Man or Mouse?

The family snake has not been eating again. He is the pet that the kids promised 'to take care of forever' that has basically become another responsibility for me.  Ball pythons, the most peaceful, gentle, and small of the python family make excellent pets. Cecil has a good disposition. Except for one fault, which is common to his breed: he is picky when it comes to food.

Many of the 'rat series' of blog posts were because the rats he didn't eat seemed lonely. I promised 'never to feed them to snake again', and they began to breed. It was wonderful seeing new life. And knowing that our snake liked mice and not rats, for rats are highly intelligent. When Mama Rat began to bite, she was adopted along with the rest of the litter to a rescue place instead of a pet store.

Well the mice had babies. These were the ones I had promised 'never to feed to snake' because they had been in with him too many times.  And just when I was starting to wonder when to wean, she had another litter. The pregnancies were 'back to back'.

I found an incredible resource in this website: http://www.thefunmouse.com/info/breeding2.cfm

Here are some interesting facts about the life cycle of mice that are vastly different from ours:

• Mice wean at 28 days, although a second litter may be born at 20 days.
• This last week is important because this is when mom 'socializes' the pups.
• At 29 days, the mice are 'fertile' and you might have a population explosion on your hands.
• The size of a litter can be anywhere from 9 to 25 pups.
• Pups are sized as 'normal', 'runt' and 'peanut'. The 'peanut' will never make it to adulthood.
• Mother mice 'cull' their babies as a survival instinct. She kills them with her teeth and you will find parts of them all over the cage, and hear the little ones scream as she 'culls' them.
• She kills them if her 'mouse reasons' thinks they will not survive and does not wish them to suffer long term. (for example, if there are more pups than milk)
• Father mouse can impregnate mom in less than one second.
• A male mouse, if left in the cage at the time of birth, will take advantage of the 'post-partum estrus' and impregnate mom the minute the pups are born, leading to back-to-back pregancy.
• Breeders say this is not good for mom's health or the pups.
• Mother mice must be left alone with the newborns for 48 hours, so don't peek, or she will feel threatened and kill the entire litter.
• Male mice cannot share a cage. They fight. To the death. It takes less than one second for a 'buck' to kill.
• A newborn pup will have a heart rate in the 200's.
• An adult mouse will have a heart rate in the 600's and a respiratory rate of 200 breaths per minute. (ed - human pulse is 70 and respiratory rate 20)
• Mice are picked up by the base of the tail. If a mouse is holding on, it has a good grip. Don't pull hard because then the skin will come off the tail. 
• Pet shop mice are not to be bred in captivity because a good breeder starts with 'good stock' and breeds for 'temperament' as well as 'attractiveness'.
• Contrary to popular belief, 'bucks' are good parents. I watched him help with the litter. The 'bucks' are actually MORE attentive than a female 'nanny' mouse.
• This is only if the pups are 'his'. Bucks have a little 'clock' in their head, and 'know' when conception was, and if the 'kid is not my son'. 

I felt so guilty! I had no idea any of this was possible. I enjoy taking care of animals, and I was surprised at how little I knew about mice!

Conversely, if you have an infestation in the home, better act on it quick. If those 25 babies hit day 29 of life, 20 days later your house will be overrun with mice!

The lifespan of a mouse is about six months, but in captivity a wild mouse can live about five years. A breeder mouse only two to three. That is the power of natural selection.

The 'buck' is out of the cage, before the second litter was born. Mom is busy 'hiding' the new ones and 'socializing' the older ones. Because they are poor candidates for adoption (not socialized and also pet shop stock) they will be given to my local pet shop. And I shall do this promptly with all of the other mice that Cecil does not eat.

I am so thankful for the lesson in joy and in humility I learned from this family of mice.

Namaste,

Reiki Doc

Talk Story: the "Iole Dream

Last night I had a dream that was so vivid! In it, I had a pet store or zoo of sorts. I had many animals, not just 'Iole, the Hawaiian word for 'Rat'. I could pick them pet ones up and hold them, cuddle them. It was very warm and loving. I even picked up one that had no hair! It felt funny, not soft, but in its own way it felt nice.

I do not ordinarily dream. This dream must come from Spirit. My aumakua for now, is no longer Moa-Chicken. It must be now, 'Iole-Rat. I look up.

O kupukupu kahili o Koa-ka-mano. It said. Translated to English it mean: Many new lines of chiefs spring up.

Interpretation:
Upright--If 'Iole is your guide, you are truly blessed, for the qualities of courage, tenacity and resolve Rat displays are remarkable. Your consciousness is growing strong and you are growing bright-eyed, fleet of paw and swishy tailed like 'Iole. The links you are making are helping others too.
Learn some more about the knowledge of the stars - particularly the Pleiades - and you will be even more empowered. 'Star' spelt backwards is 'rats'. The glory of 'Iole is now yours.

