Pet squirrels in Spain: laws and helping orphaned young

Miwuki illustration: a squirrel sitting and holding an acorn

As a general rule, you cannot keep a squirrel as a pet in Spain: the red squirrel is wildlife protected by law, and almost all other squirrels are listed in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species. If you find a baby squirrel on its own, do not keep it: keep it warm, do not feed it and call a wildlife rescue centre.

Can you keep a squirrel as a pet in Spain?

The answer depends on the species, but in practice the result is the same.

Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris): this is the native squirrel of the Iberian Peninsula. Like any wild animal, it is protected by Spain’s Law 42/2007 on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, which generally prohibits capturing, keeping or possessing it, as well as damaging or taking its nests and young.
Almost all other squirrels: Royal Decree 630/2013 includes the whole squirrel family (Sciuridae) in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species, except the red squirrel and the Alpine marmot, for the whole of Spain. This covers, for example, the grey squirrel, chipmunks such as the Siberian chipmunk, flying squirrels and prairie dogs, which also belong to this family.

Being listed means a general ban on possessing, transporting, selling or trading live animals, as well as on releasing them. The decree only allows people to keep animals they already had before the species was listed, provided they reported them to their regional government (the deadline ended on 1 January 2022), and without selling, breeding or giving them away.

Why there are no domestic squirrels

No squirrel species has been domesticated. Even a squirrel born in captivity keeps the needs of a wild animal: climbing, jumping, covering a lot of ground and storing food. To give you an idea, the Virtual Encyclopaedia of Spanish Vertebrates, from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (CSIC), records that in the Collserola hills (Barcelona) the area used by a red squirrel ranges from about 1 to more than 8 hectares depending on the season, sex and habitat. No cage can replace that.

When do baby squirrels open their eyes?

In red squirrels, the eyes open at 28–32 days of age, when the baby weighs about 50 grams, according to the same CSIC encyclopaedia. That source describes their development like this:

At birth: they are blind, deaf and hairless, and weigh 10–15 grams.
First weeks: hair starts to grow at around 8–9 days and by almost three weeks they have a dense coat.
At around one month: they open their eyes.
At seven weeks: they start moving about and eating solid food.
Between 8 and 10 weeks: they become independent.

How to estimate a baby squirrel’s age

With this information you can get a rough idea: if it has no fur, it is a newborn; if it has fur but its eyes are closed, it is probably less than a month old; if it can see and moves around confidently, it is older. This is only a guide, valid for red squirrels. Pass on what you see to the rescue centre, which will tell you what to do.

What to do if you find a baby squirrel

Females sometimes move their young from one nest to another, so a baby on the ground is not always abandoned. Here is what to do:

Watch from a distance for a few minutes if it is in a safe place and looks healthy.
Call as soon as possible a wildlife rescue centre, your region’s environmental officers or 112 if you do not know who to contact, especially if it is injured, cold, covered in flies or in danger from a cat or traffic.
If you are asked to pick it up, use a cloth or gloves and place it in a box with ventilation holes and a soft piece of fabric.
Keep it warm, dark and quiet. You can give it gentle warmth with a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel, without direct contact.
Do not give it food or drink, and never cow’s milk. Wait for the centre’s instructions.
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling it.

Do not try to raise it at home. Apart from what the law says, a baby squirrel needs specialist care to survive and be able to return to the wild. These tips do not replace the instructions of the rescue centre or a vet.

Do squirrels bathe?

They do not need anyone to bathe them. Wild squirrels look after their own coat, and the CSIC encyclopaedia notes that the red squirrel can swim if it needs to.

If you find a baby squirrel that is wet or dirty, do not bathe it: it could get cold very quickly. Dry it gently with a cloth, keep it warm and follow the steps above.

How to help squirrels without keeping one at home

If you love squirrels, the best way to enjoy them is to respect them in their habitat:

Respect their nests. They usually build them in branches, several metres above the ground. Do not touch or remove them, especially during the breeding season.
Do not release exotic squirrels or buy animals of doubtful origin: they can harm native wildlife and keeping them is prohibited.
Tell the environmental authorities if you see a squirrel that does not look native, such as a grey squirrel or a chipmunk.
Watch them with binoculars in parks and woods, without trying to get them to eat from your hand.

If you are looking for a companion at home, compare domestic animals’ needs in our guide to small mammals and family life. For pets you already care for, Miwuki Pet Life helps organise health records and reminders; it does not make wildlife suitable as pets.

Conclusion

A squirrel is not a companion animal: the red squirrel is protected wildlife and almost all other species are invasive alien species that cannot legally be kept in Spain. If you find a baby squirrel, the most helpful thing you can do is keep it warm and call a wildlife rescue centre straight away.