Baby squirrel
I just found one laying in my driveway. Appeared dead at first, but upon inspection found to be alive. Brought in in the house (in gloved hand) gave it a few droppers of water and it seems to be perking up although its eyes are still closed.
Uh. What do I do now?
Is there a crazy animal lady in your neighborhood? That's who we gave our various abandoned critters as kids.
jinx, don't get your hopes up. That's what a vet will tell you. Although, I've raised kitties and puppies by hand and never lost one.
First, don't feed them cow milk (lactose intolerant). If you have some soy milk that's okay, until you can get some soy-based baby formula. Pet supply stores should have little bottles and nipples. Maybe look into some glucose/vitamin paste.
Mammals need warmth and contact. Bundle and snuggle.
I know that for kitties, they can't poop or pee without mama licking their parts (true story) so you have to swab their bits with a warm, wet cotton ball.
I also want to add that a squirrels might carry some nasty germs, so I would look into a good all-over bath for the little bushy-tailed rat.
Edit: How to feed a hungry, wild rascal. Wrap in a hand towel with only the head sticking out, wet the mouth with formula, and tease with the nipple until they get the idea. DO NOT squeeze milk down their throat!
Flint's apparently the crazy animal lady in his neighborhood.
Thx flint. I called wildlife rehab, and am waiting for a call back from a squirrel rescuer - no plans to hand raise a squirrel in a house with 2 cats with loads of seniority.
The nasty little thing is verrrry cute though....
Is there a crazy animal lady in your neighborhood? That's who we gave our various abandoned critters as kids.
I wish. I don't mind driving him, I just hope this lady calls me back.
Well, in the meantime: bundle, snuggle, and no cow milk.
I'm glad you 're seeking outside help, btw. That's a responsible decision.
Ok, I took him out of the shoebox, bundled him in a washcloth and am holding him nice and snuggly.
Cows milk is teh debbil, I don't keep any in the house.
Good for you. Cow milk is for baby cows.
Post some pictures of the squirrel, too.
Woohoo! The rescue lady just called and is ready to receive squirrely in Downingtown.
I'm gonna give him another little drink and then head out.
Took this pic with my phone, sry bout the quality.
[SIZE="3"]teh CUTE!!![/SIZE] [COLOR="White"]. . . [/COLOR] [COLOR="Silver"]so, no beaver shots?[/COLOR]
good luck, little one...
my, what big paws you have.
Its been a dream of mine to raise a squirrel and teach it to pick pockets and scratch at the eyes of my rivals
Around here they're called tree-rats and are treated like any other vermin.
He's givin the finger with his right paw
Why you leavin us already Hilldu?
Good for you. Cow milk is for baby cows.
Right, just like soy milk is for baby soys.
Flint (and jinx), what's wrong with cow milk?
Jinx, if you found the squirrel near a tree with the nest, (within the span of a tree's branches) you might want to try putting him where you've found him and staying within sight, in order to keep an eye out for cats or hawks.
If the mother isn't injured, there's a good chance that she'll come back and carry him back to the nest.
If that doesn't work, go to a pet store and ask to buy a damaged aquarium. Explain what you need it for. I got one with a slight crack and they included a caged lid with security clamps for five dollars.
Squirrels like to sleep in things like large work gloves, very large socks or crown royal pouches. Put some dead dry leaves or torn facial tissue in the bottom and then put in his "bed". He will climb in/under his bed if he's old enough. Replace his bedding when it's damp.
If his eyes are opened, he's probably about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks old.
You can give him formula (3 oz. whole milk and 1 tsp. of baby cereal) with a plastic (not glass) eyedropper. Make a fresh batch each day and avoid heating any hotter than body temperature before feeding him. Clean the eyedropper well after using it. Also avoid hamster shavings for bedding and bathing. All three can cause them to get colds or pneumonia.
When his eyes open, if they aren't already, start feeding the formula from a dish/jar lid in an area separate from his bed. In the bottom of the dish put some bread in it and then add the formula and let it sit a few minutes to soften it. Put the dish against his mouth if he's not sure what to do. It might take a few tries. If he gets messy, just dry him with a rag. When he seems more mobile put a small piece of branch propped to give him climbing/grasping practice. At this point he will be also ready to have a water bottle in his cage. When, just like a baby, he seems not quite satisfied with his formula start adding hammered acorns, raisins, apple slices, peanuts, sunflower seeds and some birdseed. At this point, you won't want to handle him much more than necessary, as when he's released he'll be less wary of predators.
