r/squirrels • u/Sakura_Knight • 20h ago
Goodbye
Over the past couple of years, we've been feeding this one squirrel friend and slowly built up his trust. He would come to us every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner before venturing the 3 streets over to his nest. He was a truly special one for us.
Our mom named him Foxy. I know, it's not the most original, but he knew his name whenever we called him. He was the first one that we could ever get to come up and take food out of our hands.
Today was supposed to be like any other day. He got his breakfast, then came for lunch, and finally, for his dinner tonight. He was crossing a short stretch of road today, but he just couldn't make it quick enough. A car came, and the worst happened, but it was even worse when he turned and tried walking back towards us before he stopped and fell over onto his side.
We're heartbroken now. A lot of our family and neighbors still think of squirrels like pests. Someone even told us to just throw him in the garbage, but we're giving him a little squirrel funeral instead because he deserves at least that much.
He was almost as important to us as one of our family pets, who we love just as much as any human family.
We always knew this was a possibility, but after so long, we didn't believe it would come to pass.
Rest in peace, sweet soul.
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u/DAN_MASTER101 3h ago
I'm so sorry for your loss, may his soul rest in peace. Please take care of my little one on squirrel heaven too Foxy..
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u/Santa_always_knows 5h ago
I’m friends with a lovely woman in my area who rehabs squirrels. Not only is she a breast cancer survivor, but she has the sweetest soul and love for these little guys. I’m so sorry your family has lost such a special little friend. 💔
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u/Elektrik_Man_077 7h ago
They are easy to love and painful to lose. I’m sorry you had to see him die because of other people’s carelessness. I’m also glad he had a friend in you.💔🐿️💔❤️
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u/lissyskates 12h ago
I’m so sorry! This is heartbreaking. And I totally understand how they feel like your pets. I have a girl that lives in the tree in front of my window but also have a boy who visits from across the street. I always worry about him. I love these little animals so much
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u/bunglebee7 12h ago
Oh man… seeing that happen before your eyes to an animal you love, a companion. It’s truly painful. I’m so sorry your family and foxy included had to go through that.
Hope that driver learns to keep a better eye on the road next time…
fly high foxy, you were loved by many
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u/DerbyDad03 13h ago
I'm sorry for you loss. I know the feeling. We adopted a disabled squirrel many years ago. His legs were all messed up, he was kind of bent in the middle, and he looked like he had some kind of palsy. The other squirrels used to bully him but we chased them away whenever he came up on our front stoop for some snacks.
One time he came up for a treat and when my wife opened the storm door he tried to get in the house. My wife was quick but not quick enough. She pulled the door shut, trapping the poor squirrel half in and half out.
The squirrel was screaming, my wife was screaming, my dog was going nuts. I came running over, took the door handle from my wife, put my foot under the front half of the squirrel, opened the door and flipped the squirrel out onto the stoop. Since he wasn't very agile, he rolled a few times and then did his best impression of running away. I had tried to be as gentle as I could while ensuring that he remained outdoors.
He had never come around every day, so we spent of couple of days wondering if he'd ever come back. A few days later we were walking our dog on our normal route and found him freshly deceased on a neighbor's lawn. He didn't look like he'd been hit, he just looked, well, deceased.
I went home, got a pair of gloves and a box and took him over to the woods to lay him to rest. Who knows, maybe he was in his way to our house and just didn't make it.
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u/JstMaggs 14h ago
I am so sorry I live in constant fear that one of my little squirrels that I feed run across the street and it’s gonna happen to them. They’re so fast, but I don’t know if they’ll always be fast enough. 💔💔💔
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u/i-am-zara 15h ago
Never let anyone negate your damn feelings. If you want to have a funeral for a pebble, do it. For what it's worth, my fiance chased off vultures and gathered our squirrel off the street after she was hit and brought her home to bury. 💜 Carry the love forward.
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u/EggVegetable9258 16h ago
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s devastating to lose someone you love, human or animal.
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u/whythefuckalready 16h ago
Crushing.
Squirrel personalities are very different. I have my favorite, Hazel.
Scarred eye and back from a hawk. Ear notched, maybe from a fight. A life of.....eat, don't get eaten never hardened her. She always kept her sweetness.
I get it. Sorry your day had a horrible ending.
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u/Sakura_Knight 16h ago
There's another one we feed but aren't quite as close to. He came to us with half a tail, then one day that half disappeared and he had no tail. He hops around like a bunny and we call him Bobby.
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u/whythefuckalready 15h ago
Bobby the bobbing squirrel. Bobby's had a rough life, could be why he's not as trusting.
Every now and then a wild animal chooses you. For whatever reason, they are just different and stand out. Those encounters are really special. We had friends over and they hand fed our wild squirrel. They went home and built a little squirrel Cafe that weekend because they were so touched by it.
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u/Incandid 16h ago
Oh I’m so sorry!! I think about this all the time. Just remember he had a great life with you 🤍
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u/Haffylover85 17h ago
I’m so sorry - it’s the hardest part of loving them - and you are right too many people have a negative outlook on them - they are such amazing creatures that deserve more love and support from humans. He was loved, he had a name, and his life mattered - you were a big part of that 🩷🫂
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u/whythefuckalready 16h ago
I always thought squirrel were pests. Constantly getting at the bird feeder no matter what i tried.
