Christian Scafidi's life suddenly changed when he found a baby squirrel, who seemed to have been born just that day, lying helplessly alone in the grass. As the baby was showing signs of life, Christian took it upon himself to rescue him.
That's how the story started a few months ago, and fast forward to today, that squirrel goes by the name Richard, and he is the cutest little guy ever! Without Christian's help, Richard wouldn't have had the chance to grow up and be the playful boy he is today. Because of constant care and undivided attention, both have developed a beautiful friendship we hope to see only grow in the future.
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Meet Richard, a cute little squirrel who was found as a tiny baby fighting for his life just a day after a hurricane
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Christian Scafidi and his girlfriend Emma were walking their dog when they spotted a tiny pink creature in the grass. At first, they couldn’t tell it was a squirrel because he was so small
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Bored Panda reached out to Christian, who told us more about his initial reaction when he realized that Richard was alive.
“My first reaction was ‘omg he’s still alive, we have to save him,’ so I told my girlfriend to go inside and grab a paper towel so I could grab him because I didn’t know what it was. I didn't want to touch it. She got me the paper, and I grabbed him and took him inside and started to figure out what he was.”
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Despite his condition, Richard was moving and showing signs of life, which prompted Christian to take action and save him
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
The couple did everything to keep the little squirrel alive. “We did a lot of research and even got him a few vet appointments to make sure he was doing okay,” wrote Christian
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
We were wondering what challenges Christian faced while raising Richard. He shared: “We faced a lot of challenges, like having to feed him every two hours, even overnight. We had to get him vet appointments to make sure he was healthy. We had to feed him a specific amount depending on his weight, so we had to be weighing him almost every day. We had to give him the right amount of antibiotics, and we also had to keep him warm until he grew hair.”
With feedings every two hours, consistent warmth, and necessary medication, Richard began to grow stronger and bigger
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Now, two months later, Richard has transformed into a beautiful, playful, and emotional little fellow!
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
As for their daily routine, Christian commented: “Well, we already have three dogs, so we basically just have one more animal to feed now. And make sure they are happy and healthy.
We have to take him outside every day just so he can run around and climb on his trees.
We also have an 8-foot house for him in our living room. With trees inside of it that he lives in!”
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Christian has become Richard's devoted caretaker, and the bond they share is truly heartwarming
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Lastly, Christian added: “Richard is making a name on social media. Has multiple videos with millions of views and the best video at 6.6 million views.”
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Christian also revealed that he has three dogs, and they seem to get along with the new addition to the family
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
What do you think of Richard's story?
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Image credits: richard_thesquirrel
Here is what other people had to say:
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