He was only 4-5 days old when Compton the squirrel fell off the roof of Chris and Debbie Compton’s house, right into the middle of their beds.
The little squirrel was the size of a thumb, crying and squealing for its mom, so the Comptons waited for an hour for her to show up.
When they saw that this was not the case, they decided to give it to their friends Michele and Ian Merrifield, who run an orphanage for injured and orphaned animals.
The Merrifields immediately began feeding little Compton hourly, warm milk from a syringe. They nursed him back to health. In no time this beauty began to mature and explore his new home.
Little by little they changed his diet and gave him a nutrient-rich porridge until it was time to give him only fruits and seeds. Over time, Compton grew bigger and stronger.
The Merrifields protected him by leaving him in his cage at night, but during the day he was free to roam the gardens as he pleased.
He is a very playful squirrel and does all kinds of mischief, from drinking the rest of the Coca Cola that people left in the glass, to stealing all the toilet paper rolls to build their nests.
“He likes to open all the jars of peanut butter and jelly with his teeth. He also likes to steal cereal, open sealed containers. He’s too smart a squirrel,” Ian said.
She also loves taking walks with her foster family and taking naps with her doggy friends.
Over time, when they saw that he was so independent, they decided to allow him total freedom and not lock him in his cage at night. Even so Compton still preferred to sleep in his cage.
One day, however, the Merrifields woke up and Compton was nowhere to be found. It didn’t take long for them to imagine that they would have made a home elsewhere.
But Compton hadn’t gone too far. Around breakfast time that same day, he reappeared, ready for his daily dose of cereal.
Now he comes back every morning to have breakfast with his adoptive parents.
I suppose you know that you are safe here and that there is always food. I also think he believes that he is human,” Ian said.
Although he had to be separated from his mother very early, he was lucky to run into an extraordinary couple of caregivers. He now lives happily with his adoptive parents and the rest of his “animal brothers.”
