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Posted bygreeniein/reads-Apr 29 at 9:02 AM

When Squirrels Were One of America's Most Popular Pets

When Squirrels Were One of America's Most Popular Pets

In 1722, a pet squirrel named Mungo passed away. It was a tragedy: Mungo escaped its confines and met its fate at the teeth of a dog. Benjamin Franklin, friend of the owner, immortalized the squirrel with a tribute. "Few squirrels were better accomplished, for he had a good education, had traveled far, and seen much of the world."

atlasobscura.com
Comments9
  • zhemaoMay 01 at 9:06 PM

    When I was at Columbia, there was this dude I nicknamed "The Squirrel Whisperer", who would walk around campus and get squirrels to sit on his shoulder as he fed them nuts. Strange dude.

    • greenieMay 01 at 10:24 PM

      Haha, just random squirrels? That's pretty neat actually.

  • RedAntisocialApr 29 at 9:22 AM

    O.o It's articles like this that make me love Atlas Obscura

    • greenieApr 29 at 9:31 AM

      Yeah they have some fun stuff sometimes :)

  • May_KasaharaMay 01 at 1:22 PM

    Now I want a pet squirrel.

    • greenieMay 01 at 1:34 PM

      Haha, I know right? I mean, its probably not the best idea, but still.

      • May_KasaharaMay 01 at 1:36 PM

        I knew a guy who basically had one. It lived in his backyard so it wasn't totally captive but my friend fed it and took care of it. They hung out all the time. I thought it was entirely uncommon though. Now that I know that there is a whole well-respected history of squirrels as pets...

      • May_KasaharaMay 01 at 1:37 PM

        Also, this friend was one of the oddest people I've ever known so I think I just saw it as another eccentricity.

      • greenieMay 01 at 2:03 PM

        My uncle kept a chipmunk named... chirpy, I think? He would eat peanuts out of his hand, and from his shoulder and such. He lived in the woodpile outside the cabin, so yeah wasn't captive but was basically his only friend during the long months in the middle of the woods with no electricity :)

reads

reads

Long reads, short reads, interesting articles that aren't straight up news or clickbait.

9848 members
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