Q. Can a Pregnant Woman Care for a Baby Squirrel?

Posted by Mia Carter Mar 10, 2009

On March 10, 2009, I received the following question on my article titled Feeding a Baby Squirrel: "Is it unsafe for a pregnant woman to handle and care for baby squirrels?"

Fortunately, it is very safe for a pregnant woman to handle a baby squirrel. I will review the reasons for this.

Reason 1 - Baby Squirrels Are Not Likely to Carry Disease

Baby squirrels are very physically fragile. When a baby squirrel becomes sick or ill with a disease, he succumbs and dies very quickly -- usually within 24-48 hours. This short time frame provides little opportunity for the baby squirrel to transmit an illness or disease to other baby squirrels or humans.

In addition, a baby squirrel typically lives a very isolated life, away from other disease-carrying wildlife. They typically remain in the nest; most baby squirrels that require rescue from humans have rarely, if ever, left the nest.

Reason 2 - Baby Squirrels Don't Have Teeth!

Most cases where a human contracts an illness or disease from an animal involves an animal bite. Baby squirrel bites are extremely uncommon for two reasons. Firstly, baby squirrels that require human rescue don't typically have a full set of teeth, which makes a bite that breaks the skin extremely unlikely.

Secondly, we'll consider why many wild animals would bite a human. Pain is one reason, but as I mentioned above, a situation or illness that's apt to cause pain for a baby squirrel is likely to kill him.

Fear is another very common reason for an animal bite involving a human. But baby squirrels, like most other young animals, are not fearful of humans. This fear of humans is developed when the squirrel reaches adulthood. Virtually all baby squirrels are very trusting of humans, making a bite due to fear extremely unlikely.

Cautions for a Pregnant Mother

One area where a pregnant woman should be careful is involving medications. Certain medications that an older baby squirrel may require -- like a parasite medication -- could be harmful if ingested or contacted directly by a pregnant woman. But fortunately, the situation can be easily remedied by wearing protective gloves when handling the medication.

So yes, generally speaking, it is very safe for a pregnant woman to care for a baby squirrel.

To learn more about baby squirrel care, visit the Baby Squirrel Care Page.

Have a pet question? Send your questions to Mia.Carter@Suite101.com

Disclaimer: I have extensive experience in caring for animals, including sick and special needs animals, but I am not a veterinarian. I can provide information and advice based on research and my many years of experience with pet care and training, but it's not a substitute for seeking medical attention from a veterinarian.