Evening star., 1949-11-12
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweH
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Dear Sir:
"One day neighbors found two baby
squirrels being attacked by two larger
ones.
Apparently the young ones were unable
to climb up the tree again to their nest.
They were brought to our 4-year-old daugh-
ter for pets. She named them Jerry and
Betty. Jerry was aggressive from the irst
and Betty was quiet.
them the following formula warm, every
two hours: Milk, 3, parts; water, part;
prune Juice, part: q little sugar or calcium
gluconate, and beaten egg.
They really thrived on this formula. A
doll bottle let the milk flow too fast 50 they
choked and sneezed. A medicine dropper
was more satisfactory except that the
hungry little things could hardly wait for
the dropper to be filled.
y +Hk
'The man at the Zoo suggested most Of
the following foods: Lettuce cabbage,
celery, raw oatmeal, raisins, whole wheat
bread, carrots, raw corn on the cob, apple
grapes. but no whole nuts at first.
ut was three weeks before they showed
any interest in other foods. and even then
they were mostly interested in broken pea
nuts and pecans They also liked q little
water.
''The squirrels were kept in large card
board box with screen over the top. They
liked to sleep under some artificial leaves
from Easter baskets and some dry leaves
"One day they chewed their way out Of
the box. That night we put them in
metal tub with the screen on top.
I'm the morning when they tried to climb
their claws were worn down from trying to
get out of the tub. They grew back in
few days. however.
~ ~
"After that we let them choose their own
nest, basket in the basement. without the
screen.
Every day we would take them in the
back yard to climb trees. One day a very
hard storm came up and Betty stayed in
tree top In spite of all our calling When
the storm was over a very wet, bedraggled
and frightened little squirrel came running
to the house.
1.-THE more freedom they got, the harder
they were to handle. Their teeth were
getting sharper, too, so after we had them
month we decided they would be better OF
outside.
"An empty squirrel nest in . tree by our
front porch seemed made to order, and they
Immediately moved into 1t. They came
lost interest in their milk. We put out other
foods, but they seemed to prefer finding
their own.
"It was easy to distinguish our squirrels
from the six or eight others which came to
our door,, because their coats were sleeker
and their vests whittier than those Of the
other squirrels.
ALSO their tails were bushier and prettier
and turned silvery first: then their coats
started turning gray first.
Betty still visits us couple OF times q
AaNe Tny$,~ Ak< s~S4
month later a squirrel which looked like
him came few times but he did not seem
to recognize my call and was somewhat
tinid. so I was unable to identify him
definitely as Jerry. Sincerely. P. E. g."
The two baby squirrels probably were not
being attacked" by two large ones as the
finder believed.
What was happening was that the mother
squirrel was trying to get them back to the
nest, and In doing so had to seize them by
the back of the neck. after licking them all
over 10 warm them up.
The sight OF this might had caused the
finder to believe larger squirrel was hurt
ing them.
Mother squirrels are very good at finding
their fallen babies. and usually carry them
to d crotch In the tree where the warming
up process takes place.
Doll baby bottles have two holes In the
bottom, to give air. and often the milk dows
out there SO fast that the poor animals
get very little Of it.
# q doll bottle is used, care should be
taken that the air holes are up. not down.
The medicine dropper Is very satisfactory,
although it takes more time, which the
squirrels do not mind, as they like being
fed in this way.
The longer the process is drawn out. the
better the little animals like It. Which. 1t
may be added. Is an attitude not unknown
among human beings.