Even in the best run mousery sometimes things are just going to go wrong. It's in these times I have realized how exceptional in nature mice can really be.
Polo
Everything seemed prefect, nothing could go wrong, a beautiful litter of cream babies was born on January the 10th 2008. And up until they were 9 days old everything seemed fine… 
Mother April with her young litter when asll seemed well
In spite of this, by the 14th day it became all to apparent there was in fact something gravely wrong. The babies hadn’t developed any further from the 9 day old stage, and then they started to expire. First baby to be lost came when the litter turned 14 days old, followed by two more fatalities on the 16th day. All three babies appeared to fit and choke to death after wandering about outside the nest for a time. After this a surge of more deaths, by three weeks of age there was just one little baby left out of six babies.
There was no illness or other issues present that anyone professional or breeder could find. And mother mouse had been a prefect mother. I had been trying to supplement their feeds for a number of days before all this tragic loss of life began but none of the babies had been interested in taking the puppy lactol and complan, and remained disinterested in anything but sleeping. All a part from one baby…
In fact, this tiny little creature (the smallest of the litter) that reminded me of a polo bear cub happily licked milk straight off my fingers. She had grown a bit and was wandering about and trying to eat. It was then I realized she just could not eat solids every time she tried she began to choke. She was getting thinner and thinner due to mothers milk now drying up but her physical developed was only 14 days old and she needed her milk still. Her bottom looked foul due to developing the runs and she had poop dried hard on her back feet. For some reason her mother had given up cleaning her, I suppose she had written her off as good as dead. I thought of putting her to sleep long and hard, after finding her almost as cold as ice, but her eyes looked so bright and keen for life. She wanted to live! 
Picture moments before almost being put to sleep
The decision was made to take the baby away and hand rear her, because she was getting so weak she couldn’t even try and suckle (if there was any milk left for her) and she couldn’t do anything for herself, not even keep warm.
Polo seriously needed to build up strength and so had to be feed on the hour around the clock, she was given complan mixed with puppy lactol. At first she drunk weakly but given time, lots of warm and lots of love she started becoming an eager drinker. 
Most of the day and most of the night she’d lay on me or cuddled in my hands. A strong bold was really forming between us. She really appeared to see me as her mummy (still does I think), or maybe her nanny? 
Going to sleep after a feed 
A lot of improvement began to take place slowly but surely. She started eating scrambled egg and mushy peas. She always got very messy after feeds so I also invested in a lot of alcohol free baby wipes. Her fur was all fluffed up and shaggy looking when I first started rearing her. However, it started to lay flat, get a bit of a shin and feel soft. It was then I started to feel she had a chance and so I named her Polo… 
Messy face after lunch and trying to nap!
Now weeks later , she still can’t eat solids. She still doesn't really own a pair of teeth, so she lives on baby food, mushed fish and eggs. This clearly appears to be a genetic fault. Given normal mouse food she will choke to death. Which is why I think the babies all died. The father of the babies was from a breeder who I’ve never had mice from before. And I have recently been told he has removed almost all his creams from his breeding program due to his line being genetically corrupted. However, other than being gummy she is a normal (all be it small) mouse and is enjoying an active life now.
I feel privileged to have such a close bond with one so tiny. She snuggles up to my face and licks my chin. She will follow me if placed on the sofa or a chair. She likes going to sleep in my hands. And every time I wake she has this big burst of energy where she bounces playfully about all over me. And no I no longer have to get up every hour!
I love my little Polo! She just keeps on going. I’m not saying she is the worlds strongest mouse now and to be honest I don’t how long she will be with me but all I know is she is having a great life and I love her to bits. That’s all that matters. 
Polo smiling while having a good itch 
My beautiful little lady.
BLAKE 
Parents: Faraday of Minstrel Stud (Show Black) X Florence Of Mike Davis (Show Blue)
Born: 6th of August '07'
Pet Name: Blake
I thought it was about time that I introduced you to this lovely boy. I have given him the Mousery Name “Painted Skies Fighting Spirit” for good reason. He was the lone survivor in a litter of four babies born to my blue girl. For some unknown reason I found all her litter dead, but one! He was sitting in a far corner away from the nest with both eyes half open. He looked seriously lethargic and near death. He was cold to the touch and had a very flat tummy. In the nest I found his other siblings very much dead.
I removed this little boy as quickly as possible. I placed him in a little plastic tub for a minute while I thought hard what to do. I knew there was only one thing to do, and that was to try and foster him other to Leea my Himmy and her litter despite her litter being a few days older!
I took Leea away from her litter and placed her in my glass vintge bear display cabinet of all places. Then I set to work rubbing the little survivor head to toe in Leea’s corner litter. Then I left this sweet boy in with his new foster siblings and replaced Leea in the cage.
Leea was fantastic! She knew he was so weak but didn’t put him out of it. Instead she ignored her own very healthy pups for a few hours to spend special time reviving him. She took him to one corner away from them all and she just groomed and groomed, and encouraged him to suckle until finally he did. Then she sat on him keeping him warm.
Over the next week she feed all the babies together but would spend a few hours out the nest taking him with her. So when she would have been resting from her demanding litter she gave him her total time. He’d be out with her suckling as she tried to nap. Simply amazing mother! The other babies seemed to understand he was weakened too. They were always grooming him and snuggling close to him. This boy showed plenty of fighting spirit and has pulled through wonderfully. He had this odd little habit of going under his foster mother’s chin, laying on his back and placing a paw each side of her mouth and sucking her lips every time he wanted her to lift up. Or every time the foster siblings were on a nipple and he wasn’t. Leea would always respond to this action of his by lifting up. Or walking over to a corner with him for him to suckle separately for a while. It was all quite remarkable and confirmed my belief that mice are far more intelligent creatures than we give credit for!
