When Mandy McKenna arranges cushions on her sofa, she may just come across a stash of nuts - it's one of the oddities of living with a squirrel.

She rescued Horatio when he was lying concussed on the side of a road, but rather than staying at her home for a few days to recover, he got attached and is now living with her permanently.

Mandy, from Shepton Mallet, said: "He is so cool, it's impossible not to be in a good mood around him.

"I was coming back from work and found him near the prison. He was concussed and was giving out a distress noise and freaking out when a car came along. I don't know if he got hit.

Horatio climbs all around the house - including curtains
Horatio climbs all around the house - including curtains

"They just need to have a safe place for a few days. But he imprinted really quickly and would come back when I tried to release him.

"So he would endanger himself trying to come back.

"He spent the first week in my scarf or in my hair.

"I would just carry him around like that and he even came to Aldi with me; no one would notice or only when they looked closely.

RSPCA advice on squirrels

Resist the temptation to pick it up. Remember that squirrels use their teeth to crack open nuts, so they have a very strong bite! There may also be a disease risk. It is currently illegal, except under licence, to keep or release grey squirrels. Euthanasia may therefore be the most appropriate course of action to prevent further suffering. Call the RSPCA or your local vet for advice.

However, if you are advised to transport the squirrel to a vet, do not attempt to do so unless it can be safely contained, for example, in a secure metal or plastic pet carrier. Otherwise, if the animal becomes active en route, it could quickly chew its way out of a cardboard box and be loose inside your car! Lining the carrier with a thick towel can provide some padding and insulation.

"Now I take him to the shop where I work and when I go to friends' houses I have a handbag for him, so he can go inside if he wants to curl up and have a rest.

"At home he just puts you in a good mood. He is so funny, it's impossible not to laugh when you are with him.

"When I watch TV he sits on the back of the sofa and hides nuts in my hair. Sometimes I move something in the house and find out he stashed nuts there.

"He eats mostly vegetables and nuts, he likes ham, broccoli and corn on the cob and I make him squirrel flapjacks for extra calcium."

Horatio likes his broccoli
Horatio likes his broccoli

Horatio is not the first animal Mandy has rescued, but it is the first which wouldn't leave.

"I am from a city but I love living here and being closer to nature, she said.

"I have rescued injured birds and bats, but this is the only one that has stayed with me.

"I rescued a squirrel about ten years ago after he had fallen from a tree. He stayed with me for three days and then went back into the wild.

"But Horatio imprinted quickly. He was too old to need his mother but too young to make it alone.

Horatio is the first rescued animal which couldn't leave Mandy's home
Horatio is the first rescued animal which couldn't leave Mandy's home

"You can find information on what they need and the foods they need on the internet.

"I have tried to release him, but he keeps coming back and endangering himself on the road. At the moment it's not safe to let him out on the street so he is staying with me for now."

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