Woman Finds Niche Mothering Squirrels

SAN CARLOS — Some people might think Mary Nacey's devotion to her foster pets is a little nutty, but the Northern California woman says that mothering abandoned baby squirrels is a privilege that comes naturally.

As a volunteer with the Peninsula Humane Society's Wildlife Care Center, Nacey has cared for nearly 150 squirrels, bottle-feeding them in her home, naming them, and undoing the damage they exert on her flowerpots.

"They're God's creatures," Nacey said. "They were put here for a purpose. They're so much like us with different personalities."

Most of the squirrels she and her husband, Jim, help raise are rescued after falling from nests. The couple usually get the wee rodents when they are two weeks old and keep them until they are weaned six weeks later.

The squirrels return briefly to the Humane Society's aviary and are then released to the wild.

Mary Nacey said that even though the job is time-consuming, she would rather stay home and watch the squirrels grow than go out for dinner or a movie. When the babies go, she misses them.

"They're just like little Walt Disney characters," she said. "They're each so unique."

Scott Delucchi, a spokesman for the Peninsula Humane Society, said Nacey has the right set of skills for being a foster parent.

"Mary's very caring and is good about giving the animals TLC, but she is also good about setting boundaries and understanding when and how to let go."

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Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com

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