This is a story that started on a hot day in Tampa, Florida. Jeff Longo was walking around down when he laid his eyes on some kind of creature on the sidewalk. Not only did he not know how to raise animals, but he did not have the slightest idea what it could be. Fortunately, he was able to get some help from the internet. Even though he did not have anything in the way of experience, he nursed it back to good health. He even surprised the people on the Reddit thread when he gave them an update!
The Amazing Truth About The Mysterious Creature That He Found On The Street
Suffering From The Intense Heat
In 2013, Jeff Longo had been getting a little exercise into his schedule by going out for a stroll. All of a sudden, he looked down and found a furry thing on the sidewalk! The poor animal looked like it was in bad condition. It was a hot day, so the heat must have gotten to the little creature.
Suffering From The Intense Heat
The Creature Was Clearly Not Doing Well
When Jeff Longo talked about that first encounter, he said that the animal was already “half-dead” by then. How could he possibly leave it the way he saw it? He was a kind guy, so he wanted to do something about it. It would not have survived for much longer. This is how the baby came with him to his home.
The Creature Was Clearly Not Doing Well
He Gave Her The Cutest Name
After a little while, Jeffrey Longo named the baby animal. Isn’t it adorable that he went with the name Biscuits?! Aside from that, he hand-reared the creature as well. He still had a lot of questions, but it was clear that the animal deserved TLC. How lucky she was that such a kind guy found her on the street.
He Gave Her The Cutest Name
What Kind Of Animal She Was
It was complicated as Longo did not even know what animal she was. He did not even have a single clue. He wanted to solve the mystery to ensure that he could raise her well. With the internet, everything is possible. He knew that it was his best bet at learning learn what type of creature his little friend was.
What Kind Of Animal She Was
He Asked Reddit For Any Leads
On Reddit, he wrote a post to inquire whether anyone had any clue what Biscuits was. He was surprised by the negativity of the answers that he received! Many people told him that it would be impossible to raise the animal all by himself. After a little while, he finally figured out what kind of animal she was.
He Asked Reddit For Any Leads
She Is A Southern Flying Squirrel
Longo realized that his furry friend was a southern flying squirrel. It is a species that typically live in the forest. These animals make habitats out of trees. When it comes to their diet, they typically eat an assortment of insects, nuts, fruits, and seeds. They like to eat eggs and birds every now and then too.
She Is A Southern Flying Squirrel
More Fun Facts About Them
Biscuits is a southern flying squirrel, which means that she is a nocturnal rodent. When they are young, they usually stay with their mothers. This happens until they grow to two months old. This poor creature got separated from her family, which is why Longo stepped in to serve as her surrogate mother of sorts.
More Fun Facts About Them
She Went Where He Did
Longo took the little creature with him everywhere for the first two months. He wanted to do everything in his power to raise the critter well. Yes, Biscuits went to work with him. He took it upon himself to bottle-feed Biscuits too. He made sure to keep her healthy by mixing puppy formula and heavy cream.
She Went Where He Did
His Hard Work Was Not For Naught
It is a good thing that all of his efforts were worth it. Longo got to see her grow stronger and bigger with every passing day. She made it to adulthood in good health thanks to him! If you ask us, it is impressive that he took her in when he did not even know what kind of animal she was. They have grown much closer as well.
His Hard Work Was Not For Naught
The Company Of Other Animals
The two of them share a special bond, but Biscuit got to make friends with fellow four-legged creatures too. We are referring to her siblings, the dogs in their household. If you are worried, you can relax. He explained that he is there to “watch them, so they don’t accidentally squish her.” That’s good to hear.
The Company Of Other Animals
She Would Not Survive In The Wild
Jeff Longo himself hand-reared Biscuits when she was still very young. It does not sound likely that she is going to survive for long in the wild. Regardless, she gets to jump from all kinds of surfaces in the house. “She runs around me like I’m a big tree… then jumps on things and then jumps back… gets excited… starts chirping… rinse and repeat,” related Longo.
She Would Not Survive In The Wild
They Now Make Up A Happy Family
We are glad to hear that things are going well for this little family. Longo shared that they once thought that they lost Biscuits. That must have been a stressful experience for all of them! He explained, “When she first started becoming mobile, she escaped… I found her in the bathtub in the morning.” Whew.
