29/06/2021
Hi guys, I have some… unsavory news.
First, however, I want to say: please nobody panic. At this time, this message and what comes with it is precautionary, even if it seems scary.
I am closing my Mousery, hopefully temporarily, until I receive a very important result on tests for my mice. This could be anywhere from 3-5 weeks - assuming I test negative.
Very recently, the mouse community learned that mice can in fact act as vectors for the bacteria that causes the illness known as Rat Bite Fever. I absolutely would not feel okay calling myself an ethical breeder if I continued to sell mice without knowing the answers.
The good news is, I have no reason to believe my mice will be positive. Nobody who has adopted from me has ever fallen ill, neither has anyone in my household. It is, as far as Charles River knows, relatively rare in mice.
The bad news is, I also have no reason to believe they will test negative. Sometimes RBF causes minimal symptoms in humans where we may not even realize we’re sick. RBF can be asumptomatic in mice.
I will still keep in contact via Facebook - I want to share my mice with you, even if the only option is virtually. If my mice were to turn up positive, I still want to find a way to pick up the pieces and carry on. I have faith there will be negative rodentries who will help those of us who may be positive continue breeding should we want to.
If my mice turn up negative, G-d willing, I will be able to share my mice with other breeders who may not be so lucky.
If you do not know what RBF is; please look into the CDC pages on human illness. It is not something that is normal or allowable in lines, in my opinion.
I will always do my best to provide you all with healthy mice - that includes mice who will not be detrimental to your health, either ❤️
Wishing you all the best,
The Baker’s Dozen Mousery team
(Pictured: Tangerine Marmalade; entered into the June FMBA virtual show under “Merle doe”.)