MAKING FRIENDS WITH SQUIRRELS

Eleanor White

### Y'll never see, in this old worl'
As beautiful as, the common squirrel!

The common squirrel is everywhere. Watching, hanging out with, and giving treats to them is one great, and not too expensive way to cope with the burden of endless organized stalking and electronic harassment. Their ways of communicating with you and with each other are endearing beyond words!

This squirrel photo story has got to be the ultimate!

Some endearing facts about squirrels:

- In sunlight, with a squirrel near your feet, you can see that they have light stripes, much like cats
- The reason these intelligent little animals will bite off the tip of a peanut shell when you toss one to them is to prevent the peanut from germinating (growing) when they bury it
- Squirrels fortunate enough to have a tree den (hole in a tree, as opposed to a nest made of twigs and leaves) allow only blood relatives to live there with the original owner. In bitter cold weather, they allow non-relatives to pack inside overnight, but they must leave the following morning.
- Baby squirrels purr loudly, like cats
- When you toss a treat to a squirrel, they will often pick it up, turn back towards you, and look right at you for a couple of seconds, which seems to be their saying "thank you"

Squirrels are very intelligent and curious. In a group of squirrels, a few can become almost as friendly as a cat or dog. They know very well that any sudden movement by a human could cause them to be injured, so they will always be slightly wary, even with people they have come to love. If you are trying to become friends with a squirrel, the most important thing is to understand their wariness, and do all you can to show them you will do them no harm.

The best way to befriend any wild animal is to feed them. Not all foods are healthy for these little friends. Here are some ideas on feeding squirrels: Provide WATER in any way you can. Most parks do not have places where squirrels can get a drink easily. Bring a water dish with you and place it about ten feet from where you stand to feed them. They will REALLY appreciate it in dry times, and that includes winter when there is no snow on the ground. Remember how dry your mouth can get on cold winter days! Sometimes, in a park, you can find a hollow place you can fill with water to help the squirrels for a day or so.

When setting water out in winter for animals, don't worry about the water freezing. Animals, squirrels included, know how to scrape a dish of ice so they can drink the ice shavings. Squirrels scrape dishes or cups so well that they scoop out most of the ice. *Avoid* metal dishes to prevent their getting lips or tongues frozen to the metal.

* If you are attempting to get a sick or injured squirrel to take water, which squirrels under stress don't always think to seek out, FLOAT each peanut on the surface of a small, flat cup of water, such as a lid for a plastic food storage cup. This will induce the squirrel to take water with each peanut, significantly improving their health no matter what their condition. In extremely dry weather, winter or summer, treat your squirrel colony to a bag of ice cubes. I have seen squirrels take ice cubes up into trees to enjoy them!

Heavy DEW, frost, or snow and ice provide water to squirrels. They really need extra water in dry years, such as 2002, when almost no dew was deposited for the entire warm weather season. If you notice that the grass isn't dripping wet in the early morning, think about leaving a water dish for squirrels.

Only feed wildlife UNSALTED food of any kind. Squirrels do not always have a source of drinking water close by.

Only feed BREAD when the squirrels have plenty of water (or snow) to drink. Bread on a hot summer day is a bad idea.

PEANUTS are the least expensive. It is very important that the peanuts be roasted. Raw peanuts can make squirrels sick. You can make sure peanuts are roasted by their colour. (Unroasted peanuts are white, and their shells are soft and hard to open.)

FILBERTS (Hazel nuts) and ALMONDS are more expensive, and the squirrels love them. Filberts and almonds are good to leave when you want to be sure the birds don't get them before the squirrels do. Here are some things I've found to be helpful in making friends with these delightful, cute, furry friends: Feed squirrels near trees or bushes, if possible. This gives the squirrel a quick way to escape if he/she should become frightened for some reason.

Always let the SQUIRREL decide how close to come. When you walk towards a squirrel, stop about ten to fifteen feet from the squirrel. You can click your mouth to encourage the squirrel to come closer, but when the squirrel stops, let that be his/her choice. Gently toss the food so it lands in front of the squirrel. Try to aim for a spot where there are no deep grass or leaves. That will make it easier for the squirrel to see the food.

