Once, an American named Jeffrey Longo was strolling through his hometown in Florida when he stumbled upon a tiny creature on the sidewalk. The little one was curled up in a ball and barely breathing. When he picked it up, he realized just how small it was—smaller than his pinky finger.

The animal was barely alive. Without food and water, it would have perished, and there were no adult squirrels in sight. Interestingly, at first, Jeffrey had no idea what kind of creature he had found.

“I thought it was a baby rat or maybe a hamster,” recalls Longo. He snapped a photo of the tiny creature and shared it online, where users quickly identified it as a baby flying squirrel. It appeared that this little one had only just entered the world.

With guidance from the internet, Jeffrey figured out how to care for the baby. He also came up with an endearing nickname for her: Cookie. For the first three months, the little squirrel lived snugly in Jeffrey’s chest pocket. As she grew, she began to venture out and explore her surroundings.

Cookie soon made friends with Jeffrey’s other pets—two dogs. They sniffed the new family member and began to play with her, while the baby squirrel showed no signs of fear. As Cookie matured, Jeffrey wanted to set her free. However, veterinarians explained that she would not survive in the wild anymore. So, he decided to keep her. No one was upset about this decision. Jeffrey had fallen in love with Cookie, and she found a comfortable home with him.