New owner questions

[Shawna718]

I have taken in an injured wild chipmunk and they are not legal to own where I live.  I rescued him from my cats and his spine was injured.  This happened back in Aug-Sept and he is healed now, but crippled.  He drags his back legs behind but zips all over his habitat so we named him Zippy.  He is getting used to us and comes to the wire mesh to sniff our hands when we talk to him.  What a cutey!!  He is healthy and has regained partial use of one of the back legs.  He was very little when we took him in and after a couple months of excellent food and treats, he has practically doubled in size. He is very active and has adapted well, probably because he is a juvenile instead of an older chipmunk.

1. I would like to know how long will he live?   

2. Should I change out his nesting box once a week when I clean his habitat?  He doesn't seem to have control of his bowels and unfortunately potties everywhere in the habitat.  (I clean his food area every day when I clean his water dish.)

3. What kind of veggies should I be giving him?  He does not like carrots but did eat dill, parsley, and cat nip.  He ignored the broccoli too.  He LOVES fruit and has eaten everything I've given him!   

[sab]

Hi!
it is really kind of you for rescuing him or she?!
Is it a male or female?
What is her/his name?
Maybe you could have a licence to keep him.
They usually live 5-6 years a bit more fore the female but they can live up to 10 years!
Do not change his nest in his nest box!They make their own bed and undo it when needed!
Give her or him some strips of news papers!Mine love it!That's good for their bedding.No cotton wool or hamster stuff because they can get trapped and suffocate.
Mine are quite clean.My male goes in his potty box.My girls do on the ground level of their indoor aviary.If you want him or her to go at the same place,gather the poops and wees at the same place,he or she will eventually use it.That's how i did with my male.But don't worry,he does sometimes outside of his box.
For the veggies my three chipmunks are very fussy.They eat all kind of fruits but almost no veggies.They do eat bit of carrot and they love avocado.I still have to try others...
Do not give them fruit pips or the stones of fruits.
Almond are deadly.
They need as well a good intake of calcium and vitamin d.I give mine children's yoghurt enriched with calcium and vitamin d (petits filous) several times of week.Mine do not like it cold.It has to be at room temperature!I guess it would be good for yours that had a bone injury!
If you need more help or tips,do not hesitate!
 
Hope it will help!!!

[tugster31]

Here is a link from this forum, should help you out with the various foods

http://super-chipmunks.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1108.0.html

[Shawna718]

Thanks for your help!

I think he's a boy and his name is Zippy.  I will try putting his waste all in one corner to see if he will learn to keep a proper toilette.  Because of his spinal injury, I just don't know if he has bowel control or not.

I live in Ohio, USA and if the wildlife people found out I had him, they would probably want to take him away.  There are "experts" that are licensed to keep and care for injured wildlife and I'm not one of them! LOL   

He likes all kinds of different foods... I have a garden in the summers so he has plenty of melons, squash, berries, and herbs to eat.  I bought him a big bag of hamster/rodent food, filled with probably 10 different kinds of seed.  He is always excited when I put a handful of fresh food in; he rushes over and stuffs his face like he hasn't eaten in a week!  He loves oranges and grapes so I always have those on hand for him.  I did not know about the almonds- thanks for that link with the food lists.

Today I gave him a sock to play with.  There was a hole in the heel so I cut it off there... It is like a little white sleeping bag to him.  He runs around it, finds the opening, goes inside and wrestles around.  My hubby and I were laughing out loud, watching him.  He was even laying on his back and kicking the sock with his good back leg!  He is so quick, it's hard to believe he's partially paralyzed. 

I tried pine chips in his habitat but they stuck to his belly and had to be uncomfortable, so I stopped.  I keep newspaper on the bottom now and he works at shredding it and taking it into his nest box.  I gave him shredded paper and tissues and he added that in... I had been changing the box out once a month but I will stop if you say so.  I was just worried about the pee in there.

He's been with us a couple months now and I love him.  (I returned the wheel to the pet store, he didn't like it)

[sab]

Zippy is very cute!
you seem to be very good with him!!!
Mine do not play with their wheel either.I left it in the aviary in case they change their mind!
He seems really happy!
Is it complicated for you to get this licence for wildlife?
Is it like a rehabber?
 

