Raising Peanut

I was always told that when you find baby animals in the wild to leave them alone. In most cases, the mother is usually nearby and will care for the infant after your unwanted presence is gone. But in this case, I had put a 'hit' out on the baby's parents.

I had squirrels in my attic. If anyone has had this problem, you know the damage a family of squirrels can cause. Piles of insulation littered the attic floor in mountains as they tore it up for their winter nesting. There was one pile in particular, very large, they chose to make their den in. Unfortunately, the whole attic would need to be reinsulated. Angry, I called a wildlife removal service. What I didn't know was that removal meant extermination. I honestly thought they would trap and rehome home them.

The deed was done and the next day, as I went down my front steps to do some gardening, I heard a strange noise. It was coming from my azalea bushes on the side of the steps, a piteous mewling sound. I searched for the source of the crying and lo and behold, the most unbelievable sight met my eyes; a baby squirrel no more than a week old was lying on the ground in back of the bushes.

I was a murderer now. I left this poor baby an orphan by having its parents 'removed'. How this little one ended up outside on the ground is anyone's guess. I gently picked up the infant, sick with guilt and remorse, and carried it tenderly into the house. Calling a vet, I learned infant cat formula was the closest thing to squirrel milk. Putting the baby, whom I named Peanut, in the front pocket of my shirt, I drove off to buy the necessary supplies.

Feeding Peanut turned out to be easier than I expected. Once she (I found out the gender later), got a taste of the formula in the tiny syringe, she suckled it like a pro. I was in love. I took this little baby everywhere with me. She slept most of the time, only popping her tiny head out of my pocket once in while. When she did, though, how startled people were to see her furry little head!

Peanut grew very quickly and was soon ready to wean off of her formula. To get her used to solid food, I soaked a little bread in the formula and she quickly learned to hold it in her little paws and suck the milk out, then eat the bread. How she loved to eat! But when I introduced her to peanut butter, she turned into a savage little beast. At first, she sniffed it, looking up at me suspiciously, and tentatively stuck out her tiny tongue for a taste. Well, you would have thought she was a baby wolf the way she flattened herself out and growled warningly at me. I was a little more than shocked at her behavior. The worst part was when I put my hand near the peanut butter, she attacked it! I chuckled at her ferociousness and let her eat in peace.

As Peanut continued to grow and put on weight, she loved nothing more than to hang out on my shoulders entangling herself in my long red hair. She loved to scamper up our legs, but her little needle-like claws were very sharp and unless you had thick pants on, her rambunctiousness hurt. Baby squirrels are amazing little creatures; affectionate, sweet, and very wild. It's not like having a puppy or kitten. Squirrel babies have food aggression, will destroy each and every plant in your house, and, oh, wait a minute, I guess it is like having a puppy or a kitten! Lol!!

Peanut thrived under our care and grew to be a beautiful squirrel with a red stripe down her back. But she was getting to be too much in the house. Too destructive. Not only that, but it was really getting painful when she decided to jump on our heads or climb up our legs. I knew it was time to start preparing her to be introduced back into the wild where she belonged. On my back porch, after foraging in the woods for just the right branches and long pieces of wood, I built a mini forest. She needed to learn how to navigate her way in the trees. You never saw a happier squirrel! She chattered and chirped happily as she jumped from branch to branch, finally flattening herself down on a limb to nap from happy exhaustion.

Summer came, and Peanut was nearly full grown. Too much for me to handle anymore. Not to mention, calls from a male squirrel outside were beckoning my baby girl. The more he called to her, the more interested she became. I knew it was time. I made my little kissy sound that she responded to, and cuddled with her one last time. The kids said goodbye as well and almost as if she knew, she let them stroke and pet her. Then I opened the window. Hearing the male outside call to her, she jumped onto the ledge excitedly, looking back at me as if asking for my permission. "Go!" I motioned to her, "He's been waiting for you!" Needing no further coaxing, Peanut jumped out of the window and out of my life. Needless to say, I cried like a baby.

I only saw Peanut one more time after that. I was out in the yard and I saw her with her new mate. I made the kissy noise and she came down the tree to see me, not in the least bit afraid. Just when it looked like she was going to jump onto my shoulder, the male started chattering angrily. Oh, was he angry! He probably was wondering if his mate had flipped her lid, coming to me as she did! She stared at me for a second longer, indecision making her hesitate. Flicking her beautiful tail a few times, she went to her mate, her decision made. He must have moved her to a safer place because I never saw her again. I was so happy to have that one last experience, though.

Thanks for reading my story. Remember, though, if any of you out there find a baby animal, make sure that you know it is abandoned before carting it away.