greasy potato fries

[TheSquirrel]

Hi,
I have visiting wild squirrels to my yard. A few days ago a new squirrel I hadn't seen before showed up and was eating bits of the leftovers from my regular squirrels. This squirrel showed up again the next day sniffing around and eating up the odd leftover seeds, nut crumbs etc. The following day I saw it again. In the evening I had put a pot of mixed chopped nuts in a bush which I sometimes do for my regulars and this squirrel showed up again in the evening and I saw it eating from the pot until another squirrel came and chased it off.

Earlier that afternoon I had put some leftover (shop bought from the fries shop) potato fries out for the wood pigeons as my daughter had left a load of it. There was no salt on it and I know a regular pigeon had eaten some potato fries once before in the past and seemed to enjoy it, so I thought I'd leave some on the patio for the wood pigeons (I normally give them bird seed) 3 wood pigeons did come down and eat some of them.

There were still some left over that evening and I was surprised to see this squirrel take one and go off with it. It actually came back a few times and took a few more. I didn't think anything of it at the time.
But since I haven't seen this squirrel since, I am worried now if maybe they might have been too greasy or maybe fries are bad for squirrels? The wood pigeons all seem to be okay.

I've only seen this squirrel about 3 consecutive days, I think. I would have thought that since it had found that nut pot in the bush that it would have returned.

Does anyone know much about what happens if a squirrel eats potato fries?

[CritterMom]

Oh, he will be fine. It isn't a great diet but the cooked potato certainly won't kill him.

I have a friend who got a baby this year - the poor little thing must have been orphaned very shortly after it's eyes opened, as it was about 6-7 weeks old when she got him and he had been hanging around outside the local fire department living on french fries the firemen fed him for two weeks. From 5 weeks to 7 when he SHOULD have been eating nothing but mama's milk or formula, he was eating french fries and begging everyone who walked by to take him. He was much smaller than he should have been, and an absolute bear to feed when she got him, as he didn't WANT milkies, he wanted his fries! But he is now a happy, healthy little boy who is catching up in size and his 2 week diet of nothing but fries did not kill him.

[TheSquirrel]

Oh thank you for that, CritterMom. I was a bit worried because they were fat fries and the greasy type you get from those fish shops. Not the sort of thing I'd buy but someone bought a huge bag for my daughter and since she didn't put salt put on them I thought they'd be okay.

I'm glad your friend's that little baby is okay and looked after now!

[TheSquirrel]

Quick Update

Just a quick update to say that that squirrel who took those greasy fries did put in an appearance again yesterday! Must have been a week after I last saw him when he took those fries! :)
I think he's just not a regular visiting squirrel. (I have several regular visiting wilds)