"I Had No Choice But To Try To Save Him Myself" - Woman Raises A Baby Squirrel She Found On The Sidewalk
Interview With Owner
Life is unpredictable, but if you have unconditional love for animals and a kind heart, you might end up being a parent to a wild animal. This is exactly what happened to Jessica Adams, who, on February 25th of 2019, saw a pink blob on the sidewalk while walking her son from preschool. That tiny blob turned out to be a baby grey squirrel who had apparently fallen from a nest after a wind storm or was pulled from the nest by a predator. “He was cold & naked with a face only a mom could love,” Jessica wrote on her Instagram post. His mom was nowhere to be found, so he came home with Jessica, which was his only chance at surviving.
Jessica wasn’t sure if a few-days-old little squirrel that weighed only 1.3 ounces would survive, but she gave her all trying to nurture it back to life because everyone deserves a shot. Little did she know that the adventures of the squirrel and his “crazy mom” would start from there.Fast forward to today, the squirrel, later named Steven Jeffrey Adams or Steve, has grown to be adorable and wild. He’s living a very spoiled outside life with his girlfriend, Jolene, and can always count on his favorite snacks and a wide smile when visiting Jessica’s garden.
So here is Steve and Jessica’s journey from the beginning.
More info: Instagram
In February 2019, Jessica Adams found a tiny pink blob on the sidewalk after a wind storm
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
The baby squirrel was alone, hairless, frozen, and weighed only 1.3 ounces
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
He must have fallen from his nest or has been pulled out by a predator
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
“I found him in February 2019 on a sidewalk, he was alone and practically frozen, hairless, eyes still closed and, unfortunately, without his mother around. Later, we would find that he was losing about half of his tail, so I’m pretty sure he was pulled out of his nest by a predator,” Jessica told Bored Panda.
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
“At the time we were not 100% sure he was a squirrel. My kids were excited to see such a tiny creature, and my husband just thought I was nuts (pun intended) but he knows I am an animal lover and that I wouldn’t give up on him.”
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
She realized he couldn’t make it without help
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
She was shocked when he survived his first night
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Jessica decided to nurture him back to life because everyone deserves a chance
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
“I tried really hard to give him the best, I had a timer set on my watch for feedings every two hours, even at night. I tried to contact a wild animal rescue, but they were overbooked, and the vet would have put him to sleep if I left him. So I had no choice but to try to save him myself.”
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
She fed him every two hours through a pipette, even at night time
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
She used to take Steve to her office in a shoebox so that she could care for him
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Jessica told us about Steve’s personality: “Steve was clever, far more intelligent than I ever expected. He was very much like a dog, came when called, he let me know when he wanted to play and also when we wanted to cuddle or nap. He loved pens for some reason and would always take them into his ‘bedroom’. He was very much a one-person animal (me), he tolerated the kids but not my husband.”
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
“He needed me, he would have died without help. Little did I know how much I needed him too or how much I would adore him”
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
As Steve grew stronger, he got introduced to a backyard where he could learn how to climb trees and other squirrel things
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
“When he got bigger he needed more space than his original cage when he was locked away. I wanted him to also get used to all the constant sounds of being outside. We took baby steps to implement everything about being outside. From exploring to climbing.”
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Eventually, he moved to his new 2-story house outside
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
We asked Jessica what was the most challenging and rewarding about raising a squirrel.
“The time, I had my watch set around the clock for feedings which started every two hours. Eventually bumped up to three as he grew. I took Steve everywhere, even work. We used the postage scale to weigh him to make sure he was gaining weight… Most rewarding was the experience, he loved me and I loved him, the overwhelming pride of seeing him grow and thrive. It also was quite humbling, that little guy needed me to survive and I never expected to love him as I do.”
Jessica was heartbroken about letting him go as she has truly become “Steve’s crazy mom”
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
But he seemed to enjoy the outside world and one day, the natural instincts took over and he disappeared
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Until he visited the garden again looking for food
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
At that moment, Jessica knew that Steve is thriving and will be alright
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
“I knew he was ready when he wanted to be out and about more, but I was heartbroken and scared when he didn’t come home the first couple of nights. I feared the worst and worried I had done him a disservice by raising him and not giving him all the squirrel knowledge but his instincts kicked in and he survived. He celebrated his first birthday with me and just had his second!”
He’s now living a very spoiled outside life and even got a ‘girlfriend’ named Jolene
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
“I think he’s happy, he has a family. He will still look at me with curiosity like he remembers but won’t climb on me, a healthy fear of humans is good and it keeps him safe. Not everyone is as kind. He visits often, he also is pretty easy for me to spot since he’s missing about half of his tail.”
Jessica now feeds all the neighborhood squirrels and says she would repeat Steve’s story all over again
Image credits: stevethegraysquirrel
Lastly, Jessica shared what she has learned from this unusual experience of raising a squirrel: “Every creature deserves a chance to live, great or small. If I would have left him to die I would have missed out on a great adventure and experience.”
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It's really hard taking care of baby squirrels. Many die of not eating a lot or the cold. But you managed to do it! :)
I lived through a "Squirrel Apocalypse" two seasons ago. For some reason, babies started falling from their nest onto my deck. I, unfortunately was there to witness it and couldn't do a thing. Their poor mama spent two days chirping like she lost her mind (even at night). So, the next year, I put together a series of nets under that particular nesting hole. Luckily, it didn't happen again, but I'll never not have the seasonal "Anti-Squirrel-Splat" safety features my family (and my deck) must temporarily deal with each birthing season. IMG_202007...e09c38.jpg 
Soooo sad ... poor mama! Must've been very difficult for you - feeling helpless. Very thoughtful to put up nets - they may be needed someday! ☺️
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It's really hard taking care of baby squirrels. Many die of not eating a lot or the cold. But you managed to do it! :)
I lived through a "Squirrel Apocalypse" two seasons ago. For some reason, babies started falling from their nest onto my deck. I, unfortunately was there to witness it and couldn't do a thing. Their poor mama spent two days chirping like she lost her mind (even at night). So, the next year, I put together a series of nets under that particular nesting hole. Luckily, it didn't happen again, but I'll never not have the seasonal "Anti-Squirrel-Splat" safety features my family (and my deck) must temporarily deal with each birthing season. IMG_202007...e09c38.jpg
Soooo sad ... poor mama! Must've been very difficult for you - feeling helpless. Very thoughtful to put up nets - they may be needed someday! ☺️
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