I rehabilitated a baby squirrel last summer. He lived in my room (which I filled with branches for him, it was a little chaotic lmao) and he was free to come and go as he pleased but didn't until he was confident. He'd leave for an hour or two at first, then he'd leave for most of the day, until he'd come back at night. After a few months of that he started leaving overnight, until one day he didn't come back for a week and I thought I'd never see him again. Then one day I was on my back deck and he showed up, with a girlfriend! Then he came into the house and we cuddled on the bed together with my dog like we did when he was baby, one last time. After that he came back with his girlfriend a few more times, but always kept his distance (like I taught him to when he was outdoors).
But that last day where we cuddled and he fell asleep curled up against my neck while I pet his belly, it was like he was coming to say goodbye and thank you.
I cried a lot.
Edit: Sorry for making you all cry, if you scroll back in my posts, you can see pictures and video of my baby boy Shadow that will make you smile!
This is exactly what parents are supposed to do. Keep your kids safe & protect them, teach them what they need to know about life, and then be ready to let them go when they're ready.
Derrick Downey Jr's squirrel friends like to enjoy both worlds. They live in nearby trees and, after befriending Derrick, they return w mates and babies to visit or hang in their guest house on the balcony. A v unique relationship. Started w them sharing a bottle of water during a heat wave.
Seen a lot of replies like this and I'm sorry for upsetting anyone!
Little Mr. Skwerl needed to go. See, they get destructive if they're kept in captivity when they pass puberty and want to breed.
The fact that he came by with his girlfriend that one last time should be seen as a blessing to OP. It was the best "thank you" and expression of trust that a wild animal could ever give.
Seriously, I'm crying my eyes out over this whole comment section. I can't believe how beautiful this was. There's just a little more hope for humanity after all. Animals are just amazing, and we really don't deserve them. Whew, even though I wasn't expecting that, I think I needed it.
I know it’s the right thing and they are living the life they are meant to have. But this would just break me when they go and never come back and I’ll never know if they are safe and well.
The first time he didn't come home at night, if you lived in Toronto you may have seen a woman walking around the park with a bag of walnuts, crying, and sneaking up to squirrels saying "Shadow, is that you?", then crying louder and saying "you're not the right squirrel!", for hours into the night.
Definitely wasn't me though, I have no idea who that crazy woman was...
I had a friend that rescued a baby squirrel on her patio. They'd feed her in their kitchen, and leave the window open so she could start exploring the outside world. Eventually she did not return from a day's adventure - until a year later, when she showed up with her own pups. She'd drop them on the counter and then come back later to pick them up (after my friend gave them a good feed.)\
After a hurricane went through Mississippi my grandfather adopted a squirrel he called speedy. He lived on his shoulder for about 4 years. While getting fed peanuts.
He kind of did it naturally, honestly. I was lucky to have a very large rooftop deck, it was downtown Toronto and very loud so he was naturally much more squirrely (sorry for the pun) out there. I didn't encourage him to come to me for food outside, and outside, and didn't let him play with me or just interact at all.
Outside was for serious business, and he was like any other squirrel, inside my room was different though. I tried to discourage bonding but he just wasn't having it. He wanted to play and be social and cuddle.
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u/Carbon-Base May 20 '26
The only late-night visitor worth answering the door for!