The Mousely Chronicles

I've been thinking about starting a blog/journal like thing, talking about getting my first mouse, all of the ups and downs of learning how to handle and bond with a mouse, and just talking about being a first time mouse mommy.

The Mousely Chronicles exists so I can get advice and help others learn from my mistakes. And this post shall be the first entry! :3

So a breeder posted a brindle litter on Craigslist. We've been talking back and forth for a few days and today I finally got a picture of the boy I'm getting.



I adjusted the contrast so he didn't look so blurry. I don't think his colors are really that rich.

Apparently all the babies are boys. :O Which sounds kinda weird to me, to be honest. I'll be double checking for nipples before I bring him home. The breeder said they all look pretty much the same, but I said I really want the one in the picture, so he's setting him up in his own tank in the morning. :3 It is midnight here, so. :')

The breeder is in Carlisle, which is much closer than the breeder I was talking to, and I have family I need to visit there, so it works out. I can stop by and see my nephew then pick my mouse up on the way home.

His tank isn't set up yet, but I do have a small, growing collection of toilet paper rolls and a custom built mouse house, constructed of top quality, durable popsicle sticks and super strong Elmer's glue. I'm sure it'll hold up in an earthquake.



It's a one bedroom walk-up with a balcony.

We also painted my bedroom! :3 The window is open during the day, so the faint smell of paint should be gone by the time I bring my boy home. (Around the fourth of April.) It's a wreck in here right now, my TV isn't even set up right now. My bookshelf, the top of which my buck will be happily residing, is currently being painted to match. It was a blinding pale-ish yellow. x_x Which didn't look too bad in my purple and blue room, but it was starting to look like a candy store in here. So my mom is painting the bookshelf a pale pinkishpurple. :3

Also, one of the drawers in my dresser is completely devoted to mouse supplies. :3 Which, for right now, just has the house and TP rolls. :x But everything will be all set up before I bring him home.

He'll be in a 10 gallon tank. I wanted to keep him in a cage so he could climb, but he'll still be pretty young when I get him, and he'll be able to squeeze through a good cage. He probably couldn't get out of a Critter Trail very easily, but I'd never get him one. I have to go to a fabric store or something to get mesh for his tank lid. My mom said the fabric store will have it. I was thinking home depot. They're right next to each other, so either way. I'm gonna get him a little hammock thing. :3 His cage is gonna be mousie nirvana. Heaven sounded like he was dead. And I think nirvana is the same thing as heaven. But it sounds gentler.

I just ordered him a flying saucer wheel online. :3 I do art commissions in my free time to earn a little spending money. Basically people pay me to draw for them, if you didn't know what I meant. ^^; But chyeah. The pet stores near me don't have the proper size, so I had to do a commission to afford it. :3

BUT ANYWAYS. My mouse is coming home in two weeks. When the bookshelf is painted and dry, I'll put it in the proper place in my bedroom and take a picture to show where he'll be. I'll take another picture when his tank is all set up and ready for him to come home, and I'll try take a picture of him the day he comes home, but I don't wanna stress him out, so we'll see.

Keep checking back for more of The Mousely Chronicles.

Also, feel free to and please do comment on anything you wish, whether it be advice, swooning over his cuteness, or just sharing your own stories, I'd love to hear anything and everything you have to say. :3

None of you guys have said anything yet, but that's okay. If I talk to myself enough, someone will say something.

So today I blew my money. Spent $13 on a tank and $10 on a wire lid. At Petco, a ten gallon with a lid was 35. I don't even understand that. BUT! My room is painted and everything is set up so I can show you guys where Bernard will be staying!



I know it's bright. :x The blinds are open. It's lovely out. I wore a dress today, it was so nice out. I don't wear dresses. But the blinds will be shut almost all the time when I get Bernard.

The lamp is on there, as well as a glass turtle candle holder, because we have cats and the lid is pretty easy to get off, so I had to weight it down a bit. Still gonna keep an eye on it constantly, but we decided that wasn't good enough and I can't keep my eye on it every second, so a little extra reinforcement is needed.

All in all, he's gonna love it in there. I'm gonna buy a little hammock for him and hang it from the lid.

11-12 days til I bring him home! We'll be buying the bedding and everything the day before we pick him up.

Congrats!! He is a cutie and I LOVE the name!! I also like the color of your walls and shelf. lol My bedroom is a liliac color. lol

Seems like he will be a very happy, spoiled mouse. And I have a suggestion since I have cats. Get some duct tape and tape the lid on the tank. Yes, it is a hassle to untape the top everytime you want to get into the tank, but it is worth it whe you find your cats sleeping on the lid. It is a good piece of mind knowing your little guy will be safe.

Thank you, Kawmice! I see you around so much. He is adorable, isn't he? I gave him such a dorky name. :') But it fits somehow.

My bedroom looks like cotton candy. Two walls are blue, two walls are pinkish purple. Mostly purple. And the shelf is just a bit lighter than my walls.

