We had been away for the weekend. The morning we returned home, there I was, sitting at my office desk, typing away, when movement outside my window caught my eye. I turned my head just in time to see a cat-sized animal running up the hill. But when the animal reached the crest of the hill and dipped down the other side, holding his tail high in the air, I realized it wasn’t a cat at all, but a squirrel. A Big Fat Squirrel. The fattest squirrel I had ever seen. For a minute or two, I just stared in surprise at the spot where he had been, then went back to work.

My husband’s first task was to go to the back door and bring in some packages that had been delivered while we were gone. Within a few minutes, he came into my office and asked me to come outside with him. He had something to show me.

The Culprits

“Squirrels,” I said immediately.

“Yep, that’s what I thought too,” he replied.

A 40-pound bag of dog food…. empty.

The Squirrel Party

So the squirrels had a party while we were gone. How many of them did it take to munch through the thick cardboard box? And how long did it take?

Imagine their surprise when they then had to munch through yet another bag to actually get to the dog food inside.

Did “cat-squirrel” munch the bag and then share it only with family and friends? Or was it a huge Squirrel Party, with everyone invited?

Did they find the dog food tastier than the sunflower seeds they usually steal from my bird feeder?

And the big question is…. do we need to stop having Petco deliver our dog food?

I really don’t want to lose another 40 pounds of food.

Can Squirrels Behave?

Squirrels are quite cute to watch, especially when they are eating. And honestly, I wouldn’t even mind giving them dog food, if they would just stop digging holes in the yard and stop taunting my dogs when they feel safe.

But in the future, I’ll be sure that a Petco delivery doesn’t come when we’re out of town.