Help! DH caught a squirrel in a HUMANE cage trap thing - what now?????

[pecanpie]

It's been eating through our loft for the past couple of weeks and finally set the trap today - caught it within an hour of putting it up there. He's planning to drive it to the park and release it back into the wild. I am very amused but also wondering if it will a) bite him or b)find it's way back. No doubt the same squirrel he had a water fight with a few weeks ago as he tried to stop it from eating our window ledges.
Next step - find the hole and close it up....but first to set another trap incase it invited any of it's friends over...

[Seededbiatch]

Awww you could keep it, as a pet. You could build it a big cage to live in and you could feed it nuts and berries and name it Fluffy.

[southeastastra]

it's probably got hundreds of babies in the loft and now they don't have a mummy so it will probably try to come back

[displayuntilbestbefore]

or if your dh accicentally runs it over,eat it?
maybe?

[Seededbiatch]

Ohh, keep the babies too!

[CybilLiberty]

Par boiled with some dumplings is delish

[Seededbiatch]

Sob, Fluffy, sob...

[displayuntilbestbefore]

at least in my recipe, Fluffy would be with her babies

[pecanpie]

Well at least if it does have a little family, that will keep my family fed up with meat for the winter. DH says no rabies in the UK... We could make DD a coat too (don't fancy fur in a stew).

[displayuntilbestbefore]

rofl at coat idea, pecanpie!!!!

[displayuntilbestbefore]

and sorry I don't actually have any useful suggestions!

[traceybath]

Kill it.

[traceybath]

Sorry - had been watching autumn watch where they were culling grey squirrels.

Do make sure no more can get in as they will eat through everything including electricity wires which is rather dangerous.

[MadBadandDangerousToKnow]

Don't want to bring bad news, but because squirrels are vermin, it's illegal to release them back into the wild. So having caught it, your only legal option is to kill it.

See the advert for the squirrel trap here, which says

"... Please note under the Wildlife and Countryside ACt 1981 is is illegal to release or re-release a grey squirrel once captured".

Eww.

[displayuntilbestbefore]

!!!!!
If there was ever a reason to try out your hand at cooking squirrel then MadBadand's advice has just given it to you!!!
Blimey - I shan't be catching squirrels if I can help it.

[pecanpie]

must tell DH he must now go on the run as he's a law breaker... fingers crossed then that it's just the one squirrel getting it's revenge on him for being hosed away from the window ledges a few weeks back.

Might have to do what displayuntilbestbefore suggests and get him to run over the next one... Or any takers for a live squirrel? They seem to like Jordan's Country Crisp...

[pecanpie]

with strawberries...

[displayuntilbestbefore]

(firmly locks the door and checks for squirrel sized holes before reteating into safety of home)

[Seededbiatch]

Fluffy's revenge.

[pushmepullyou]

Take it to the RSPCA for them to kill it if that's what you intend to do unless you or your DH are experienced in the humane dispatch of furry animals!

Takes the responsibility off your hands as well.

However, whilst it is illegal under the WCA to release grey squirrel it will make absolutely sod all difference to nature conservation, so if you don't feel you can face killing it or having it killed then don't feel too guilty about releasing it.

[pecanpie]

Would much rather release it than kill it even if it is vermin... they are evil but look so cute...

Might give RSPCA a call now to find out what to do 'if' we catch one - for the next.

Oh - and just read that they don't like the smell of crushed mothballs (who does)and will encourage any others to leave.

[pecanpie]

RSPCA say they have to go to the vet to be 'put to sleep' (like the washington sniper)which I'm sure = ££££ or that we'll prob get a good package from Rentokil etc.

Might be an idea to find the holes and seal them and use the traps afterwards to commit any stay-behinds to squirrel death row.

[ABetaDad]

Definitley go in the loft and seal up all the holes. It will not have baies up there.

Then shoot it or put it down humanely.

[displayuntilbestbefore]

seeded
am worried about squirrel karma now.....

[pecanpie]

DH's dad used to have an airgun... Shame...

Rentokil calling me for a free no obligation quote in the morning... Silly DH - why do men always think they can fix these things themselves?

[displayuntilbestbefore]

oh, you turncoat, pecan - in your OP, you sounded positively proud that your dh had caught it "within an hour" of setting the trap !