Duct tape will definitely be a pain. I'll have him outta the tank constantly, so I don't know if it will even be worth it to use duct tape. I think I'll just keep the lamp and candle holder on there. They're pretty heavy. :3 And I'll always be in my room watching them, and when I'm not here in, they will be out and the door will be shut. I read about clips, so I'll check those out. I dunno how they'd work though. >.>

You are welcome! I try to be active in the mouse community.

I think the name suits him and it is not a dorky name. lol Reminds me of Bermard from "The Santa Claus" movie. He was a great elf character and I liked him. I the name is a good one. lol
Just be sure to post pictures of him when you bring him home.

The clips may work. I use them for my reptile tanks. As long as they fit tightly they would be great.

You're doing a good job. :')

Well yay! OH DUDE. I know him! :') I loved him. :') I'll definitely post pictures when he comes home. I just hope the glass isn't too reflective. :C I'll probably lay something over the mesh of the lid and put him up there for a minute to take a picture of him.

I'll be sure to look at some the next time I'm out.

Thanks!!

and yea, I like that movie.

Pictures are best taken from above if in a glass tank. It would be best to get some nice pics of him in your hand or against a nice solid color background. lol

Let me know how the clips work if you get them. I use the duct tape. lol

If you shop at Petco a lot, I have one thing to say: wait till summer or winter to buy a tank. A couple times a year they do a big "dollar per gallon" sale and the tanks 10g and above go on sale for, well, a dollar a gallon. So a 10g is $10, and a 40g (which is normally more than $100) is only $40.

I know you already bought your tank, BUT if you ever plan on upgrading or need to stock up on tanks... keep a look out for that.

:O Thank you, Snukb! I will keep that in mind! I got my 10g for $13. :3

Hey Whurmy, I have been reading your post. I am enjoying it. It is like reading a book. Sorry, I do not I should talk. I was listening. Robin

Aww, thank you, Robin. :3 Please, feel free to comment on whatever you like!



So, Bernard is coming home in a week. He's getting to be a big boy and he's just getting prettier. < 3 You guys don't get pictures til he's home though. JUST A WEEK LEFT. So excited. :3

Will be reading. And waiting. And maybe some talking.

Can't wait to see him in his new home. You made him a great house!

Look forward to it, Luna!
Aww, thank you, Jenni! :3 I can't wait, either.

Also, I've decided to not torture you guys any longer. :x



I just got this picture of him about two days ago. He's getting so big! <3 Just five more days til he comes home!

His flying saucer wheel got here yesterday, too. It's a little bit bigger than I planned on, so both of his houses and his wheel don't really fit in there. This is what I've come up with.



Again, the bedding and everything won't be bought until the day before he comes home. (The third of April.)

The TP tube from the popsicle house leads into the kleenex box house. :3 There's also a TP roll under the ladder, as well. Mice like things crowded, no? While I don't like how little I"ll be able to see him for a while, I know the more crowded it is, the safer he'll feel. I can clear it up a bit once he's comfortable with and trusts me.

I'm also getting him a ferret hammock! To take care of his climbing needs. And just because they're really cute. His tank is gonna be a wreck. :'D

His food dish will go in the corner next to his wheel, and his waterbottle will go between the ladder and the wheel. :3 I just need to figure out how to hang it in a tank. :x

He is a looker!

I don't use food dishes. I put 2 piles of food in different places. Mice love to forage. It also gives you more space. Mice had very deep bedding the have tunnels and passageways all thru the stuff. They are too funny.

Aww, that must be real fun for them, Luna! That's so cute. I can't wait to watch him dig through a bunch a bedding. Gah, I'm so excited!

And thank you, Kawmice! I think he's just so so pretty.

So my sister's pregnant and her baby is due in September. Obviously, she'll wanna get away from him some nights, so me and my mom are making room for a basinet and everything for when the baby spends the night here. The plan was for the basinet to be in my room.

My sister won't let the baby sleep in here because I have a mouse in here. :/

Wow..... so sorry. Some people are very phopic of rodents. That or she is just being a protective mommy.

Gee, It's tough when people just don't understand. Well, at least she is letting the baby stay in the same house.

Ha! We talked her into it. :3 Well, really, I got passive aggressive and my mom called her crazy. >.> Whatever, all is good now. She even called Bernard cute...

Speaking of Bernard...

Something happened with the breeder and I'm picking him up today. Which is inconvenient, as I can't go supply shopping for two more days, but the breeder's giving me some food and a waterbottle with Bernard, all for free, since this is pretty inconvenient for both of us and he understands.

I guess I'll just be using shredded paper and TP and papertowels until payday rolls around.

Bernard will be delighted.

I hope so! I can't wait for three o'clock, when we pick him up.

you will do just fine!

Whurmy you are too cute. It is nice to hear someone sooo excited to get their new baby. Guess what, that feeling never ends