Precious
Memories of Pet
My Pet Squirrel
Pet adopted me, it was not me adopting him.
During warm days I leave the sliding glass doors
open. I know, I know – bugs and stuff
get in. It’s okay – I’ll pay that price
for the fresh air. One day Pet decided
to come into the kitchen. I was
horrified – oh, he would get scared, feel trapped, want to get out and forget
how to get out. So, in the process of
looking for a way out, he would destroy and in general create havoc. But there was something about him that made
me doubt my idea of panic. I watched from afar.
He went to the bottom shelf of a bookcase and began searching for the
bag of roasted peanuts I had bought from SC on my return trip home. I had forgotten about them. What a good nose he has.
Carefully I went over, took out a handful of
peanuts, put them on the floor and watched him eat them. The cats just watched. Pet was just alert and watched them. When Pet finished eating, he investigated the
rooms a little bit and then left by the same door which he entered.
Oh that was fun and exciting. I guess it’ll be the only time he’ll do such
a thing.
And I let it go.
A few days later, he once again appeared in the
kitchen. Where are the peanuts? Do I have to come get them?
I put a couple of handfuls in a tray, put it down in
the living room and watched. The cats
watched too. Nobody got excited. Pet ate, the cats watched. Some days the squirrel or cats would feel
frisky and chase each other around the chair a time or two and then Pet would
go back to eating and the cats would go back to napping.
He visited all summer. Sometimes, I’d feed him sunflower seeds on
the deck railing. He loved those. I decided to hold them in my hand and see if
he would take them. I know, I know. I was worried about him biting me and have
rabies or some other terrible disease but I could not resist so I took the
risk. He came up, put his little paws on
my fingers and took the seed. He loved
it. He stayed and ate until he was
filled. I was so excited.
There is something so special about a connection with a wild animal. It’s called trust.
One day after about a year, he showed up,
limping. He ate from my hand and I never
saw him again.
That special time – the time a squirrel let me be
his friend, is filed away under “Precious Memories”.
Top - Pet checking out the kitchen
Bottom Left - Cat, Starr checking out that strange thing
Bottom Right - Cat, Midas checking out that strange thing from the safety of a chair
1 comment:
What a gift Pet was, Mary. It just shows how some of the best gifts are short lived, like chocolates and roses. They give us great joy and then go away.
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