Evening star., 1947-10-01
This and That
By Charles +. TraceUeU
"R STREET.

N . ItGGA.
What do you think Of the squirrel as a
house pet?
"O,lr family has almost worked up quarrel
over the subject. neghbor gave small
squirrel to our little girl and she has managed
to do nicely with it, but my husband says 1t
is no fit pet for child
II read your articles recently, and thought
you seemed to approve of this small animal
as house pet.
"Yet felt sure reading between the lines,
that you had certain reserve about the matter.
Sincerely H. NJ"
sThe gray squirrel makes a good pet If taken
early enough, and if handled by the right per-
son.
We have come to believe that no one un-
der 16 years of age should undertake the care
OF this animal.
1t is nervous creature inclined to sudden
stops and starts.
1t is q wild animal and always will be wild
animal
Behind it are no such eras of domestication
as make the dog and cat good pets.
He or she who manages to tame squirrel
has real achievement.
There can be little question that some per-
sons, both young and old, have special affinity
to this animal, and get better response from
it than an average person.
Just how one can tell if he is fitted to take
over the upbringing Of this popular rodent We
do not know.
If the urge is there-well, that will mean
great deal.
Certainly, no one should try to bring up
squirrel in haphazard way.
The creature is too temperamental. It does
not understand what is being done to it, and
the claim of the outdoors is strong: it must
have extreme sympathy on the part of the hu-
man element, If 1t is to like its new way of life.
This means that the human being in the pic
ture must try to look at the world from the
squirrel viewpoint He must eat squirrel, sleep
squirrel, even talk" squirrel.
Good squirrel raisers take on some of these
attributes
It is asking too much of the average person,
especially small child, we think.
Not that children cannot make a good begin
ming.
But when the squirrel begins to grow, to feel
its oats" as 1t were, it will begin to nip, and
from a first tentative nip to bad bite it may
not be long, unfortunately.
\ II q squirrel is undertaken it is best to keep
1t in the hands of one person all the time
The tendency on the part OF children to pass
it from hand to hand is bad for it. and in the
end leads to biting.
Now q squirrel bite is no minor thing.
1t may be very dangerous and may be de-
livered "out Of clear sky" as one might say;
the amman Is quiet, Wnen Suodeniy TOO quick
move is made close to it, and it bites.
AS quick as lightning, those sharp teeth es-
pecially that long front one, clamp down and
to the bone.
A squirrel bite is no ordinary bite.
1t may mean good deal of trouble, especially
for youngster.
For this possibility, If for no other, younger
children should not attempt to keep squirrels
as pets.
Older boys an6-girls may attempt 1t, but
should be told before they begin that the entire
responsibility for the creatures welfare is on
their shoulders.
It is good thing however, for the pet squirrel
to become acquainted with other children, but
always they should be cautioned to make NO
sudden movements. They should never be per-
mitted to grab at 1t, or make sudden loud noises.
When 4 pet squirrel bites, 1t almost always Is
when the animal has received q sudden fright.