One of my mice, Alex, gave birth early this morning. I didn't even notice she was pregnant until late last week, until then I had just thought she was pudging up faster than Cinnamon. Alex must have had quite an affair in the pet store before I bought her.

What fascinates me is how Cinnamon has been helping to care for the newborns, as if her maternal instincts kicked in as soon as the babies appeared. She grooms them and lies with them to keep them warm, taking turns with Alex tending to them. Initially I was worried that Cinnamon might pose a threat, but instead she's turned out to be as good as a mother as Alex has.

At this point, I'm not sure how many mice are in the litter. I won't be able to disturb them, even to clean their tank, for at least five days to be safe. I know that there are at least five of them. And most importantly I have about a month before the boys need to be seperated from the girls, otherwise my mice may multiply exponentially.