When he's about eight weeks he needs to acclimated to the outdoors.
Eventually, you'll be placing his home outside or on a screened in porch and leaving the cage open during daylight hours and putting the lid on after dark. If his home sits outside try to situate it out of the elements in order to keep it dry and out of the exposure of wind.
By looking at the picture he looks somewhat young. You may have to winter him over inside (utility or laundry room, garage, enclosed porch) because he might lack experience and/or have had time to store his own food. Make sure to give him lots of extra bedding.
In order to determine whether he needs to be wintered over, compare his development with other squirrels: is he collecting food?, does he show an interest in making his own nest?, does he socialize?, does he climb well?, etc. He might end up being able to nest, but continue to need food put out on a nearby platform (tray feeder, picnic table, an old cookie sheet with punched holes - much sure holes are punched from the top so that the metal ends are on the bottom)
Good luck! Let us know how it works out!
heat a pan of oil to 350
Hater. :headshake
Right, just like soy milk is for baby soys.
Snort!
Jinx, you Mother Earth, you!
needs ketchup
Oh, another hater.
Squirrely (the 3 week old female apparently) has been dropped of at a wildlife rescue house - nice enough lady, if a little odd... She'll email with updates.
Thanks for the advice y'all!
[COLOR=White]. . . [/COLOR] [COLOR=Silver]so, no beaver shots?[/COLOR]
I
posted those already. :rolleyes:
She sorta looks like gollum in that last shot.
(uh, the squirrel, not jinx)
Oh, another hater.
:eyebrow: I said it needs ketchup, but I wouldn't go as far as to say I
hate it plain. Mushrooms would work too.
I'm still waiting for the pic of Jinx teasing the thing with the nipple.
I didn't get any pictures of that.
i did. what's your email address, and i need $50 first.
oh! the squirrel. nevermind!
::slinks away::
What a cutey pie that squirrel is!
*lots of oohs and aww's*
...and just wondering what the squirrel lady will do with the little thing?
*lots of oohs and aww's*
...and just wondering what the squirrel lady will do with the little thing?
http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir22.html
:D
:yum:
:headshake
"Everybody wants to eat that squirrel."
--Tears for Fears:)
So I just got home and found yet another baby squirrel in my driveway. Wtf? Gonna have to overnight this little bastard and hope squirrel lady has a big cage....
So I just got home and found yet another baby squirrel in my driveway. Wtf? Gonna have to overnight this little bastard and hope squirrel lady has a big cage....
It's a "Buy One Get One Free" deal.
Squirrel parents are just trying to get out of having to pay for college. Seriously.
I thought Jinx might enjoy this photo.
He looks ready to try
Thisman, i wish i had that kind of free time
I didn't find the squirrelapult funny, I thought it was cruel. Could easily inflict broken bones and contusions given the speed of the release.
People pay big bucks for that kind of ride.
I near wet myself laughing the first time I saw that squirrelapult a few months back.
I just saw it and thought 'shit, the poor little sod'. How terrifying for the squirrel, with no clue of what was happening, it's little heart must have been beating so fucking fast. Not to mention if it hit something hard at that speed, it may well break bones. Either way, would be a terrifying experience for the animal and possibly a painful one too.
I don't think the squirrel has done anything to deserve a terrifying, violent death. How can anyone find humor in that?
We've just finished lecturing against the horrors of dog-fighting, yet somehow a squirrel doesn't deserve the same compassion (that we should extend to all living creatures)? Okay, maybe not cockroaches. But there's something sick about designing, constructing, and filming an elaborate killing machine, solely for amusement.
They don't die, think of it as a squirrel enema.
Do they get hurt? Do any of them bruise/fracture/break or gash their limbs? Are they confused and afraid (and potentially in a state of shock) as they are suddenly and unexpectedly flung into the air at speed?
Did the person who set that trap have any way of knowing the answers for sure? If not he took a hell of a risk with that animals well-being.
Do they get hurt? Do any of them bruise/fracture/break or gash their limbs? Are they confused and afraid (and potentially in a state of shock) as they are suddenly and unexpectedly flung into the air at speed?
