Better Than Rubies
Crowing
- Oct 20, 2017
- 622
- 3,804
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So, yesterday afternoon, I thought my little mouse, Daniela, was dying. She's well over a year-old...possibly 'round one-and-a-half?
Anyways, mice may be fragile, but they're also pretty hardy little things. And Daniela (aka Dani) has been through her 'fairshare' of tough stuff/sometimes ugly living conditions. But my mice usually always 'take it in stride' (OK, what else can they do but move on with life, when I need to clean their cage, or feed them, or change their water?
)
Annnyyways...
I spotted her lying down on the glass earlier--and in that particular spot, the mice removed their bedding, so she was lying down on the bare glass. And although I stopped to look at her but didn't do anything else, a thought flashed through my mind: Something seemed off, she didn't seem quite right, even while she was just lying there sleeping alone, and looking chilled a little. (I think pet owners--at least those who really care about their animals--can often sense when something isn't right with their pet, or sometimes notice even the slightest subtle change by their behavior/body language).
And later when I opened the lid to get the girls out and put them in the temporary critter keeper while I cleaned their tank, I reached for Dani first. She was just lying there the whole time, and it was unusual that she didn't even protest when I picked her up. But when she was in my hand, she still just laid there, looking near-to-death.
Her eyes were squinted, she was lethargic, her body was cold, and her breathing was really, strangely slow. I thought I was going to lose her within a matter of hours, or even days. I thought she didn't have much time left.
It just seemed so soon, and out of the blue.
Maybe my care wasn't good enough. That always has to come to my mind first (I'm ashamed to admit, there's 'good' reason for that
).
My dad was painting the window frames in the living room (which is a short hallway away from my room), and that paint really stank! But they've smelled bad things before, I'm sure (and I'm thinking we had our bedroom door closed).
When I thought there's a high chance I was losing that girl, I brought her to the living room briefly just to show her to my mom and tell her about 'er.
We went back into the room, and my mom took her, feeling pity for the poor lil' mouse-kin's.
One of my sisters got a piece of cereal for her, but she refused to eat it.
We talked, with my mom still holding Dani in her hands, and I removed the other two girls from the tank.
Finally, my mom--who's scared to even hold a mouse (I keep having to explain to her that they only bite me...yes, yes, rodents must not like me? 
)--gently placed her in the critter keeper with the other two.
Natalie, my Natal mouse, sniffed Dani.
The cereal was placed in front of her, and I think eventually she nibbled a little, but I wasn't quite sure.
My sisters and mom left the room shortly.
As I was cleaning the cage, and at one point when I glanced over there, Dani had finally moved a little, but she was huddled up a little still, with her eyes still partly closed.
But by the time I was finished with the cage and ready to put them back in it, she was moving more, and acting normal again!
She greeted me through the critter keeper by coming up to the front of it. 
I picked her up; her body was warm again and her eyes were fully opened by then!
What a miracle,
when death seemed to be almost wrapped around her, ready to take her forever.
She drank some fresh water and ran around a little in the clean tank.
AND they got a bowl filled with a little variety of food, and snacks.
I do not have pictures of her 'near-death', as why would we take a picture of that?, but I'll post a picture (and video, hopefully shortly) of her now! =D
(I'm sorry the pictures are blurry, but these little critters just move so much...like chicks!). <3
Matthew 10:29-31:
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(@Abriana)
Anyways, mice may be fragile, but they're also pretty hardy little things. And Daniela (aka Dani) has been through her 'fairshare' of tough stuff/sometimes ugly living conditions. But my mice usually always 'take it in stride' (OK, what else can they do but move on with life, when I need to clean their cage, or feed them, or change their water?
)Annnyyways...
I spotted her lying down on the glass earlier--and in that particular spot, the mice removed their bedding, so she was lying down on the bare glass. And although I stopped to look at her but didn't do anything else, a thought flashed through my mind: Something seemed off, she didn't seem quite right, even while she was just lying there sleeping alone, and looking chilled a little. (I think pet owners--at least those who really care about their animals--can often sense when something isn't right with their pet, or sometimes notice even the slightest subtle change by their behavior/body language).
And later when I opened the lid to get the girls out and put them in the temporary critter keeper while I cleaned their tank, I reached for Dani first. She was just lying there the whole time, and it was unusual that she didn't even protest when I picked her up. But when she was in my hand, she still just laid there, looking near-to-death.
Her eyes were squinted, she was lethargic, her body was cold, and her breathing was really, strangely slow. I thought I was going to lose her within a matter of hours, or even days. I thought she didn't have much time left.
It just seemed so soon, and out of the blue.
Maybe my care wasn't good enough. That always has to come to my mind first (I'm ashamed to admit, there's 'good' reason for that
).My dad was painting the window frames in the living room (which is a short hallway away from my room), and that paint really stank! But they've smelled bad things before, I'm sure (and I'm thinking we had our bedroom door closed).
When I thought there's a high chance I was losing that girl, I brought her to the living room briefly just to show her to my mom and tell her about 'er.
We went back into the room, and my mom took her, feeling pity for the poor lil' mouse-kin's.
One of my sisters got a piece of cereal for her, but she refused to eat it.
We talked, with my mom still holding Dani in her hands, and I removed the other two girls from the tank.
Finally, my mom--who's scared to even hold a mouse (I keep having to explain to her that they only bite me...yes, yes, rodents must not like me?
)--gently placed her in the critter keeper with the other two.Natalie, my Natal mouse, sniffed Dani.
The cereal was placed in front of her, and I think eventually she nibbled a little, but I wasn't quite sure.
My sisters and mom left the room shortly.
As I was cleaning the cage, and at one point when I glanced over there, Dani had finally moved a little, but she was huddled up a little still, with her eyes still partly closed.
But by the time I was finished with the cage and ready to put them back in it, she was moving more, and acting normal again!
She greeted me through the critter keeper by coming up to the front of it. I picked her up; her body was warm again and her eyes were fully opened by then!
What a miracle,
when death seemed to be almost wrapped around her, ready to take her forever.She drank some fresh water and ran around a little in the clean tank.
AND they got a bowl filled with a little variety of food, and snacks. I do not have pictures of her 'near-death', as why would we take a picture of that?, but I'll post a picture (and video, hopefully shortly) of her now! =D
(I'm sorry the pictures are blurry, but these little critters just move so much...like chicks!). <3
Matthew 10:29-31:
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(@Abriana)
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Awesome that she perked up for you! She's a gorgeous little thing. 
Thank you for telling me, though! ...I really didn't know that/hadn't seen that with any of my other mice in the past (and now). 
