Squirrels are plenty in Canada, in a choice selection of shades of brown-grey – from albino white to variant black. Though not as adorable as chipmunks, squirrels are generally considered to be cute. But just what is it that makes the squirrel more endearing than, for example, the rat? Is it just the bushy tail? or is there more to it?

Sometimes the squirrels have been fed by people and they have lost most of their natural fears; or, perhaps,  their hunger and their curiosity outweigh their weariness of humans. It is at those times that I have noticed their tiny, yet strong and sharp claws; and their large teeth. And I wonder: should I fear them as much as they fear me?