Some here may think of me as just a sentimental old fool but they are entitled to their opinon. I started not to post about this, then I thought maybe someone else may have the same experience and my thoughts might help them. A little over 2 1/2 years ago, after I got in from work, I let the dog out for her morning potty break. As her usual custom, she made the rounds in the yard to see what neighborhood cat had been in "her" yard. I noticed she was pawing at something on the ground. She picked it up started running off with a very small baby squirrel. Now we have this agreement, somethings are "mine" and others are "her's." Well, this was her's and she wasn't giving it up. My wife tricked her in dropping it by offering her a treat. I scooped it up in a dustpan and took it outdoors to dispose of it later. I went back outside a little later and it's eyes were open and it had crawled a little from where I had left it. I thought, "Well, if your'e still alive, I'll try to give you a chance at living." I put it in my shop in a box under a towel and a lamp. It was wet and hypothermic and I really didn't give it much of a chance. A few hours later I went to check on it and she was dry and crawling around. She was so young, she hadn't developed any strenght in her legs. I took her inside and found an old eyedrop bottle, put some half and half with sugar in the microwave for 10 seconds. Well, it didn't take her long to figure out what to do with it. My wife and I were now in the baby squirrel raising business. Moving along in the story, one day she was out of the pet carrier I kept her in and one of the cats came in the bedroom. The cat noticed her and came over, stood up and swatted at her. She had no fear and swatted back at the cat. I had orginally thought of raising her to where she could fend for herself outdoors then turn her loose in the backyard. Not having any fear of cats made me change my mind and I decided to keep her and let her enjoy life as best as I could make it for her. I built a cage of out a dog kennel, with a little house and a tree limb for her to climb up to it. I would let her out often and she would perch on my shoulder and loved to be scratched on the side of her head. She would get down on the floor and explore around my shop. She would take nuts and such and hide them all over the shop. She would sit up on her haunches and eat a carrot like people eat an ear of corn. I would have never thought that a rodent would become so people friendly. The grandkids and other of my friends would come over and she would go to them and sit on their shoulders completely at ease. One of the grandaughters thought that having a squirrel was so "cool".
Friday morning when I got in from work I went to my shop to put some food out for her. Normally she comes right over and at least checks out what I put in. Friday, she just sat in a corner. I didn't really think anything of it at the time. Later, I noticed that she hadn't eaten anything and was just sleeping alot. Friday afternoon, Hedi (our dog) and I were in the shop and I opened the door and she took off and picked up a young squirrel that must have fallen out of a tree. I finally got her to "give it" and move away. The squirrel had squeeked a couple of times and a minute or two after Hedi had put it down, it's eyes were open and it was trying to walk away. Hedi went back after it and picked it up again. I don't know for sure if she killed it or what. When I got it from her it had no heart beat.
All day Saturday, squirrel just laid around unlike her usual active, busy self. By late afternoon, I was concerned and reached in her cage and picked her up. She was very lethargic and had labored breathing. I covered her with the towel that is her bed and a few minutes later I checked on her she wasn't breathing. I picked her up and felt that her heart was in fibulation and shortly it stopped.
With her death and that of the wild squirrel, I began to wonder about the cause. I went on the internet looking for mosquito borne diseses that can affect small mammals. I found several that fit the symptoms. We have already had a lot of warm weather and rain that have mosquitoes out in force. I sometimes leave the door to the shop open when it is cool in the evening so I guess that some found their way in.
I'm not grieving for her the way I have for some of the canine friends I've lost in the past, yet. But, I'm already missing her greeting me when I come in the shop. Some of you know that loosing a pet is almost like loosing a member of your human family. We gave her a safe place to live without danger from predators and she was well cared for. Time will heal the hurt but I will always remember my time with "Squirrel".
