Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
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CallaLily
stephlisa
Peachy
danistarr24
8 posters
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Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by danistarr24 Wed 18 Oct 2017, 12:13 am
Hi everyone,
Please move this to a more general care section if it doesn't count as an emergency.
Basically, in my chemistry class this evening, a baby mouse was found scampering throughout the room. A girl easily scooped her up, and my professor put the mouse in a large rubbermaid bin with the lid propped open. She is definitely a pet mouse, as she is white with a brown hood, and super social. I tore up some paper and kleenex, and put that in there so the poor mousey had something to burrow in as the classroom was cold and I'm sure she was scared. We assume she came from the biology lab. At the end of class, I asked my professor what was going to happen to the mouse, and he said he didn't know. He asked if anyone wanted to take the mouse home, I said yes, and here we are. (I'm assuming if she was part of the biology lab, then she would be used for behavioral or other types of experiments, but now she won't!
I have had pet rats and gerbils before, and my sister has had syrian hamsters, but never mice, and it's been years since I had rats. Age wise, I'm guessing 5 weeks or so? She has her eyes open, crawling around well, and matches the photos I looked up online I think.
When I got home, I tried to set her up a bit better. I googled some foods safe for mice, as I wasn't sure when she ate last, and put a small bit of water inside a small rubbermaid lid. Food wise, I currently have crumbled special k and wheat bread, chopped blueberries, blackberries, apples, canned green beans, and carrots (like tiny microscopic pieces), cooked brown rice and moistened/chopped dried royal canine ultamino (hydrolyzed protein for hypoallergenic dogs) dog food (2 kibble pieces). There's less than 1tbsp each of wet and dry foods I'd say. She licked the fruit/veggies, lapped up some water, and nibbled on a tiny bit of the dog kibble and a tiny bit on a cereal crumble.
I also lined the bin with paper towels, shredded paper towels, toilet paper, and put in a toilet paper tube and popcorn box I cut a hole in and shoved in some shredded toilet paper.
She was really lethargic two hours ago, but after drinking water and eating a couple crumb bites she has perked up a bit. She was happily climbing on the box, burrowing in the paper towels, and playing in the tube.
Is there anything else I need to do right now? Do I need to get some KMR formula? She seems to be scratching/grooming a lot, but doesn't have any hair loss, sores, or anything of that nature. And it could just be the normal amount, but I'm not used to it/overly paranoid about scratching. Are there any diseases I should be concerned about?
Tomorrow, I was planning on buying:
-water bottle and water dish (in the event it takes her awhile to learn how to use a water bottle)
-ceramic food dishes
-10, 15, or 20 gallon long aquarium with wire lid (whatever I can find basically, at least for now prefer larger but I am riding the bus so I can't go to multiple places) as I don't want to worry about cockroaches getting inside the cage, otherwise, I'd get a large wire cage (despite multiple treatments, living in CA apartment building, it's not uncommon to see one or two every month or so)
-plastic smooth mouse wheel (my sister had hamsters, so I know that the wire ones can hurt feetsies)
-wood chews to gnaw on
-carefresh or similar bedding
-hideout of some sort
-mouse food (what is the best, easily found brand?)
Anything I'm forgetting? I'd research stuff a lot more, but it is midterms week right now.
Thank you so much!
Please move this to a more general care section if it doesn't count as an emergency.
Basically, in my chemistry class this evening, a baby mouse was found scampering throughout the room. A girl easily scooped her up, and my professor put the mouse in a large rubbermaid bin with the lid propped open. She is definitely a pet mouse, as she is white with a brown hood, and super social. I tore up some paper and kleenex, and put that in there so the poor mousey had something to burrow in as the classroom was cold and I'm sure she was scared. We assume she came from the biology lab. At the end of class, I asked my professor what was going to happen to the mouse, and he said he didn't know. He asked if anyone wanted to take the mouse home, I said yes, and here we are. (I'm assuming if she was part of the biology lab, then she would be used for behavioral or other types of experiments, but now she won't!
I have had pet rats and gerbils before, and my sister has had syrian hamsters, but never mice, and it's been years since I had rats. Age wise, I'm guessing 5 weeks or so? She has her eyes open, crawling around well, and matches the photos I looked up online I think.
