| "Spammy" 20x24" acrylic on canvas (C) Cara Bevan 2007 |
| Spammy was once our handicapped pet squirrel. She died September 22, 2008, of natural causes. This is her story: One summer day my mom was outside with our large chocolate lab, Tootsie, in the front yard of our old house. Mom suddenly heard a shrill crying and she quickly investigated. In our dog’s mouth was a baby gray squirrel, knocked out of its nest from a storm a few days back. Tootsie was holding it gently and she gladly released it to Mom. The squirrel was hardly a week old; it had thin, silky fur and its eyes and ears were shut tight. However, the baby was covered in maggots from being abandoned on the ground. Hurriedly Mom ran into the house to clean the squirrel off, hoping the creature would be okay. By some miracle the baby was only a little dehydrated and totally unharmed. The bugs were easily cleaned off with soap and warm water. For the next few weeks Mom fed the squirrel, named Spammy, with kitten formula from a dropper. She opened her eyes, learned to walk, began to eat nuts and vegetables, and became a normal female squirrel in what seemed like days. Then came the day to release her into the wild. She was climbing trees and playing with twigs, acting as a normal squirrel should. I had never felt such happiness to see her in the wild where she belonged – but it only lasted two nights and a day. The next morning Mom had brought Spammy back in the house. She told me that during the night Spammy had either been attacked by another squirrel or lost her balance and fell out of a tree. She found Spammy curled in her cage, unable to move her hind quarters. Spammy was paralyzed from mid back to tail. We hoped she would regain movement as she healed, but that never happened. So we decided to keep her. My dad, a carpenter, built her a special cage that would allow her to climb easily with her front legs. It was very roomy with a tree, a lofty nest, toys, and everything to keep her happy and healthy. She loved her large house, positioned in the two car garage. Seven cats kept her company, she befriended them quickly. It took Spammy some time to adjust to her enclosure. The wire rubbed her paralyzed hind end raw for a time, but we treated the wounds carefully and she got used to it. She was as hyper as ever, getting her corn chip treat every night and burying nuts in the foot thick shavings at the bottom of her home. Spammy even shared her food with the cats - we didn't know a cat would eat nuts. She got to enjoy the summer with an outside cage and didn’t have to worry about danger. Spammy pulled through, though the odds were against her, and lived her life to the fullest. She will be missed. Spammy July 2006- September 2008 |
| All artwork and information (C) to Cara Bevan and Art from the Heart. Refer to contact for questions. |