The Baby Mouse Blues

I've blogged about how I feel about animals before. Nothing has changed since then.

I'll start from the beginning.

My beloved rose bush that I planted last summer died a few weeks ago. I tried to revive it all summer, but nothing worked. It was a beautiful plant.

I bought a new rose bush to put in its place. I currently have three, one that is doing wonderfully, another that is getting by but has only had one flower so far, and my newest.

Something is apparently wrong with the soil where I am planting it because this plant is fading, just like the last one did. So I carefully dug it up and replanted it in a different location last night. Today I went out to put some soil around the base of the plant and put some rose food down for all the roses, and I did, and then decided to plant some beautiful little annuals that I got a little over a week ago that I haven't gotten around to planting. I dug the holes for them and went to get them in the pool yard when I saw it.

There was a baby mouse swimming in the pool. At first I thought it was a vole, a blind little critter that I've spotted around the outside of the house a few times. I waded into the pool, shorts and all, and plucked the wee baby out of the water.

I held it for a long time, despite the fact that it was covered in fleas. I determined it wasn't a vole, but was in fact a mouse, and a very very young mouse at that.

I called the madre, no answer.

My hands were covered in dirt and little fleas, and of course a soaking wet baby mouse.

I can't just leave these little creatures who need help.

Luke 9:48 "And said to them, Whoever shall receive this child in my name receives me: and whoever shall receive me receives him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great."

I believe that everything matters, every life is there for a reason, even a seemingly insignificant little baby mouse.

I put him in a cage in the house, lined with newspaper. I cut up a rag into three pieces, one small piece I soaked with water, another small piece I soaked with milk, and another big piece I folded into squares and heated up for 10 second in the microwave to simulate his mother. At least I'm hoping it simulates his mother a little bit. I just want him to be comfortable. I want him to live, and turn into a strong mouse and have lots of little mouse babies and grow old. But if that can't happen, I just want him to be comfortable.

It really is breaking my heart. I don't know why these things have to happen to innocent little creatures.

I can't stop thinking about the Secret of Nimh and the little baby mice and how the mother only wants to save her sick baby. This little baby's mother is out there somewhere, missing him, worrying about him. And he's here, worrying about her, worrying about his future.

I hope he'll be alright. I really don't know what else to do for him. If he is still alive in the morning, and I really pray he is, I think I'll just put him outside and hope for the best. I searched for his mother or his nest or any sign of mice, and found nothing. Where is his mother?? How could she just leave him like this!

I can't help but feel really upset with his mom. Maybe she is hurt somewhere, maybe she is dead somewhere. Maybe she just let her little baby wander off. Whatever happened, it's not okay, and it shouldn't be this way. I don't want anything to do with wildlife. They are wild for a reason. But I can't just let them suffer and die without trying my hardest to help them.