Five Ladies and One Handsome Man

by LunaHyzen Fri 02 Jun 2017, 1:01 am

(I apologize this is long, I talk a lot when it comes to my pets!)

I have five female mice and one male mouse. Three are pet shop mice, one was adopted, and two were rehomed to me.

My Mice:
~Calcifer is the sweetest boy in the whole world. He greets me when I come home. He runs up and down his cage when he sees me come into my room. He wants to come out and run around! He has small tower made of tubes he likes to sit atop and just watch. I always saw he’s my knight in shining armor, protecting me while I sleep!
~Melon has never been the social mouse. She’s not mean, just shy and doesn’t like to be handled. She and Layla are always seen together.
~Layla is my biggest girl and is very tolerant of nearly everything. She doesn’t try to get away when you pick her up and just kinda hangs out while waiting for her best bud, Melon, to join her on my shoulder.
~Daisy has been a wild ride - from being the smallest sickly mouse to dominating the newbies. She is the most ok with being picked up and is mostly curious about me. She always make a beeline to crawl into my hair and hide out in my bun!
~Gemma is a shy girl that loves food. I nearly always see her hanging out by their food dish, checking it often. She usually sleeps with her sister, Sylvia.
~Sylvia has been complicated. I thought she would be the outgoing one of the pair when I got her and her sister. But upon being introduced to Daisy, she was demoted to the bottom of their group nd reminded daily. She has suffered some bites and scratches but has healed and now her roommates never harm and groom her often. She’s a little skittish but very curious.

Our Story:
I started with three female mice on August 30th, 2016. I'd been considering between mice and hamsters which is silly now considering I have six mice and three hamsters! But at the time there were three females at the pet store. I purchased all three and we had some ups and downs as one lagged behind the others. Two, Melon and Layla, were fastly outgrowing their other roomie, Daisy. I separated her out, worried she might be ill but after a month of isolation she had completely caught up with the other two and was reunited with them. There were a lot of issues with hierarchy. Melon definitely took alpha and made sure Layla was her beta with Daisy on the bottom. Now, I haven't seen them squabble in several months.
On October 10th, I saw two adorable brother up for adoption at the same Petsmart I'd gotten my girls. I had to have them! Unfortunately, they were housed together are were constantly fighting so both her quite beat up even though they slept next to each other. I kept them housed together for maybe a day before I saw blood and separated them immediately. They then became neighbors and were very happy about it. They had names when I got them, but they didn't fit them so I renamed them Magnus and Calcifer. Since then, Magnus passed away from a brain tumor.
On February 22nd, 2017, I added two more girls to my fur family. They were being rehomed because of their owner's allergies and would have likely ended up as snake food otherwise. But they were gorgeous, two satin girls, one gold and one silver, with red eyes. The previous owner didn't tell me their names so I named them Gemma and Sylvia. I housed them nearby my other girls and let them meet several times briefly before they all moved in together. At first, Daisy beat the heck out of Sylvia and would have to be put in time out for varying lengths of time. Eventually, I moved all five of them to a 10g tank and, though I hated them being in such a small space, they were forced to get over their differences and bond with each other. And, after about a month, it worked. I didn't hear any squeaks at all and Sylvia wasn't being bitten anymore. They have since been moved back into their bigger tank and have had only minor arguments. Melon still rules the tank, Layla follows her, Daisy makes sure Sylvia is kept in her place, Gemma gets fat, and Sylvia runs on the wheel when Daisy isn't looking!
I knew I would like mice but seeing them every day has given me the chance to learn so much about them.
First of all, they're *smart*. At one time, I discovered Melon had been sneaking out through a space the size of nickel and stealing sunflower seeds and chewing holes in all my food bags. They now have a lid and the food is in jars.
Second, they’re funny! I would watch Magnus run as fast as he possibly could while Calcifer would take leisurely strolls on his wheel.
Third, they all have distinct personalities. I could probably guess who was who just by a friend describing how they’re acting! I know their routines and little hobbies and behavior. I love every thing they do with their time.

by scaredymouse Fri 02 Jun 2017, 8:58 am

That was quite a read! I have a Magnus! Sorry to hear you lost yours. That's quite a story about Melon sneaking out! And it sounds like you've managed all your female drama well! Those ladies love their drama.

Welcome to the forum!

by CallaLily Fri 02 Jun 2017, 9:52 am

Your mice sound adorable, I loved reading about them! I LOVE the name Calcifer (Howl's Moving Castle, right? -one of my favs-) I used to have a crested gecko called Calcifer (often Calcifer-fer Laughing

).

by Peachy Fri 02 Jun 2017, 10:48 am

Welcome to you and your mice! Mouse Wave

They sound like a delightful group! I had a girl that was my hair's biggest fan, too. When I packed away my hoodies for the summer, she took to napping in my buns instead. It was always a task wrangling her out of there. Giggling

by Rodents rock! Fri 02 Jun 2017, 9:38 pm

Welcome! Can you share some photos of your pets with us? Want to put faces with names Very Happy

by LunaHyzen Sun 04 Jun 2017, 11:37 pm

Sylvia - silver
Gemma - yellow
Melon - brown and white
Layla - black, mostly white
Daisy - white, mostly black
Cal - the single photo because he's not allowed with the girls!
And the last picture was when my rabbit thought he was a mouse. He was mistaken! (sorry the cage is such a mess, it was going through remodeling!)

Five Ladies and One Handsome Man 17349964_1802853473065487_5590711067031356775_o