Cuteness overload alert! Only the most hardened of hearts would fail to be captivated by this quirky ball of mischief?

Such an exquisite and exceptionally detailed rendering of our charismatic native red squirrel. And oh so whimsical to boot.

There’s a certain irony to the fact that the Victorians loved animals. So much so they kept lots of them as pets, squirrels among them. Yet it was the Victorians who introduced grey squirrels to the UK, now the biggest threat to the survival of our delightful native reds (*facepalm*).

Our flame-coloured acrobats are more than just a pretty face. Red squirrels are ambidextrous to allow them to hold nuts and seeds while scurrying through the tree canopy. Helped no doubt by the four fingers and five toes on each paw!

Contrary to popular belief, our resourceful and resilient reds don’t do the epic winter sleep, although they do tend to be a little less active (don’t we all?!). Instead they store their bounty throughout the warmer months, in preparation for the winter – today’s equivalent of doing your big shop to get you through the holidays.

These tenacious tree huggers are often referred to as ‘nature’s tree planters’, accidentally expanding their habitat by seeding trees from nuts they’ve forgotten about in their stash and dash.

The perfect talisman for those of you who, like this endearing red squirrel, have an excellent grip on life (see what we did there). Who are hardworking, resourceful, creative, quick-witted and adaptable.

Or for anyone who just wants to liven up their mess with an enchanting, melt your heart, tufty-eared creature.