Mythology:
In this lovely myth, 'Iole teaches the chief Makali'i the many qualities of generosity - and saves the world. It is set in Ka'u, or South Point, on the Big Island of Hawaii - a hot spot for its UFO sightings.
Makali'i was a selfish chief who came from the south to dwell in Kona, on the Big Island. One day he gathered all the food plants, stalks and all, and put them in a huge net. This net he hung up among the stars known as Na Huihui a Makali'i, 'Constellation of the Pleiades.'.
Once they had eaten all the food they had in the house, the people of Kona began to go hungry. And it wasn't just the people who were affected; the animals were starving too. So they held a meeting to discuss what could be done. First, a rat offered to climb a rainbow. He went up and up until he could jump onto the rainbow-colored net of Makali'i. He gnawed holes in the net until the food began to fall out. A piece of the net fell out of the bottom, scattering food far and wide. Some of the food was found , and people planted some and ate the rest. Some food fell in the forest and mountains where it grew wild. The earth saw saved.
The rat was clinging to the part of the net that fell out, and down they came together, landing in Ka Lae in Ka'u. The imprint of the net can still be seen, not far away from the rat's hole. When he was very, very old, the brave rat turned to stone, and his remains can be seen today at South Point.
The rat overcame his inertia and captured the food hidden in the stars. his bright consciousness is represented by the rainbow, which has the ability to harmonize all his different selves. The brave rat climbed up the rainbow and released the food. The net that held the potatoes stands for the net of consciousness. The net is a symbol of Lono, the god of consciousness. 'Iole climbed to the stars and transferred the knowledge of the gods. Don't we all need to do the same?

Illumination:
You've climbed a rainbow to the stars and now your bright consciousness is raining down and feeding the world. You are no longer eating animals, and are avoiding all products that are tested on them. Your Rat spirit guide is calling for you to help others to recognize the godly essence in all our creatures.
Your essence is of the stars, always existing in a greater perspective than earthly wisdom. Studying star lore serves you well. Are you drawn to books about the Pleiades for instance, which seeded the ancient star language of Lemuria? They remain in the sacred teachings of Huna and help you remember. Then you must help. 'Iole, O lihilihi kuku, 'the rat of upstanding whiskers', taught the earthly chief that he shouldn't keep all his resources to himself. Likewise, the star seeds on earth need to share their rich inner resources appropriately. For o kama a uli a kama i ka po nei la, 'the child of the dark and the child in the night are now here.'

Talk Story:
This knocked me with Truth. In 1996, the first time I set eyes on Ka'u, I wanted to live there forever. There is an energy to South Point (the southernmost point of all America) that was so pleasant I never could forget it. This Halloween, I was able to make the drive there one more time. I stopped at the bakery, and bought many tee shirts, guava rolls, mango bread and cinnamon bread. I also have a very strong connection to the Pleiades (I have all my life) and Lemuria (I wear a Lemurian crystal at all times). Who would have ever thought that Spirituality, South Point, Vegetarianism, and Rat could all connect?

This morning I had the last piece of cinnamon bread from that bakery I had been saving for a special occasion. I also had a cup of Peet's Kona private blend from my press pot.

The rat in the picture above is Mama Rat with her first pups. I learned so much from her! I had to give her away, to a rescue, because she was so much a rat that when I went to clean the cage she would bite me. That was not good for both of us. She also bit the rescue director, but he kept her in his room, and she was nice to the other rats. She was found dead in her cage around Christmas. I had given that cage to the shelter--a ninety dollar Rat haven--so she would be happy. The director cried over her loss. For she was a good mother, a good rat, and even to the end, true to herself.

Namaste,

Reiki Doc

'Iole card taken from The Hawaiian Oracle, Animal Spirit Guides from the Land of Light --Rima A. Morrell, PhD

Waking Up With Sunshine

One of the things I enjoy is sleeping outside. Where I live has many trees, but not so much as to block out the sky. Sometimes when I am alone, I sleep on the balcony. I get my old army surplus sleeping bag my uncle gave to me, a foamy mat, kick back and watch the stars.

There was a full moon last night. An Aries moon that is supposed to 'super charge' you. It was so bright I couldn't fall asleep. It wasn't until the moon went to the other side of the house that I could rest. 'I'm being followed by a moon shadow...moon shadow...moon shadow'--remember that song? Well, last night was the first time I discovered what a moon shadow was! I slept in it.

The dreams were disturbing. Spiders on me. But one I couldn't shake off my finger. I had my dad help me. It was a black widow. I saw the shiny black abdomen with the red hourglass on it. It never bit.  Then I dreamed that I had my pet rabbits out on the balcony. But in the night, rodents came out of the potted plants and ate the flowers off. There were rats, gophers, moles. Next thing I knew, the rabbits were in the yard below. One of them had a hole about the size of its head in the thoracic cavity. I could see the heart and lungs and intestines working, the rabbit was unaware, and at the same time it was eating its own organs. The other rabbit was fine. But it horrified me. I wanted to get a dog and get rid of all the plants just to keep the varmints away!

I usually don't dream at night. I also do not own rabbits.

So in the early sunrise, I put my hands behind my head, looked up, and started to decipher:
spiders: feminine power
black widow--spider reversed: too much feminine power
rats/mice: scrutiny, opportunism
rabbits: fear

Then what flew overhead? Crows. Lots and lots of them.
crow: the law

And over on the branch, also in silhouette, a sole hummingbird. I could hear it's call.
hummingbird: joy

Since I couldn't understand it enough, I decided to  think about someone I adore. I felt the peace and joy of their presence. I could almost imagine being right next to them...I closed my eyes and smiled with delight.

And then there was a sound! A loud buzzing, way louder than a mosquito. I opened my eyes, startled!
There was a hummingbird in the fuschia blossoms inches above my left arm!
It was so close I could feel the breeze from its wings!
It went to four flowers, to my amazement! and then it flew away. I can still hear it and its friends chirping and calling furiously.

Joy...what a fantastic way to start the day.

Namaste,

Reiki Doc

P.S. Sleeping outside will energize you. And clear and ground everything that's mixed up in your energy. Whether you are in a tent or not, in the suburbs or country, it doesn't matter. All you need to do is to sleep under the stars...