Welp, I have a mouse now.
I used to have mice, back when I was a kid. Rats, too. But this was not a planned mouse acquisition.
Our cat, Twee, is the living embodiment of this meme. He is a remorseless killer, and we frequently find bits of rodent and bird around the yard because of him.
So the other day, we find him clearly having something cornered in the shrubbery, and we pick him up and bring him in. When I go out there again, I see that the thing he had cornered was a small, white mouse.
White, albino mice are not common in the wild. This is because, aside from the mutation being rarer when there's a shitton more genetic diversity among wild mice, the ones that are born albino tend to not live long, seeing as they are. You know. Very edible creatures who are a very visible color.
As such, I concluded that this mouse was likely a pet that had gotten loose or, more likely, a feeder mouse that had narrowly avoided being lunch twice that day.
So of course I brought him inside.
Mouse was very well behaved, likely due to shock. I kept him in a little "hospital" cage (really a very very small transfer-cage we use when transporting lovebirds), set him up with food, water, nesting material and a heater blanket. I really expected him to die, seeing as he had a puncture wound in his side (that I washed out as best as I could and slopped over with neosporin).
Well, surprise surprise, mouse not only lived, but he was much more active the next day. He ate food, drank water, slept a lot, but still walked around the little cage. It appears that one of his legs is broken: he has been dragging it behind him, though occasionally I see him move his foot, so it's not paralyzed. With rodents, there's not really a lot you can do for a broken leg except try to keep them from walking around too much, and making sure they have easy access to food and water.
Yesterday, me and the fam went out and bought a proper mouse habitat (as our old ones have long since been given away). We got all the mouse fixin's and now the mouse is set up in his own comfortable little habitat. He has been staying mostly in the little tiny house that came with the hab, but he's come out to eat and drink, and he must be walking around at night, because there are little poops on the opposite side of the cage.
I, legitimately, had forgotten how fucking cute mice are, and I have been doting on the little fucker nonstop.
My elderly and beloved cat is named Onion. Since mouse is white like she is, but is also a small boy, his name is Sonion.
I realize that Sonion may still bite it, and that even if he recovers, mice only live for a couple years, but I am glad he is here.
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Also I am getting my second Covid Shot today, so here's hoping it doesn't kick my ass as thoroughly as I fear it will!
EDIT 3/30/2021: It kicked my ass.