Well, I got a call early this evening regarding a mouse being housed at one of the local shelters. Apparently, the mouse had been brought in by an adolescent boy because his mother's new boyfriend had threatened to kill the "vermin." And, so he put the mouse in a large plastic water bottle and brought the mouse directly to the shelter. He was heartbroken about leaving his pet at the shelter, but explained that he knew it was best. It's those stories that sometimes tug at my heart even more than the ones resulting in the surrender of pets due to negligence or abuse. The mouse was healthy and in perfect condition, but became very fearful of the loud noises at the shelter and soon became lethargic. And, soon, the poor mouse stopped eating and drinking. The shelter took the mouse to the vet and the mouse was declared healthy despite her apparent anxiety and depression. But, even after being moved to a quiet room in the shelter, the mouse did not improve. The boy called daily and was getting more and more upset about his mouse not doing well and begged the shelter to do something. So, they called me. Then, they called child protective services. Thank God for that.
I went to pick up the mouse at about 6:15pm this evening. And, since I've brought her home, she has already started coming out of her shell. She is being housed in my walk-in closet and appears to feel both comfortable and safe in her new space. On the way home from the shelter, I stopped at the pet store and purchased a 40 gallon tank with a wire screen lid as well as some mouse/rat food, a new water bottle, some food dishes, a hut to hide and sleep in, bedding, and some chew sticks and treats. Unfortunately, this was all done on my dime, but I felt as though the mouse would do best in a new environment that both smelled and felt safe. And, so far it seems to have done the trick. The mouse, who does have a name -- Sasha, has already nibbled on some of her food and has drank from her water bottle. And, she's such a sweet little thing. She is a seal point siamese (per the vet) and is approximately 6 months old. She's adorable and I am hoping that once she becomes more confident and secure that she will quickly be adopted. While I have fostered mice before, I am not, at this point, willing to adopt. And, ideally, she'd be able to go to a new home where she can be introduced to another female or two as they prefer to live in social groups. But, we'll see.
I'll try to snap some pictures in the next couple of days, but I've been bad about taking photos recently. So, no promises. But, I really would like to get some pics of her as she is so cute. I'm grateful that I was able to take her in, but I truly do home she is adopted quickly. I feel that that would be best for her (and that would make a boy's wishes come true.) Let's hope that this sad story has a very happy ending.
I went to pick up the mouse at about 6:15pm this evening. And, since I've brought her home, she has already started coming out of her shell. She is being housed in my walk-in closet and appears to feel both comfortable and safe in her new space. On the way home from the shelter, I stopped at the pet store and purchased a 40 gallon tank with a wire screen lid as well as some mouse/rat food, a new water bottle, some food dishes, a hut to hide and sleep in, bedding, and some chew sticks and treats. Unfortunately, this was all done on my dime, but I felt as though the mouse would do best in a new environment that both smelled and felt safe. And, so far it seems to have done the trick. The mouse, who does have a name -- Sasha, has already nibbled on some of her food and has drank from her water bottle. And, she's such a sweet little thing. She is a seal point siamese (per the vet) and is approximately 6 months old. She's adorable and I am hoping that once she becomes more confident and secure that she will quickly be adopted. While I have fostered mice before, I am not, at this point, willing to adopt. And, ideally, she'd be able to go to a new home where she can be introduced to another female or two as they prefer to live in social groups. But, we'll see.
I'll try to snap some pictures in the next couple of days, but I've been bad about taking photos recently. So, no promises. But, I really would like to get some pics of her as she is so cute. I'm grateful that I was able to take her in, but I truly do home she is adopted quickly. I feel that that would be best for her (and that would make a boy's wishes come true.) Let's hope that this sad story has a very happy ending.
