Killing a caged squirrel

You’ve trapped a live San Jose squirrel and now you have to kill it. You want its death to be humane. There are a number of ways deemed humane to dispatch a trapped squirrel. First you should check with local San Jose laws to confirm that you can kill the squirrel. Laws vary from country to country, within jurisdictions, and according to the type of squirrel. For example; In England you may not trap, injure, or kill a red squirrel, however, if you cage a grey squirrel you must kill it (humanely) immediately. Here are the common ways people dispose of caged squirrels humanely.

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You can shoot it. If you choose this option make sure you have a large enough caliber bullet to do the job in one shot. Wait for the creature to settle down, trying not to chase it around the cage with the gun. Be sure to hold the barrel close to the wire cage to avoid any ricochet, and watch out for blood spatter.

You can drown it. Many experts say that drowning is a peaceful death. Dropping the California squirrel, cage and all, in a large body of water, will drown it in 2-4 minutes. Make sure cage doors are secure and the water covers the entire cage. If you are using a tank or lake you want to tie a rope the cage for easy retrieval.

You can kill it with carbon monoxide gas. Euthanize the San Jose squirrel with carbon monoxide. Start your vehicle and place the cage in a trash bag. Place the bag’s opening over the running car’s tail pipe. The fumes will fill the bag and make quick work of the California squirrel. Make sure you do not inhale any of the fumes because carbon monoxide is just as dangerous to humans.

You can Freeze it to death. Squirrels normally withstand freezing temperatures by staying in their dray (nest area) with other San Jose squirrels, sharing body heat. A squirrel alone in a cage will freeze in a couple of hours. Be mindful that Squirrels carry parasites and fleas .Because of this, putting them in your deep freezer is a risky action.

You can have it put to sleep. Take it to a San Jose animal shelter or veterinarian and have it anesthetized. Although it is ahumane action, it can be costly.

You can kill it with one swift blow. Cover the cage door with a heavy sack. Shake the squirrel into the sack and force it into a corner with the toe of your boot. Confine it to the corner by standing on the sack. Take a heavy bludgeoning object like a hammer or club and give it a sharp blow on the head. While unpleasant for you it is quick way to end its life.

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