Tumor Girl The Squirrel Lives!

Yes, you are probably wondering who the hell tumor girl is, aren't you? Well this is another squirrel story, though this isn't quite as dreadful as old "pop eye". As everyone probably knows already, my backyard and back porch are like a wildlife viewing area. All the varmints know when I arrive home and they congregate on the back porch waiting for me to give them food. If it wasn't bad enough to train my own dogs to train me, I've also trained the wildlife population around my house, both furred and feathered, to control me by feeding them on demand.

My girlfriend was over the other day and she was amazed. I'd just gotten home and she walked over. On the back porch I had several squirrels attached to the screen door, six or seven more waiting patiently for me by the sliding glass door, blue jays, doves and a rabbit. They all showed up within minutes of each other, waiting for their hand outs. Which makes me get off subject for a moment, but you would expect nothing less of me, if all those bastards can get along even if it's only at the dinner table, why in the hell can't we? Now back to my original ramblings.

Tumor girl, yes old tumor girl. I had this young female squirrel who started having this knot appear on her belly. At first I thought she'd been raped too young by the neighborhood tree gang, but then I knew it was something else. The knot grew out on the right side of her belly. Over about four weeks the thing had turned into the size of a tennis ball. The poor thing kept showing up to eat, but I was starting to see her bone structure. She looked so damn weak and this huge ball she was carrying around was definitely hindering her ability to walk or climb.

The last I'd seen of her was two weeks ago. She showed up and her poor little white belly was so stretched it had begun to turn purple. She ate her peanuts but I could see she visibly didn't feel well. I mean hell, it would be like having a basketball but bigger, injected into our ribcage. She was so bony looking. Then tumor girl didn't come back for almost a week and when she did, I felt horrible for her.

I figured whatever it was must have been like a cyst and had burst. There was this saggy skin where the huge ball had been and a large open hole. She was now really skinny but came to eat peanuts after all the other squirrels had left. I gave her extra, watching her chip away at the shell, quickly eating the meat inside. She must have eaten six before she'd had enough and left. I didn't think things still looked good for her. I couldn't believe she'd survived the cyst and then to survive the bursting of it. Post infection would now be her biggest enemy. I figured she'd now die because the big gaping hole would cause her to get an infection and die.

She showed back up yesterday, almost a week since I'd last seen her. Her hole was now closed and the spot was nearly healed. She looked as if she'd put on weight and was on the mend. I think I'll always have a special place in my heart for tumor girl and that's what she'll always be called. I don't believe the area will totally heal and she'll carry a scar, but what a tough little lady this squirrel was. I hope my daily handouts helped her through. It feels good knowing my human intervention can sometimes help nature thrive in my little piece of paradise. Tumor girl, you rock!