GREY SQUIRREL: American import defeats a British cat

WITH a vicious bite and seriously destructive habits, it's a little surprising that the grey squirrel has prospered so well in its adopted country.

Looking fluffy and cuddly has obviously helped this American import, which is now common throughout much of the UK after usurping our own native red squirrel in most areas.

Grey squirrels are certainly widespread in my neighbourhood and, unlike foxes or badgers, seem to relish living alongside Man without feeling the need to hide themselves away.

They often seem very brave or very reckless.

Only last week I was in a church hall when one paused on a fence right next to the window, casually stared in at me, then hopped on its way.

This is supposed to be a wild animal, I reminded myself.

Other times I have known them explore people's houses and select some tasty titbit before departing.

Grey squirrels were introduced to this country in the 19th century from hardwood forests in the United States.

Nuts and acorns are top of their menu but they also eat bark, tree buds and flowers, which can bring them into conflict with humans.

Additionally, squirrels take bird's eggs or even the chicks themselves, a practice which slightly undermines their cuddly image.

Nevertheless, while rats and mice are destroyed in their thousands, culling just a handful of squirrels is frowned upon in today's politically correct climate, as some councils have discovered from outraged local residents during pest control campaigns.

Squirrels nest either in a hole in a tree or build their own living quarters from a ball of twigs called a drey.

In summer, dreys can be quite flimsy but in winter, when the cold starts to bite, these are altogether more substantial constructions.

Being comparatively difficult for predators to catch, grey squirrels have been known to live for 10 years in the wild.

Keen eyesight and a powerful sense of smell give them great protection when allied to their natural athleticism and climbing ability.

Like cats, they have also been known to survive falls of up to 35ft without injury.

Talking of cats, I was once a neutral observer of a feud between a grey squirrel and a girlfriend's cat.

The cat, a particularly bad-tempered female, had come to hate this squirrel which regularly hopped around the garden fence, trespassing on her territory in the most provocative manner.

Each time it appeared, the cat would hiss, arch her back, then try to bring her teeth and claws to bear on the intruder, which wasn't easy.

The squirrel would angrily chatter back from its vantage point, flick-flick its tail in alarm, then scarper up a tree as the cat attacked.

This went on for weeks until the moment of truth dawned when the pair finally came together on the ground in a flurry of screeches and fur.

I think I was enjoying a glass of wine in the house at the time when the commotion outside suddenly interrupted.

Racing into the garden, I almost tripped over the terrified cat fleeing back to the house with an ugly gash on her forehead.

The wound, still dribbling blood, was the result of a savage bite from her arch enemy.

With the cat vanquished, the squirrel now sat quietly in the tree looking down.

If I didn't know any better, I would swear it was smirking.

That cat never chased a squirrel again.