Baby Squirrels NOT a Pet, but Cute to Look At!!
Almost all baby animals of one kind or another are cute. However, I’d like to share one of my favorites that I think is so adorable and loveable that if I had the chance I’d take one home and hand raise it myself. (That is if I lived on a farm or ranch and had the space. My little 3 room apartment won’t quite be the “drey”, a squirrel’s home, I would hope for.)
Baby squirrels although not meant to be a domestic creature are incredibly cute and entertaining to watch. “Baby squirrels are born in the spring, without fur. They’re blind, and weigh in at one or two ounces each. There are usually four in a liter. The mother will keep the young in the nest and nurse them until they’re ready to venture out of the nest, on their own. This is usually in eight to ten weeks. You may see a mother squirrel move her babies, she will carry them by mouth, one at a time.”
I remember a time when I was in college. I would sit outside on the steps of the Pentacrest (set of 5 buildings at University of Iowa) waiting to go to class. I’d sit out there and watch the squirrels fearlessly make their way from person to person looking for a hand out. One day I happened to have a package of Pop Tarts in my back pack, lunch of champions for a struggling student. I took out the Pop Tarts and held out a little piece. Sure enough here comes a little squirrel, hesitantly it crept up near me and grabbed the morsel from my hand. Now, many people would have said, “Are you crazy? That thing could have had rabies or some kind of disease.” I have never been one to shy away from any mammal of any kind and this little critter was no different.
I will leave you with a bit of advice… Most baby animals (accept for snakes and do they really count?) are adorable and we would all love to take them home. If an animal is sick or injured, of course, you could pick it up and either nurse it back to health or take it to your local vet. However, too many times I hear stories on the news of people trying to take in wild animals and raise them on their own. Most of the time either the animal dies or ends up injuring someone in the household. They are called “wild” animals for a reason. So go ahead and stare, take pictures, laugh at, and appreciate squirrels and all other animals for all their cute and cuddly ways. Just from a distance okay.
This blog is dedicated to my good friend “Moe”. Thanks for seeing the beauty in all animals!!! :-)