They Now Make Up A Happy Family
She Is His Little Fluffball
While she is a naughty squirrel, she has won him over. Longo likes to refer to her as his “’little fluffball.” He said, “She has a big cage and semi-free reign of the house when I’m available to supervise. She wouldn’t last five minutes in the wild now. She is super friendly to people and not afraid of animals.”
She Is His Little Fluffball
Her Favorite Spots In The House
It looks like Biscuits feels very comfortable in the household as well. She likes to hang out in his top pocket or the hammock. How adorable is it that he gets to carry her anywhere? We are curious to see what the future has for this duo. Luckily for him, flying squirrels tend to live for up to ten years indoors.
Her Favorite Spots In The House
After He Nursed Biscuits Back To Health
There was something else on his mind after he nursed the squirrel back to good health. It was time to show everyone who said that he could not do it. He returned to Reddit to share how Biscuits has been doing. Longo shared a lot of photos to show them how the recovery process went.
After He Nursed Biscuits Back To Health
He Wanted To Update Them All
First of all, he made sure that everyone knew who he was. He reminded them of the post that he first shared on the site. “I posted pictures on Reddit that day and had a bunch of know-it-alls tell me she would die because I am not an animal rehabber,” he said. Let us see what they had to say this time.
He Wanted To Update Them All
How She Is Faring These Days
“Well, Biscuits is about three months old now and is super awesome… and healthy,” Longo told all the users on the subreddit. He also shared more about the little critter. Clearly, he was proud of her. He said, “Her favorite food is pecans, and she enjoys jumping on everything and terrorizing the dogs.”
How She Is Faring These Days
They Took Back What They Said
We do not doubt that none of them expected to hear this! All the naysayers could do nothing but eat their words. They congratulated him for nursing Biscuits back to health even though he did not have any prior experience in this field. Of course, it must have helped that he shared photos of his adorable little pet.
They Took Back What They Said
Everyone Wanted To Be Him
“From now on, it is my life’s ambition to have an adorable animal living in my shirt pocket,” a Redditor told him. Someone else agreed by saying, “Everyone should have a pocket squirrel sidekick.” We wonder if this will ever come into vogue. Is there anything cuter than a squirrel in a pocket? We also want one!
Everyone Wanted To Be Him
He Showered Her With TLC
Longo went to extreme lengths to bring Biscuits back to good health. You can still help animals in other ways! It does not have to be this drastic. In fact, this good Samaritan found himself at a loss for what to do when he saw unexpected guests in his home. Luckily, he made the right call about what to do next.
He Showered Her With TLC
The Reason Animals Head Indoors
There are various reasons animals go indoors. For one thing, they will do this to avoid disturbances. When the owner of the apartment returned home, he was surprised to see visitors on his bed. Needless to say, he did not expect to find anything like this that day! He found two babies beneath his pillow!
The Reason Animals Head Indoors
He Named Her After A Fairytale
Wait until you hear the story of Little Thumbelina, who is one of the two baby animals he discovered on the bet. Her name might be derived from a fairytale, but her backstory reminds us of one as well. It might sound made up, but we swear that this happened on a cold spring morning in New York in 2016.
He Named Her After A Fairytale
How They Got There In The First Place
In the city, squirrels have been suffering from all the construction that has been going on. The mother squirrel lost her nest for this reason. Without a home, she had to look for a new place to give birth to her babies. Her maternal instinct allowed her to look for an appropriate and secure birthing spot.
How They Got There In The First Place
He Left The Window Open
What did she do? Well, she climbed into the open window of a tenth-floor apartment. This does not sound like an easy feat at all no matter how you look at it. She must have been lured in by how comfy and warm the apartment was. She also tried her best to remake a nest in anticipation of their birth.
He Left The Window Open
The House Had Been Empty At The Time
The man who lived in the apartment had been out when the mama squirrel dropped by. Can you imagine how surprised he must have been once he came home and found her babies? The first thing that he saw were all the leaves, twigs, and pine needles on the bed. He was taken by surprise once he found two eastern gray squirrels beneath the pillow.
The House Had Been Empty At The Time
He Was Surprised By What He Found
He had no idea how to take care of squirrels. Not everyone is equipped with the knowledge to raise them. Luckily, this man knew people who could help him with this. He reached out to a pair of local animal rehabilitators to ask for their help! Michael and Christina Reyes knew how to look after squirrels.
