Squirrel in my basement!

This morning I went down to my basement to retrieve something. I hadn't been down there in several days. Low and behold there was a squirrel standing there on the basement floor looking perplexed. It climbed on a box and crouched down frozen in terror when I slowly and carefully came down the stairs. We do have a window up high that opens easily and I was able to prop it open enough for a squirrel to fit through and move the screen out a little, all the while gently talking to the squirrel and affirming that I wouldnt hurt it. The poor thing just stood there crouched in terror and didn't move. I put a little dish of water in front of the window. Who knows how long it's been down there.

I went for a bike ride and came home and tiptoed down the stairs and there is no sign of the squirrel, but I have no way of knowing if it is hiding or got out. This happened five years ago at this house. My husband found a squirrel in the basement and for several days we opened that window and put nuts just outside it. But it would eat the nuts and come back in. Finally my husband insisted we try to get it out so we chased it with gloves and buckets trying to catch it. Bad idea as it panicked. Unfortunately it got into some pipes and slid into the furnace. It was a scene too horrible to describe, and I do NOT want to go through that again. Thankfully the furnace is not running now. My husband is out of town for three days and it's just me here, and I do not plan on telling him anything yet. I want to do this right and just get it out safely.

Any suggestions? I am not doing any food this time as that seems to make them want to stay around (and might attract more in), but I dont want it to die of starvation either hence at least the water. We have never been able to figure out how the first one got in. We have an old chimney (not used in many years) but it is caged off at the top. This is only the second squirrel in five years, but it's still unnerving. I can't leave that window open all day and night. Should I get some sort of live trap and then move the squirrel outside somewhere if it goes in? I have never used one before. Is it expensive to call a professional and would they harm it? Any help would be great.

Yup, the squirrel is still down there. It cries out every once in a while. I went down again and put a board against the wall up to the window to see if that makes it easier for it to get out. The squirrel was on a chair nearby just watching me. Every time it cries I just feel so bad for it.

Update:

The squirrel is back outside now! The board trick must have worked. I heard some noise downstairs and then shortly after I looked out the window and saw the squirrel in the yard drinking water from the bird bath. I am sure it is the same squirrel because it had a distinctive look to it, somewhat small with whitish around it's eyes. And the screen of the window was completely knocked out. I am soooo relieved. Now I just have to figure out where they are getting in...

aaawww...good to hear:-) no squirrels on my end but i like watching them on my garden!

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Thanks thegreenjudy!
I can't believe this but this morning that squirrel was being harassed by a cat in my apple tree! There are three cats in our neighborhood that have continually visited our yard to go after birds and squirrels. We keep a large container of water in the yard for animals to drink from and occasionally sprinkle out some seed but unfortunately it also draws the cats. I chased the cat off but I warned the squirrel that "you are on your own from now on" lol.

Glad you managed to persuade it to go out, Robin. Hope you manage to find and block the access point to avoid a recurrence. I know they can get through quite small spaces, there was one that used to come into our kitchen and eat grapes and I never found out how it was getting in (it stopped coming when we stopped leaving grapes out though!).