This week's hero is an engineer who saved a baby squirrel after it's mother was killed by a car- and he took the baby in, called him "Peanut" and raised him as a pet. Now he's become famous on TikTok - (and the musclebound, handsome engineer is nice to look at, too). He does stress that squirrels are not house pets, and that they need to go to a rehab wildlife facility. Peanut however, had other ideas, and Mark says it can be a challenge!
Orphaned squirrel lives in New York home with a cat and the man who raised him
Allison MosesPeanut and Mark take the idea of unlikely best friends to a new level.
Peanut is a squirrel who lives in Mark Longo's house, and they do almost everything together.
Their bond began when Mark saw Peanut's mom hit by a car. Unfortunately, she passed away, leaving the baby squirrel orphaned. No shelters could take him, and Peanut was not ready to go back into the wild alone, so Mark took him in.
After feeding the squirrel with a bottle for eight months, Mark decided Peanut was ready to return to nature. Peanut didn’t appear to feel the same way.
"I released him in the backyard, and a day and a half later, I found him sitting on my porch, missing half his tail. So here I am, balling my eyes out, like I failed you as your human," says Mark. "And I kind of opened the door, he ran inside, and that was the last of Peanut's wildlife career."
Since the squirrel's return, Mark, Peanut, and Chloe the cat have lived in harmony for five years. They do everything together, from cooking to brushing teeth to hanging out on the couch. His furry friend has changed Mark's life for the better.
"I'm grateful. And he's made me into a lot better person in so many ways. Nicer and more patient. And, you know, you tend to let a lot of little things go now," explains Mark.
His TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@peanut_the_squirrel12
VIDEO INTERVIEW: https://youtu.be/Bsg_-9MsM7g
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