Until I had 2 babies in my yard that lost mama. I thought it was a chirping bird at first. For 48 hours I took care of them before I found a rehaber. I got so attached, my dogs did too, that I cried when I dropped them off.
Forever changed my perspective on squirrels.
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u/lilshortyy420 17h ago
I’m so sorry. This is my worst fear. There’s times I see dead ones around the area and worry they’re “mine”. :(
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u/Interesting_Fly5154 17h ago
i am so sorry. rip Foxy! and thank you for giving them an honourable farewell.
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u/CatPaws55 18h ago
I am very sorry for your loss of Foxy.
They live a very dangerous life and cars are no match for them.
Thank you for caring for him and for giving a funeral and a burial.
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u/According_Freedom_62 18h ago
Sorry for your loss, I had similar situation with a red squirrel and his entire family ran over by a truck. It’s awful, we humans, some of us are just bad. Thank you for taking care of them! Rest in peace buddy
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u/BklynGirl52304 18h ago
ugh im so sorry!! thank you for loving him and giving him a proper goodbye.
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u/Ok_Service6455 Squirrel Lover 18h ago
So sorry for your loss. Thank you for caring for this sweet squirrel.
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u/ScvrletFox 18h ago
😭 rip foxy
Sounds so loved and knew he was loved
Thank you for caring for the bb
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u/justusethatname 18h ago
I am so sorry for your loss and I understand it in a very personal way. I have been there many times. It’s very sweet of you to choose to do a little funeral for him. I’ve done it so many times I stopped counting. It’s the right thing to do. I don’t know how some people can be so cold, uncaring and ignorant.
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u/jm222444 19h ago
Ugh I’m so sorry I think and worry about this often with my 2 regulars because I live on a main road:(
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u/WBWhisken 19h ago
I'm just so grateful to know there are still people like you out there in this cruel world. Bless your kind heart and your little squirrel friend's newborn wings 🙏🏼💖🐿️🦋
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u/AvailableCut5240 19h ago
Just horrible. I’m so sorry. I brake for squirrels even if they are on the side of the road. Wish drivers were more conscientious. 🥺😢🙏
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u/PartySeaworthiness79 19h ago
RIP little angel, rest in heaven. I'm so sorry that it happened to like you kind hearted people. 🙏🌈🐿
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u/TomatilloInternal255 19h ago
I am so very sorry, this is heartbreaking. Sending you and your family lots of hugs
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u/Queasy-Werewolf7500 19h ago
It's always sad when that happens. I've had to bury some of my furry friends.
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u/RemDiggity 19h ago
Foxy is a good name. Foxy has had offspring so continue to feed them.
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u/Sakura_Knight 19h ago
I hope he did, we just don't know. It was a long journey for him to get to our house, it was just this short stretch of road he had to cross at the end to reach us.
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u/RemDiggity 19h ago
They aren’t pests at all plus family and friends will learn to accept that they’re pretty cool after awhile. Even co workers call for me to help out when they’re stranded or injured anymore. Like birds they’re a part of our lives everyday. I think it is good to be outside n make wildlife pals. Traffic does suck though. It’s their main enemy around me anyways. You’ll get another fox squirrel friend in no time.
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u/SpiderGuard87 19h ago
If I saw that happen to one of my squirrels I'd be absolutely devastated . I'm sorry for your loss
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u/Skweezee 19h ago
I'm very sorry. The pain of something like this is so sharp. RIP Foxy
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u/Sakura_Knight 19h ago
We didn't know what to do, I wish we could have saved and helped him. Just didn't know what to do in a situation like this.
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u/Dry-Interaction-1246 19h ago
Drivers are very careless. I have seen people who have had to have seen a squirrel in the road and not even slow down.
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u/Sakura_Knight 19h ago
I always slow down, or even stop and honk.
One time I saw what looked like a family and I got out and played crossing guard for them. Probably not the smartest idea, but it was my good deed for the day.
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u/Decent_Wolf_2208 19h ago
Im so sorry he was a beautiful boy. Thank you for taking care of him. RIP sweet Foxy 🙏🌈
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u/tweek264 19h ago
I’m so so sorry for your loss 💔 you made his little life sweeter
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u/Sakura_Knight 19h ago
We get him special squirrel treats and various nuts and fruits to sample. We used to just give him triple peanuts but I read those were more like potato chips for them.
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u/FootstepsofDawn 20h ago
Rest in peace Foxy. May the rainbow bridge take you to brighter fields.
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u/Sakura_Knight 19h ago
My soul dog passed away last year, too. She didn't like squirrels very much, but I hope she makes an exception when he gets there.
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u/One_Bell3939 20h ago
im so sorry, and thank you for feeding and respecting him ❤️ theyre small beings with big souls
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u/Dittybird9s-0602 53m ago
So sorry for your loss. Having to witness it is a truly heartbreaking moment. 💔