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Burlison Bears
Hello everyone
Before I tell you what happened to me yesterday...I must first tell you what happened to me and my husband 2 years ago..........
Flashback:
We were still living in Tennessee....getting close to time to move to Kansas. We were on a walk in our neighborhood and saw something small and pink writhing on the ground underneath a tree. On closer look....we said what is that thing? Is it a hairless baby rat...looks too big to be a baby mouse. It had a long pink tail. It's eyes weren't open yet so it was blind and hairless...it had visible bruises on it...and one of it's ears was torn halfway off and a couple of its toes had been chewed on....obviously by the local neighborhood cat who was always strutting around the area looking important. Because of the bruises we realized it must have fallen...so we looked up the tree and saw a definite squirrel's nest...and after staring at the shape of this little one's head we realized it's definitely a squirrel baby. We felt so bad for it but didn't know what to do. It certainly didn't look like it was going to live much longer. We debated about going to the store and getting squirrel formula and feeding it from a bottle (I've helped raise some abandoned baby kittens that way years ago)...but we didn't know if we should take this squirrel into our own hands not knowing what to do. When we got back from our walk we called around to emergency vet hospitals...no one would take him...they would tell us to call this other number....so we would call that number...and they would give us a different number to call. We kept getting the run-around and didn't know how to help this dying baby squirrel on our own. We finally found a wildlife hospital that told us to drop by at "such and such" hour. So we had to wait awhile. We were afraid that cat would come back and finish off the squirrel so we got a small box and filled it with a grassy nest and gently put the baby in it. We had him for a few hours before we could take it to the hospital. In the car on the way I felt like it had stopped breathing. But then it would start up again. We rushed it inside and the woman wrapped a blanket round it and said, "Oh, it's just a little pinky squirrel. When you find them this young they don't have much a chance for survival...plus he's been injured." She took him away and we went home praying for the squirrel to live. My husband called them the next day and the woman told him the squirrel didn't make it. He passed away during the night. We felt just awful. We felt guilty for a long time that we didn't get formula and take care of "Pinky" sooner...and that we didn't take him in person to a vet much sooner and demand that they take care of him. Then weeks later we moved to Kansas. We would go on our walks in Kansas and often talk about Pinky. And I prayed to God aloud on one of our first walks around our neighborhood in Kansas and I said, "God, if there is ever another baby squirrel in need of help please let me find it so we can do the right thing next time. Please give us a second chance cause we feel so guilty about Pinky."
Now nearly two years later we are just six weeks away from moving to Massachusetts. Yesterday while on a walk with my collie I spotted something small and wet huddled underneath a tree. It's ears were back and I thought it was a mouse. I came up to it, and it didn't move but it's ears came up and I saw that it was a fuzzy little baby squirrel! I bent down and slowly put my finger up to it for it to sniff me. It didn't react in fear so I pet it with one finger....and it still wasn't afraid....until my dog noticed it and lunged at it. The poor thing ran a few feet and huddled again underneath a different part of the tree. I immediately ran my collie back to the apartment and then took off by myself to the tree. I knew that God had given me my second chance! I discovered the squirrel and took a look around the tree to make sure it was really abandoned. I found another baby squirrel there...dead with insects crawling over it. My live baby squirrel was huddled close to it. I looked up at the tree and saw a squirrel nest that looked like it was falling apart. I carefully picked up the baby and it shrieked out in fright and wiggled out of my hands. I tried again...petting it first and letting it sniff me. I picked it up....it squeaked a few times and bit me 3 times in a row...but it didn't hurt...didn't draw blood or anything...this little fellow was very weak. And it was soaking wet cause it had rained on the little one. I took the baby into the apartment and tried to keep my collie from harrassing us. The little squirrel immediately climbed up my shoulder and onto my back. I hunched over and took it into the bathroom and shut the door to keep the dog and cat out. I talked to it and pet it while it was riding on my back. Then I realized I needed the phone so I snuck out of the bathroom...at this point my cat's trying to get at me cause she senses something weird is going on. The squirrel is riding around on my shoulder like a parrot and making little clicking noises with its mouth. I grab the phone and head back in the bathroom to call my husband at work. He gets on the phone and I say, "Remember when we vowed that if we ever found another baby squirrel we would help it this time?" He slowly said, "Yessss..." and I said, "Well, I'm in the bathroom right now and I have a little furry friend riding around on my back." Joseph seemed very shocked and nervously laughed. Then I told him the whole story...and he got excited. As I talked to him the squirrel got very sleepy and curled up on my back and started to shut its eyes. I could see everything it was doing cause I was looking at it in the mirror...my back was hunched over the whole time while talking on the phone. It was soooo cute! Then Joseph told me to put it in a small box with ripped up toilet paper as a nest...and he was going to call around for help. I told him that this one was going to live as it was older than Pinky...had fuzzy fur and it's eyes were opened...and it wasn't injured..just weak and hungry. So Joey hung up and started making calls. In the meantime I got the baby settled in a nice box with a nest of toilet paper...I picked off its fleas and got a tick off it too. I spent a few hours taking care of it...and I really got to see its personality. I named it Twitch cause it would jerk around a lot and scratch at its fleas. I got Twitch to take a nap...and I noticed that one of it's eyes was crusting over...poor thing. I fluffed out Twitch's wet fur and got it dry so it would keep warm. The fur on its head was all hard and crusty though. The tail fluffed out and in no time Twitch was looking more like a beautiful baby squirrel.