When I got home, I tried to set her up a bit better. I googled some foods safe for mice, as I wasn't sure when she ate last, and put a small bit of water inside a small rubbermaid lid. Food wise, I currently have crumbled special k and wheat bread, chopped blueberries, blackberries, apples, canned green beans, and carrots (like tiny microscopic pieces), cooked brown rice and moistened/chopped dried royal canine ultamino (hydrolyzed protein for hypoallergenic dogs) dog food (2 kibble pieces). There's less than 1tbsp each of wet and dry foods I'd say. She licked the fruit/veggies, lapped up some water, and nibbled on a tiny bit of the dog kibble and a tiny bit on a cereal crumble.
I also lined the bin with paper towels, shredded paper towels, toilet paper, and put in a toilet paper tube and popcorn box I cut a hole in and shoved in some shredded toilet paper.
She was really lethargic two hours ago, but after drinking water and eating a couple crumb bites she has perked up a bit. She was happily climbing on the box, burrowing in the paper towels, and playing in the tube.
Is there anything else I need to do right now? Do I need to get some KMR formula? She seems to be scratching/grooming a lot, but doesn't have any hair loss, sores, or anything of that nature. And it could just be the normal amount, but I'm not used to it/overly paranoid about scratching. Are there any diseases I should be concerned about?
Tomorrow, I was planning on buying:
-water bottle and water dish (in the event it takes her awhile to learn how to use a water bottle)
-ceramic food dishes
-10, 15, or 20 gallon long aquarium with wire lid (whatever I can find basically, at least for now prefer larger but I am riding the bus so I can't go to multiple places) as I don't want to worry about cockroaches getting inside the cage, otherwise, I'd get a large wire cage (despite multiple treatments, living in CA apartment building, it's not uncommon to see one or two every month or so)
-plastic smooth mouse wheel (my sister had hamsters, so I know that the wire ones can hurt feetsies)
-wood chews to gnaw on
-carefresh or similar bedding
-hideout of some sort
-mouse food (what is the best, easily found brand?)
Anything I'm forgetting? I'd research stuff a lot more, but it is midterms week right now.
Thank you so much!
Last edited by danistarr24 on Wed 18 Oct 2017, 12:27 am; edited 1 time in total
danistarr24- New Member
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danistarr24- New Member
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by danistarr24 Wed 18 Oct 2017, 12:19 am
And please ignore the large pieces of food. I have since chopped it up more and only put a fraction of it back in. That was just when I got home and I was trying to figure out what to feed her.
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by Peachy Wed 18 Oct 2017, 12:30 am
Awww. She's so teensy and cute! What a fun way to get into mouse keeping. lol
Check out this link for lots of informative threads. The Itching and Hair loss one has some information on how to treat for mites, which is recommended even as just a precaution. https://petmousefanciers.forumotion.com/t1230-mouse-sticky-index
I wouldn't bother with KMR. Just lots of yummy food and keep her warm. Scrambled or boiled eggs are good and often enjoyed. The link I shared above has a "Mouse Diet" thread that has a few good food recommendations (or at the least, good starting points).
You also might consider getting her a mousey friend or two (if you're certain she's female) down the road.
Check out this link for lots of informative threads. The Itching and Hair loss one has some information on how to treat for mites, which is recommended even as just a precaution. https://petmousefanciers.forumotion.com/t1230-mouse-sticky-index
I wouldn't bother with KMR. Just lots of yummy food and keep her warm. Scrambled or boiled eggs are good and often enjoyed. The link I shared above has a "Mouse Diet" thread that has a few good food recommendations (or at the least, good starting points).
You also might consider getting her a mousey friend or two (if you're certain she's female) down the road.
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by danistarr24 Wed 18 Oct 2017, 12:58 am
Peachy wrote:Awww. She's so teensy and cute! What a fun way to get into mouse keeping. lol
Check out this link for lots of informative threads. The Itching and Hair loss one has some information on how to treat for mites, which is recommended even as just a precaution. https://petmousefanciers.forumotion.com/t1230-mouse-sticky-index
I wouldn't bother with KMR. Just lots of yummy food and keep her warm. Scrambled or boiled eggs are good and often enjoyed. The link I shared above has a "Mouse Diet" thread that has a few good food recommendations (or at the least, good starting points).
You also might consider getting her a mousey friend or two (if you're certain she's female) down the road.
Thanks for the advice! I'll order some of the ivermectin (the one listed, non oral) to use as a precaution, and will freeze everything I bring home. I had no idea carefresh bedding transmitted parasites, I've never had a problem with it before, but good to know now. I'd rather be safer than sorry.
