RIP MR PANCAKES !!! Why did my mouse die?

Question

My pancakes   I am lost for words, i lots my best buddy pancakes last night. I saved him a year ago from a snake, and gave him a happy loving home. But last night when i went to go see him ( i keep him up high so the cats would not get at him ) at first i notice him not in his little house ( he loved his home ) and i fould him on his back in the middle of the cage, ( not something i wanted to see ) at this point i know he past away :( ....  and bez he was a  I just wanted to know is there a reason why he went on his back...??? i dont know what killed him, he was only a little over a year old, he was not in shape mouse, but he was my mouse and today i get to bury my little guy.... i didt even hear him go.... i could not even help him, i feel so weak


thanks for ur  time and help

Erika

Answer
Dear Erika,

I'm very sorry for your loss. Not everyone understands it is just as much heartache to lose a mouse as any other pet.

It isn't that unusual for a mouse to die on its back. You certainly know it's gone when you find it, though, because no live mouse lies on its back (which other rodents do, such as rats and hamsters, which certainly freaked me out when my rat was lying on his back one morning).

Mice have very similar systems to people, which is why they are used in the lab. So certainly a mouse can have a heart attack. It could have been anything that kills a person quickly, so a stroke is also possible. I think it must have been fairly quick, since if he had known he was dying for a while, he would have curled up on his side. Mice also never sleep on their sides, so that is another situation where you know right away.

I'm really sorry about Mr. Pancakes. He was relatively young.

Squeaks and condolences from all of my whiskery, tailed friends.

Natasha