Squirrels are so cute, it's no wonder people want to help them out.
They're sensitive, curious creatures and deserve all the love they get.
One family in Finland noticed an innocent red squirrel that was nearly lifeless on the
side of the road.
When the family saw this, they were understandably distraught.
But then, the little creatures showed signs of life.
It was the start of a beautiful journey that went from gut-wrenching to heart-warming.
A Finnish family found a dead, red squirrel on the road.
They had no idea what could have happened to the little guy, it may have been hit by
a car or even attacked by an animal.
The family was heartbroken.
They had never come across a baby animal in more need of help.
No matter the odds, these people were determined to help their poor pal survive.
They made the first wise decision and took him home so they could do whatever they could
to fix him.
As a caring person It seems like the plausible thing to do in that situation.
After a few trips to the veterinarian, that tiny squirrel not only began to recover, but
he started to show signs of a fully recovered animal.
One that wasn't on the brink of death.
For whatever reason it had been.
The family started to take things up a notch.
They thought things were taking a turn for the positive, but they quickly learned that
wasn't entirely true, much like many things in life.
There is nothing, a little bit of tender love and care can’t fix.
The family put an overtime to make sure the little guy was getting the proper attention
that he needed.
It wasn't long until he was eager and fascinated with his new surroundings.
The family was ecstatic and couldn't get enough of watching what he would do next.
It was like he was reborn into the world.
As sweet as it was all looking, everything that glitters isn't gold, the love and care
provided by the family was enough to bring the squirrel back to a healthy state, but
there was something wrong.
The happy ending everyone had hoped for was muddled by a discovery.
“We realized that his eye would never heal completely and he wouldn't survive on his
own,” said Reddit user Priami, whose family adopted the squirrel.
What did that mean for our little friend’s Future?
Naturally the family was heartbroken to learn that their new Pal would never be able to
return to his natural habitat.
However, there was a silver lining to that discovery.
They were more than happy to bring in the critter as one of their own.
He was practically already family to them.
So, what harm would it be to have him turn into a full-time family member?
They just couldn't let him go and who could blame them?
They made up their minds.
The family finally decided to make the squirrel a part of their life by officially adopting
him.
The next step was to decide a name for their furry little guy.
What name would be best suited for a squirrel?
Do you think Maximus, Arthur, maybe even Daniel, they decided to go with Arttu, pretty much
the finished version of Arthur.
That name ended up fitting him so well.
Big things were in store for a little Arttu.
Once they decided on a name, the next step was to make sure Arttu was nice and comfortable
at his new place of residence.
Much.
Like when a friend comes to visit, you want to make sure that he or she feels good during
their stay.
Since this was a permanent stay.
And because he was an animal that usually isn't domesticated.
It wasn't long before they found out that Arttu had quite the personality.
Who would have thought that squirrels could be so funny or have a sense of humour?
Clearly no one, but Arttu was such a jokester, according to the family.
“He liked to have playful fights with our hands.
You know, like cats do, and he was smart enough not to bite too hard.”
His new family said, you just have to love an animal with a playful side.
It was like a dream come true for Arrtu and his human family.
He had a blast all day and every day, the family loved his presence as much as he loved
playing with them.
And the moments when According to the family wasn't climbing all over the humans, he would
make the most out of their hoodies.
One thing he would do is nestled into them and make temporary nests, so he could be nice
and warm.
Not only was Arttu a funny guy.
He had a tremendous appetite.
When you're spending most of your time-wasting energy, climbing up people five times larger
than you, you will be hungrier than the average squirrel.
To solve this, the family tried many different snacks to see which he would like the most.
They were pleased to find out he liked to eat well.
They gave him a diet of nuts, fruits, berries, and mushrooms.
This little guy just loved being around everyone.
He was like, he was meant for domestication.
He liked munching on a snacks outside with the rest of the family, while they enjoyed
each other's company.
Obviously, he couldn't speak, but he made it clear with his presence, that being around
his humans was something he did enjoy very much.
He loved every minute spent with them and the family loved every minute with Arttu.
Wild animals and humans don't normally blend that well.
It just isn't in their nature to be buddies with people and that's common knowledge.
However, the exact opposite could be said for Arttu and his family.
He had become extremely comfortable with them.
Comfort became an instinct with Arttu no matter where or when Arrtu was able to transform
any place into a cozy resting nest, that was perfect for his next nap.
The hoodies are where it started, but that soon became cupped hands too.
The family felt bad that Arttu couldn't go outside, but they made sure he could still
explore.
It's unfortunate that Arttu couldn't roam around the great outdoors, like the rest of
his species, climbing huge trees, finding food and jumping from branch to branch wasn't
in his daily life anymore.
However, his family helped with that issue.
They really enjoy taking him outside so that he could climb around as nature originally
planned for squirrels to do.
As long as he had the proper supervision, everything was fine.
Look how happy the little guy looks.
Imagine being stripped away from your native country, but accepted elsewhere wholeheartedly.
As good as it is to be accepted, there will always be a part of you that might miss where
you came from.
Arttu 's family wanted to make sure this didn't happen with him.
Whenever it was time for Arrtu, to come back inside.
After playing, they let him feel close to his home.
That's right Arttu was allowed to bring back something from nature.
His favourite was pine cones.
Can you imagine having a little furry tree climber roam around your house during Christmas
time?
There's no telling what he might do around the Christmas tree.
That's why whenever that holiday came around, the family ensured that the tree was extra
protected.
It was only a matter of time before Arttu would climb to the top of the tree.
It was just in his nature as a wild animal.
What else would you expect?
As it turns out Arttu was smarter than your average squirrel.
That's something you might never hear in your life, but it could be said for this little
guy, although he liked climbing, he soon began to realize something important.
Trees inside the house were way different than the ones he found and loved outside.
And he may have realized this, but that didn't stop him from appreciating the ornaments found
on the Christmas tree, a cat or dog is usually the standard type of pet to keep.
That means animals stores and groomers are better suited to tend to those kinds of animals
than say a local squirrel you found on the side of the road.
A squirrel has a special set of challenges that come along with the unique joys they
bring.
Arttu needed to have his nails regularly trimmed due to not living outdoors, that itself was
quite a task.
Have you ever seen those videos on YouTube where the owner is attempting to groom their
cat, but the cat just isn't cooperating?
That happens with a lot of pets and it's expected.
Don't expect it with Arttu.
Many other animals act out of character while they are getting special treatment.
But Arttu takes it like a real trooper.
He understood the better he acted, the sooner it would all be over with and he could get
back to acting like his playful self.
The family found him curled up in a nest, looking like he was sleeping.
Once they realized he wasn't alive anymore.
It was difficult for the family to come to terms with the fact that their unexpected
family member was gone.
No matter how short his life was.
Arttu certainly had one for the ages.
Neither he or the family could have ever predicted that they would be living under the same roof
in unity, like they were.
He was like something out of a Disney movie.
The family did something touching for the little guy.
We fed other squirrels, all the food we had stored for him before he died, they said.
They even gave Arrtu, a little tombstone.