Squirrels in the Hood ~ An Excerpt
By Lisa Maliga Copyright 2011-2013
PEANUTS & SHARING
Sniffing a peanut before eating it is a common trait all squirrels share. Soon, that peanut shell will fall to the ground, resulting in more landlord complaints. Every night I would vacuum or sweep up the extraneous mess left behind, but some of the remnants fell to the ground below. I also had to resort to buying loose peanuts so discarded peanut shells didn’t plummet downstairs. 
Sharing wasn’t a trait I saw on display. If Cocoa Butter was eating at a plastic pagoda bird feeder, she "owned" it for the duration she parked her chubby behind on the floor. If another squirrel wanted to dine at a neighboring feeder, she’d stop eating and chase the newcomer away. It was more work for her to be a bully than it was to allow another friend or relative to sit nearby and dine. Maybe the seeds and nuts were tastier in her bin. Or she was saving the other house for her next meal. The other squirrels usually returned not long after the altercation. The scene was repeated and the same flurry of feet was heard departing.