Curiosity Kills Cats, Not Squirrels

It was morning, not very early though. I was still in bed, neither fully asleep nor fully awake. I could sense my sister was up and was at my bedside jabbering something rather frantically. My half-asleep state didn’t register a word but gathered that something needed my immediate attention. While it appeared urgent, it didn’t seem serious. I turned over and decided to sleep for a little while longer.

A good 30-45 min later as I got out of bed, there were tiny oval grayish pellets strewn all over the floor of the house. It took me no time to recognize these were squirrel droppings. So, this is what my sister was trying to tell me. All the doors and windows remain closed at night. How did they manage to get an entry? And, when did all of this happen? I don’t remember hearing any noise at all. My sister declared that she did hear some mild rattling as dawn was breaking in, but she was too sleepy to bother.

It did not take me long to piece together what could have happened. The chimney in kitchen hadn’t been cleaned for a while. I usually call in for a service expert twice a year. At other times, I do the cleaning myself. So, I had removed the flap that absorbs the fumes, scrubbed, washed, and left it outside to dry. The flap also forms a barrier between the exhaust pipe and the hob.

Tuntuni, the garden squirrel who lives in the tree just outside the kitchen would have once again entered the chimney pipe. Over-inquisitive as she always is, she would have accidentally fallen onto the kitchen counter. I am not sure if she was alone or was goofing around with her siblings. The confusedness that would have followed is only left to my imagination! She would have felt trapped having no idea how to get out. She would have agitatedly gone around the house trying to figure a way out. Droppings all over the floor and the dining table are tell-tale signs of all the commotion that would have happened.

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I cleaned the droppings – dry pellets, nothing messy. Heaving a sigh of relief and not realizing that the mess was yet to begin, I opened the kitchen sink tap. Water gushed right into the kitchen floor and there I was suddenly marooned in a sizeable pool of water. While trying to escape and looking for an outlet, Tuntuni had damaged the sink drainage pipe. That was not the end. Bewildered, she had even managed to extract some kitchen waste from the garbage bin, which is usually kept below the sink. All that foul-smelling unwanted waste material was now floating on the pool of water.

Certainly not the best way to start a day for the cleanliness freak that I am! That aside, the plumber had to be called and dealing with plumbers is something I loathe to the core. With zero knowledge on the subject, I always feel cheated and exploited. It has never been a pleasant experience.

All of this just for some unadulterated and pure squirrel happiness. Phew!

I still have no clue how she might have escaped. The same chimney route is all that I can think of, which would have again been an accidental discovery. And what relief that would have been! It’s all the fault of the Myna, who had built a nest in the chimney. The squirrel until then had no clue about this hideout. In all her innocence, Tuntuni is just a hyperactive and playful little curious squirrel.

[Click here for a previous post on the squirrel.]

 

 

 

Author: neelstoria

Traveling, Gardening, Trekking, Hiking, Storytelling, Writing, Nature, Outdoors, Yoga, DIY

40 thoughts on “Curiosity Kills Cats, Not Squirrels”

  1. They are cute but need a chiding to not cross the limits hahhahahaa.

    Some bushy tail tale here………I go to my neighbor’s place to water her plants since she is not there. Day before yesterday I had noticed some nest material and saw a squirrel nest on top of the door ledge (inside the home) . I removed it . Yesterday I saw an even bigger one. It led me to check how they were coming in …..I realized it was the hole in the glass pane around the AC duct pipe. They managed to get in so much in a day’s time. I had to take my husband’s help to tape the opening and remove the knotted part of the nest. Had it been on the outside (like in my house they are using the bird’s nest) I would have ignored it.

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    1. I hadn’t thought of this at all. What if they’ve made a nest in the exhaust pipe! The opening of the pipe is in an inaccessible part of the house. How would I clean it. And, if they can make so much in just one day, that’s surely worrisome. Nest outside is cute but not inside 😀
      Thank you for reading.

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        1. Couldn’t agree with you. They are cute as long as they are out and aren’t destroying the things around my home 😀
          I already feel the squirrels have made a home in my chimney duct and that will clog the duct. And, getting a service person during Covid times isn’t easy.

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  3. I love squirrels from a distance. They’re always up to something. The only real encounter we had with them happened to be a Christmas morning years ago when we lived in a house at the edge of a city park. Sage and I were having our coffee and noticing several squirrels outside the window running frantically, acting a little crazed. It wasn’t until we went outside later and found out that they were likely full of chocolate. Our landlord had left a bag of chocolates outside as a Christmas gift. The squirrels found it before we did and ate about half of it!

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  4. Old plumbing joke: The plumber presented the bill, and the homeowner exclaimed: “I don’t make that much and I’m a doctor.” Plumber: “I didn’t make that much when I was a doctor either.”

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  5. I don’t know which would be the right reaction, because two came to mind as I read the misadventures of the squirrel. “Ha ha ha… sweet little tuntuni!” or “Oh my… what a mess!” The children of our forgiving Mother do bring much naughtiness along with their cuteness. Where do we draw the line or fudge it is a perennial quandary, at least for me! 🙂

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    1. Yes, Narendra. Right now I am exactly in the same frame of mind. I didn’t give them the nuts for a day as a punishment (as though they understand/care) but back to the usual routine now. But I am quite sure that Tuntuni has shifted her home to the cozy chimney pipe. And, the opening is at an inaccessible end of the house. Presently, I have no clue what to do. It’s Covid times, don’t know how I can get someone to check this out. Plus if there are baby Tuntunis in there, which is highly likely, I am in much deeper trouble.

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      1. Uh oh…then you better leave it as such at present, Neelanjana. The noise (ruckus?), if any (surely!), just like the mynas will give you an indication in due course. But now on keep that chimney flap shut!

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        1. They are not as noisy as the mynas and aren’t much of a disturbance but they would have blocked the outlet and my chimney will not function properly. And yes, that flap cannot be opened again. Or even if opened cannot be left open at night.

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  6. It seems a good morning turned to be a bitter morning due to a little squirrel. Yeah these brainy creatures always to find loophole in our home security.

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    1. They are really cute and their innocence steals my heart. But they’re hyperactive and over curious too, which leads to all the kind of troubles I’ve had.

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    1. Oh is that so! I don’t know what I can do immediately. I think I just cannot do anything right away, till the current situation improves. I will watch out, however. Thanks for the tip. And, a very big thank you, Gayatri, for visiting my blog.

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  13. i love squirrels! so cute and always up to something. loved this post, thank you very much for for sharing💞

    Follow @everythingtips for tips and recommendations if interested! It would mean a lot to me!🥺🤍

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    1. Thank you, Geri for visiting my blog and reading this post. The squirrels have landed up occupying my Chimney pipe and aren’t going away. And, with the pandemic it’s getting difficult to connect with Animal Rescue.

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  15. They’re cute, but they make a mess.

    The feral kitten I took home used to wrap toilet paper all over the house, and I’d come home from work at night to find my apartment looking like it’d been hit by a tornado.

    Every creature can be a pet. I know a vet’s assistant who took a wounded bat who can’t fly as a pet. I saw it at the vet. It was sick, so she brought it with her. Spiky was hanging upside down from the cage.

    How about a squirrel as a pet?

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    1. The kitten sounds cute but I know the troubles, you would have had in reality. Hope it’s grown up to a quieter adult now.
      I know someone who did have a squirrel as pet. The only problem is I stay in an apartment with not a lot of space. Hence, and I think that would be injustice to the usually hyperactive squirrel. Your idea is good though.

      Thanks so much for visiting my blog and reading this post.

      BTW, Spiky is a cute name 🙂

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