Tag: #fosters

Getting Big! A Foster Mouse Update

The babies will be 3 weeks old tomorrow, and they are busy! Eyes are open, and they are running around exploring everything. They are even starting to eat solid food!

So fascinating the way Momma mouse had a cozy little nest for the babies that she build before they were born. I woke up one morning, and the nest was gone. She had destroyed it, and made a new nest for the babies that was more open so they could get in and out more easily.

They are all very skittish, but I’m trying to get them a bit used to humans. They run when I reach in to feed or clean them, but they are starting to learn to take treats from my hand. Even Momma was very shy at first, but she has learned about Yogi treats and comes out to get them as soon as she smells them now.

Mice can breed at just four weeks old! So these guys will be heading back to the shelter in a week so that the experts there can verify their sex and split them up. I can’t believe how quickly they are growing up! They have definitely been fun and easy fosters!

 

Foster Mice – 11 Days Old

Just a super quick update, all 8 babies seem to be doing really well. Their fur is coming in, so I’m starting to see all their different colors. It looks like a couple of them are starting to open their eyes!




Momma mouse is a little less nervous. She happily goes and eats her breakfast while I check the babies and doesn’t seem to care at all. So fun watching these tiny guys grow and change!

Another Foster Update – More mice!

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!

Hector Update and NEW fosters!

Heard from the vet yesterday regarding Hector’s blood tests. He said for the most part they were “unremarkable” which is good, but her fat levels were a bit high. I had been feeding her a bit more seed than usual with Magoo here, so we are wondering if (hopefully) it is just a result of that.

He wants Hector on a very restricted diet for 30 days. Basically she can eat non-starchy veggies and parrot pellets. No nuts! She is not a happy girl, but I’m trying. I bought a ton of fresh veggies today and made her a fresh chop. She at least picked at it. I feel bad she doesn’t understand what is going on. Hopefully, blood work in 30 days will be back to normal and I can adjust her diet and give her back some fun treats!


In other news, I picked up new fosters this afternoon! I was supposed to foster a rat that needed some extra TLC, but apparently the poor rat was in worse shape than they originally thought and he had to be euthanized. The shelter asked if I would be willing to take on some mice.  Apparently over 1000 mice were just taken in by another local shelter, and the other shelters in the area are all trying to take some to help.

Thelma and Louise are on pregnancy watch, so they can’t be adopted yet. One of them looks pretty round to me, the other not so much. We’ll see what happens. I wouldn’t be surprised to see baby mice any day now, exciting! Of course I’ll share more info as I have it. 

PUPPIES!

For the past 6+ months, I’ve been more puppy obsessed than usual. I really want another dog, but I also know the timing isn’t right. With a diabetic cat, and an older dog with kidney issues on top of the rest of the pets, it just doesn’t make sense to take on the responsibility of a puppy right now.

I’m trying to satisfy my puppy cravings by volunteering at a local animal shelter. Fostering was my plan, but I haven’t had the opportunity to take a dog in yet. There was an opportunity for in shelter help this week, so I did get to go help out at the shelter.

They just brought in a transport of 21 puppies from the South, every color and size, and all adorable! This little guy in the picture wanted nothing more than to snuggle me! I got to spend three hours tonight doing nothing but playing with puppies. That three hours went by so quickly!

My job tonight, along with the other volunteers, was to take different groups of puppies outside to play. In between outside groups, we hung out inside and just snuggled the puppies and gave them lots of love, so fun! The puppy breath, the soft fur, the kisses, it was all awesome!

Amazingly, all except for two of the puppies have homes waiting for them as soon as their quarantine is up, so I’ll go back one more time to help out on adoption night. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I might get to take home one of the two puppies that hasn’t been adopted yet as a foster, but if that doesn’t happen, I’m happy to have had a couple of chances to play with them before they head off to their forever homes.

Anyone else do any animal-related volunteering?