25
February
2008
I had five new little foster boys arrive bright and early yesterday morning. They’ve come to me from Furryfriends rescue having recently been handed in by someone who’s pet mice had unexpected litters. Given that they’re only babies they aren’t too hard to handle but three of them are a bit skinnier and scruffy looking than I’d like so feeding them up will be my focus with these guys. There is also a bit of disharmony in the group which I’m hoping might just be them settling after their journey but we all know the score with boy mice so I’ll be watching out in case things escalate.
Anyway I had the boys out for a play and explore last night given they’d had the whole day to get used to the new cage so am pleased to say I already have some piccies! Two of the boys have very similar face markings but the others are easy to tell apart. Aren’t they gorgeous?! 
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23
February
2008
OK so he’s not actually that old and its not exactly a trick but I’m impressed non the less, Mercury (one of the 3 long stay lodger boys) has out of the blue and for no apparent reason taught himself to use a water bottle! This is quite significant because when I first had them their Mum explained to me that none of them would use a bottle and that they would need a bowl for water. This is obviously what I’ve always done but I’ve always provided a bottle too, basically because it felt weird not to lol!
Well all this time the bottle has gone completely untouched so imagine my surprise to suddenly find Mercury drinking from it as though he’s done it all his life, I actually did a double take! Then I panicked in case the boys had somehow emptied/tipped their bowl over and were going thirsty but nope it was still full and clean so Mercs is just being delightfully random! What a clever boy.
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22
February
2008
My old girl Angel passed away last night. I went to feed the big group only to find her quite literally curled up in the food bowl looking for all the world as though she was asleep. I couldn’t help but smile through the tears when I realised she was gone though as, bless her she loved her food and I really can’t think of a more fitting place for her to fall asleep for the final time. In true mousey fashion the others were picking up grain from around her little body as if they thought she was just lying in the way lol but I know Emily will miss her. She and Angel had been together since tiny, as this picture of the day they arrived here just over a year ago shows. I’ve also added a more recent one of my gorgeous girl….sweet dreams baby. 
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16
February
2008
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.
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4
February
2008
Well I’ve finally got around to putting up pictures of my little dumped girls. They are both doing so well that I’ve made the decision to introduce them to my main group sooner rather than later. Dot no longer has the hunched up look that worried me or the scuttley little run that earnt her her other name and both girls are putting on a couple of grams a week and getting much bolder and more outgoing.Intros haven’t gone as smoothly as I’d hoped but we’re getting there now and they will really appreciate all the space and company being so young. 
In other news the newest of the term time lodgers now goes by the name of Paradox and he’s going in for his neuter tomorrow so everyone keep things crossed for us. He’s so sweet and I really can’t wait to see him settled with a group of friends, bless him.
Otherwise things are pretty uneventful here (well mouse wise anyway lol!) so without any further ado can I please introduce to you Poppy, Dot and Paradox in that order.
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21
January
2008
Well I’m very pleased to report that both my little dumped girls are doing really well. Little bug has stopped running with the awful hunched up, on tiptoes look she had and both are already looking better and started to display proper mousie behaviour like climbing all over the bars and grooming each other rather than sitting huddled in a corner looking terrified. They’ve been out for a couple of playtimes now and have learnt to use their wheel which to begin with they didn’t ‘get’ at all so I’m certain they’d never seen one before. I haven’t taken any pics yet but when I do you will be the first to see!! 
I also realised I hadn’t told you about my other new arrival. When my term time lodgers returned after the Christmas break their Mum told me she was taking on a new girl to add to her group, only when ’she’ arrived the following evening she was a he! Unfortunately attempting to get him to get on with the group of 3 boys has been unsuccessful so it looks like he’s another that’s going to need to be neutered. However he’s only about 3 months old so I need to talk to my vet about it as I’ve not had one this young ‘done’ before. He’s a lovely little lad though, very friendly with people if not other mice lol!
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19
January
2008
Well obviously I had no idea what to expect when I went off to the vets last night but somehow it wasn’t two very tiny and very pretty little girls! They look all of 8 weeks old (left over from an unwanted litter would be my guess) and were found in a small plastic box under the slide in a play park by a member of the public. They had water but no food and there were 3 of them but sadly the third was already dead.
