maychorian | Sleep Well, Baby

My sweet little baby Chai died sometime between last night and this morning. She's the white mouse in the icon there, sleeping with her buddy, Shiny. I'm not sure how old Chai was, since I got her at a pet store, but it was old. More than two years, for sure. Toward the end she was just so terribly thin and shaky, and I knew that her time was coming. I held her tiny, bony body in my hands and tried to offer some comfort, but Chai was always uncomfortable with humans, so she seemed happier with her cagemate. And yeah, this morning I found her cold little body, curled up in her box. At least she went in her sleep.

I've lost a bunch of my older mice in the past few weeks. Not long ago I had thirteen. Now I have seven. This is okay, it's life, and I have younger mice to love, and my ratties, and I'm planning on breeding Cornelius and Cookie. (They will have gorgeous, friendly little brown babes, I have no doubt. It's been a long time since I've had babies and I miss them.)

But yeah. Chai was my oldest. I had her back when I still lived with my parents. The mice I have now, almost all of them were born in my apartment. Just another tie severed, it feels like.

Sleep well, Chai. You and Astara and Shiny have fun, wherever you are.