[adamclark18]

Such a shame you can't keep them over there as pets, you don't need to be a wildlife expert, you just need to do some research and care for them as ya would any other pet. Lovely animals that ya always finding something new to laugh at them at.
When it comes to veg mine love peas and sweetcorn. Fruit mine love grapes, and apples and pears cut in half

[Shawna718]

Yes, the wildlife people are often "rehabbers".  I took an injured starling to the woman who is designated to our county and she treated me like I was nuts to care about a common bird.  For all I know, she put it down as soon as I pulled out of her driveway.  They seem to only care about rare or endangered species.  Two years ago, I had 3 baby skunks toddling around outside their den in the day light (in my yard).  I was concerned something had happened to their mother.  You wouldn't believe the trouble I had finding someone to help me.  The baby skunks turned out fine, the mother showed up and relocated them. 

I never checked into getting licensed but I'm sure they have to have veterinary training. 

We'll see if Zippy likes peas next time I make them!  I never thought of them!  LOL  There is dried corn in the hamster food and he likes it... I will give him fresh corn next time I make it too.

I built Zippy a habitat inside an old china cabinet.I put mesh on one side so he has air flow.  It looks better now, after trial and error with the furnishings.  This was how it looked when I first put it together.

[Nick]

It sounds like you're doing a great job and he's lucky you found him.   

[sab]

Oh my god this wildlife woman seems to be a bit ...unusual...
You can give the fresh corn raw if you wish!
Please don't be offended,his habitat seems very cosy but small in my eyes.I assume you allow him some free roaming time as well.One of my indoor aviary in which my male Yuki leaves is 55cmm deep by 65 cm long by 160cm high but without the legs and wheels is 120cm high.My two girls sisters Kimiko and Mayumi indoor aviary is 55cm deep by 105cm long by 170 cm height but without legs and wheels 140 cm.I'm getting my boy the same aviary that the girls next week!He will be happy i hope!
I think the size of my male's current aviary is about the right size for an indoor chipmunk with free roaming time too!
My chipmunks love corn as well!
I should try peas too!
Did you give cooked peas in a pod?
 

[Shawna718]

I am concerned it is small too, but he is paralyzed in his back legs.  I also have 7 cats which is how I rescued him in the first place... I removed him from the MOUTH of one of my cats    She bit down on his spine.  I did not expect him to live when I took him in... It's kind of a shock that he is so strong and healthy 2 months later. 
I am worried that If I put branches in there, he will fall.  Where the tube is, I had a branch and he could not climb it.  His back half would drag off the side and he would fall off.  By putting the tube (with a strip of carpet inside) and a shelf, I doubled his space. 
I also did not realize chipmunks lived for several years- found out today, here!
Maybe I should think about getting him a bigger aviary?  I'm not sure yet.  It is pretty hard right now just to keep the cats away from the mesh of his china cabinet habitat.   

[sab]

Yes,you are right,he is partially paralysed so it might be better to keep him this way for now and then see later about getting him a bigger aviary!
maybe your cats will get used to him soon and stop spying on him!
chipmunks live around 5 to 6 years on average.sometimes more sometimes less...

[mrchips]

My chips all like sections of corn cobs. I put a whole cob in for the pairs and over a couple of days they eat the lot.  Three like apple but 2 don't seem to touch it.  They all seem to like oranges I found out today and I'm surprised about the comment about almonds. Mine love almonds - and sweet chestnuts - and pecans.  Again a couple like grapes but some won't touch them. It's a bit of a case of 'suck it and see' regarding who likes what.
hey all love hawthorn berries - then I put the stripped of berries branches into my budgie cages and they strip the bark off the hawthorn as well.  They also get some berries as well.

[sab]

yes i read that almond were deadly...but if your chippies are still alive i might have misunderstood with the almonds inside a fruit stone.I am a bit confused...

[Marci]

Almonds are great for the chipmunks, they have the highest calcium content of any nut or seed except for sesame seeds, which have the highest calcium content, more than almonds.  both are safe for them to eat.  Buddy even likes flax seeds.

[Shawna718]

Thanks!  That's great news... I have an entire container of raw natural almonds.  Now that I know they are safe and healthy, he will be thrilled to get them