# What should I do with this baby animal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067 "2023-07-15T12:51:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/1 "2023-07-15T12:51:14Z")
Its little and pink-eyes are just blue dots. I found it on the sidewalk and it was still alive and squeaking. I couldn’t leave it there and put it in a box with a towel. That was two days ago and it’s still alive and eating milk from a syringe. Advice? Poor little bugger. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/2 "2023-07-15T12:59:37Z")
Look up “wildlife center” in your state. If they can’t help directly they can at least offer professional advice. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/3 "2023-07-15T13:10:11Z")
You don’t even know what it is? ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/4 "2023-07-15T13:12:06Z")
Yep, find a wildlife rehab place ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/5 "2023-07-15T13:15:09Z")
It has a little wiggly tail, so I think squirrel. It’s not a bird. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/6 "2023-07-15T13:27:05Z")
Then definitely a rehab place. Squirrels are tough. Keep it warm and I wouldn’t give it any more milk, cows milk is the wrong composition for them. A good friend is a rehabber, this is her site and advice: [https://www.nottinghamnaturenook.com/resources/](https://www.nottinghamnaturenook.com/resources/) ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/7 "2023-07-15T16:43:21Z")
In jest: just make sure it’s not one of those pets you might find in Mexico: > **[The Mexican Pet](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-mexican-pet/)** > > Cute little doggie brought home by a tourist turns out to be a Mexican sewer rat. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/8 "2023-07-15T17:19:50Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > That was two days ago and it’s still alive and eating milk from a syringe. Advice? Poor little bugger. Goat’s milk or unpasteurized milk would be a better choice until you get it to a nature preserve. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/9 "2023-07-15T20:11:19Z")
Could be a possum. Could be a racoon, could be almost any small animal. Could be that momma abandoned it for a reason. Could be that it is sick and momma left it. Could be that you have just been exposed to rabies and will die a horrible death. Give it to the nearest wildlife rehab center, and wash your hands of it, both figurativly and actually. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/10 "2023-07-15T20:15:54Z")
No pic? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/11 "2023-07-15T20:16:24Z")
I’m glad you found the little one, @Love_Rhombus. Good work keeping it alive. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/12 "2023-07-15T20:26:06Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > No pic? I don’t think I can send a picture right from my phone. I’ll work on getting one. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/13 "2023-07-15T20:50:57Z")
I don’t know how to do that either - I always send photos from my phone to my computer, then from my computer I upload the photo to Imgur and post a link. (Every time I do, I think, “I bet I could do this in half the time, if I just knew how.” 🤔) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/14 "2023-07-15T20:55:05Z")
There’s an imgur app… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/15 "2023-07-15T20:56:21Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > “I bet I could do this in half the time, if I just knew how.” Put the imgur app on your phone. Then go to a photo, hit the “share” button and in addition to the usual ‘message’ or ‘email’ options, you should also find an imgur option. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/16 "2023-07-15T21:00:45Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/17 "2023-07-15T21:01:46Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Could be a possum. Could be a racoon, could be almost any small animal. Could be that momma abandoned it for a reason. Could be that it is sick and momma left it. Could be that you have just been exposed to rabies and will die a horrible death. Could give you super powers. Could be good eatin’… ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/18 "2023-07-15T21:30:51Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > good eatin’… I’ve eaten field mice that were cooked on a fire. “Good” is not how I would describe the experience. To the O.P, how many toes does the animal have? Does it have claws? Does it have teeth yet? What colour is its fur (if it has fur)? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/19 "2023-07-15T21:55:47Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > To the O.P, how many toes does the animal have? Does it have claws? Does it have teeth yet? What colour is its fur (if it has fur)? No teeth or fur yet. Maybe little claws-I don’t know how soon those come in-I just saw little digits. Maybe four toes? I do think it’s a squirrel. We’ve been advised to try evaporated milk, but also have messaged a wildlife expert. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2023, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067/20 "2023-07-15T21:59:01Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > I’ve eaten field mice that were cooked on a fire. May I ask why? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-do-with-this-baby-animal/987067.md?page=2)