Roofus was my beloved mouse. She died on October 9th, 1997. Cause of death: starvation. I know; I'm horrible. How could I kill such an innocent, adorable, special creature? It was my forgetfulness and preoccupation with nonsense that instigated her death. I thought her dish was "plentifully" filled, but on Friday afternoon, my poor, white mouse lay stiff at the bottom of her cage.

Roofus was intellectually stunted, but care I did not. I have a soft spot for anything cute and furry. Even if she DID bite. She never drew blood, which shows her sense of compassion. She had a tendency to chase her tail; this might have had something to do with her identity crisis. I think she was starting to reach self-actualization. I've seen her do a somersault once, though it was only because she fell off her food dish and tumbled down. Although she could not talk, her body spoke volumes. Actions speak louder than words. I knew she longed to be a free mouse because she was always biting at her cage, thus making quite a racket in the middle of the night while I attempted to sleep. Though her freedom never granted, I feel her death became her emancipation; she was no longer confined in a plastic cage with a wheel that went nowhere.