He was placed in a simple, low recovery setup where unnecessary climbing could be restricted while the injury was managed.
There were no high branches waiting for him.
No opportunities to launch himself across the enclosure.
For an Eastern gray squirrel, that is hardly a natural lifestyle.
But neither is trying to climb a tree with a severely swollen front paw.
Someone on the evening shift started calling him Oakley, after the tree beneath which he had been found.
By the next morning, the name was on his care notes.
Oakley spent much of his first day tucked low in his protected space.
Whenever he changed position, the same pattern appeared.
Three limbs moved.
The injured paw stayed against his chest.
Even while eating appropriate food, he relied heavily on the healthy front paw.
Normally, squirrels use both front feet with remarkable precision. They rotate food, grip nuts and seeds, stabilize objects, and constantly adjust their hold while eating.
Watching Oakley attempt the same behavior one-handed made the significance of his injury even clearer.
The swollen paw wasn't merely affecting how he walked.
It was interfering with one of the most basic ways a squirrel interacts with its world.
For the first couple of days, the improvement was mostly visible in the tissue rather than in his behavior.
The swelling began to decrease.
The damaged skin around the wrist remained rough, and the missing fur made the injury look severe even as healing progressed.
Oakley still refused to use the paw.
Then one morning, a caregiver noticed something different.
The injured foot was resting on the fleece.
Not bearing weight.
Not gripping.
Just touching.
Oakley had stopped holding it completely against his chest.
Later that day, he tucked it back up again.
The following morning, however, the paw touched down once more.
That became the beginning of a slow process.
Touching the surface came first.
Then brief weight bearing.
Oakley would stand with the paw down for a moment before shifting his weight back toward the other three limbs.
We didn't encourage him to do more simply because he seemed willing.
Wild animals often try to resume normal movement before healing is complete. Activity needed to increase according to the condition of the injury and veterinary guidance, not according to Oakley's impatience.
And Oakley was becoming very impatient.