The orange is the bait bucket we were trying to trap them in (that never worked) because mom was like "Maybe if she knows her babies are in there, she'll go in, now!"

The litter is down by one, now (by which I mean it used to be six pinkies). We found out about them because the dog found them before we did and made off with one...8'D...Oops.

Sister: "THE GAME HAS CHANGED. IT WAS DIFFERENT WHEN THEY WEREN'T BABIES ;~;" lol

what cute little pests lmao

Right??? They were so cute! If we can catch momma, we'll just take them out into the fields and release everyone. XD We can't stand to murder them ourselves.

Tiff was also, jokingly, like "Well they're not wild yet! They're not wild yet!" XD She knows we can't keep them, but she's always kind of wanted pet rats.

make sure to take them at least a few miles away or they absolutely will find their way back into your house the adorable little menaces

oh no they're adorable

OH NO THEY ARE SO SMOOTH AND SMOL ;;

their eyes aren't even open yet omg

Definitely wash your hands really well after handling them (as with any wild animal) but omg.

cyiftcyocykci this is me and the mouse nests in always finding in the greenhouse

I've upset two, and felt bad enough that I tried to make a little nest for them in hopes Mama would come get them and move them, but no such luck

Yeah, we took the last one out a few miles when we released it. There was a huge field next to a construction site with a big cow water basin near the fence, so it'd be perfect for them.

And they really are so cute! But yeah, I made sure to wash my hands very well. XD I'm a little obsessive about making sure my hands are clean when I touch potentially-contaminated things. But their cute little warm, soft butts were so cute. XD

awww, too bad about the outside critters. :< We don't mind them if they stay outside. That's where they're supposed to be. It's once they get inside that it becomes a whole nother ballgame.

We're hoping that now that we've blocked off the vent from the fireplace with wire mesh, their numbers will stabilize and we'll start seeing less of them.

fingers crossed!

I have been gathering and menagerie outside LOL. I don't really mind the mice in the greenhouse so long as they don't make nests in my storage bins but they had dug little nests and some of my planters which is how I upset them when I was digging stuff up

I remember geeking out when I saw a pinky in the ground as I couldn't figure out what the hell it was, then I realized it was a baby and I felt awful

Awww, yeah, I wouldn't mind them outside, either, but that would bum me out, knowing I might have messed them up. At least the cottontail bunnies would come back when we stumbled on their nests, after we covered them back up.

LMAO I went so far as to try to give them milk with a wet cloth I felt so bad. it of course didn't work. they were barely bigger than jelly beans

awwww, yeah. That's just so smol.

very smol

keeping them alive at that age is extremely unlikely because so smol

yep I was very upset at mama not coming and getting her babies. especially since I put them in a nice little pot surrounded by the remnants of their nest in the same giant planter I found them in.

and then literally saw mom screwing around later that week

like BITCH?! GET YOUR KIDS >8U

XD That's a mood, yeaaaah. But rodents have such large litters and they're so skittish, they're very quick to abandon ship and just start a new family later. They'll even eat their babies if they feel resource-deprived enough when they do it.

oydyixoyfoufpihpifurE

so much for mice sing to their pups jeez

I mean, they might. They're also just very smol and very timid and the world is beeg and scurry and dangerous!