Did the person who set that trap have any way of knowing the answers for sure? If not he took a hell of a risk with that animals well-being.
if it hurt, why would it keep on going back and riding it again and again?
the part where the guy stands out in the yard with a tennis racket and volleys the squirrels back onto the deck might make you cringe a little, though.
I have to admit I didn't watch the whole thing. I got as far as watching a wild animal flung bodily into the air at an alarming velocity and turned it off.
oh, that last part only happened in my sick little mind.
[the emperor] your hatred makes you strrrooooong[/the emperor]
Anyone who has seriously fed birds for any length of time is going to laugh at the squirrelapult. I don't know that the device hurts them, and I don't know that it doesn't, but I've seen the furry little bastard tree rats fall 20' from a resistant feeder, and climb back up to try it again 30 seconds later.
Fairly typical of humans that we would deem one creature worthy of feeding (despite the fact it is wild) and would deem another a criminal for trying to access the food we have chosen to put out. It's an animal, it's job is to find food, procreate and feed it's young. We put food into its environment (squirrel isn't seeing that as your feeder, it's just there in its patch) and then get angry when it tries to get to the food and 'steal' it.
Do you have Funniest Home Videos over there Dana? and do you laugh at them?
Some of them. But not if it involves deliberate cruelty to animals or callous disregard for their well being. There's a big difference between showing a video where a cat has tried to leap to a shelf only to catch it with it's claws then fall down, and seeing someone set up a trap which will have potentially frightening or injurious effects on a wild creature.
Don't mistake me for humourless I just don't find this kind of humour funny. If we all had the same sense of humour, ity'd be a strange world. Of all the LOL pics the only one so far that I have found distasteful is the 'Get outta here!" one that shows a dog flying through the air with what looks like serious distress/fear in its eyes. Didn't find that funny, not until I can be sure it was set up and that dog wasn;t actually afraid. I don't find fear funny.
What about ones where little kids get smacked in the face by another kid on a swing?
Or a guy who's ex wife lights his genitals on fire?
:p
I dont like cruelty to animals either, I think I have proven that over and over again with the strays and neglected animals I have taken in.
I'm not doubting your sense of humour, of course we dont all have the same tastes.
I don't actually find the idea of someone setting fire to their husband's genitals funny. The only thing I found amusing about that story was the mental image of this divorcee living with his ex for three years, sitting naked in front of the telly with a vodka in his hand and wondering why she was upset.
If a kid gets smacked in the face by another kid on a swing? I've seen those and mostly i didn't find them funny. If the kid just looks startled maybe, but if the kid is actually hurt I am not laughing.
I don't in any way think you like cruelty *grins* you're far to nice for that shit.
At the risk of total and utter threaddrift...I've been thinking about this since I posted that and actually, it isn't really the cruelty or pain that stops it being funny, for me. It's more the power differential between the two sides of the joke.
If a guy is stood by a pond and his mate walks past and pushes him in that would be funny. If a kid is running about like a mad thing and then bumps heads with another kid, there's that momentary shadenfreud laugh that comes before wondering if they're okay.
That's because there isn't a stronger and weaker protagonist. What upset me about the squirrel is that the human who made the trap is the stronger element, inflicting something onto a weaker element for their own entertainment. I had the same problem with deriving humour from the plight of Palestinians whose village was swept away by mud and shit because they'd dug away at the dirt for their own needs. I didn't find it funny, because we priveleged westerners were deriving humour from their 'stupidity' without taking account of the measure of desperation which may have led them to endanger themselves in that way.
It's all about the relationship between the strong and the weak for me.
So, if it were a 400 lb bear, then it would be funny?
Nope. If you'd managed to train a bear to lay traps I'd be impressed.
Some things are just funny, no matter how unpleasant or unfair they are. that's life. I saw the clip, I laughed, even though I knew I shouldn't, even though I slam the breaks on everytime a squirrel runs in front of me regardless of what's behind me and even if it's a leaf that looks a bit like a squirrel (squirrels are the most common roadkill here and probably average about 1 per 10 feet in cities -they are that prolific) ((yes, sorry other drivers in AA -that is me)). I buy only free-range. I actively campaign against battery farming.... yada yada yada
But that clip is still funny. :lol:
It would be funny to see the same thing, if it were somehow accidental. The problem is, as soon as I saw the complex rig this guy constructed, it took me about half a second to wonder "During the time it obviously took to plan and execute this elaborate design , why didn't he, at some point, know how wrong that is? What the fuck is wrong with this guy?"
