
When you think of things on a Christmas tree, you're probably thinking of twinkling lights, shiny glass balls, and beloved ornaments that have been with your family for years.
You know, non-living things.
But one Christmas tree is a little different. It's the tree belonging to Reddit user carefree_dude and his wife, and it has a resident: a squirrel named Mitten.
While he might be carefree, carefree_dude is also kindhearted, as is his wife. About a month ago, she found a badly injured squirrel on the side of the road. It was twitching due to major head trauma; the couple surmised it had been hit by a car.
The squirrel could barely do anything, and was unable to eat or walk, so carefree_dude and his wife reached out to a wildlife rehabilitation center and began nursing Mitten back to health.
And, as the holidays were drawing near at the time, Mitten got to stay in a luxurious "holiday suite" — the Christmas tree!
(H/T: BoredPanda)

When he was found, Mitten was twitching uncontrollably after suffering head trauma, probably from being hit by a car.
And in case you're wondering, squirrels and other small rodents are not carriers of rabies, so there was no danger in that regard. Still, his injuries were very severe.

After getting some medicine from a wildlife center, carefree_dude and his wife began nursing Mitten back to health. He improved a lot after only six days, and was able to hold down food and seemed to be feeling better.
However, it seems that there is some permanent damage. His head often tilts to the side like this, and it's unlikely that he'll be able to return to the wild.

During his stay, Mitten was able to be close to nature — in a way — by camping out in the Christmas tree!
Naturally, this won't be a permanent home, though. Carefree_dude and his wife are currently building a three-by-five-foot enclosure for Mitten, which will include a small living tree. So Mitten will stay with them, but in a place with fewer ornaments!

The couple dreams of one day having a wildlife rehabilitation center of their own, where they can help injured animals like Mitten recover and live happy, comfortable lives.
"He may not be able to live a wild life," carefree_dude says of Mitten, "but if he continues to recover, we can help him live a good life."
Aren't you happy Mitten found a permanent home? Please SHARE his heartwarming story with friends and family!
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.