Joseph came home and told me he found a wildlife place 25 miles away that said they would take Twitch. They told Joey to look under the tree again as there are usually 3-5 babies. So Joey and I went back out to the tree and looked and saw no one else besides the dead baby squirrel. We went inside and cared for Twitch some more...and Joey was immediately attached to baby Twitch as well. Then something inside me said..."Wait...before we leave let's go look under that tree one more time." We went back out and what do you think I saw...another baby squirrel huddled under that tree!!! I picked it up and it wasn't scared at all...it was even friendlier than Twitch! We looked all around that tree again and didn't see anyone else. I immediately named the second squirrel Snitch...(cause I've been reading Harry Potter lately...you know, the Golden Snitch). So there were 3 baby squirrels...1 dead and 2 alive! We introduced Snitch to Twitch in the box and they immediately recognized one another and started cuddling together. They had 2 totally different personalities. Snitch kept trying to suckle my hand and fingers cause it was hungry....then it tried to find a nipple on Twitch. We knew we had to get them to the wildlife place fast. But we knew it was going to be hard to part with them. I had already spent hours with Twitch.
Snitch cuddled up and fell asleep and before we left we took a few pics. Wish we had gotten more with the two awake, but I didn't want to disturb Snitch. Twitch is the one staring at the camera.
It was a fun ride out to the country...especially when Twitch and Snitch woke up and I enjoyed their antics in their little box...and they liked to be petted.
So we gave them to the ladies at the wildlife hospital. I told them the story of how they were found and we filled out paperwork. They told us that they will survive more than likely. I told them they both need to be treated for fleas and that Twitch has one eye that needs drops put in. I asked for their genders. She showed me their genitalia and told me that they are both girls! She yanked them up roughly (in my opinion) and asked if I wanted to keep the box. I kept the box. Then she took them in a back room...and I didn't even get to say goodbye. We snuck in the back room and saw cages and cages of birds...mainly hawks and all kinds of owls staring at us.
I heard the lady tell the other lady that their names are Twitch and Snitch as they were treating them. I approached and asked if I could say goodbye to them. One lady held both of them up roughly in each hand with their little legs dangling. I pet the top of each of their heads with their little eyes staring up at me and I told them goodbye. We asked if we could call in a few days to find out if they survived...and they said "sure but we won't know if they're the ones you brought in or not. We got a hundred of these baby squirrels." They asked if we wanted them back when they are healthier so we could release them in our yard...but as we're moving in a few weeks we told them no. Besides, they'd have a better life out in the country than in our little suburban apartment area.
So as we left I heard the woman tell the other woman, "Put 'em in with the other hundred."
So I've cried of course, missing my babies. And I felt they were handled rather roughly...and I know these ladies are so used to the baby squirrels that they could care less. But to me Twitch and Snitch had definite personalities...and I had so much love for them both.
I know we did the right thing...but sometimes the right thing hurts. But I'm very happy that God answered my prayer and this time sent me two baby squirrels so we could redeem ourselves over the whole "Pinky" incident.
But today I miss them so much. And I've gone looking under that tree many times to make sure there are no others. I turned over the dead one to see what gender it was. It had the identical genitalia so I know it was also a girl. Three girl squirrels!
Anyways, this whole squirrel incident kinda overshadowed my joy about getting my bear in a magazine. All I can think about now are my baby squirrels. And all I have left to remember them by is their empty box. I don't have "empty nest syndrome". I have "empty box syndrome". 
I'll never forget you, Twitch and Snitch. 
Good luck in life...and may you turn out to be good mothers someday.