He Was Surprised By What He Found
Time To Call In The Experts
As a matter of fact, Christina already has a decade of squirrel care to her name. Meanwhile, her husband Michael is a high school teacher. When he is free, he makes sure to lend her a hand. The two of them went over to the apartment right away. They remained hopeful that they could reunite the mama with her babies.
Time To Call In The Experts
The Mother Had Her Hesitations
Unfortunately, this proved more difficult than anticipated. Only two hours had passed since the birth of the babies, but she already hesitated to take them. She must have been scared by the presence of the humans. Christina explained that this must have been the case when she talked to The Daily Mail.
The Mother Had Her Hesitations
She Did Not Come Back For The Babies
“She kept bringing in nest-building materials, but she wasn’t taking her babies back,” shared Christina. They tried their best to demonstrate that it was all right, but the squirrel still hesitated. In the end, she stopped visiting her babies only a few more hours later. This was not the saddest part just yet, however.
She Did Not Come Back For The Babies
The Other One Passed Away
Only one of the babies survived since the other passed away. This might not have happened if the mother had been there. The Reyes couple took on the survivor and named her Thumbelina. Her name comes from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale! They wanted to return her to the wild in the future.
The Other One Passed Away
She Was A Special Case
“Almost all squirrels we take in are rescued and released into the wild,” the couple said in a statement that they posted on the official blog of the squirrel. “But Thumbelina was a special case.” The critter grew up under odd conditions, so it is only natural that she developed differently from other squirrels.
She Was A Special Case
Growing Up On Her Own
“Due to an abnormal birthing season and the passing of her sister, little Thumb grew up all by herself and did not learn to interact with other squirrels. By the time the normal birthing season had arrived, Thumbelina was already past the point of bonding with her kind,” the couple explained in the blog.
Growing Up On Her Own
They Granted Her A Shot At Life
The pair talked to a veterinarian who specializes in wild animals. The expert said that Thumbelina would not be safe in her natural habitat due to her upbringing. They had two options. The Reyes couple could either have her euthanized or find a new home for her. They ended up taking her in themselves!
They Granted Her A Shot At Life
She Was Their Pet Squirrel
Yes, the Reyes couple decided that Thumbelina would be the newest addition to the family. We are glad that they took her in as their house squirrel. Who knows what would have happened to her if they did not go down this path? As you can imagine, Thumbelina does not behave in the most squirrel-like way.
She Was Their Pet Squirrel
How She Interacted With Her Fellow Squirrels
They have tried to introduce her to other squirrels in the past. Let us see how it went. “When we tried to introduce her to other squirrel babies, she isolated herself,” Christina informed The Daily Mail. She added, “She curled up into a ball, and she wanted nothing to do with them.”
How She Interacted With Her Fellow Squirrels
Her Development Took Longer Than Usual
“She walked on the ground,” Christina went on. “She didn’t like to climb or jump.” On the blog, the animal rehabilitator talked about how the development of the squirrel took longer than most babies. Among other things, she opened her eyes after nine weeks instead of the usual four or five weeks.
Her Development Took Longer Than Usual
What Makes Her Different From The Rest
There is more. “She’s afraid of everything,” shared Christina. “We brought her to the park, and she acted like it was a haunted house. She doesn’t like the cold. She huddles herself into a ball. She’s not outside squirrel material.” We are glad to hear that her mother and father only love her all the more for these things.
What Makes Her Different From The Rest
They Did Not Feel Worried
Christina and Michael did not waste their time worrying about their little squirrel. They simply gave her all the affection that they could muster. It is clear that Thumbelina likes the cuddles she gets from her parents. She likes to watch TV and eat a diet made up of arugula, sweet peas, avocado, and kale.
They Did Not Feel Worried
How Much They Adore Her
“I love Thumbelina so much,” Christina admitted. On top of this, she explained, “My husband and I knew that we never wanted children, [but] Thumbelina is our baby. She’s my little best friend; every day, I look forward to spending time with her. When I’m feeling low, she comes over and snuggles with me.”
How Much They Adore Her
She Is Now Their Little Ambassador Squirrel
We are not going to deny that Thumbelina is not as squirrely as others from her species. Despite this, she helps them out in her own way. “Thumbelina is now our little ambassador squirrel,” the couple explained on the blog. They added, “She helps us to teach people how important it is to respect and be kind to all wildlife and spread the message, ‘Each little life is big to the one living it.’”
She Is Now Their Little Ambassador Squirrel