to have freed the trapped squirrel?

[glintwithpersperation]

Next door have setup a trap/cage on their back fence. This afternoon they caught a big old squirrel, who was going absolutly mad - (very distressed and distressing) squeaking, biting etc and so was his mate. The neighbours were out, so I climbed over our fence and used 2 sticks to free him. He ran away but I was worried he was going to attack. My 3 kids think I'm a hero but dh thinks neighbours will know I did it. I don't care

how will they know you did anything? Maybe they'll think the trap just didn't catch anything / it escaped?

I've no great time for tree rats grey squirrels but who on earth would want to trap them? They aren't even tasty.

So no, YANBU at all to release this caged and suffering squirrel.

My friend had squirrels living in her loft, which obviously needed to be caught. She says the pest control people told her that as they're officially classed as "vermin" it's illegal to release them. Once they're trapped you have to destroy them humanely. Could be nonsense of course, but she's generally a very sensible sort.

good for you! your neighbours are being cruel setting up a trap like that

Very reasonable. Poor squirrel.

What were they planning on doing with it when they caught it? Release it in to the wild?

Humane traps are not humane unless they are checked regularly. Its also illegal to release a grey squirrel.

It would be better if they used one these traps.

www.magnumtrap.com/kania.html

The squirrel would be dispatched to squirrel heaven quickly and humanely.

I have no idea what they want to do with squirrels. Eat them? We live on the edge of a village with fields behind us so we are surrounded by wildlife. I could understand trapping them if they were living in your loft but why in your garden???
My dh thinks they mayknow because they may have seen the squirrel before they went out, also I didn't reset the trap.

Who cares if they do know? Bloody cruel, IMO. I think you're a hero too.

We had squirrels trapped because they were gnawing electrical wires in our loft. If we had not had them exterminated then our house would have been at risk of catching fire. We had a licensed pest control company to get rid of the squirrels.

This has brought a smile to my face after a long and tiring weekend. Well done you! You are indeed a hero in my book.

As for the neighbours... sod them, they shouldn't be trapping and distressing animals in the first place.

They are extremely cute but can also be a real nuisance. MIL had them in her loft and they got into the water tank.

YABU for releasing them, your neighbours could be having real trouble with them. But equally, your neighbours ABU for not checking the trap regularly or getting snappy ones.

Go You!!!

But then i love Rats and Pigeons too - up the Vermin i say!

we are the biggest Vermin of all - they merely feed off our filth....

My MIL has a squirrel trap, she grows alot of fruit and veg and according to her the squirrels keep eating it all. Once she has caught them she drowns them. I was a little upset when she did it in front of my two children (who were 4 and 2 at the time) but they didnt seem to care. YANBU to release it though, I probably would have done the same in my MILs house if I had seen it before she had!

It is awful.Drowning isn't a humane death for any creature.

fernie, had that been my MIL that would have been the last time she ever saw me or her grandchildren. Wicked, appalling behaviour!

Hmm, tricky ones, squirrels are littel buggers but it is actually illegal to release one once it is trapped, so fgs don't tell your neighbours you did it!

I told her I didnt like it and she agreed not to do it in front of the children again. She is the type of woman who grows veg, kills chickens etc to her a squirrel is not a huge deal. I am sure she didnt do it just to wind me up or be cruel its just her way and I do believe she wont do this in front of the children now I have asked her not to. Would be a little bit of an overreaction to never see her again!.

I hunt with my dp and kill game animals which we eat but drowning a squirrel isn't at all humane.
A sack should be placed over the trap and the squirrel tipped into that and knocked sharply on the head.

It may not be the worst thing in the world but I wouldn't even consider drowning a rat.

Message deleted

Different strokes and all that fernie. It may be an overreaction for you, and that's your perrogative of course, but there is no way I would would want to even speak to the MIl again, much less tacitly condone her actions to my children.

YANBU! good for you OP, id have done the same.