Our New Tenants

Several readers have asked for an update on our resident mice, Missy and Sissy. Honest – they really have! So here you go:

After over a month of co-habitation, we can say that Missy and Sissy are pretty good tenants: they look after their unit, tidying up their little tea-box bed every night. One night, when their bed was beginning to get stinky, I replaced it with a new similar box. They spent the next several hours searching out new bedding and bits of paper to fix it up.

They are fussy eaters, however, preferring our food to theirs. They love pear, tomato, and the sunflower seeds that Peter eats each night while watching TV. When they go to sleep, they cover up their food bowls to prevent prowlers from stealing their leftovers. Maybe they have heard about Peter’s grazing habits. During the day they sleep off their meals, sometimes snoring softly.

But at night? Well that’s a different story. These girls are night hawks! They are awake partying from 8:00 pm until early morning. They keep busy sashaying around the cage, swinging on their little hammock, walking their tight rope, pole-dancing on their ladder. But mostly they head for their mouse-powered ferris wheels. They climb inside and start running. The wheels squeak and wobble and make a huge racket. Fortunately our bedroom is at the other end of the house, or else we might have to downgrade their suite to the basement.

The new tenants are really keeping me busy. Every night around 8:00 I visit them and share the news. I locate their hidden food bowls and replace the contents with fresh goodies. On Sunday mornings I do the housecleaning – half the cage per week. With one hand I dump out the old bedding and pooh, while with the other hand is free to catch the tenants if they try to escape. Then, after I wash the wheels and other toys, I re-arrange things. Because Agnes might be calling at any time…

Agnes, the mice’s real mother, stays in touch from New Zealand. At least once a week she facetimes me to have a tour of the cage and see if I am doing my job properly. She checks their food bowls. “Nana, just give them one fruit at a time. You don’t want them getting diarrhea.” (No I don’t !). She often comments on how the mice need mental stimulation. “You have to move things around, Nana, add new toys, so they don’t get bored,” (just like the rest of us during the pandemic).

Anyway, my conscience got bothering me so, a few days ago, I drove to Walmart (double-masked at 7:00 am). I went straight to the pet aisle and there, on the shelves, were little mouse toys. Well I couldn’t help myself – I bought a cute little swing in bright colours that went perfectly with the cage decor. I could hardly wait till Sunday when I got to put it in the cage. Missy and Sissy were ecstatic! They climbed on instantly and began chewing. Oops – what if the paint were toxic?

I checked the box for hazards and found that the swing is perfect for chewing. And on the side of the box was a picture of another toy – a teeter totter “for your tiny special pet!” It was adorable. But another trip to Walmart? I decided that I would make a teeter totter myself. I gathered up the glue, scissors and appropriate cardboard. And you can see the results in the photo below.

Now I am thinking of signing up as a vendor on Etsy. If you need any mouse toys, I can give you a break on the price.

Sue