The Short Ear variety was something I wanted to bring to Colorado when I first moved here back in 2017. I brought my first two Short Ears from California to Colorado in hopes to find a breeder who could use them to spread the gene here in this state - as most Short Ears at that time were on the West Coast. Unfortunately, my 2 Short Ear got sick, shortly after the move, and passed away before they could spread their genetics.
"Blue", a Blue Tan Short Ear, was my heart mouse. She loved cuddling and receiving pets. I never thought I could actually bond to a mouse the way she and I bonded. On her last day with me, I saw her sitting on a perch staring at the opening of her cage. She was sick, breathing rough, and suffering. I was seeking advice from the mouse community who told me that Euthanization would be the kindest thing I could do in that moment for her.
As I scurried to make arrangements to peacefully put her down, I pulled her from the cage and sat on my bed with her for a moment, enjoying what would be our last moments together. It seemed as if she knew it was her time, and I watched her seek my hand from my lap and climb in it. I closed my fingers around her and felt her curling up in a circle within my closed hand, and I felt the very moment she took her last breath and passed. It was one of the hardest moments for me as a mouse owner, and still to this day brings tears to my eyes.
I finally got Short Ear again in 2020 and bred it for a little while. It too comes with its issues, since it is a cartilege related gene, it produced smaller framed, fragile mice. The struggle was trying to produce healthy mice with robust size and bodies which seemed impossible with all I had to juggle in life and already with so many mouse projects as well. I decided to let the project go, but held back a couple Short Ear Texel that managed to be very complimentary to my current goals for that project.