Full transcript
0:00Katrina, I know.
0:03I know.
0:04>> He just walked up, sat down next to me,
0:07and looked me in the eyes as if he knew
0:10I would help.
0:12>> Yeah, cuz you got a avocado.
0:14>> At first, I didn't even realize that it
0:16was a squirrel in front of me. He was
0:18tiny, his fur matted, his eyes barely
0:21open, and suddenly I caught myself
0:24thinking, "That's it. We're going to
0:27have a squirrel at home." Yeah, you know
0:29you like that. You know you like that.
0:32>> This story began by accident. That day I
0:35was helping my mom in the yard. I was
0:37fiddling with tools, tidying up, the
0:40usual stuff. And suddenly, out of the
0:43corner of my eye, I noticed some
0:44movement by the fence. I came closer and
0:47saw a small lump. It was breathing very
0:50quietly, barely noticeably. It was a
0:53baby squirrel.
0:54>> I got to go get you some food. How are
0:56you? How you doing? The people miss you.
0:59I know. I know
1:00>> how I edit some real squirrels in a
1:03video. Mom,
1:04>> I have no idea. You edit everything
1:07else, DJ.
1:10>> I picked it up, wrapped it in an old
1:12t-shirt, and carried it into the house.
1:15I called my mom. At first, she thought I
1:17had brought a kitten, but when she
1:19looked closely, her eyes widened.
1:23It's a squirrel.
1:24>> I don't know. I want you to show me
1:27something.
1:28[Music]
1:29>> Okay, then you got to come here.
1:32>> We immediately started looking for
1:34information on how to care for wild
1:36squirrels. It turned out that it was no
1:39more than 4 weeks old. It would not have
1:41survived on its own. We started feeding
1:44it with a pipette, warming it with a hot
1:46water bottle, and making sure it didn't
1:48get dehydrated. We named it Richard.
1:51>> Yes, that's a whole piece of avocado
1:54right there. tear it up.
1:58>> The first few days were anxious. It
2:00hardly moved and slept almost all the
2:03time. I woke up at night to feed him.
2:06Gradually, he began to recover. He grew
2:08stronger. He developed an appetite and
2:11then a personality.
2:13>> I will wait for you. Tell him.
2:20After a couple of weeks, he was already
2:22running around the sofa, jumping on the
2:24pillows, and trying to climb on my head.
2:26He was nimble and very curious. It
2:29seemed that everything in the world
2:31interested him. And he was also
2:34particularly trusting. He wasn't afraid
2:36of us. He climbed into our hands. He
2:40fell asleep in our palms. He was just
2:43with us. And that was enough for him.
2:46How you do?
2:49>> I like that.
2:51[Music]
2:56>> My mother, who at first just shook her
2:58head and said, "You're crazy." Very
3:01quickly became his best friend. He would
3:03come to her in the kitchen, sit next to
3:05her while she cooked, and even try to
3:07steal nuts right off the table. She
3:10laughed and said, "So, do I have a new
3:12child now?"
3:13>> That's okay. Come on.
3:16Come on. Stop talking to him.
3:21>> Once I took him with me to the backyard
3:23just to get some fresh air and suddenly
3:25he took off and ran up a tree. I froze.
3:29I thought, "That's it. I'll never see
3:31him again." But after a couple of
3:34minutes, he came back down. He sat next
3:37to me. It was as if he was saying,
3:39"Don't worry. I'm here. I was just
3:42looking down from above."
3:44Since then, he often ran up trees, came
3:47back, and sat on my shoulder. Sometimes
3:49he disappeared for an hour, but he
3:51always came back. We started calling it
3:54squirrel walks. He was free, but home
3:58was still with us.
3:59>> You like it? Yes. Yes.
4:03>> Over time, other squirrels started
4:05coming to us. We didn't feed them on
4:07purpose, but Richard must have spread
4:09the word. Mom said, "You'll name them
4:12all. I know you." And she was right.
4:15Luna, Crochic, and even one I simply
4:17called Jay appeared. They weren't as
4:20tame, but sometimes they would come
4:22closer, especially when my mother called
4:24them. She seemed to have her own
4:26language for communicating with
4:28squirrels. We even had a joke. Mom, do
4:31you speak squirrel? Richard is still
4:34with us. He has grown, become bigger,
4:37fluffier, and smarter. He no longer runs
4:39across the table and steals nuts. But in
4:42the mornings, he still climbs down from
4:44the tree and sits at the doorstep and
4:46waits. I go outside and sit down next to
4:49him. We sit in silence for about 10
4:52minutes. Then he goes back to his
4:54business. Sometimes I think he
4:56understands everything. He just doesn't
4:58say anything. If you like this story
5:01about Richard, like it, leave a comment,
5:03and subscribe to the channel to see more
5:05touching stories. Before bringing an
5:07exotic pet into your home, be sure to
5:09consult with experts and learn about
5:11their specific needs. Proper research is
5:14the key to giving them the happy,
5:16healthy life they truly deserve.