Mouse Introduction

by Itslane615 Sun 09 Apr 2017, 10:28 pm

I'm planning on getting two more female mice. Do I need to introduce them first or will it be okay if I just put them together

by LazyMouse Sun 09 Apr 2017, 10:35 pm

Hello! I believe it's best to introduce the mice.
https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t19-keeping-mice-together-introducing-them
You can click that URL for better help on how to introduce mice ^_^

by Itslane615 Sun 09 Apr 2017, 10:39 pm

Thanks

by stephlisa Mon 10 Apr 2017, 2:08 am

It depends. If you get them from the same place and they've been brought up together in the same tank the new mice should be fine together. If they are from different tanks then they should be introduced.

Don't forget to do a 3 week quarantine period. This ensures that they aren't ill, you can start treating them for mites and work on taming them.

Then you can go ahead and introduce them to your current girls if that is your plan.

by Itslane615 Tue 11 Apr 2017, 7:37 pm

Ok. I am planning on getting them from the same place. They were living together but I was only able to get two. So I was planning on putting them all together

by Misi Fri 04 Jan 2019, 1:46 am

Hello, I have a question.... I am a new owner of mice and i have 3. First I got 1, the white one and later one black and orange (they do not have names yet, I have trouble deciding on names...). I have been trying to introduce them... in a neutral box they seem fine, but in a cleaned cage the white one is trying to assert dominance and there is a lot of chasing and screaming and I usually intervene. There has been no blood yet except mine. After that I remove the white one from the cage. I have read to let them figure it out, but the whole thing is extremely dramatic and I am unsure, wether should I REALLY do this? And what if these fights actually do escalate to blood beeing drawn? How long do these introductions usually take?

by Peachy Fri 04 Jan 2019, 8:34 am

Separating them and starting over can cause them to get frustrated and make things worse than they have to be. You HAVE to let them work out their hierarchy. It’s easier said than done because it can look bad and sound awful, I know, but it’s so necessary to take a couple steps back. Leave the room and check on them later.

It can take a couple weeks for a new colony to full settle. There are some things you can try to make it easier for all of you, but in the end you’re really going to have to finally just let them do what they need to do. Give them about a week to settle down before you try again. Hormones after incidents like this need some time to return to normal, so give them their time and work on taming them up some more. Tame mice often will do better during introductions. When you’re ready to introduce them put them in a larger neutral space like a tub, this gives them the chance to come check each other out on their own terms. Observe for 30 minutes and then move them all to a clean, neutral cage. It should be the minimum size at first so they’re encouraged to bond. A 10 gallon tank will work fine. After 5-10 minutes in their new setup you can toss in some food and water, and after some more time you can add in a clean hide that none of them have had before. A cardboard box works great for this step. The idea is that they learn to share essentials before they’re forced to share the fun stuff. If they do well you can add a wheel, this might cause a bit more bickering but keep in mind it’s normal and necessary. Good luck!

by Misi Fri 04 Jan 2019, 10:29 am

Thanks for the response. Before I saw it, I tried another thing. I put them together in the morning and left them in a neutral box until afternoon. Since they didn't have so much energy in the morning they just fell asleep together. They also fell asleep together later in cleaned cage with no toys, water bottle and some scattered food. I will see how they interact in the evening, when they become more active... do you think it is good idea to let them out in a larger safe space? Or can that ruin something?

by Peachy Fri 04 Jan 2019, 10:47 am

Taking them out for playtime is a great idea!

by Misi Fri 04 Jan 2019, 2:49 pm

Thank you very much for all your advice and reassurance. Later there was quite some drama but they sorted it out. When they were out they explored and didn't interact much, and when they got tired I put them in a cage with food and a bed in a wide roll and they are resting there now together. I hope we will be fine from now on with no major complications Smile

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