2000 - 3/24/03
Papa, who I’ve had since September of 2000, finally passed away after two and a half years of living the good life with me. I don’t know how old he was, but I’m guessing he was at least six months old by the time I rescued him (although he could have even been older for all I know).
I obtained him from a family that lived not too far from my old girlfriend. Their son had saved two mice from some school project and it turned out one was a boy and one was a girl. They had babies and wanted to just keep two babies of the same sex. I took Papa, Mama, five boys and three girls. The five boys went to a good home pretty quickly and the rest ended up staying with me. Mama and the daughters all passed within the next year and a half.
Papa had been living in the old house cage, the one I kept in the kitchen, so whenever I was in there, he could get treats. It was the same cage Goliath and Wunny lived in before him.
He was a good mouse who got so many treats, he really got fat. But it didn’t slow him down. As soon as I’d enter the kitchen, he’d run to the edge of the cage to beg for treats. He loved cheese, corn and his favorite was cheerios. I’d keep a cup full of cheerios next to his cage so he could always get a couple when I came near. He lived for those things.
The last couple months he was starting to slow down. He started losing the use of his hind legs about a week ago and the last week I could tell he was on his way out. Luckily, he died of old age in his cage he loved so much, having lived a long, nice life. The little guy lived longer than any rodent I’ve ever owned (up to this point). Everyone should have a mouse like Papa. Surprising how much enjoyment that little fur ball brought me over the years and he will be missed.
