alzheimers

Most people think of mice as pests, but for one family in the United Kingdom, they are tiny little neighbors with their own tiny village.

Photographer Gez Robinson noticed a mouse in his garden one day in 2020. "I thought, 'that's interesting,'" he told The Dodo. "I showed my dad who's got dementia and I would see how much it would make him smile. It was absolutely heartwarming, so I was inspired to do something special for the mice."

Robinson started to build the critters small homes, which soon blossomed into an entire village complete with cottages, houses and even the "Frog & Mouse Pub." Two mice families live in the village—the Brambles family near the blackberry bushes and the Honeysuckle family in the log pile by the honeysuckle tree. "Never the two shall meet," Robinson said, "because when they do, it's world war."

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"I know lots of people consider them as pests but they bring me so much joy," he said.

Robinson's father, now 87, loves the mouse village and spent as much time enjoying the furry friends' adventures as possible until his Alzeimer's and vascular dementia progressed too far for him to visit the garden. He now lives in a full-time care facility, but Robinson shows him videos of the village when he visits. He says they make his father smile.

Robinson shares photos of the mice in various "day in the life" situations that make them almost appear human. The photos also highlight how tiny these little guys are. Look at this mouse compared to the blackberries in his little shopping cart.

Robinson shares videos of the mice families going about their day and enjoying the treats he leaves for them, and his narration is delightful. He explains who's doing what and gives them their own little stories. "That's absolutely magical," he says. Magical indeed.

He's even used the mice to predict the outcome of football matches, adding yet another layer of fun to his magical little garden. His laugh is so endearing.

People can't get enough of the mouse village, as evidenced by the comments.

"When I die I want to come back and live in your garden as a wee mouse xxxx"

"Protect this lovely man at all costs!!!"

"THIS…..made me smile. If it brought his father joy, I can see how he’s connected to them."

"It is a natural to want to care for animals. This man is demonstrating true kindness. I don’t understand why some animals are viewed as ‘vermin’, others as companions and others as food. It is all just a human construct and cognitive dissonance. We are all the same in all the ways that matter and animals deserve our compassion and be allowed to like their lives freely 💚"

"It’s better than a Disney movie. 🥰"

"You gotta be careful doing stuff like this cause because you're gonna make me do stuff like this."

"I love him and the little mice 🥹🩷 watching this brought me so much joy 🤩"

Some people expressed concern that the mice could be carrying or spreading disease. The U.K. government does warn that both pet and wild rodents can carry viruses and bacteria that humans will want to avoid, but Robinson doesn't appear to be doing anything that would go against the recommendations for how to avoid them. He simply set up props where the mice already lived and observes them as they interact with them. (Naturally, he should be careful and engage in proper hygiene, but simply having mice in your yard is a pretty common occurrence and not likely cause for alarm.)

Sometimes the humblest of creatures can bring out the greatest of joys. Thank you, Gez Robinson, for sharing these delights with us all.

You can follow Gez Robinson on Instagram for more.