Keep all body movements as quiet and slow as possible. Loud talking or laughing will scare squirrels. When you toss the food, try to keep loose clothing from flapping when your arm moves. Keeping your voice soft will make the squirrels feel comfortable.

Especially, keep your FEET in one spot. The squirrels know your feet carry a lot of weight, and can do them harm. When you look around, if possible, keep your feet in one place without lifting them. I recommend not moving your feet or walking until all squirrels are ten or fifteen feet from you. Keeping your feet perfectly STILL while a squirrel is on the ground near you and eating is a VERY good way to make the squirrel feel comfortable near you.

I recommend not trying to make the squirrel take food from your hand. If a squirrel does this, let it be the squirrel's choice. Many squirrels will take food from your hand, but you can see that most squirrels are nervous doing this. I have had squirrels accidentally put their mouths over my finger instead of taking a peanut from me. They did not bite. This was an accident, and the squirrels did not mean to take my finger.

DO NOT TRY TO GET SQUIRRELS TO TAKE FOOD FROM YOUR HAND IN COLD WEATHER, OR WITH OTHER SQUIRRELS NEARBY. I got one nasty bite because a squirrel wanted to be sure HE got the peanut one cold autumn evening, instead of the other squirrels nearby. He did not want to attack me, he was just nervous, cold, and hungry.

When sitting down or at a picnic table, squirrels may hop up on the bench, the table, or even your lap. You don't need to be afraid of squirrels. Their claws are sharp so they can quickly climb trees, but if the squirrel touches you or climbs on you, you can be sure it just wants food, and does not want to put you in any danger. If you are nervous having a squirrel touch you, just stand up, and the squirrel will move away.

When you finish feeding and want to leave, if a squirrel is on the ground eating near you, step backwards (CHECK that no squirrel is behind you) and walk way around the squirrel. This is very good courtesy and will help that squirrel feel comfortable coming near you when you feed it again. Squirrels rarely carry diseases. They even build two or more nests so they can move around every few days to avoid fleas and other parasites. When I was bitten, the hospital emergency doctor told me I did not need rabies shots, and I did not even need an antibiotic. The bite healed quickly with no problems.

Most squirrels in southern Ontario are "Eastern Grey" type. Eastern Greys include the all black squirrels too - black or dark brown is just one colour they come in.

If you should find a baby squirrel on the ground, you can pick it up and keep it WARM. Stay at that place for half an hour, and see if a mother squirrel comes looking for the baby. Keep the baby WARM. After half an hour, and you see no other squirrels in the area, take it home, put it in a cardboard box with soft clothing like tee shirts. DO NOT USE TERRY CLOTH TOWELS, BECAUSE THESE CAN BREAK THE CLAWS ON BABY SQUIRRELS.

Lightly cover the baby's body with a fold of cloth, and be sure the baby can keep warm using its own body heat. Do not use a heating pad or heat lamp.

Wait a FULL HOUR, then you can try a medicine dropper with Gatorade. NEVER COW'S MILK. If the baby has a full coat of fur and its eyes are open, a peanut taken out of the shell can be offered. Small sections of fruit may be offered. BUT WAIT AT LEAST AN HOUR after bringing the baby home, say squirrel rehabilitators. If dropper feeding doesn't work, offer a shallow water dish, placed on a cookie sheet, as squirrels often tip dishes by stepping on the rim.

It is URGENT that you immediately call the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, or a nearby veterinarian, and ASK HOW TO CONTACT THE NEAREST LICENCED SQUIRREL REHABILITATOR. It is against the law in Ontario to rehabilitate an orphaned baby squirrel yourself. In Hamilton, the SPCA has been unable to help me when I found an orphaned baby. It was local veterinarians who helped me find a licenced squirrel rehabilitator.

The most adorable thing I learned about squirrels when I found the baby was that they PURR, just like cats. I am so lucky to count squirrels among my friends in high places!

### Consider helping wildlife survive:

[Original for use as a flyer/poster:
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And let's not forget the squirrel's dear little cousin: