20/08/2026
A baby squirrel is not a learning opportunity.
Yesterday, a post was made by someone who had found a baby squirrel and did not know what to feed it. The comments quickly filled with well-intentioned advice from people who were also inexperienced. So many suggestions for formulas and foods that can seriously injure or kill a fragile baby animal.
We commented directly on the post. We explained that the safest thing for this baby was to remain unfed until it could be placed with someone qualified to care for it. We also privately messaged the finder and offered guidance. They were within 20 minutes of us, and we offered to pick up multiple times.
Our messages were ignored for the entire day, despite this person continuing to interact with other comments on her post.
At that point, we contacted DNR law enforcement because the animal’s life was at risk, and they were ultimately able to obtain the squirrel. But by then, the damage had already been done.
The finder had fed the baby. This squirrel bloated and died.
This is exactly why wildlife rehabilitation is not something you can learn by reading Facebook comments. Baby squirrels have extremely specific nutritional and husbandry requirements. Their digestive systems are incredibly delicate. The wrong formula, concentration, feeding technique, temperature, or volume can cause aspiration, gastrointestinal complications, severe bloat, metabolic problems, and death.
And NO, cow’s milk is not okay. Goat’s milk is not a substitute. Human baby formula is not appropriate. Kitten formula isn’t automatically safe simply because someone on the internet says they used it. Wildlife species are not interchangeable, and neonatal animals are not pets.
The heartbreaking part is that this baby could have survived if it had simply been left alone and transferred to someone qualified. Being willing to help is not the same thing as being qualified to help. ESPECIALLY when the help is throwing itself at you, desperately trying to tell you not to kill this baby.
Please stop giving people confidence to experiment with the lives of wild animals. Stop recommending formulas because “I raised one this way,” or “My aunt had a squirrel for 39 years and fed it goat’s milk.” Stop telling strangers on Facebook what to feed a species you have never properly rehabilitated.
And if a licensed rehabilitator tells you DO NOT FEED IT, listen.
A baby animal being hungry for a few hours while it is safely transported to a qualified rehabilitator is far safer than being given the wrong food and dying from it.
Wildlife rehabilitation requires training, permits, species-specific knowledge, veterinary relationships, appropriate facilities, and the willingness to recognize when you are not the person who should be doing it.
Good intentions do not undo preventable deaths. You are NOT a Disney Princess, so please set your ego aside. If you are passionate about helping these animals, teaching yourself isn’t the way to do it.