-Eliza
Apple Dumpling DesignsAwwwww...Eliza...what a touching story...made me all teary. I just love these kind of things. Bless you...
Awww.... you are a nutcase just like me with baby animals...I had a squirrel baby that I rescued one time too.... but the story I wrote about it is even longer than yours...so, I will just send it to you via email so you can read it. I named my little guy Madgellen ...cuz I was not sure about it gender and because it was quite the little explorer. I didn't get to check out the "undercarriage"....I tried not to touch it as I was just guarding him/her for his Mom til he could climb back up with all of them ...and she was returning to feed and help him a bit every so often.
I bet little Snitch and Twitch did just great .... they were obviously little fighters.... they clung on till help arrived. Good for you Eliza. I have helped and rescued plenty of little ones...they actually survived and I saw several of them around here for years... recoginzed then by their funny or quirky traits that I came to know.
puca bearsGood on ya, Eliza - I hope the babies will be O.k. It's always lovely to be able to rescue some little wild animal - my best so far have been a couple of bats - and i am consumed with jealousy when I read of someone rescuing a bear cub - but we don't have any here.....
huggies
Maria
Burlison BearsThank you Veronica for sending me that wonderful story. I have sent you an email.
Newcastle, OntarioEliza,
We raised a red squirrel until it was old enough to be released. It was very tiny when we found it and I was able to get some powered kittens milk and with a dolls bottle, we fed it without any problems. I kept it in a bird cage and the cats would all stare at it. I took it into our bedroom at night - I didn't trust the cats at all! We called him Sampson, and he was such a cheeky little devil. He would go into my purse, if he smelled any food (including chocolate). He looooooved green grapes and strawberry ice cream. At first we let him go in our yard - my dad built a house for him and he took to it right away. It was attached to the top of a huge tree. After a few days, when we knew he was eating "squirrel food" he found himself, it was apparent, he was too used to people and the cats, so we took him out to a nearby forestry and released him. We really missed him - we had had him for over a month. I'm sure your girls will be fine - the less handling they get, the better. Did you find they had almost a "nutty' smell to them. Very different.
hugs,
Brenda
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsThank you for sharing that!! 
Past Time BearsVery lovely story, Eliza - thanks for letting us in on it. GOOD ON YOU!
Aww what a sweet and touching story! I wish Twitch and Snitch well on the life adventures! They started out a little rough, but it sounds as though it will be smooth sailing from here thanks to you and your husband's kind heart and your will to help them!
Its nice to hear these kinds of stories! Thanks for sharing
Bear Hugs,
Kim
Storytime Bears 
Waggle BearsEliza, what a sweet story. I hope they're able to grow healthy and go back to exploring the countryside.
Posts: 535That is such a touching story. All the best with them.
Hugs,
Julie
Aw, that was so touching. Good for you Glad you got a second chance 
Wild Thyme OriginalsAwwww.....
Kim Basta
Ruby Mountain BearsThat is so cute.
My daughter is always finding baby birds!! we have nursed probably five back to health not counting the ones that didn't make it. Last year she found a baby Meadowlark, He couldn't yet fly and got bumped out of the nest. He was overcome with the heat, and my daughter 17 was just hysterical. She calls me on the cell phone and tells me I have to come home right now to help her. so I did. My husband and her begging me all the while to let them keep it.
We watered him and rested him in the cool garage for a couple of hours and gavehim food. They named him Dandelion, later we let him go under a sage brush and he hopped to the top then on to another. He took off with another young meadowlark. My husband says he is back this spring and we do have a particularly happy meadowlark hanging around our front yard. I like to think it is Dandelion.
Bearz by IlzeAwww, Twitch and Snitch are too cute for words!! I'm so glad that you were given the chance to save them and best of all, they will be growing up in the country!
DoodlebearsCongratulations Eliza you are one of the worlds good folk. Saving any animals life is wonderful but even more so when they are soo very young and have a full life to now lead because of yours and your husbands kind hearts.
A very moving story!
Hugs Jane.
HUGE hugz to you Eliza!!!! I totally understand :hug: :hug: :hug:
Waggle BearsKathy, that's a great story about Dandelion. I'm sure it's him coming back to say thank you.
Bless your heart.
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Chaska, MinnesotaDear Eliza: What a wonderful story. You were able to help two little being that would have died if not for your kindness. I love the pictures.
What a sweet soul you are Eliza, if only there were more out there like you!!
hugs,
Krista
What a sweet story and thanks for sharing.
Hugs
Carolyn
