A difficult post to write

I’ve been struggling for a week to get this diary entry written as very, very sadly little Paradox didn’t come through his surgery. The operation itself went smoothly and he was stable throughout but just before they were ready to bring him round he stopped breathing and they couldn’t resuscitate him. After so many successful surgeries the vet was visibly gutted, the only mouse she’d been fearful of losing was Felix when he bled quite heavily during a lump removal yet he was fine within a few hours and such a straight forward procedure ended so tragically for Paradox.

Now I know if he’d been the first boy I’d had neutered I’d be put off for life and I must admit that my initial reaction was ‘not risking this again’! However now I’ve had time to come to terms with what’s happened I know that myself, Paradox’s owner and the vet all made what we felt was the best decision for his future happiness. That this led to his life ending so prematurely is a very difficult thing to get ones head around but I couldn’t in all honesty say that I wouldn’t have felt equally, if not more guilty watching that little man live out his life alone. I have seen many times over the change in a mouse when it has settled with friends after a long time alone. Without exception they have become more active and playful, started demonstrating more normal mouse behaviour and learnt how to interact with their cagemates. They actively seek an already inhabited bed to sleep in (where as mice who have always had company will sleep apart from the group on occasion) and the way they react the first time another mouse grooms them is just indescribable - I know deep down I couldn’t feel comfortable with denying a single mouse the chance to experience this.

Of course as I always have done I will continue to try every other avenue before resorting to having another boy neutered and I’d be lying if I said I will find the decision easy to make next time, not that it ever has been even with all the successes so far! However I do think it would be a tragedy to allow one bad experience to outweigh the many, many good ones when there is every likelihood of this being a complete, albeit tragic, one off. As for little Paradox, I so so sorry it turned out this way sweetheart but as your Mum said recently at least you had a chance of happiness.

Posted under: News Subscribe