Creatures in the neighborhood?

So I've talked about the wonderful views from my house and property.
Truth be told we don't have as many trees as we wish we did in the summer to help us in protecting our house from the sun.
But we've noticed this year a lot of squirrels running around. On our back porch, scampering many times a day across the front porch too.Are they looking for food or water or shelter?

So several days ago I went outside to go somewhere in my van. We keep it outside and don't put it in the garage. We keep our car in the garage and the garage is a double car garage but it's a tight squeeze for two cars.
So my van sits outside.

My van didn't start so I had AAA come and jump it. It didn't start. So they towed it to the garage where I get our cars inspected,etc.
Yesterday when they called from the garage that my van was ready, it turns out it was an electrical problem. A squirrel(rat?) had chewed the wires going to the starter.
The owner of the garage told me this is the third one she's fixed this week with the same diagnosis. To the tune of $210. To me this is bizarre, but then I don't know that much about car repairs, or about squirrels chewing wires on cars.

So that's my squirrel(or rat?) story of my poor little van.
And my poor little pocketbook on such a bizarre car problem.