The links were really helpful. I just skimmed them quickly, but saw what brands of food/foods to feed, basic cage set up, mite treatment, and how to sex. Saw the thread about why not to introduce male mice to each other, good to know. I think she is a girl, but I'll look more tomorrow.
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by stephlisa Wed 18 Oct 2017, 6:38 am
I'll just recommend you double and triple check the sex before getting more females. As a note, males can hide the easily defining parts very well!
A 10 gallon tank will be perfect for 1 boy or 3 females if you're worried about space.
For wheels, make sure its at least 7" (I think) to avoid getting wheel-tail Either that or get a medium sized flying saucer wheel. The plastic comfort wheels are good and you can also use mesh wheels (not the barred kind).
You don't need to buy lots of toys - toilet roll tubes, eggboxes, boxes, homemade lollystick toys are all great too!
A 10 gallon tank will be perfect for 1 boy or 3 females if you're worried about space.
For wheels, make sure its at least 7" (I think) to avoid getting wheel-tail Either that or get a medium sized flying saucer wheel. The plastic comfort wheels are good and you can also use mesh wheels (not the barred kind).
You don't need to buy lots of toys - toilet roll tubes, eggboxes, boxes, homemade lollystick toys are all great too!
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by CallaLily Wed 18 Oct 2017, 7:32 am
I think all of your questions have been answered but I wanted to say welcome! 
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by danistarr24 Wed 18 Oct 2017, 5:49 pm
Some more photos!
The mousey habitat! I'm planning on getting a glass water bottle and making it more exciting.
Oh my gosh he is so whittle! Eeeeeh
Thank you for the information and advice above!
I *think* he is a boy, I'll post a picture tomorrow. He was fine with being picked up, but excited to go back in his cozy den to snooze, so I want to let him be for now. Lol
A few questions:
1) What size flying saucer wheel do I need? I was going to get the silent spinners, but the mice at the petstore all had flying saucer wheels and seemed to love them. I read where people were recommending the medium one, but it was huge in comparison. The one I got is 5", the medium was 7.5." I read 6.5" being the perfect size, but that wasn't available. Would having 2 wheels be more beneficial, such as 1 silent spinner and 1 saucer?
2) Would a couple suction cup corner shower caddies be safe for him? I was thinking of ways to add more toys and what not without cluttering the tank, and used to do that with my hermit crabs. Like this, but with a ladder or bridge instead of a net:
The mousey habitat! I'm planning on getting a glass water bottle and making it more exciting.
Oh my gosh he is so whittle! Eeeeeh
Thank you for the information and advice above!
I *think* he is a boy, I'll post a picture tomorrow. He was fine with being picked up, but excited to go back in his cozy den to snooze, so I want to let him be for now. Lol
A few questions:
1) What size flying saucer wheel do I need? I was going to get the silent spinners, but the mice at the petstore all had flying saucer wheels and seemed to love them. I read where people were recommending the medium one, but it was huge in comparison. The one I got is 5", the medium was 7.5." I read 6.5" being the perfect size, but that wasn't available. Would having 2 wheels be more beneficial, such as 1 silent spinner and 1 saucer?
2) Would a couple suction cup corner shower caddies be safe for him? I was thinking of ways to add more toys and what not without cluttering the tank, and used to do that with my hermit crabs. Like this, but with a ladder or bridge instead of a net:
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by AnonymousMouseOwner Wed 18 Oct 2017, 6:09 pm
The medium saucer wheel is best, yes. He should grow into it, he's just a baby right now! 6.5 is the minimum size, as in the smallest recommended. 7-8 inches is better
I'm not sure about the suction cup idea, hopefully someone else can come along and let you know if it's safe or not. But about not cluttering the cage, I suggest checking out our housing pictures thread for an idea of how a setup should look. Mice love cluttered cages, especially young, active mice! They love climbing, chewing things up, and hiding in small, tight spaces. They like to have their cage packed with toys and activities to do.
He's so cute! I've been reading this thread, just haven't replied yet. It's so great that you saved him and gave him such a good home!
I'm not sure about the suction cup idea, hopefully someone else can come along and let you know if it's safe or not. But about not cluttering the cage, I suggest checking out our housing pictures thread for an idea of how a setup should look. Mice love cluttered cages, especially young, active mice! They love climbing, chewing things up, and hiding in small, tight spaces. They like to have their cage packed with toys and activities to do.
