Confirmed: Edison Is Female and Edison Is Pregnant

Edison spent all day in her (yes, it's official, Edison is a girl) loft today, snuggled up in the fluffy blue cotton. When I realized Edison had gotten so nested in the cotton fluff that I couldn't see her, I realized that Edison isn't just pregnant...she's about to give birth. And from the look of things, it's happening like...now.

I did a little research and learned that you can't clean a mouse's cage for a couple of weeks after it gives birth, so Leo and I got to work immediately, locked off the loft, and cleaned out the cage. And now, Edison, who appears to be in the process of giving birth, is inexplicably running around her wheel and wobbling up and down the tunnel from her loft to chow down on some snacks.

So now we know why Edison came out from hiding in the first place. We know why she moved slower than it seemed like she should. And we know why she's been eating so much junk food.

I confess, I feel very torn. How can I express this? I adore Edison. I think she's the cutest little thing. But I don't love that there's at least one mouse still living behind the stove, and I'd really like to catch him (clearly, it's a him) soon. And I'm all too aware in this moment that if we hadn't caught Edison, she'd have given birth to five to ten babies (I guess I'll know tonight or tomorrow) and then the mouse problem in our house would've grown exponentially. 

I'm honestly thrilled to pieces that Edison is here, safe, and giving birth in a very pleasant environment. The little girl in me is so terribly excited that we're about to witness this fascinating moment (much like I did so many times when I was young and had pet gerbils whose babies I sold to the local pet store for bubble gum money). But the adult woman in me is so relieved that we caught Edison before we ended up with a mouse problem of epic proportion, and pretty concerned about what we're going to do once these baby mice are ready to be weaned. 

So again, if you're looking for an adorable, Edison-like pet, drop me an e-mail. You could have your very own little Edison (or two!) in just a few weeks.