Today I became "mother" to a litter of baby mice. There are four of them and they are each about an inch long, not including their tails. I found them while I was cleaning out the rabbit hutch. I knew there were mice living out there and I have seen mice in the rabbit hutch before when I've been feeding the rabbits and when I've been cleaning the hutch. I've never found babies before, though.
I was doing what I usually do, raking and bagging the dirty hay, the spilled rabbit food and the endless supply of rabbit droppings. I only have two rabbits but they sure do produce alot of poop!! I opened up the top of the hutch and started raking the hay out of there and putting it into big garbage bags. I looked up and there was a mouse staring right at me with its tiny little eyes. It hesitated, not knowing whether to stay put in the hutch or to run away from me and my raking. Finally it decided to leave. I raked a little bit more and just as I was about to scoop up some hay to put it into the bag, I saw a little tiny baby mouse squirming in the dirty hay. Then I found another one, then a third one and finally the fourth one was discovered. Their eyes are not yet open and their little squeaks are barely audible. They have tiny little whiskers that you can hardly see. They all appear very healthy.
Now I understood why that mouse seemed to hestitate before running out of the hutch. These are her babies and she wanted to stay with them and protect them. But, what was I going to do with these babies now that I'd found them? I looked at these four little lives I held in my hand. I looked at the garbage bag that was filling with soiled hay and rabbit food. I looked back at the four little squirming bodies and headed into the garage to look for a little box to put some wood shavings in for a nest for the baby mice. I just couldn't bring myself to toss the babies into the garbage bag. I decided I would try to save them. They may not live, but at least I didn't throw them away.
So, momma mouse, for you, for your babies and for my own conscience, I am trying to save your babies. I won't raise them as well as you would have, but I won't hurt them either. They are warm; they are fed. And when they are grown I will let them go, but not in my backyard.
