Frankie

In 2009, H and I bought our first two mice.  Frankie and Benjy.  It turned out those two boys weren't two boys.  Benjy was a boy, but Frankie was quite female.  She gave birth to two litters and was a wonderful companion.

She was sweet and affectionate and would crawl into your hand with very little coaxing.

About two months ago, she began to suffer a sharp decline in her health.  I suddenly realized she was very nearly two years old.  An average mouse lives about 18 months.  She was quite elderly.  She lost interest in treats, and lifting food out of her bowl was a mammoth task.  But she would still dance (albeit shakily) to be held and loved.  And I enjoyed giving her lots of attention.

Last week, as I watched her suffer, I came very close to making the extremely heartbreaking decision to euthanize her.  I researched it well, since I wanted her to die peacefully and not in pain.  But H and I found we couldn't do it.

She died this evening while I was making dinner.  She was alive when I started, but was gone by the time I'd finished.  She lived a long and happy mouse life.  I wanted to bury her under the lavender bush next to Benjy, who died last summer at just over a year old.  Unfortunately, the lavender bush is simply too large now.  She is in the backyard, instead, next to Scruffy.  You were the first.  You were the best!!