more about pip.

Here’s a little update about the baby squirrel David’s dad rescued five weeks ago. Prepare yourself for an overload of cuteness!

 

 

Our friend Carly dropped off her daughter’s old doll carrier for Pip. He enjoys it occasionally, when he feels like being still (which is rare these days). Actually, who mostly uses the doll carrier now is Max the guinea pig.

 

 

Pip much prefers to be free to scale whoever is closest to him, up and down, up and down. His new favorite trick is jumping. It’s my least favorite of his tricks (that and chewing on my hair). Right after I snapped the above pic with my phone, Pip jumped onto my face. This has happened before, and I shriek every time and run around trying to get him off, which only makes him dig his sharp nails in and my family laugh harder.

Since Pip and I are the two most high-strung members of the family, it’s best for us to enjoy one another from a distance.

 

 

We actually attempted to release him the wild last week, or at least start the process of releasing him. Per the instructions David found on the internet, Amie would feed him in the morning, then take him out to the oak tree in our front yard and let him explore, for longer and longer periods of time. Pretty much right on schedule, he’d scamper down and onto our front porch at meal times, even scratching at the door once when we didn’t notice him quickly enough. Finally he stayed out for the entire day, in his one favorite tree.

At dusk he was nowhere to be found, and David said, “Well guys, this may be it. Pip may be gone for good.” We were all much sadder than we expected.

But right before dark, he appeared on our porch again.

Well, this was it for Pip. He had tried the life of a wild squirrel and decided that it was not for him.

 

 

From then on, he has not wanted to go outside at all, unless he’s riding on a Gentino. Even then he’s iffy. Pip apparently prefers to be a house squirrel. David’s dad calls it “failure to launch.”

And so, a house squirrel he is.

Actually, he’s a porch squirrel, since David spent Easter weekend making him a home.

 

 

You know it’s funny, I had a nice vision for that little space outside our back door. I found a big plant at Lowe’s, and was scouting the internet for some unique porch wall art to hang above it. Well, David had his own vision for porch wall art.

Thus, we have a squirrel habitat on our new back porch.

Pip absolutely loves it. He scampers all over the branches David’s dad found in his woods, gnaws on everything he can, and loves his little hidey-hole bed in the upper corner (which David and Amie outfitted with an old t’shirt and a miniature stuffed pig).

Pip finished with puppy formula, and now drinks water and eats rodent pellets, special-ordered from Amazon. His favorite snacks are blueberries and walnuts.

He’s living the good life.

 

 

One wall of his home has a different chicken wire that we purchased later on, and after David hung it we discovered that Pip can squeeze through. At first we had a plan for reinforcing it, but as it turns out, it’s nice that he can get out.

He climbs all over the inside and outside of his cage, and takes his pellets up on the roof at lunch time for a change of scenery, and stretches out on our porch railing in a sunny patch for some Vitamin D (you think I’m exaggerating; I’m not).

As you can guess, Pip has zero interest in being an actual squirrel now; we can even leave the back porch door open, and he won’t venture further than the stoop.

He loves to play, nibbling on David’s ears when he’s sitting at the table, attempting to get work done, pulling Amie’s hair to tease her.

 

 

This week, he scampers inside and joined the kids and I for some math.

 

 

There are lots of things we’ve learned about squirrels this spring. They’re very clean animals, and don’t like their droppings any where near their food or bed.

You may wonder if he bites; he “nibbles,” obviously playfully, looking for treats or teasing. He hasn’t actually bitten anyone hard enough to hurt, but it’s something we’re watching out for.

 

 

If you’d told me that by the spring of my 38th year, I’d have had a pet python and a squirrel, I’d never have believed you. But honestly, I enjoy it. My personal favorites of the family pets are the guinea pigs, but I find Pip endlessly adorable and fascinating. It’s fun to sit on the back porch and enjoy his antics.

And beholding David’s and the kids’ joy is worth every minor decorating inconvenience.

Now, the composting worm bin in our dining room filled with 2,000 red worms?

That’s another story.