We have to kill it, in order to save it.

[formercia]

WILMOT, Ohio, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- An Ohio woman said her cat has adopted a baby squirrel as one of its litter of kittens, but experts said the experience may not end well for the squirrel.

--snip--


She said Jingles now nurses and grooms the squirrel as one of her own kittens.

Wildlife experts said the experience may be dangerous for the squirrel later in life.

"If he opened his eyes already, he's going to associate the cat as mother and that's what we don't want," said Stephon Echague, director of animal care at Stark Parks' Sanders Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Perry Township. "Unfortunately, when the squirrel gets older, he's going to recognize cats as something friendly and not worry about being around them. But cats are true hunters and could possibly cause his death. He needs to be with other squirrels so that he knows that he is a squirrel."

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/08/30/Mother-cat-adopts-squirrel/UPI-18401283192100/

All I see is a Cat with a litter of kittens that will grow up not hunting Squirrels.

What's wrong with these fucking people?

[tularetom]

1. Maybe the squirrel will grow up to hunt and kill other squirrels?

[The_Commonist]

2. What's wrong with these people?

Maybe they are "wildlife experts" and have experience in this area, and know that it will likely turn out badly?

[customerserviceguy]

5. Can't the cats of the world, and the squirrels of the world all just get along?

What's that? It's in their nature to be predator and prey, you say? Oh, OK, I guess that's different then..

(by the way, sincere thanks for making the point! :) )

[Lyric]

6. Or maybe they're just assholes?

Use common sense, here. What's the WORST that could happen? That the squirrel grow up not fearing cats, and subsequently get eaten by a cat? Okay--one dead squirrel.

But it's not like this woman is keeping the baby squirrel from being rescued by those "experts". If they wanted to intervene, they certainly could. It's not like they were volunteering to come hand-raise the thing--they were just leaving it there to die of shock, dehydration, and hunger, deprived of nurturing and suffering terribly.

Frankly, if it's killed by a hunting cat someday, that's still a life it wouldn't have otherwise had and, IF the worst eventually happens, an easier, quicker death than the "experts" would have left it to.

[woo me with science]

3. The squirrel has a right to be aware of its heritage, if possible.

I am sure many here don't approve of these types of adoptions.

[DeadEyeDyck]

4. I hope the squirrel doing try to eat the cats nuts

[SidDithers]

7. A squirrel is being raised to not be afraid of cats...

which is going to be a bad thing, for him, when some other cat wants to eat him.

Sid

[haele]

8. I see a squirrel that will have to be a housepet or a performance/ stunt squirrel -

One that can never be set back out to the wild.
They won't have to kill it, but if the squirrel ever gets out, it won't be able to survive out on it's own very long. It will not have had the advantage of learning how to survive at the imprintable age.
Depending on your sense of morality, it could have been bad for her to rescue a squirrel kit that will never be able to be "free and natural", or it could be bad if she ever wants release it back into the wild when it starts growing up and turns into the potentially destructive little tree rat that squirrels are - and they need a lot of room, as they have as much or more energy than a ferret to deal with. They've also been known to live almost 20 years as a housepet, but normally 2-5 year (once they're into adulthood) in the wild.
It may end up better to give the kit to an "animal wrangler" or someone with a large backyard aviary to give it any sort of safety and comfort in life.

Haele

[twenty20]

9. Spot on formercia

I don't get the strong opposition from the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and so many outraged "outsiders". If the little critters mommy, for whatever reason, is not willing or able to care for it...should it be left to starve rather than join a litter of puddy-cats. What's the big fucking deal anyway?

[formercia]

10. We can't be raising kittens to be friendly to squirrels

It's us and them. Everyone needs an enemy according to some people. To have cats and squirrels get along with each other is un-natural and goes against God's plan.

:rofl: