Considering A Mouse For A Pet?
It’s the mice again. And they weren’t in the dollhouse this time. They were in the house. The real house.
A few mornings ago, I heard my daughter scream from down the hall, “Mom! Blackberry’s gone!”
“She can’t be gone,” I said, hoping like anything I was right. But when I checked the cage, only one of the mice was in there. The door was cracked open and Blackberry was gone. Somewhere in our house.
My mind raced. What if she’s been running around all night? What if we don’t find her and she dies, and then we DO find her? Or what if she finds her way outside and meets a wild mouse and comes back, and…
I flew into action. “Hurry. Search your rooms. Look in the closets and under the beds. This is serious!”
We ran from room to room, my daughter on the verge of tears the whole time. “What are we going to do if she’s gone, Mommy? My POOR Blackberry!…”
Poor? All right. I’ve said it before. I’ve grown attached to the pet mice. But the thought of having one running around our house who-knows-where for who-knows-how-long gave me the willies. So when I went into the laundry room and saw wood shavings (chewed off from the bottom edge of the door) all over the floor, I was relieved. I didn’t care (at the time) that the door looked terrible. What mattered was we had found the mouse. Or, by the looks of the laundry room, where she’d been all night.
We searched under the washer and dryer. And behind the door. And then I eyed the basket of laundry—the CLEAN laundry waiting to be folded.
“I bet she’s in there,” I said.
And sure enough, after lifting a few things out…
“Oh, Blackberry!” my daughter laughed. “You’re sooo cute! And sooo smart!” She picked her mouse up and smiled. “Isn’t she smart, Mommy?”
Well. That’s not the word I would’ve chosen right then.
But I was glad my daughter was happy. And I was even more glad to be able to put her mouse back in the cage, and latch the door.
So now I have a word of advice for anyone considering getting a mouse as a pet.
Be prepared.
They’re cute. And funny. And little. But they sure can lead to some big adventures.
This reminds me of oh so many days while we scurried around looking for my daughter’s hamster. I’m sure they’ll be many more to come!
I’m so glad, for your sake, that you found it! Fish are nice pets, by the way. They stay where you put them!
Cute story! And I like the redesigned site!
WOW!!! So glad you found it! I’m not sure if we could have a mouse as a pet. Our dog would go bonkers! Love the new look :)
I am just impressed you found Blackberry so quickly!Love the new look around here!
You made me laugh out loud!! I love pet, all pets, but the thought of a mouse running around the house would totally freak me out, too! So the question is…Did you rewash the laundry?? :)Thanks for your kind comment on my blog today!! I already had planned on visiting your blog today and then you gave me an even better excuse. Hope you’re having an incredible “mouse free” week!
You are plain brave to have mice as pets at all. I’m glad your daughter loves Blackberry so much, but oh man I would have a hard time with giving those little varmits names…We lost our lizard once. He liked to crawl into my husband’s pocket and hang out. One day he crawled out without Jon noticing. I didn’t love the time he was lost. I was afraid to step too hard anywhere in case he was under my foot!
This made me laugh. We just adopted hermit crabs from my son’s class. I can totally relate. I hope they stay put. I can’t imagine hermit crabs running loose around my house. Loved the picture!
Hi Jenny! Just stopped in to meet you and to have some coffee!!! What a cute site!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK I could NOT have a pet mouse!!!
oh dear…mice in the clean laundry. Honey I can relate… I had chicken toenails scattered on my kitchen floor last week. oh dear.Adventures with kiddos- LOLThanks for popping over to my blog- nice to meet you.
great new blog design – I really like yours also – thanks for checking out my new look funny post
Oh my word – I don’t think I could take a pet mouse. No offense to Blackberry, but the picture of him/her?? in the laundry gave me the shivers! :) I’m glad you found him safe and sound!
This is the cutest story. Ya know, I took my kids to the petstore the other day and considered buying my daughter a mouse as a pet. She’s been wanting one and I figured, how hard could it be to have a mouse as a pet? Sounds like I should think again. :)
We had some interesting adventures with our gerbils! I have a photo on my blog somewhere of our pup almost catching the “Lightening” who escaped his cage and to the first floor for the first time! What an adventure!
♡ My dad brought home 2 pet rats when we were growing up. I never really cared for them… They give me the WILLIES!!! I think I’d feel the same about mice too. But knowing that they’re running around the house would really freak me out! :)
Genny, best of luck with your mouse. We are now onto guinea pigs and I am ready to do a midnite anonymous drop off at the animal shelter….ugh!
Oh we did the hamster thing for a while and when he escaped to chew up my new carpet I’d reached my limit. Some things are beyond my patience :)
Wow, you were a lot cooler about the idea of a mouse running around in your house than I would have been! Then again, I’m just not a mouse kind of girl. A fish in a bowl is enough for me LOL.
Heehee, reminds me of college. We weren’t supposed to have pets. But I was lonely over Christmas Break and bought two mice. I left my head somewhere else and, due to my poor-as-a-mouse status, I couldn’t invest in a cage. So I bought a mini laundry basket with a lid. Silly me, they chewed their way through (duh). You can imagine what it sounded like when there was a mouse loose in a girl’s dormitory — even if most everyone was gone!
We had guinea pigs when I was growing up. Well, my sister did, then I inherited them when she graduated. I never really liked them. Thankfully, they never escaped. I’ll stick with my cat.Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment! That always makes my day!
Oh Genny, that freaks me out a little. In the dollhouse – so cute. In the laundry basket – not sure. I did get those willies, though. It is so good you found her before you started just folding the clothes. What a surprise that would have been.Oh, the adventures that kids and pets bring!
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I know just what you are talking about. We have a gerbil. I try very hard to make sure the lid stays shut on his cage but I know one day Jonas will get out and the rest will be history.
OMG, I would have gone nuts. You are so lucky you found her! Almost like a needle in haystack!
Cute, but not in my house. Blackberry would not last a day with Sadie the Wonderdog!
I had mice for pets AND a rat at one point! They never got out though…hope you don’t have a cat?
You are a good mom. Enough said. :)
First of all, your new design is beautiful. I love it! You are a great mom for warming up to mice. How sweet.
Eeek. You are a better woman than I. I am soooo not a pet person, but absolutely not rodents!!BTW, you won my book giveaway! Email me your address and I’ll send it your way!
I am NOT considering mice for a pet! That gives me the creeps. I am sure they are just lovely in the cage but running around my house does not sound nice. Glad you found her!
When I was a little girl, we had a mouse named Molly for a pet, and many more after her! My mom was always searching our room for those silly mice. As I recall, sometimes our cat had a tasty meal before my mother intervened. Very sad.Adorable picture!
Genny,You are welcome. I enjoy your site as well. If you have any suggestions for improving my site, I’d love to hear them. Thanks again. Lisette
LOL Genny, this story was very funny! I had the same feelings you were describing throughout the post heehee!Hugs,Shera
Our pet dwarf hamster escaped a few months ago and was missing for 6 days. The little thing was insanely difficult to catch, but finally I cornered in our walk in closet before dawn one day. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Bleh!! I found one in my daughter’s room last year…dead right in front of her bed. It made me wonder how long it had been around and how it got there. It still makes me gag!
You are one cool/brave momma. There is no way I would have any sort of mouse in my house as a pet. I think I will stick with the dogs. I am glad that your daughter is so smitten with it.Cute site. My first time here.
no wonder you have chosen a unusual pet, best of luck
nice and funny story, hahahaha:)
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