R.I.P. Tripod Mouse

Our poor little Tripod mouse was put to sleep a few minutes ago. She had grown a huge tumor and looked so sad, we knew it was time.
This was really hard for me because we have lost three of them in such a short period of time. It was also more difficult because we had to make the choice to let her go today. It is easier when they go peacefully and naturally. The whole circle of life thing. When it is your time it happens. I expect that and can be OK with that.
When I have to decide that "Today is the day you will die" even though she is just a teeny little mouse, it sucks. Her pure will to live was so strong it was inspiring. She was a little runt mouse who only had three legs. We had to convince the store to sell her to us because she was "Defective"
We brought her home with a big healthy friend. She ran in the wheel and kept up. She outlived the healthier mouse and even after she started to grow a tumor she still ran in the wheel every day and didn't let it slow her down.
Had we not decided to put her to sleep today, I bet she would have lived a really long time. But the tumor was getting so big that she was having trouble getting around and she looked really unhappy dragging it with her. I was afraid it was going to start choking her given the proximity. Being slowly choked to death is no way to go.

I am sad. What is sadder still is that I am going to go home and there will be an empty cage sitting there now that both Xena and Tripod are gone. It will be hard refraining from going to the pet store this weekend. (I am SUCH a sucker for the small and fuzzy things)

We could learn a lot from that little three legged mouse.