A story to read to the kids:
I had a friend who is a photographer, Lindy. Her brother is a tree cutter. Sometimes when the trees are cut down there are squirrels' nests that fall. He set them aside away from his work area to see if the mother will come back to them. At the end of a job if the babies are still there, he takes them to his sister. Lindy is amazing with animals and has rehabilitated many into her yard. We live in a state where it is legal to own squirrels as a pet or rehabilitate them.
Chipper had two sisters who were not getting along with him. Lindy needed to separate them for Chipper's safety.
On my birthday my husband surprised me with a photoshoot with Lindy. She took amazing pictures. I felt like a princess on my big day. When we returned to my house Lindy showed Chipper to me. His eyes were still closed, and he just started growing his fur. As soon as I laid eyes on him my heart melted. She explained to me she needed to separate Chipper from his sisters for his safety and asked me if I wanted to care for him. I said yes and she showed me how to make his milk using puppy formula and a syringe with a rubber nozzle.
At his early baby faze all he did was sleep. I used an old camera bag and made a little bed inside and I took him everywhere with me while he slept inside of it.
Chipper has always been a sweet boy from the start he never cried and loved his milk time. Every four hours we had to wake him up to drink his milk. We would set an alarm to give him his milk in the middle of the night. Chipper's favorite way to drink his milk was to stretch his belly across my husband's warm hands while I held the milk. We fed him one time this way and it was the only way he would drink from that time on. Chippy would guzzle and guzzle until it was completely empty.
As he grew older, we gave him rocks and sticks to chew on for his teeth. Squirrels are like beavers they have to constantly chew on things because their teeth continually grow.
Chipper shows no interest in going outside. He is happier than a pig in a poke inside. He enjoys laying on the cold metal washing machine. He loves to wrestle and play fight with my hands. I have made several climbing posts for chipper that reach high up to the ceiling. He loves to lay on the highest top shelf with his head hanging over the ledge and watch me sew. I tell him all the time "Chipper, you're the best supervisor." He'll twitch his fluffy tail at me letting me know he wants to be pet and loved on. Boy Oh Boy, does he love attention.
A squirrel has a mind of its own. I care for Chipper and love him every day. I still take him outside for fresh air. I have learned to watch out for cats and birds of prey while he is outside. When Chippers ready to go outside, he will let me know. He goes bizzonkers climbing all over me and running to the door letting me know he wants to play in the laundry room and lay on the cold metal washing machine. We walk around outside for a few minutes then he is done he'll run straight upstairs climb to the highest point in the room ready to watch over me in my sewing room. Maybe one day he'll want to stay outside. I don't know. I just let Chipper be Chipper.
When a wild animal comes into your life it's VERY important to leave them in the wild if you can, but if you need to rescue them, learn as much as you can about the animal and how to rehabilitate it or make sure it is legal to keep them in your care to be able to provide for them the type of habitat and vet care they will need to be happy.
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