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He found a newborn squirrel in his driveway and raised it. Their relationship is adorable.

Robert "Bobby" T. Squirrel's personality is "about halfway between a cat and a dog."

@robertsquirrel/TikTok

Bobby the squirrel lives outside now, but still comes in for a human visit pretty much every day.

When Ron Milburn came across a tiny, hairless creature the size of his thumb in his driveway, he had no idea what it was. So he took it inside, wrapped it up to keep it warm and started Googling.

After figuring out it was a newborn squirrel that had probably fallen out of its nest, he put it back outside in a shallow box and waited to see if the mom would return for it. She did come to check it out, but then left it again. (Later, Milburn would find out that the baby squirrel had a mouth deformity which most likely made it unable to suckle properly.)

Milburn didn't think the wee one would survive, but he decided to do his best. He took it back inside and began feeding it puppy formula with a syringe every three hours, around the clock. He said it was "like having a newborn baby in the house."

It worked. The squirrel grew and grew and they began to bond.

Once Milburn knew the babe was going to make it and could identify it as a male, he named him Bobby. (Robert T. Squirrel, to be precise—the T is for "The").

Milburn shared the story of Bobby's rescue and their relationship with Newsner's We Love Animals channel, and I feel a duty to warn you that the video will almost-pretty-much-for-sure make you want a pet squirrel. Milburn shared the video on his TikTok channel dedicated to Bobby, where it has collected more than four million views.

Watch:

@robertsquirrel

From an interview on Newsner who has 30 million followers in 11 languages

But that's not where the story ends.

Bobby has a family now out in his little squirrel house. He and his squirrel wife, Barbara Ann, are the proud parents of four youngsters—Peepers, Jeepers, Creepers and Sneekers.

"Peepers seldom ventures from the treehouse, and Jeepers is a bit more adventurous. Creepers creeps out further, and Sneekers sneaks into other trees," Milburn shared on his website, bobbysquirrel.com.

Milburn's @robertsquirrel Tiktok channel has a trove of sweet videos like this one, in which Bobby came inside because he was scared of a thunderstorm.

@robertsquirrel

Scares #bobbysquirrel #storm #thunder #throwbackthursday #fyp #nature

He knew just where to go for safety and comfort. Too sweet.

Bobby is totally comfortable going back and forth from his outdoor home to his human's home—and his human's pockets.

@robertsquirrel

Pocket Squirrel #bobbysquirrel #squirrel #fyp #nature #funny #love

In fact, Milburn shares, Bobby comes to visit him inside almost every day.

Unfortunately, Milburn has run into some trouble with his HOA, which informed him that he needed to stop feeding the squirrels in his yard as they were considered a "nuisance."

But who could watch Bobby listening to his story being told in the video below and tell us he's a nuisance? Come on now.

@robertsquirrel

Happy time #bobbysquirrel #throwbackthursday #squirrel

Milburn has been asked if squirrels make good pets, and he has clarified that raising one as a newborn is very different than trying to domesticate a wild squirrel. Squirrels do have sharp teeth and long claws, he pointed out in a video with this face covered in Band-Aids. (He shared that he's been working on building a friendship with Barbara Ann, who grew up in the wild, and while it's slow-going, he feels he's making progress.)

Milburn has also created a children's book called "Bobby and Friends," which includes 10 short stories for children ages 2 to 11 and an accompanying coloring book.

People can't get enough of Bobby the squirrel, and who can blame them? He's the pet squirrel most of us wish we could have—one who has a full outdoor life as he should, but who also likes to come in for some cuddles with his people.


This article originally appeared on 1.21.23

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Pets

Idaho pet squirrel amazingly thwarts a would-be burglar in resurfaced viral video

The suspect was identified by the scratches the squirrel left.

Photo by Anthony Intraversato on Unsplash

Idaho pet squirrel thwarts a would-be burglar.

Ahhh, yes! The attack squirrel. Every home should have one, or at least, that's what an Idaho man whose home was protected by his rescue-squirrel-turned-pet might think. Adam Pearl found Joey, his pet squirrel, in his yard, abandoned as a baby and unable to fend for himself. Pearl took him in and bottle-fed him until he was big enough to eat on his own.

The unique pairing continued for 10 months until a man looking to burglarize Pearl's home got the surprise of a lifetime. He was attacked by the squirrel! The fluffy-tailed critter thwarted the man's plan to rummage through Pearl's belongings.

One can only imagine the confusion and terror of being attacked by something that would've gently eaten out of Snow White's hands. The burglar was apparently after the homeowner's guns and likely wasn't expecting a squirrel to go, well, nuts on him. It gets even better though.

Joey got so squirrelly with the intruder that the scratches he left behind is what helped identify the guy to the police. Pearl told Idaho News 6 that while the police officer was questioning a suspect "she noticed he had scratches on his hands, so she asked him 'sir, did you get that from a squirrel?'" According to Pearl, the suspect replied, "Yeah, the damn thing kept attacking me and wouldn't stop until I left."

Now, I didn't know what the preferred special treat is for a squirrel, but according to Pearl it's the candy Whoppers and Joey got a few extra after his bravery.

Since this story originally aired in 2017, Joey has been released into the wild and Pearl assumes he found a girlfriend and settled down. I like the image of a retired attack squirrel telling his grandchildren about the time he took down a human while they roll their eyes in disbelief. Wherever you are Joey, you sure left an impression on the world.

See the squirrel in question below:

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squirrels
Culture

An inventive dad built a Formula 1-themed obstacle course for the squirrels in his garden

Steve Barley is a dad, Englishman, and clearly a mad genius. Since 2010, he's been designing obstacle courses for the squirrels in his garden to navigate. His latest creation, inspired by Formula 1 racing, is truly a site to behold. The cleverness of his design, his wonderful commentary, and use of multiple camera angles really make this the epitome of wholesome, enjoyable entertainment. As he so eloquently puts it, "My only rule is...it ain't worth posting unless it raises a smile!"


Amazing Squirrel Grand Prix Furmula 1 Obstacle Coursewww.youtube.com


Well done, Steve. As he notes in his channel description, over the years his "back garden challenges for our furry friends have become bigger and more elaborate or, as my wife puts it - 'Really, this is getting out of hand!'"

School Themed Obstacle Course


Squirrel School Themed Obstacle Coursewww.youtube.com


Movie Themed Obstacle Course



Ninja Squirrel Braves Movie-Themed Obstacle Coursewww.youtube.com

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