A squirrel getting accidentally, or even impulsively, brought into comical peril, would be funny, yes. But the subject of this video isn't the squirrel, it's the guy who had all this free time, and this is how he spent it. That isn't funny, that's fucked up.
If you're the kind of person who can casually digest images, without wondering any deeper than the utmost surface, then I can see that this could be funny. If you put zero thought into it. Is that honest enough for you?
if by honest, you mean judgmental, yes.
If you find it funny, even after putting some thought into it, then that's even worse.
and it still doesnt change the fact that what monster said was honest. you can pretend to be above that kind of thing if you want to. congratulations on being so evolved.
I didn't say I was above it, I said my natural progression of thought moved faster than the video got to the punchline. It didn't have a chance to be funny. As I said, the same thing could have been funny, if it had been accidental or even impulsive, but the elaborate planning involved ruined that.
Oh, please, please God, let lumberjim believe me. So much is riding on this.
weren't you just bashing god in another thread? I don't think s/he's going to help you out here.
get all pissy if you want to, mike. this is what i think is insincere:
my natural progression of thought moved faster than the video got to the punchline
that squirrel is flying thru the air in seconds. i'm laughing at that point. monster said it very well. it is wrong. but i laughed.
you can say that your thought processes move so quickly that you didn't even smirk once....and i can reassess my opinion of how candid you are when it comes to things like this. i doubt very much that you didn't laugh at this. but whatever. if you say you didn't, then what can i say? does it matter? .......no. I don't really care.
If you say the squirrel was launched directly at the beginning of the video, then I have no reason to doubt you. I watched it once, hours ago, and I didn't take notes. I think I spent a short time looking for image artifacts to determine if it was real or not. Then I realized what trouble the guy must have gone through to set this up. Then I thought, what the hell is wrong with this guy? There really wasn't any room in there for me to experience whatever is supposed to be funny about this video. As I said, it was too contrived to be comedic. The scenario was distracting.
I didn't say I was above it, I said my natural progression of thought moved faster than the video got to the punchline. It didn't have a chance to be funny.
That's it! That's exactly it.
you can say that your thought processes move so quickly that you didn't even smirk once....and i can reassess my opinion of how candid you are when it comes to things like this. i doubt very much that you didn't laugh at this. but whatever.
I can honestly say I didn't find it funny when I watched it. I didn't even get a momentary flicker of shadenfreud. I saw it operate once, was horrorstruck that someone would do that and turned it off. The fact that, apparently, later in the video the squirrel comes back again and again, did make me chuckle. That's a funny image, the ever returning squirrel who knows what's going to happen but takes the risk. Even so I wonder at the metality of the person who did it. Because the first time they tried it they wouldn't have any idea of the potential consequences for the squirrel.
I absolutely believe that Flint is being candid when he says he didn't laugh. Even for a moment. I showed that clip to the two Js, my mum and my friend D, and they all reacted in exactly the same way as me. And indeed, apparently Flint.
Hey, I'm just going to hell is all. But while I wait, here are a few thoughts.
Those quick thinkers who just had to see the contraption to decide it wasn't funny? What, the name didn't give it away for you? Squirrelapult. Yup that's going to be a squirrel using a catapult to fire acorns at the dog, for sure :rolleyes:
It's probably a pretty good assumption that the vid was made by teenage boys, no? Perhaps they didn't think about the morality of potentially injuring squirrels. That's one of the last bits of maturity to be acquired. Maybe the more the clip is viewed the more hatemail they get and the lesson is hammered home? Maybe they did the squirrels a favor by scaring them away from humans? Humans with guns and the like. Yes, people shoot squirrels here. Or shoot at them. I doubt they always bother to see if they're dead or just dying slowly and painfully.
Or maybe, they don't consider squirrels important. For some people squirrels are vermin and rate similarly to mosquitos on the "how much do we care if they get hurt" scale. They chew powerlines, nest in roofs, fall off overhead powerlines onto cars, steal bird food, trash veg gardens......
A large number of the population do not consider all living things equal. Possibly even the majority. Many believe that there comes a point when some things do not have a right to live or die with dignity. Mosquitos, for example. They probably fall below most people's line. Spiders are maybe a little higher up. Mice. Many people have mice well down on their list. Your point of view is no more valid than anyone else's. The line you draw is not likely to be the same as everyone else's.
