it seems almost cruel to catch and cage such a bright, winsome little fellow as a squirrel. in his natural state he seems to be thoroughly happy. his home is a snug little hole in the fork of a tree, and all the nut-bearing giants of the forest pay tribute to him. bright, happy, "cunning" little fellow, if you must keep him as a pet, lavish upon him such kindness and attention as shall reconcile him to the prison bars, and make him forget his forest home.
the name squirrel comes from the greek word sciurus, which is made up of two words, signifying shade and tail, indicative of the little creature's habit of shading its entire body when at rest with its tail.
of the species known to our woods, the most common is the striped squirrel, an industrious little body, fond of his home and family, and seldom given to roving, but one which the confinement of a cage kills in a very short time.
then there is a little animal known by the boys as a chipmunk, which some naturalists declare is a member of the squirrel family, while others give it the name of dormouse. it makes a good pet, but must be kept in a warm place, and besides the usual food for squirrels it requires milk.
the black squirrel is the largest of its species, and while it will live in a cage, is rarely a tractable animal, requiring a vast amount of patience to induce it even to take its food when any one is looking at it.
then there is the flying-squirrel, which resembles the striped species. it does not really fly, but has the power of flattening its legs and feet in such a way that they do not look unlike wings. in leaping, the legs and feet sustain it in the air until it almost seems as if it was flying.
it is the gray squirrel that is the most contented in captivity, and the most easily tamed; therefore, if one really thinks it necessary to his happiness to make a prisoner of such a liberty-loving little creature, he should procure one of the gray species.
if the reader is a would-be squirrel owner, and proposes to catch one in the woods, he will be obliged to take just the kind of one that is foolish enough to enter his trap; but if he proposes to buy one, he should select it carefully, for much depends upon the condition of the prisoner in taming or keeping him.
see that the fur is sleek and glossy, for dry, ruffled-looking fur is a sure sign the animal is sick, or pining so for the woods that he will not live very long in a cage. observe well if the feet are clean, for if they are dirty, he has lost all pride in his appearance, which is another sign of homesickness or some equally serious ailment. the eyes should be bright, and the teeth perfectly white. yellow teeth are a sign of age, and it is as difficult to tame a very old squirrel as it is to keep him alive in captivity.
beware of squirrels brought around by men who say they have caught and tamed them. if they look stupid and inactive, the chances are that they have been drugged to make them seem tame, and if they live, they will surely be wild and intractable.
having made the selection of just such a one as you want for a pet, give him all the comfort possible in the way of a cage. it is better to have a large rough one than a small neat looking one; and if it is not possible to buy a large cage, make one yourself, and the squirrel will be pleased at the absence of style because of the increased facilities for moving about.
a board thirty-six inches long and sixteen wide is quite as small a base for the house and run-around as should be given. twenty-two inches of this length should be devoted to the dwelling portion, which should be built something after the style of a one-story cottage, with a second floor just at the slope of the roof, so that the attic may serve as sleeping-room and a place to which the squirrel can retire when he is anxious to be hidden from view.
the lower front of the house may be of wire, so that a portion of his domestic life may be seen. the second floor should have in it an opening about three inches square, which is connected with the first floor by a small strip of board or thin stuff of any kind, placed at an angle, so that he can get "upstairs" without difficulty.
the floors should be of some hard wood, so that they may not absorb water, and the whole place should be cleaned thoroughly once in every three or four weeks. in order to do this readily, it is well to have one side of the house fastened with hinges, so it may be swung open, and then the little fellow can be shut into the wheel during house-cleaning. the lower compartment should have a wire door, through which food can be given.
the wheel in which he takes his treadmill exercise any tin or wire worker can make, and the hole which connects it with the house should be large enough to prevent any possibility of his getting squeezed if he attempts to go into his house while the wheel is turning rapidly.
give the little prisoner plenty of nuts of any kind, although those containing the least oil are the best—acorns, wheat, stale bread, a little boiled potato, and once in a very great while a bit of cooked meat. keep a small dish of water in the cage, and see to it carefully that it is changed each day.
in all dealings with the squirrel it is necessary to be gentle and patient with him, if it is desired to make of him a real pet. do not force him out of his nest when he goes into it, nor keep him in the wheel when he desires to go into his house.
each time that he is fed, whistle or make some peculiar sound, and he will soon learn to come when he is called. this is the first step toward teaching him to come into his owner's hands. after he has learned to come at call, hold some particular dainty in the fingers, and do not let him have it until he takes it himself.
when once he has learned to have perfect confidence in his master, he will not scruple to take food from his hands, and in a very short time will be bold enough to explore his pockets, going into them bodily, for something to eat that is a trifle better than his regular fare.
