Well, things didn’t go so well with Thelma and Louise. One had her babies, but I never saw them. We believe they were eaten as soon as they were born. I kept the pair for about a week, but it seemed clear that the second mouse wasn’t pregnant, so both mice were returned to the shelter.
When I went to return them, they asked me if I could foster another pregnant mouse, but when they went to get her, she was no longer pregnant. We are guessing her babies met the same fate.
It seems so horrible, but it’s nature. These mice came from a situation where the home had over 1000 pet mice. They were being kept in plastic bins, plant pots, really any kind of container the owner could find. We don’t know what kind of diet they were getting, so there’s a good chance the babies may not have been healthy.
While I was at the shelter returned Thelma and Louise, I was about to leave when I noticed another very round mouse in the “female only” cage. The shelter employees examined her, and believed that she was also pregnant, so she made her way home with me.
Just a couple of days later, she gave birth! At first I thought there were 6 babies, but I wasn’t really sure. The mom is very nervous, so I’m trying to leave her as quiet as I can. I’m cleaning quickly and partially, and refilling food and water. I open the top of the nest quickly to peak and make sure the babies look OK. Mom gets some Yogi treats that she runs and hides, so I get a chance to peak at the babies. This photo is from when they were three days old.
Today the babies are a week old! They are starting to get some fuzzy fur, and starting to show different colors. I also learned that there are actually EIGHT babies, not just six!
One of them has a big white spot on its head that I haven’t been able to get a picture of yet. Those little noses are just so cute!
The mice will be with me until just before Christmas. When they turn four weeks old, the males and females need to be separated so we don’t end up with even more mice! Check back for more photos as these babies blossom!
