Wild mouse with large round ears

Question
QUESTION: Hi. Years ago, a little mouse was brought into my house (northern Los Angeles). I found it crying behind a floor pillow with its face pushed into the cushion, trying to hide and shaking. (It had seen my cat.) I helped the mouse back outside and watched it scamper down each set of stairs and landings until it disappeared into the night. The image has haunted me because this mouse was beautiful! It had immaculate-looking smooth grey fur with huge, round (not pointy at all) pink ears and twinkling, open eyes. It was like a cartoon character, and it surprised and delighted me because I did not realize that mice actually looked like that!Since that time, I have only seen brownish mice with small, flat ears and squinty eyes. Would you be familiar with this species?

ANSWER: Dear Ann,

My first instinct is to say you dreamed it.

However, it could have been a fancy mouse bred to show standards. They have very large ears. And of course many colors of fur.

Still, the whole pushing its face into a pillow and crying doesn't sound like what any mouse would do.

It is up to you. Were you dreaming?

My guess is yes. But it could have been a feral fancy mouse with some sort of weird behavior.

Lol!

Squeaks n giggles,

Natasha

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The mouse was making tiny noises and I called it crying because the mouse was shaking. I figured my cat Charity had carried it inside, lost it, and then was chasing it before I interfered. I was always sorry I didn't capture it because I later learned that if its body had any cat teeth scratches, the mouse would be infected and die anyway. Plus, living its life in a cage would not have been ideal. I am going to seek another expert, one that will take me seriously. Somewhere, someone knows of this species and has a photo.

Thanks.

Answer
Dear Ann,

I did take you seriously when I said it could have been a feral (or escaped) show type fancy mouse. Here, check out these ears:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=496587099802&set=a.496587069802.281828.564919802&type=3&theater

These are some of my recent mice, Did it look like this?  


Or-- there is also a mouse called the California Mouse with big ears like a show type mouse. This is new to me. It isn't grey but it could have been a baby- or an anomaly. Check out these ears and eyes:

http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9784

I am very sorry to have insulted you! I think it was the 'twinkling eyes' that really made me feel it was sort of unreal.

I hope one of these two photos ring a (visual) bell :)

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha