Maternal love.

Notice: If you are squeamish around small furry animals, please stop reading, NOW.

I have originally wanted to write about snuggling into a good book while it rains outside since its raining cats and dogs. But I don't have anything to read. So...

The picture you're about to see is two baby mice, just minutes after being born by their mouse (I prefer mouse over rats BTW) mother. I was folding my laundry in my room when I heard soft squeaking coming from my dresser, so I decided to check it out. Then, I saw this:

What really made me took this snapshot was the she-mouse, standing guard over her babies. She didn't run away like any mouse would do when approached by a human, she just scampered around amongst the green blanket there. I jiggled the dresser in the attempt to shoo her away and she did, for a while, then she came back, snuggling her babies one after the other. It was like she was counting them, making sure they were all there. Can you see her? Just peeking under the blanket at the bottom corner of this picture.

I had to 'take care' of the babies, couldn't afford to let them grow big and rummaging through my trash in 3 weeks time. But, it broke my heart to do so *cried*. They looked so innocent and helpless. I kept telling the mother, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" while she ran around in my room, looking for her babies. I tried catching her but she was too fast. I almost regretted what I did. As a mother, I pray I wouldn't ever have to go through what she had.

Then, there's this:

This picture was taken about a month ago. She had her litter right outside Hubby's mother's side- storage area. There's 7 of them, 4 blacks and 3 whites with spots.

See her sad expression? Like she's saying, "Please don't harm my puppies." Luckily she moved them all by the time I checked back. I really didn't want to have to deal with them.Then, about 2 weeks ago, my MIL's neighbor and I kept hearing whimpers coming from the drain/sewer between our houses. The dog had moved her litter inside the drain. It's been dry season for the past month so I guess it was cooler inside there.

We have tried asking Non-Muslims; an Indian uncle who collects bottles and a Chinese pet shop owner to come and get them, we'd even offered paying them for their labor but neither wanted anything to do with the puppies and the bitch. Then today, around Maghrib, it started raining. I mean POURING! It was like the sky suddenly burst open and poured down heavily onto the earth. I could barely hear myself thinking amidst the loud rain outside.

Around 9pm, the rain finally drizzled to a stop. What a downpour! As the sound around me became clear again, I heard loud whimpering from outside. THE PUPPIES! I suddenly remembered that they were in the drain and they could be drowning. I looked outside and my fear was true. 3 of them were in the middle of the drain, barely treading water. The other 4 had made it onto the bank (well, although the drain was only ankle-deep, after the heavy rain it was quite deep indeed) and were shivering in the cold. I thought about ignoring them, I mean, I really don't want to have to go through the hassle of cleansing myself with dirt water (1 part) and clean water (6 parts) as required by Islamic rules. But as a mother, I couldn't just let them drown. It's a different feeling compared to the baby mice. I don't know how to explain it.

So, I wore plastics over my hands and wrap my feet with more plastics and I went out to rescue them. The bitch was there, she looked at me helplessly and then ran away. I scooped up the 4 on the ground and put them in a box, then I used a stick to coax the 3 in the drain to swim to me. All 3 were shivering so much, I could feel them practically shaking in my hands. Then I put the box right back where they were born, in front of my MIL's side-storage area. The mother came after I went back inside, checking inside the box, counting her litter. I hope she feels relief after knowing that all 7 are safe.



As a mother..I pray to ALLAH to protect my families; my parents, my siblings and their husbands/wife, their children, their in-laws, my Hubby, my in-laws and most of all, my Shahrin and Nazrin. Dear Merciful ALLAH, keep them safe from the evils of human and demons. Please protect them and shield them in YOUR loving embrace. Amin.