The vet transferred them into a clean tank (she said the smell from the one they were in made her gag when she took the lid off!) and gave them some food and when I got there they were stuffing their little faces as though they’d not eaten in a long time. One of them I’m guessing was the runt of the litter as she is smaller than the other but amazingly they both seemed quite bright and active so not wanting to stress them out any further I brought them home and left them alone with food, water and a clean bed.
I have to admit I was quite surprised to find them both still with us this morning but I’m pleased to report that they were both happy to let me check them over and weigh them before I moved them out of the vets tank (which I’m returning this morning when I take one of my rats in for her steroid injection). The smallest one I’ve been calling both Dot and Little Bug for some reason and she is shyer and more frail looking than her sister. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much with her but please all keep your fingers crossed that she thrives and proves both the vet and me wrong. The other one I’ve yet to settle on a name for but she is inquisitive and healthy looking so hopefully she should be alright. I’ll take some pictures of them later so expect another update soon!
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18
January
2008
I’ve just had a phone call from a branch of the vet I use, they have two fancy mice that were handed into them after they were found dumped in a box in a park. The vet phoned on the off chance I might have room for them and given the circumstances I could hardly say no could I the poor little things. I’m off to pick them up now so expect an update later!
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6
January
2008
Well once again I must apologise for the lack of blog entries, December is always a frantically busy month here so although plenty has happened I’ve not had a chance to write about it! First is some sad news, I lost my gorgeous little man Elliott shortly after my last post. No signs of illness or anything, he was just fine one evening and gone the next day. You may remember that when I took him in in the summer there was confusion over his age but he must have been around 18 months so not a young boy by any means. Still very sad to lose him.
Sadly this meant that when the long stay fosters went home on 16th December I was left with just the two fancy mice of my own, Angel and Emily. Obviously I still have the spinys and as you may know my lovely ratties but it has been a long time since my mouse numbers have fallen so low and I have to say I’m really looking forward to the long stay crew coming back this week!
But anyway getting to the title of this post all my meeces had a lovely Christmas and were spoilt rotten as per usual lol! Everyone received pressies from santa this year, each cage had a package on it when we came down Christmas morning - they must have been very good! Here are some pics of them and their presents….
The contents of Molly, Matilda and Amelia’s pressie.
And part of it being appreciated!
Emily and Angel’s parcel which got completely ignored lol!
Hoggle and Grace’s present
With Hoggle sitting watching intently as it was opened.
He was most intrigued when he heard the little bell sound and loves playing with it now it’s hung in the cage.
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12
December
2007
Unfortunately a week ago I decided I needed to take one of the long stay boys, Indium to the vets as he had sore looking red scabs in his ear. Being unwillingly to leave one of the three on their own I took all of them with me and given the effect they had on the staff I’m very glad I did lol!
Now these three boys are the friendliest, cuddliest, most placid little men you could hope to meet and the even the vets with all its new and strange smells and noises didn’t phase them in the slightest. The second the lid on the carrier was open three little noses appeared over the rim and as the vet picked Indium up to examine him Tantalum decided he wasn’t going to miss out and ran up her arm! Mercury then jumped out onto the table and had a good nose about before climbing into the vets hands where she was still trying to look at Indy. She couldn’t believe how happy they all were to explore a complete stranger, not the response she gets from many of her patients! She then told the reception girls how sweet they were so of course they both wanted a cuddle too lol!
Then yesterday when the boys went back again for Indium’s follow up appointment they made friends with the owner of a tortoise in the waiting area. We were the only two sat (the poorly alsation-type dog before me had just gone in) there and as we both had small carriers with us rather than the more usual cat carrier we got chatting. I got to meet her beautiful but under weight (hence why he hadn’t hibernated) tortoise and she met Mercury, Tantalum and Indium who of course were only too happy to be out of the carrier for a minute to have a rub between the ears.
The good news anyway is that Indy’s ears are looking better which is great given he and his friends will be going home this weekend for the Christmas holidays. And all in all they were a bit of a hit!
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