But if it makes you feel better to come over all superior about your morality and try to browbeat people into agreeing with you -have at it. I certainly won't be building a squirrelapult and didn't show the vid to my impressionable children. Count me off as a victory, you sure changed my mind, I'll never laugh at anything I know I shouldn't again..... So after that burst of responsibility, I'm off to look for clips of torturous flytraps. To report them to the appropriate authorities. Of course. No laughing will be done.
A large number of the population do not consider all living things equal. Possibly even the majority.
Oh, and it's true. Maybe it stemmed from my pretending to be a buddhist for about 2 weeks in college, but I was that guy that would capture spiders and throw them outside rather than flushing them. Now, I kill cockroaches. Also, I kill the fleas on my dog.
I
know they're just trying to live, and it's at a somewhat small cost to my dog, but to me me dog's itching is more important than their little flea lives. I actually dislike them as an creature! How weird is that? As if they have any friggin idea what's going on, but still I call them little assholes and tell them to "Get off my dog!"
But if it makes you feel better to come over all superior about your morality and try to browbeat people into agreeing with you -have at it.
Wasn't superiority or browbeating. I posted my reaction. It was an honest reaction. Not my fault if other people think that I am just on my high horse. I reacted instinctively and then posted my reaction because it was genuine. Just because you chose to take it that way...well frankly, fuck you.
And yes, I understand that some people see them as vermin. And yes mosquitos and spiders are beneath my radar...doesn't mean I would find it funny if someone was pulling a spider's legs off.
I was simply defending my honest reaction against the response, which was that I was called a liar.
Songbirds are pretty, squirrels are vermin.
That's why we treat them differently, and why the squirrelapult is funny, but the toddlerapult wouldn't be. Unless the flightpath were shorter and the kid got a soft landing and it was clear that s/he enjoyed the ride. They it would be funny again. Don't people have trampolines in their back garden in Britain?
Yes we have trampolines. I fail to see how that is relevant?
Unless the flightpath were shorter and the kid got a soft landing and it was clear that s/he enjoyed the ride. They it would be funny again.
And that I agree with. I already said that once it had been explained to me that had I continued watching I'd have seen said squirrel healthy and happy and back for another ride, I found that image funny.
I know squirrels are seen as vermin, but I don't find unnecessary cruelty to vermin any funnier than I find unnecessary cruelty to a more 'valued' animal. I can understand that there are reasons people may not like them, or indeed wish to eradicate them from their immediate vicinity, but that doesn't make inflicting pain or fear on them any funnier than if it was a cat.
I was simply defending my honest reaction against the response, which was that I was called a liar.
i called you judgemental not a liar, ya liar. unless you count questioning your candidness....candidity?....whatever. let's never fight again. dick.
...let's never fight again. dick.
But...I liked it. [COLOR="White"]. . .[/COLOR] Make-up sex?
I would suggest that telling Flint he wasn't being candid, is pretty damn close to saying he was lying.
ah.....honesty.
Ah...honesty. As opposed to . . . what? What is the opposite of honesty?
Honestly, when I said that, I was ONLY saying that i thought monster's post was very honest. she admitted that she laughed even though she knew it was wrong. as a kid, i remember that effect.....seeing something bad happen to people sometimes made me laugh uncontrollably. i knew it was wrong and was appalled at myself for it...but it happened. Not in instances where there was malice aforethought, mind.
I could see how you could interpret it as my calling you a liar.....but at that point it was more likely that I was seeing Dana's reactions as the comparative to monsters.
either way...i dont think either of you are liars. sorry bout that.
oh, dont forget to eat a dick, okay?
Looking back at my response to Monster, I think I was unnecessarily aggressive....sorry about that.
I really don't find that sort of stuff funny generally. That doesn't mean I think people who laugh at it are bastards who like to stamp on squirrels' heads for shits and giggles. I was genuinely a little shocked when I saw the video. I saw the title and thought, nah, it's not what it sounds like...oh shit, yes it is.
i knew it was wrong and was appalled at myself for it...but it happened. Not in instances where there was malice aforethought, mind.
