Yes, Squirrels Were Once Pets

There’s no shortage of strangeness to be found as you flip through the pages of the history books, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that humans have taken on their fair share of strange pets over the centuries. Strange to us now, but quite common in 18th and 19th century America, was the practice of keeping squirrels as family pets. In fact, they were a fixture in many a home, as common then as the family dog or cat would be now.

Squirrels were even immortalised in many family paintings, especially those of children who would often be pictured with their well behaved pet squirrels nearby, perhaps on a tiny leash. There was even squirrel-care literature in print, offering advice on everything from what to feed your squirrel and how to train it to do tricks.

Think the story can’t get much stranger? Think again. One squirrel in particular, a squirrel named Mungo, was even eulogized by none other than BEnjamin Franklin. Mungo’s owner was a friend of Franklin’s and when one day Mungo escaped his inclosure, he met his untimely fate at the hands of Ranger, the family dog.

“Few squirrels were better accomplished, for he had a good education, had traveled far, and seen much of the world.” Franklin wrote, adding, “Thou art fallen by the fangs of wanton, cruel Ranger!”

Looking for some history related reads? Visit our online library at www.typerse.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.