as I sat down on my outdoor chair. I looked up at the nest for signs of a parent and only seeing the nest sway in the wind. I began to rock, simulating the nest. I can’t explain it, but if I softly sang-talked to her she would considerably calm down. But if I was quiet, she would become very scared again. How does a squirrel inherently know a completely different species attempt at compassion? Sentience. I’m known for my ridged ideology. I don’t deny. I generally chalk it up as just “Circle of life” things. It is. From the perspective of a baby squirrels, I was G-d.

In about 6 weeks I’ll have to bring them outside and watch them freak out again before they scamper up the tree. Past experiences with rehabilitated squirrels has given me comfort in knowing I have little buddies now. I am a Squirrel Master! I doubt they’ll adopt me as their future litters Grandparent, though. Dammit!