It was a hot May afternoon when i returned home from my class 11 tuition. I used to live in a flat which had a big terrace connected to the drawing room. My mum was watering plants when she suddenly called for me.
I went out to find a bush of dry hay, with a little pink creature inside it. I picked it up to find a cute baby squirrel. It wouldn't had been older than 2-3 days. The helpless creature could barely even open its eyes. It seemed that someone had thrown the squirrel's nest out from their home.
I carefully picked up the squirrel and placed it in one of the pots under a plant's shade. But i observed that the soil surface being hard and uneven, the baby was not comfortable, it couldn't rest. So i took a soft orange coloured clothe(the ones used to clean pc screens, tv, etc.) and placed the baby on it. I put that clothe at a place where a cat wouldn't be able to notice it(we had a high cat visiting frequency).
I kept it as it was for 1 full day, visiting it twice every hour. Then i realised that it needed something to eat or drink to survive. Like a little child I took a little water in bowl and tried to dip squirrel's mouth in it, but it didn't even open its mouth. Second day was about to finish since i had found the baby and still i couldn't figure out a way of feeding the baby squirrel. I had begun to worry when a thought came to my mind. Since all babies generally drink milk, i thought this one too should drink milk. So i took a little milk in a bowl and tried to dip its mouth in it. Obviously it couldn't drink milk the way a cat does, but it licked the milk that was smeared around its mouth. Finally i atleast figured out that baby squirrels do drink milk.
My next aim was to feed it in proper quantity. So i bought a syringe, filled it up with milk and started feeding the squirrel. The squirrel too drank it with immense pleasure, clutching the syringe with its little forehands.
A week passed by, and the baby was able to walk and run around playfully. It used to play around my palm whenever i picked it up, it would play with my fingers and it would even follow me around the whole house house. I had got really attached with it within this period of time. I used to help the baby climb the walls. Its one leg was limping(prpbably due to the shock it had recieved when it was thrown along with its nest). Every night i used to wrap it nicely in the clothe in put it at a safe place to sleep.
One evening, just before my dinner, i went to check it out. To my shock i found the clothe empty. The squirrel was missing. I tried to find the squirrel everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found. I scavenged for almost an hour, but couldn't find it. It had probably left as it could walk, run, climb. I didn't even eat my dinner that night. I felt bereaved.
Later, my mum came to me and said,"Now do u realize how do parents feel when their children leave them and go away."
I went out to find a bush of dry hay, with a little pink creature inside it. I picked it up to find a cute baby squirrel. It wouldn't had been older than 2-3 days. The helpless creature could barely even open its eyes. It seemed that someone had thrown the squirrel's nest out from their home.
I carefully picked up the squirrel and placed it in one of the pots under a plant's shade. But i observed that the soil surface being hard and uneven, the baby was not comfortable, it couldn't rest. So i took a soft orange coloured clothe(the ones used to clean pc screens, tv, etc.) and placed the baby on it. I put that clothe at a place where a cat wouldn't be able to notice it(we had a high cat visiting frequency).
I kept it as it was for 1 full day, visiting it twice every hour. Then i realised that it needed something to eat or drink to survive. Like a little child I took a little water in bowl and tried to dip squirrel's mouth in it, but it didn't even open its mouth. Second day was about to finish since i had found the baby and still i couldn't figure out a way of feeding the baby squirrel. I had begun to worry when a thought came to my mind. Since all babies generally drink milk, i thought this one too should drink milk. So i took a little milk in a bowl and tried to dip its mouth in it. Obviously it couldn't drink milk the way a cat does, but it licked the milk that was smeared around its mouth. Finally i atleast figured out that baby squirrels do drink milk.
My next aim was to feed it in proper quantity. So i bought a syringe, filled it up with milk and started feeding the squirrel. The squirrel too drank it with immense pleasure, clutching the syringe with its little forehands.
A week passed by, and the baby was able to walk and run around playfully. It used to play around my palm whenever i picked it up, it would play with my fingers and it would even follow me around the whole house house. I had got really attached with it within this period of time. I used to help the baby climb the walls. Its one leg was limping(prpbably due to the shock it had recieved when it was thrown along with its nest). Every night i used to wrap it nicely in the clothe in put it at a safe place to sleep.
One evening, just before my dinner, i went to check it out. To my shock i found the clothe empty. The squirrel was missing. I tried to find the squirrel everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found. I scavenged for almost an hour, but couldn't find it. It had probably left as it could walk, run, climb. I didn't even eat my dinner that night. I felt bereaved.
Later, my mum came to me and said,"Now do u realize how do parents feel when their children leave them and go away."
Aww!! Cho chweet...i am still surprised no girl has commented this...so me kar didi...good 1..yaar senti story :)
ReplyDeletehmm..really senti..with the one liner at the end..it has to be our SuperMum..lol!!
ReplyDeletebey. its very touching! especially the last part.. you write well!
ReplyDeletei too had a rabbit once.. a very cute one.. it dint go away though.. but was very sad when we had to leave him..
the same thing happened to me too, bt wasnt a squirrel, it was a small cat... it lived with us for almost 2 yrs bfore vanishing suddenly and then i saw it again once after a yr or so... i know hw tht feels!! vaise, u didnt comment on my blog post??
ReplyDeletebt then... long after it (the cat) left... i realized this wasnt her world- i mean-our home... it had to follow its instincts n we werent lettin her do tht.. (i mean- v wudnt let her kill mice,squirrels n bring them home to eat..)After growin up as a kitten n feeding on milk, it had started striving for her natural food.. n v werent approvin of tht.. so i guess , the pain of parting apart (which i felt like a sting 4 many months), it was best 4 her to live a natural "cat's life" away 4m us..
ReplyDelete