The Mysterious Mr Mouse 🐭

Last year before Christmas I was stood outside a shopping plaza waiting for the bus when I something told me to all into the pet centre just to look around; I had time to kill, so I figured why not? I'd been wanting a rat since the summer and knew they sold them at this chain of pet stores. I'm usually against buying pets at a pet store, but I don't see very many rescue rats or mice around. (If any of you know of places who do rescue mice and rats, let me know via comment or tweet!!)  I didn't expect them to have any rats. I saw snakes, God how I want a snake, turtles, which I love, various lizards that I adored, sweet-faced little ferrets and then- down in the bottom cage, a little brown mouse. My heart melted. I wanted him.

The bus was coming so I had to go. I asked the woman about the mouse and she said he should still be there unless someone looking for snake food came in. It was 9 am on a Saturday; there weren't too many people out buying mice, especially out in that area of the city. I got on the bus, my thoughts on that little mouse. He needed to be there when I got back; I couldn't explain it. I knew that I had enough money on me to get him, a cage, bedding, food, everything that he'd need. I did my errands as quickly as I could and raced back to the pet store. I loaded up all the things that I got into a shopping trolley and walked into the shop. I almost ran over to where his cage was. I didn't see him and I felt a pang of sorrow overcome me. I was too late for him. Too late to save him. I was looking deep into the cage when he popped up out of the bedding. He was there! 

I found an employee and told her that I was interested in getting a male mouse. She led me over to the cage and reached for him when his little friend emerged out of the bedding. A small little white mouse with ruby red eyes looked over at us. I couldn't not take him too. She asked me if I was sure and I said yes. They'd known each other their entire lives and mice are social creatures. It wouldn't be right to break them apart like that. She asked me what I was going to be doing with them and I told her that they were going to be pets. She helped me pick out a cage they'd like. I got all the fixings for it; a little wheel, little place for them to sit. As I was getting all the things that I needed to make them a happy and safe home the woman told me that mice wouldn't make that great of a pet. She couldn't have been more wrong. I've had Chubbs & Phil a month now and they've really grown into being great pets. They're not really pets, just smaller members of my family. They know their names, they come to me, eat from my hands and play with me in the balls that I have for each of them. They're amazing creatures. I'm so happy that I went back and got them from the pet shop before they became snake food.
You may not think so, but each mouse has their own personality. It didn't take Chubbs long to feel safe with me and want to come right up to me to take nuts from me. ((He loves almonds so much. He gets them as a little treat after his workout in his exercise ball!)) He'll come up to me and have me rub his back (gotta be careful & only use one finger because he's so little!) and makes cute little squeaks when he's happy and playing with his roommate Phil. He comes up and sticks his little hand out of the cage if he sees me eating something that he wants. I need to get this on video, I swear to god; he's just as bad as who he's named after. Bad influences, he is. It's taken Philly a little longer to warm up with me but now we'll come over and snatch nuts and even let me stroke his back. He's more of a cashew nut fan, but he loves the exercise ball just as much! Philly loves his day naps and will come out at night and stare out at me as I sit typing late into the night. He's a great little companion in those wee hours of the morning. He loves to play with Chubbs, sitting on him and even nibbling at him. Sometimes they'll share the larger ball that I have and you can see them whiz by together in the ball and then fight over the direction they want to go in. I dunno why, I just find it funny.
I've read that it could be problems having two male mice in a cage together, but I've not had any issue with them. They eat together, sleep together and nibble on opposite ends of the chew pencil that I put in the cage. It's sweet when I look in and see them asleep with one another or sharing bits of food. I think so many people take mice for granted, see them as a pest or vermin, but they're lovely. 
Sometimes they don't want to come out so I can clean the cage, they'd rather just play inside the little nest they've built up and I have to coax them out. It's sometimes like pulling teeth.
I love when they climb up my arms and sit on my shoulders. They don't bite me or pee on me other anything. We've established a nice level of trust; they know they're safe with me. It's a nice feeling to have.
If you're thinking about having mice or rats for pets, go for it! I'd done a bit of research before I bought Chubbs and Phil; I'd wanted rats or mice since the start of the summer. It was kind of pathetic clinging to the desire to have them, but in the end, I think it worked out well. I can't wait to get new little add on parts the cage, get new little tubes and make another area for them to play in! I wanted them to get used to their new home before introducing a lot of other things all at once. We're going to have new adventures in the new year and I can't wait. Even my dog, Hunterdoodles, loves them. He wasn't too sure of them at first, now he loves to watch them roll around in their balls. It's my own little mini animal planet over here.