#stjarnamousie

[svanhildlovely]

When your friend goes to the corner because he feels like dying...you go too, and keep him company. 😭 #truelove #heartbreak #StjarnaMousie #WinstonMousie

[svanhildlovely]

Storytime 7 (The Saga of Amalthea & Her Friends) ·°·°·°·°· It took a day or two, but soon enough big tough Winston and petite fiery Stjarna were bonded! Funnier yet was the fact that Winston, despite all his bravado, REALLY liked being cuddled and cared for. His little nurturing mousie instincts kicked in and he'd meticulously groom Stjarna -- withOUT pulling out patches of fur. ·°·°·° Over time, their dynamic has evolved again. Winston remembered what his previous 'jewels' were for, and they spent a rather busy morning together getting...busy. I'm not sure Stjarna appreciates the marathon nature of it, but I've only witnessed it happening twice in total so it's probably still tied in to Stjarna's cycle. The rest of the days, Winston is definitely more the beta, as Stjarna gets bossy and chases a squeaking Winston around until he stands up, belly exposed, in submission. And even then...sometimes she keeps nipping. ·°·°·° Nowadays I think our 'Newlyweds' are doing better, their tempestuous relationship seeming more even-keel. I don't hear squeaking and scampering much anymore, which is a good sign. Winston recognizes Stjarna as Lady of the Castle, and Stjarna cuddles him somewhere in their (currently) underground burrow. ·°·°·° I did try twice to give the Newlyweds a playdate with Mama-in-Law #AmaltheaMousie, but it didn't go so well. It was also in the middle of their stormy period. Both times Winston bit Amalthea's butt and held on as she tried to scramble away (poor old girl!). The second time I tried to give an extended time with just Stjarna, but after a while that devolved too, with Stjarna going after her 'mama'. So I broke that up. ·°·°·° It's been a couple weeks since the last playdate. It's not impossible that the Newlyweds could reintegrate with Amalthea's clan, but it's a bit less likely. Winston is not good in groups. Stjarna didn't always get along with Ghirardelli, or even Amalthea -- & things are finally smooth with Winston (including her shoulder fur -- it's grown back!). So it's just been Amalthea and Ghirardelli for a few weeks (plus Amalthea's thinning shoulder fur!). ·°·°·°· (To be continued...) #WinstonMousie #StjarnaMousie #AmaltheasSaga

[svanhildlovely]

Storytime 6 (The Saga of Amalthea & Her Friends) °•°•°•°•° That first Bathtub Playtime did not go so well. Winston fought with Ghirardelli, bit Amalthea, and even found tiny nervous Stjarna to be too threatening. Sigh. °•°•° Take 2: A few days later, I tried scaredy Winston with just one mouse, the littlest (though not the meekest): Stjarna. They were cautious of each other, but their common love of running outweighed any suspicion. Wheel Therapy! - with fwindz!! These playtimes were not totally free of squeaks, especially as Winston got worn out, but it was hopeful. After 2 such "dates," they moved in together, just the two of them. °•°•° I had plans to give them playtimes every night with Stjarna's "mother" Amalthea, so as not to weaken that relationship; but extracting Winston from his cage was very stressful for him, and his and Stjarna's relationship was a bit rocky at first. So no visits with Mama-in-Law at first. °•°•° The first night Stjarna and Winston moved in together, Stjarna decided she was not soo thrilled with him after all. She'd squeak and flinch in fear if he so much as sniffed at her, which is all he did that night (no fighting). I couldn't figure it out. She'd been so bold with commanding the wheel from Winston during playtime! Maybe it just takes time, I thought. °•°•° And meanwhile, Amalthea was down to only rooming with Ghirardelli. I felt bad for breaking up the trio, however temporarily, but Winston was not ready for 3 new friends at once. And besides, maybe this would give Stjarna a chance to grow back her patchy shoulder fur!! 🙈😂😤 #WinstonMousie #StjarnaMousie #wheeltherapy #newwheel #barbering #newfamily #AmaltheasSaga

[svanhildlovely]

Storytime 2 (The Saga of Amalthea & Her Friends) °•°•°•°• 4. A couple weeks after Freyja's passing, Amalthea moved in with two wee albino babies, Stjarna and Hvíta (#HvítaMousie). Amalthea took to her mothering job right away, loving on those li'l mischievous fuzz-butts quite unconditionally! (Including her great and abiding patience at the antics which involved racing across her sleeping form!) They lived happily for about 2.5 months, all while I was away in Norway and Armenia. But the second day I was back in September, sweet fragile Hvíta passed away. So then it was just Stjarna and Amalthea. °•°•°• Stjarna is an odd little mousie. Some days she loves being loved on, so much so that we started calling her Amalthea's "daughter". But other days she'd squabble with her "mother", wanting to be the Boss of their 2-mouse colony. Amalthea always surrendered quickly; she just wanted peace, cuddles, and co-grooms. But then, even after the dominance was straightened out, Stjarna would sometimes still pester Amalthea (though it's clear they still loved each other very much). (To be continued...) #AmaltheaMousie #StjarnaMousie #mousebabies #mousiecuddles #AmaltheasSaga