The Squirrel Board

Several days ago I noticed a squirrel acting strangely under one of my bird feeders. It was unable to stand up without falling over and when it walked on all fours it also rolled repeatedly. It also had a heck of a time climbing around the tree near the feeder. For the last few days I have seen it early in the morning exhibiting the same odd behavior.

So I began searching the internet for answers about what might be wrong with this poor squirrel. Lo and behold I came upon The Squirrel Board, a resource for those who keep them as pets and for those who enjoy watching and/or feeding them.

After I registered and logged into their bulletin board, I found a post about a squirrel exhibiting behavior similar to my furry friend. It was suggested there that the strange behavior might be caused by a head trauma, worms, or poison. I wouldn't be surprised if my squirrel ingested poison as I have a neighbor who puts out rat poison to control chipmunks. Last summer that neighbor's poison nearly took out another neighbor's dog who ate some of it. The dog lived and the owners put up an invisible fence.

In any case I posted a message saying that I had a listing squirrel. And I got several immediate replies. It was suggested that I trap the squirrel and bring it inside, and then once I had it inside let them know and they would tell me how to care for it. When I responded that I didn't think it wise to bring the squirrel inside to join two cats, a cockatiel, and a chinchilla, I was told that there were many animal rescuers in my area who would love to take in and tend to the needs of the squirrel. I was then sent a list of these people, and I called the one who lives not too far from me. I left a message and we will see if she calls back.

I was also strongly encouraged to not call Animal Control, as they would simply destroy the animal. I won't, if I can find someone to help him out. I hate to see him suffering.