How Erin got her hamster...

Hello again!

Well, our family has welcomed a new little face yet again... yesterday Erin adopted a wee little hamster.  A black and white long haired syrian hamster that she has named "MOO".  This happy decision was preceded by a little bit of sadness (AGAIN?!?)

Last week when walking to and from the barn, Sammy was met by a little adolescent red squirrel.  It bounced right up to her and climbed her leg.  She of course came running to me and her story was met with disbelief.  I continued to put away my groceries until Erin came to me with a repeat of this story.  I left my thawing groceries in the walkway and followed my girls.

I witnessed this kamakazee squirrel for myself.  I could tell it wasn't an adult by a long stretch but it wasn't an infant either.  I insisted to the girls that we watch from a distance to be sure that momma squirrel was nearby.

Two hours later and no sign of Momma Squirrel and the baby we've taken to calling Tarzan is starting to look tired from his adventures of tree trunk climbing and jumping.  I wanted him to be able to nap safely while we waited for Momma so the girls procured our old hamster cage and I collected the baby squirrel.  As I was not sure what bugs might be crawling on him or how big his teeth might be, I removed my shirt and caught him with that... Imagine this occurring in our old subdivision??  My neighbours would have been seriously scarred:

My photo text to Derek with the baby news.

Snuggled in my shirt and wood shavings, Tarzan dozed under the tree while we kept an eye and ear for his Momma.

Later that evening with no sign of Momma, we offered Tarzan some bird seed and an apple slice.  When neither of these were eaten, I mixed up some warm milk with a little sugar and a dash of salt (energy and electrolytes) and Tarzan lapped it up from a syringe.

Now.. red squirrels are a very polarizing subject - no big fan club from what I can tell.  Many people find them an especially destructive nuisance, however to us, it was a living animal that needed a little help.

For three days we fed milk from a syringe and offered seeds and fruit and for three nights Tarzan slept in his cage on our enclosed deck.  Finally by the fourth day he seemed more interested in the trees and rocks where we had first come across him.  We decided to try and help him make the jump to independent living.  Any time we were out in the barn yard we had Tarzan out exploring on his own a short distance away.

UNTIL...
It's all like something out of a JAWS movie... one moment little Tarzan is frolicking around on the pathway and the next, our 20 pound Mainecoon cat, Micro is on the little squirrel and has picked Tarzan up and run off into the thick bushes.  It was devastating...

WHAT?  I only did what I thought I was supposed to do!!

Over the next 24 hours the girls eventually forgave Micro and Derek and I decided it was long overdue for Erin to have a pet of her own.  And that is how we have come to have a little rodent running in a wheel safely in Erin's room where Micro won't be welcomed in without supervision.

It is noteworthy that Micro has now been with us for a full year.  He was a rescue cat who had no ambition of leaving our house in the city.  Since our move he has loved being outdoors and has to date caught and brought home a mole, a mouse, a chipmunk and of course a little red squirrel.  I can't help but be a little impressed with this guy.  :)

Jeanette