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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

3647.0. "New friend - a baby squirrel?" by NATASH::ANDERSON () Tue May 29 1990 15:30

    As some of you know, my babies are indoor residents but is seems we 
    we have been adopted by an outdoor animal of another species.
    
    Tracey and I have been feeding birds for the past week and now a baby
    squirrel has appeared on the deck.  She is adorable.  On Memorial Day 
    I had the the French doors open and Tiffany was asleep on the chair 
    and Otis asleep in the basket - when our friend appeared at the door.  
    Both Otis and Tiffany 'slowly' went to the screen and just SAT there.  
    Tiffany was low to the ground, the tip of her tail wagging and staring 
    her down...but not making a sound (the squirrel is sitting on her hind 
    legs now...) and Otis was on all fours, front right paw in the air - 
    tail out straight - and ALSO staring.  I found it curious to see both 
    cats in such opposite body stances...very intriguing.
    
    Tiffany (by the way) is declawed -Otis isn't - but neither cat
    made ANY attempt to attack.  They were just fascinated by this
    little animal.  
    
    Saturday - I was upstairs and heard this 'animal' crying.  I ran to 
    the window and found our little friend 'hanging' from the VERY top
    of a flimsy branch....calling for someone to help.  We waited for
    about 20 minutes - no one came to her rescue - so Tracey went outside 
    and threw a walnut at the base of the tree.  She IMMEDIATELY found a 
    way to get down...and was eating out of Tracey's hand in about 5 minutes.  
    Needless to say - Tracey goes outside and 'calls' her and she appears 
    from nowhere.  She now comes to look for Tracey.
    
    We got some great pictures.  Not one to ask for trouble, I hope
    that I am not doing the wrong thing.
    
    Has anyone had an experience like this before?
    
    Marilyn
    
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3647.1NRADM::ROBINSONdid i tell you this already???Tue May 29 1990 15:5510
    
    	Baby squirrels can be quite friendly, I had two someone gave
    	me when I worked for a vet...Watch out for fleas, they all seem
    	to be infested with them from birth...When she was calling you,
    	was is more like a loud whistle than a chirp? This is their
    	`I'm desperately hungry and I'm going to die if you don't feed
    	me' call, I found that out at 5 am one morning... :)
    
    	Sherry
    
3647.2She had TWO sounds!NATASH::ANDERSONTue May 29 1990 17:4615
    When I heard her 'crying'...I had never heard that sound before.
    Actually, there were two distinct sounds.  The first sound was like 
    a bird (whistling) the second was definately a 'desparate' cry.  What
    was interesting is that she really looked like she was hanging on
    for dear life....she didn't move a muscle.  Everytime she would make
    an attempt to turn around, the branch would bend way down.
    
    Otis and Tiffany just kept staring at the tree - they never took their
    eyes off her. 
    
    Otis and Tiffany appear to 'wait' for her arrival on the deck now...
    they are all so fun to watch.
    
    Marilyn
    
3647.3JJLIET::JUDYYork beach boogyin with the bandTue May 29 1990 18:0221
    
    
    	My parent's have a camp in Winchester NH.  Well we have
    	a 'family' of chipmunks that live nearby.  I have one that
    	I call my 'pet chipmunk'.  This little cutie will come up onto
    	the deck of the trailer and eat out of my hand and let me pet
    	him while he's stuffing his face.  My mom thinks it's the cutest
    	thing and took some pictures of it.  She thought it was so great
    	that while I was gone for a short time on Saturday, she fed him
    	herself and took a picture at the same time.  The noise of the
    	camera didn't even make him flinch!  There's another one that 
    	will eat out of your hand but takes it and RUNS!  Then there's
    	the two younger ones.  One I call stupid because I'll sit there
    	with my hand full of peanuts and the silly little thing will
    	walk right by it!  Must not have a keen sense of smell!  Then
    	there's "the teenage mutant ninja chipmunk".  We call him that
    	because he was born with only a stump of a tail.  Look like a
    	bunny tail.  Funny, he hops like one too!
    
    	They're sooo cute!  As long as they don't bite I think it's safe.
    
3647.4They get pushy, but they are fun!...BOOVX1::MANDILETue May 29 1990 20:3810
    My mom has one that has been coming for her "handouts"
    for about 5+ yrs now.  Comes right up to the glass,
    taps and calls for his snacks.
    She tried to shoo him away from the bird feeder last
    week, and the cheeky little B gave her an earfull and
    refused to budge until she gave him something.
    
    "Chippy" (her name for the squirrel), has her well trained.
    
    L-
3647.5CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Wed May 30 1990 11:404
    Jack and I have fed squirrels on the Boston Common.  They're BOLD!
    We also had a neighbor who had a "pet" squirrel.  He'd come up and
    eat out of her hand.
      Nancy
3647.6Named HIM 'Wally'NATASH::ANDERSONWed May 30 1990 11:5511
    Well I got home in the pouring rain last night and Tracey had put some
    walnuts out for 'Wally' (short for WALNUT??? and she feels the squirrel
    is a boy) but he didn't come around.  I am assuming it's because of all 
    the wind and rain.  Each nut will probably weigh about a pound today
    after sitting on the railing all night long.
    
    Tiffany and Otis were up at the crack of dawn this morning - peering
    out onto to the deck...waiting for Wally to visit!
    
    Marilyn
    
3647.7Daily Squirrel VisitsFSHQA2::NGRILLOFri Jul 06 1990 20:4213
    My mom and her boyfriend, who live across the street from us, have a
    family of squirrels that come and visit them on a daily basis.  They
    take the nuts right from my mom's boyfriend's hands.  They've also come
    to the door, scratched it, and come right into the house!
    
    Sometimes they will come across the street to our house too.  I
    sometimes get a little nervous though with our two cats Ralph and Alice.  
    Alice I
    trust but Ralph is a true hunter and has little fear in him.  Although
    I've seen all of them "playing" by one of the trees in my mother's
    yard.  One of the squirrels was up higher in the tree than Ralph and
    was kinda playing a "cat & squirrel" game with Ralph.  I watched this
    for about 1/2hr.  It was pretty humerous.
3647.8CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Tue Jul 10 1990 11:546
    One day when I came out to check on the cats on their leashes I found
    Bonnie at the base of a tree looking up at a squirrel who was about 3.5
    feet up a tree.  The squirrel was chattering and scolding at Bonnie
    and knew full well that Bonnie couldn't get it.  Now Bonnie didn't
    know that and it was pretty funny to watch that squirrel teasing
    Bonnie.  :-)