When Ron Milburn spotted a tiny, hairless creature no bigger than his thumb in his driveway, he had no clue what he had found. He scooped it up, wrapped it in a warm cloth, and started searching online for answers.
He soon realized it was a newborn squirrel, likely having fallen from its nest. Hoping its mother would return, he placed it in a shallow box outside. The mother did come by, but then left again. Later, Milburn learned that the little squirrel had a mouth deformity, which probably prevented it from nursing properly.
Not expecting it to survive, Milburn decided to give it his all. He brought the squirrel inside and began feeding it puppy formula with a syringe every three hours—day and night. “It was like having a newborn baby in the house,” he said. Miraculously, the squirrel thrived, and a strong bond developed between them.
Once he confirmed the little one would survive and discovered it was male, Milburn named him Bobby — formally, Robert T. Squirrel (the “T” stands for “The”).
Milburn shared Bobby’s rescue story on Newsner’s We Love Animals channel and on his TikTok, where videos of the tiny squirrel have racked up over four million views.
But Bobby’s story didn’t stop there. He now has a family of his own in his custom squirrel house, living alongside his squirrel wife, Barbara Ann. Together, they’ve welcomed four youngsters: Peepers, Jeepers, Creepers, and Sneekers. “Peepers hardly leaves the treehouse, Jeepers is more adventurous, Creepers explores a bit further, and Sneekers sneaks into neighboring trees,” Milburn explained on his site, bobbysquirrel.com.
Bobby frequently visits indoors, especially during storms, seeking safety and comfort with Milburn. He moves freely between his outdoor home and his human’s pockets, visiting almost every day.
However, not everyone is thrilled—Milburn’s HOA has told him to stop feeding squirrels, labeling them a “nuisance.” But anyone who sees Bobby listening to stories or curling up for a cuddle would surely disagree.
Milburn is clear that raising a squirrel from a newborn is very different from trying to tame a wild one. Squirrels have sharp teeth and long claws, as he demonstrates in a video covered in Band-Aids. He’s slowly building a friendship with Barbara Ann, who grew up in the wild, and making progress.
Bobby’s adventures have even inspired a children’s book, Bobby and Friends, which includes ten short stories for kids ages 2–11, along with a coloring book.
Fans can’t get enough of Bobby — the perfect pet squirrel: one who enjoys his outdoor life while also coming in for a little human company.
What a special man. The little guy was lucky to have been rescued by him. They are friends for life. Thank you Ron for telling us Bobby’s story ❤️
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