In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:
> Squirrels don't have the capability to go and drink a glass of milk. They also would have no idea what is happening to them. Hardly the same thing at all.
> And there are large populations of these animals in our gardens. It's not like one will tell the rest, it will cause continuous suffering. And again, how do you know how strong chilli is for other animals? I doubt many people will be going out and buying mild stuff with the thoughts of being kind to squirrels if putting chilli in their food is even a thought in their mind.
No idea what's happening to them? Jesus. You don't think the animal will associate the chili with the food? Unsurprisingly evolution over hundreds of millions of years has taught animals to not eat food that hurts. Do you not have brambles in the garden for the same reason? An animal might hurt itself on them but can't tell it's friends!!! Oh why doesn't someone think of the children?
So the alternative is that the overpopulous grey squirrel (which disposed of our native reds) will grow fat over the winter while many species of birds will starve because we have destroyed all the hedgerows and now the supplement bird food is being taken? I suspect you suffer from the common British affliction of over-affection for fluffy tailed animals such as foxes and squirrels to the detriment of all other animals. I bet you wouldn't feel qute the same about rats or cockroaches. Squirrels are not stupid defenseless fluffy animals you know...