Tuesday, May 23, 2006

RESCUE



Look who I found swimming in Abbie's wading pool outside our front door. He wasn't havingany fun, though. He was moving slowly, taking "float" breaks, obviously exhausted after swimming for quite a while. I lifted him out. He wasn't alive by much. He lay on his side gasping slowly, his eyes closed. He felt cold. I brought him indoors, dried him off, wrapped him in a washcloth, and sat in front of the ceramic heater (shown) with him. After a few minutes I unwrapped him. He was breathing better and had started shivering, but still just lay there with his eyes closed. I wrapped him up and held him in front of the heater some more. When I next unwrapped him, I put him on he floor. He stood for a couple seconds, then fell over on his side, and his four little paws swam slowly, which broke my heart... he thought he was still in the water :-( I wrapped him up and warmed him some more. He started keeping his eyes open, looking at me. I set him on the floor again and he didn't fall over, but didn't move and was still shivering. I held him on my lap a few more minutes, stroking him with my finger; he was so still and accepting and sweet, I briefly pondered trying to keep him as a pet. Then he tried to run away. When I tried to wrap him up to restrain him, cheeky little bugger bit me. (Quite a young chipmunk, no skin break.) So much for the pet idea. He's a wild animal. I considered him cured, managed to wrap him without getting bitten again, and took him outside. He ran bristling up the arm of my jacket and hid underneath its collar. I had to take my jacket off and shake it out to get rid of him. He ran off as if the cat were after him. Total recovery, apparently.

10 comments:

Nancy Toby said...

Awww, cutie! Thanks for helping him out!!

Most parents-advice places I see these days recommend emptying a wading pool any time a kid isn't in it. Good thing it wasn't an unwatched toddler in there, eh?

Flo said...

And you've earned brownie points for helping out the little guy!!!

Oldman said...

good job saving the little guy.... I guess the swim portion of the TRI is just not his thing!

Downhillnut said...

Nurse Ellie to the rescue! I probably wouldn't have been so brave as you to hold him.

I rescued another mouse from the neighbour's cat yesterday, but that wasn't quite so dramatic.

Ellie Hamilton said...

He was so soft and, until he recovered, so apparently docile... it didn't take any nerve to hold him. Until he gave me that little warning with his teeth... OK, rat, you're outa here.

Dr. Iron TriFeist :) said...

Clearly, he was feeling better. :) Go Ellie! Rescuing little animals like that can be taxing. You did a great job.

Rachel said...

You have such a big heart. Good for you for rescuing him. I also have a bleeding heart and rescue anything that needs it. I've rescued baby sparrows, pigeons, puppies, rabbits, cats, and 2 turtles.

Deb said...

What a good gal you are! Isn't that the stuff that makes you feel like you have purpose?? I think so!

Ellie Hamilton said...

Actually, saving a drowning chipmunk did give me a sense of purpose and a sense of success. Maybe I'm reaching too high to find my successes... maybe all it takes is a chipmunk that gets to live until something else (like my cat) gets it. This is tautological puzzle..an impossible philosophical concept.


I'm not totally lucid. Maybe I need sodium.

Cliff said...

Good stuff.....i am sure u earn some heavenly treasures..