Thursday, July 8, 2010

Introducing Baby Squirrel Oscar

Life can change at a moment's notice. For one new-born squirrel, a topple from the trees has changed its life forever. And, hopefully, there is a forever, or at the least, a full squirrel life for this tiny creature.

I have dubbed him Oscar and he arrived in my cat's mouth two days ago.
Forthwith, a picture of the offending cat, You You, the Adorable.

Cats will be cats and they hunt and I am the recipient of many different sorts of alive and dead items. One cat liked to bring home discarded Tim Hortons' cups, usually, she chose flattened as they were easier to transport.

So when You You ran across my path with something very small and pink in its mouth that was squeaking in protest, I apprehended him and removed the terrified creature. It was the size of one of those pink erasers we used in primary school.

There were two puncture makes on its neck, not deep, where it had been carried. I subsequently cleaned these with Hydrogen Peroxide. Probably should have diluted it but didn't.

I was uncertain what the cat had dragged home, so to speak. It was smaller than my thumb, naked and blind. Could have been a newborn rabbit because they are born blind and hairless but  they have signature elongated ears and they don't have a long tail. My little bundle could have been a day-old rat or a puppy. It really looked like an embryonic dog from a C-Section done on a tea-cup sized Chihuahua. The umbilical cord was still attached.


Here's a photo taken the evening Oscar arrived. Sort of like a baby Albatross. That was another thought I had, it was a baby Albatross.

From the photo below, can you tell why I thought it might be a dog? (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)


So this was Day One of Oscar's life with me. Him being totally helpless and me not knowing what he was so not knowing what to do.

Please come back tomorrow and every day for updates on Oscar. Just a little heads up, he's eating every two hours and flourishing.


Thank-you everyone who has offered sage advice on how to accept the challenge of raising an infant animal.

Shannon Lee

11 comments:

  1. He is so cute! Cannot wait to follow his process!

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  2. Not sure "cute" is the operative word here. Maybe with a little fur, he'll be cute but right now, he looks like an unhatched chicken! lol!

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  3. How did you figure out that he was a squirrel?

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  4. I found out he was a squirrel after I took him door-to-door on my street asking if anyone's dog was missing a puppy. At the fifth door, someone visiting across the street said, "Why that's a baby squirrel." It was a duh moment for me. I never thought squirrel. Thought rat and if it weren't for the long, skinny tail, rabbit, but never squirrel.

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  5. I hope he continues to thrive

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  6. Are you going to continue posting about him? (with pics hopefully?) Is that milk on your hand he's drinking?

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  7. The rabbits we have in Ontario, Eastern Cottontail Rabbits, are NOT born hairless. They are born with fur, and are a brownish-grey colour.

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  8. Oh. fascinating. there is no concrete way to tell what will be the next big thing.

    life size oscar

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  9. On Oscar night, I see that this last poster collects all things Oscar and this is why s/he has discovered this site all about a tiny squirrel named Oscar.

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  10. I neglected to answer queenmabOOO last August.
    As you can see, the story of Oscar has continued and will continue. His female friends either have had babies or will have babies so the squirrel saga will keep on.

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