# Another newbie, eh?



## Aussie_Dog (Dec 1, 2010)

Okay, glad I got that cheese out of the way (you know, 'cause I'm from Canada, where apparently everyone says "eh")

Okay, I hail from Alberta, Canada, where Mother Nature is known for being bi-polar (at least when it comes to the weather). I'm still new to the mouse world, having gotten my first mouse three months ago. Bartholomew was a GREAT first mouse, so laid back and easy going, rather than being skittish and nippy. I rarely felt like I was making horrible, irreversible mistakes because even if I _did_ (I'm sure I did), Bart would just lean over and grab another cheerio, bring it to his house, and call his day complete. I also have three cats, all three of them being scary to a mouse in her own special way (Molly's a big girl even though she's quite gentle and timid, Willow STARES, and Buffy... Well, Buffy is Buffy). Bart would just sit there munching away at his meal, and Buffy would be sitting on the lid of the tank, staring oh-so-intently at him, when suddenly she just explodes, leaps forward and smashes into the lid. Bart wouldn't flinch. Buffy would then jump down from the tank and smash into the glass mere centimetres from him. Again, not a single flinch, though maybe his ears would rotate in her direction. Then he'd pick up a dog kibble from the bowl and oh so casually saunter to the other end of the tank to eat his meal in peace. He drove Buffy nuts.

I only had him a couple of months before he got sick and died. I'm still not sure what happened: he did get a URI, but I treated him for it and he was getting better. He went all anorexic on me while he was sick, not being at all interested in food, so when he started gorging himself again, it was a sure sign that he was getting better. He still looked a little ill, though (hunched over, coat was dull), and one day he just didn't wake up. It's possible that he was an older mouse right from the start, though, and a whole symphony of things banded together to end his life (maybe he even had cancer; I wouldn't rule it out). Anyway, it was a shock. The only way I could describe him, while he was alive and after he was gone, is that he was "just awesome." That fit him to a T.

Anyway, I recently got another mouse, 3 weeks after Bart died, and he doesn't have a name yet (it's only been a few days). Unlike Bart, who adjusted to his new home practically the minute he arrived, this new mouse is taking his time. He's very friendly and doesn't appear skittish (a big requirement for me, what with the three cats, and a boisterous dog). He spent a little while in the back room of the pet store (where I work) because he had pink eye, or SOMETHING going on with his eye. Once he healed, I bought him and brought him home. The tank is also quite, uh, "cluttered" with popsicle stick furniture and thick bedding, and after over a month (and maybe his whole life) of just the bare essentials (a wheel, a bowl of food, light bedding, water bottle, and a house), this new home might be a bit of a shock. Today, though, he seems to be warming up. When I went to bed last night, he was gorging himself on food. When I woke up, he was there again, though he's now back in his house-of-choice. We have plenty of time: as long as he doesn't look or act sick, I'll leave him alone.

Oh yeah, I love to write. Probably should have said that first off.

This is Bartholomew. I brought him home on September 9, 2010, and lost him on November 5, 2010. He's buried in the backyard under a rock that had three spots that looked like a paw print.

































































This is the new guy. I can't decide between Dr Gonzo or Chaplin. I tried Dr Gonzo for a few days, but it's lost it's magic and I'm not sure it fits him. Chaplin doesn't seem to fit him either. If there's one thing about me, is that a name that FITS is important! lol. I'm starting to like Dexter now, too.


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## minibears (Jul 30, 2010)

hi, y aussie dog if u're not aussie? sorry to hear about bart, very sad. i would call your new man rover, like a dog, lol. another thing, if mice come from pet shops often their health, age and family details are unknown, it's usually best to get mice from someone who knows them, have had some bad experiences myself, good luck and welcome


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## CatWoman (Jun 19, 2010)

It's funny how differently people think. I'm too animal focused. I saw the name and just assumed the boisterous dog is an Aussie. :lol:

I think that mouse looks like an inkblot, so he looks like a Rorschach to me.


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## minibears (Jul 30, 2010)

how do you say that word 'rorschach'? :?:


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## CatWoman (Jun 19, 2010)

With an American accent - Roar shock.

Dr. Rorschach was Swiss, so I'm sure the Americanized pronunciation is totally wrong. :lol:


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## george (Aug 24, 2010)

i think thats the biggest introduction ive seen yet lol


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## Aussie_Dog (Dec 1, 2010)

CatWoman said:


> It's funny how differently people think. I'm too animal focused. I saw the name and just assumed the boisterous dog is an Aussie. :lol:


That is quite correct, lol. To be specific, he's a 12 year old Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. He thinks the purpose of his life is to keep the cats in line (which, as I'm sure we all know, is an impossible task, and that's what makes him boisterous and noisy, because he wants SO badly to make those deformed sheep behave). I've used "Aussie_Dog" for 10 years on various forums, and it's usually 50-50 whether people think I'm Australian, or I have an Aussie dog. Sometimes people think I'm an Australian male (I'm female, fyi, lol)

I would love to get mice from a reputable breeder, but alas, in Canada, it's extremely difficult to do. In Alberta, I've heard there's something like only two breeders, if that (I figure it's related to our harsh, dry winters). I was reading a transport thread once, relating to Alberta, and that let me know that there's pretty much nothing here. Just pet store mice and backyard bred mice. And if there WERE reputable breeders here, I don't drive, so any hopes are pretty much sunk. I can still dream, though.

I was told through my fellow employees that this new mouse is very friendly, as he was handled on a frequent basis for medications. I was wary about him, since he was sick and I barely even saw what he looked like before I bought him (every time I looked in on him, he was in his house sleeping). But personality is a major factor for me, and his personality seemed right, and they _said_ he was all better. Bart never cared to be petted, though he seemed to enjoy being carried and being allowed to wander up my arms and around my shoulders. But this new mousie, right after being picked up by the girl who put him in my mousie carrier, let her "scritch" his back. So I have good hopes for the future, and actually had a good time today watching him finally do something productive with his day. He's still settling, but today he came out of his house to do some rearranging with his bedding, and when I put in orchard grass, he went nuts. He alternated between transporting some to his house, and sitting down and munching on it. Bart never cared for the orchard grass, so I'm glad _someone_ enjoys it, lol. He conked out and slept after a while (where I could see him, versus inside his house where I can't see a thing), then got right back up and continued sorting out his home the way he wants it.



> i think thats the biggest introduction ive seen yet lol


Right after I submitted my intro, I took a look at other posts and felt a little, uh, _loud_. But it must be known, I enjoy writing. And other forums that require an introduction, they like for you to add a bit more info about yourself. So I just figured the same applied here. Then I read 20 other intros that consist of 3-4 sentences. *blush* lol :lol:


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## CatWoman (Jun 19, 2010)

Aussie_Dog said:


> That is quite correct, lol. To be specific, he's a 12 year old Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. He thinks the purpose of his life is to keep the cats in line (which, as I'm sure we all know, is an impossible task, and that's what makes him boisterous and noisy, because he wants SO badly to make those deformed sheep behave).


I know exactly what you mean. I have a husky/border collie mix. Talk about living in hell.. he -needs- to herd the cats and has the endurance to do it for 2,000 miles, up hill, in the snow.. :lol:


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Hi and Welcome to the Forum!


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## countrygall721 (Oct 26, 2010)

Welcome to the Forum! I love your meeces!


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## zany_toon (Apr 3, 2010)

:welcome to the forum!!


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## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

Welcome to the forums! I would *love* to go to Canada. And you're from where all the dinosaurs are from!!!! :bash


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