Keilee loves animals.  She has loved them since a very early age.  Not just dogs and cats and horses [she was never really a ‘horses’ girl] but all animals.  She has wanted to be an Animal Rehabilitator for years and years.

She wanted a dog since she could talk but until we moved here she wasn’t able to get one.  She rescued Pippy the bird 4 years ago and some of you know how that ended.  She kept her for 3 weeks and she could put her in the yard and call her and she would come to Keilee.  Kei found her dead in her crate one day and it almost wrecked us both.

About 3 weeks ago a friend called and said she had a baby squirrel and would Keilee want it.  I said, “NO, no way, no how”.  She laughed and told me to think about it and call her back.  And then Keilee made her case, with beautiful logic like she always does.  So I called her back and told her we would take it.

She immediately brought it to us and Keilee checked and found out it was a boy.  She named him Augustus after her favorite book character.  And then we became squirrel people.

After doing intensive research, and finding contradictions on every.single.website.   we went to Petco and got some puppy milk.  $5 a CAN!  When Keilee told the check out lady she had a squirrel she gave us a name of a woman who used to come in that rescued squirrels.

The next 2 weeks were a blur of feedings every 4 hours, setting the iPhone every 2 hours to restart his heating pad because it turned off after 2 hours and very little sleep.  During the first 2 weeks Gussy almost died twice!  The first time we think he just got cold.  They must have the temperature 99°.  We came back from play practice one Saturday morning and he was stiff in his cage.  Keilee was so upset and I took her to the den and told her to sit on the couch and I got paper towels and a bag to put him in to bury.  When I picked him up his little arm moved! I called Keilee and she immediately put him on the heating pad.  In 30 minutes he was fine.   This is the first time I called the squirrel woman.  She sent me what I ‘should’ be feeding him.  So after pouring $5 of puppy milk down the drain we were off to buy $25 worth of the things we should be feeding him.

Last week we got home from play practice and he was gasping for air.  This time we had become much more attached to him and Keilee was crying and telling me to do something.  But I didn’t know what to do.  So I called the squirrel woman and she told me to give him amoxicillin mixed with water every 3 hours.  So we did that.  That night Gussy was so bad, we honestly didn’t think he would make it through the night.  Keilee kept saying she wanted to hold him because she didn’t want him to die alone.  [I am in tears just typing this] but I wouldn’t let her.  I wanted him to stay warm.  She moved his aquarium to the floor and laid curled around it.  I called my brother to let him know just because she was so inconsolable.  About 30 minutes later Seth, my nephew, came over.  Keilee was NOT happy to see him at first.  She HATES to cry and HATES for anyone to see her cry.  But he laid down in the floor with her and just hugged her.  I had to leave the room.  I heard her say, “I know he is just a stupid squirrel but I love him”.

That night consisted of alarms set every 3 hours for antibiotic and every 2 hours for restarting the heating pad.  I kept getting up and checking on Keilee and Gussy.  She refused to come to bed and slept on the floor with him.  He survived the night.  Thank goodness my brother had an old heating pad that doesn’t shut off.  He brought us that the next day.

Augustus is a lot of work.  She changes his bedding 3 times a day.  She feeds him every 5 hours.  He is about to start eating real food in addition to the formula she mixes up daily.  We thought from the beginning that he could be released at 12 weeks but the squirrel woman said, “NO”!!!!  6 months.  6 months!!!!  I told Keilee we could not afford him for that long.  He is about to start eating fruits and vegetables every day plus formula.  There is also a “Nutball” recipe that looks more complicated than French cooking and with more ingredients.  And I am laid off until who knows when.  I told her maybe we should call the Rehab people and they could come get him.

She asked me if she could try to raise the money herself.  What could I say? Keilee never wants anything and she wants to raise this little squirrel that she has invested so much time and love into. After writing down everything he needs and estimating what it would cost to buy and make, she decided it would be around $2 a day to feed him.

After doing some research she set up a fund for Augustus.  She asked me to post it on my blog so I did, in the sidebar.  I have not shared it on Facebook because it makes me feel weird to be honest.  So many people need so much.  So many people have sick children or are sick themselves.  So many people struggling.  But Keilee said some people WOULD care about a squirrel.  And she is right.  A dear friend posted the link to HER Facebook and Gussy has raised $90.  So if any of you feel like posting it to your Facebook Keilee would so appreciate it.  Just click on the Augustus link and when it takes you to his page it has a “Share on Facebook” option.

He has his own Instagram.  You can see it here or follow on Instagram at AugustusTheSquirrel.  Keilee has made Augustus her Science Project for a Science Fair.  She updates every day in a notebook.  She measures and weighs him once a week.  She has listed his formula and his sicknesses and his ‘firsts’.  She is learning so much about the profession she has wanted forever.  I think she has chosen something with a lot of heartbreak.  Yes there will be successes but the failures would just kill me.  I have been so incredibly proud of her during this.  She has taken almost 100% care of Augustus while doing a very intense theater production.

Here is Augustus drinking his formula.  He is just the sweetest thing.

Augustus is just a part of our family now.  He is so little and he needs us so much.  He truly would not survive alone.  He makes the cutest noises and ‘fusses’ when he topples over. He always turns his head when he hears Keilee’s voice.

Thank you all for your prayers for Augustus.  My favorite was from Chris at Tales of a House Husband . He said this is the first time he had ever prayed for a squirrel! Us too Chris!

Homeschool Rocks,
Karen

“To the world, you may be one squirrel, but to one squirrel, you may be the world…”  ~ Twitter Feed “Squirrel Quotes”

Linking with
Mary at “Collage Friday”
Sylvia at “Friendship Friday”
Kris at “Weekly Wrap Up“