Me too. We've all laughed when we knew we shouldn't. The malice aforethought is an important point though. It was that aspect of the video that I found unpleasant. Like I said before though, knowing that the squirrel was unhurt and unperturbed makes it different. I still think the kid that set it up took a horrible risk with that animal when he did it for the first time.
At the risk of putting the thread back on track, what happened to the second baby squirrel?
It was alive when I dropped it off at the rescue lady the next day - but it was not in as good shape as squirrel #1. I'm not sure to what extent it was injured in the fall (from red circle in pic), but its little nose was bleeding and it was not as active or interested in food/water.
It was a good learning experience for the kids.
I wanted to strap the little squirrelies to a model rocket and fly them to the squirrel lady, but this thread took all the fun out of it for me.
It was a good learning experience for the kids.
Lesson learned: Stay off the damn roof!
I wanted to strap the little squirrelies to a model rocket and fly them to the squirrel lady, but this thread took all the fun out of it for me.
It would have been fine if you put a parachute on it.
Did I get any of the make-up sex?
the toddlerapult wouldn't be
Spoilsport :p
Spoilsport :p
I agree, my kids would think it was awesome.
Where is that video of those dudes that made the huge one that had to be hauled back with a quad bike?
bump.
funny thread.
also, this morning, I ousted the squirrel. It had been encroaching on our attic storage area thru that hole in jinx's picture ( red circle ) I put sturdy 1/2" wire screen in the holes that were affording the squirrel access to our attic this morning. then I lugged the 50lb shop vac up 3 flights from the basement to the attic, and cleaned up the tragic mess the little bastard had made in our storage attic. (s)he still has access to the small area in the eaves to shelter, but can no longer enter our actual attic thru that hole.
I may still seal that exterior entry point.....but i don't relish climbing an aluminum ladder that is rated for 250 lbs in cold weather. maybe in the spring when I hopefully weigh something close to that...and the aluminum is less brittle due to sub freezing temps.
it's so cccold
*lights match*
i can see the lumbrejims feasting on pecans by the fire
*lights match*
sooo coooold
*lights match*
i see a shooting star
*lights match*
grandma stay near me
*lights last match*
The Little Match Squirrel
it's so cccold
*lights match*
i can see the lumbrejims feasting on pecans by the fire
*lights match*
sooo coooold
*lights match*
i see a shooting star
*lights match*
grandma stay near me
*lights last match*
The Little Match Squirrel
AWWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! A single tear just ran down my face.
You fell for that sob story from someone wearing a fur coat?;)
*waves across the blue miles and freakishly early morning*
Hi Bruce!!!!! Good morning sweetums! :)
This (I) might be a bot program, you never know where I am. ;)
bot program? pshaw! i can feel your awesome bruce-manliness from here!
it's so cccold
*lights match*
i can see the lumbrejims feasting on pecans by the fire
*lights match*
sooo coooold
*lights match*
i see a shooting star
*lights match*
grandma stay near me
*lights last match*
The Little Match Squirrel
aww Well ,,,:sniff:
@ jinx and lj. I like your house. The stone front is awesome in that it looks like a little bit of well maintained history imo and the wood addition is a great compliment.
Feel me? Maybe I'm closer than you think... Bwahahahahaha. :hide:
also, this morning, I ousted the squirrel. It had been encroaching on our attic storage area ~snip~ (s)he still has access to the small area in the eaves to shelter, but can no longer enter our actual attic thru that hole.
Feel me? Maybe I'm closer than you think... Bwahahahahaha. :hide:
They're rodents they always have another way in... and out. If not they'll chew and scratch a new place.
Have-a-heart trap, take a ride and release.
Have-a-heart trap, take a [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]ride[/COLOR] and release.
Unacceptable increase in carbon footprint, [COLOR="royalblue"]walk[/COLOR] many miles and back... or kill it.:reaper:
i have stated that if the squirrel has a back door entrance, and uses it...i will be forced to kill it. and eat it.
i have stated that if the squirrel has a back door entrance, and uses it...i will be forced to kill it. and eat it.
Sodomyphobe
I would have to continue to support the rocket solution.
Cats. I had a large cat once that would bring home anything - nighthawks, snakes, rabbits, the occasional neighborhood child or two, and of course, squirrels. The bigger your cat, the bigger squirrel it will take on. And no problems with disposal, either. My cat used to eat everything but the tail which she ceremonially would leave at my feet. ;)