This TikToker Built the Most Beautiful House for His Squirrel Friend

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published Oct 18, 2022

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When TikTok user Derrick Downey Jr. (@DerrickDowneyJr) first started feeding the squirrels outside his home in April of this year, he probably never thought he would one day end up with a squirrel palace on his back terrace. But fast forward to October and Mr. Richard the Squirrel is now a proud homeowner who just got his place completely renovated — white picket fence and all.

Derrick first befriended Roger with almonds and water in early April and filmed the trust-building process in a now-viral TikTok video with over 5.5 million likes. From there, as their friendship grew, Derrick began assembling a modest home for Richard on his balcony.

What started as a simple two-story abode has morphed into a mansion, complete with a driveway, astroturf, a front-yard grill, and even a massive faux tree to hang out in when Richard’s life at home (with his squirrel partner Maxine) gets to be a bit too much.

Derrick made all the renovations himself out of cardboard and a few miniatures. He made sure to glue everything down to make the setup weatherproof and so that Richard doesn’t run off with his mailbox.

And Derrick even installed a few Halloween directions for Richard and Maxine because clearly fall has hit the squirrel neighborhood judging by those fallen leaves.

You can follow along with Derrick and Richard’s friendship evolution (and home renovations) over on Derrick’s TikTok page. You can also shop Derrick and Richard’s Amazon wishlist if you want to take part in making Richard the luckiest squirrel alive. Derrick has a bunch of miniatures on the wishlist, as well as an upgraded three-story cat house.

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