He's so cute! I've been reading this thread, just haven't replied yet. It's so great that you saved him and gave him such a good home!
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by danistarr24 Wed 18 Oct 2017, 6:17 pm
AnonymousMouseOwner wrote:The medium saucer wheel is best, yes. He should grow into it, he's just a baby right now! 6.5 is the minimum size, as in the smallest recommended. 7-8 inches is better
I'm not sure about the suction cup idea, hopefully someone else can come along and let you know if it's safe or not. But about not cluttering the cage, I suggest checking out our housing pictures thread for an idea of how a setup should look. Mice love cluttered cages, especially young, active mice! They love climbing, chewing things up, and hiding in small, tight spaces. They like to have their cage packed with toys and activities to do.
He's so cute! I've been reading this thread, just haven't replied yet. It's so great that you saved him and gave him such a good home!
Oh goody, the medium one was this beautiful aqua green color! The suction cups wouldn't be sticking up, I'd get ones that don't protrude into mouse chewing territory. I was looking at some of the housing photos, a lot of neat ideas. Do mice like to have some empty floor space for scampering though? I do plan to add a lot more toys. This is more of just a temporary set up, so it is more than I'd like.
Any idea what cages these panels are from? I really like this idea (excluding how barren the cage is. The mesh panels would be great to hang and attach things to!).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXoZN1kmr-s
I wasn't  planning on ever having a mouse, but I'm happy I have him now <3
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by Peachy Wed 18 Oct 2017, 6:19 pm
Oh my gosh. *He* is the cutest! I love his markings, his color, and his face!! Does he have a name?
Saucer wheels are big and they do take up some space! Check out these easy (and fun) ideas to raise them up and make double use of the floor space:
Those came from this thread, which has a lot more DIY popsicle stick toy ideas: https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t47-homemade-popsicle-stick-toys
Suction cups are fine if your mouse will leave them alone. I've used them to hang hammocks before. Great idea!
Saucer wheels are big and they do take up some space! Check out these easy (and fun) ideas to raise them up and make double use of the floor space:
Those came from this thread, which has a lot more DIY popsicle stick toy ideas: https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t47-homemade-popsicle-stick-toys
Suction cups are fine if your mouse will leave them alone. I've used them to hang hammocks before. Great idea!
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by CallaLily Wed 18 Oct 2017, 6:27 pm
I saw someone post here using the corner caddies for their mice a little while back and kicked myself because I too use them for my hermit crabs. I hadn't thought of using them for the mice until that post...I can't remember who it was. Anywho, I put one in last months setup (I do full cleans weekly and change/swap things around at that time but generally stick with the same theme for the month) and they used it and never chewed it. It was a great spot for treats and saying hi.
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by Rodents rock! Wed 18 Oct 2017, 7:23 pm
Hi and welcome! Your new little friend is absolutely adorable!!! A good base diet for mice is Vitakraft VitaSmart Parakeet food. I've used the suction cup things before to add new levels to my mouse's tank, but one time one of them fell, so now I don't use them anymore as I'm scared to. What are you naming your new friend?
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by Rodents rock! Wed 18 Oct 2017, 7:41 pm
Oh, I wanted to add, I use Carefresh bedding without freezing it and have never had any problems with it.
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Re: Rescued baby mouse in classroom! Help please!
by danistarr24 Thu 19 Oct 2017, 12:09 am
Sorry I'm not individually replying to posts, I have a project for school to do right now. :p I really appreciate all the feedback and advice though!
I used heavy duty suction cups for my hermies, but I'll be sure to be careful.
Food wise, I got the vita subscription dwarf hamster formula that was listed in one of the links above.
I'll get him a larger wheel though! I have no problem getting the prettier one, especially if that is what he needs.
Oh thank goodness. I told my sister that, as she uses carefresh for her guinea pigs kitchen, and she said she doesn't either. My freezer is so tiny and so full right now!
I've decided if he is indeed a boy, he will be named Oliver from Oliver and Company. If he is actually a girl, either Sophia/Sophie (I just  love the name) Sabrina (back in HS, I was obsessed with Sabrina the Teenage Witch) Olivia (Law and Order SVU) or Marnie (sounds cute, also from Halloweentown that I used to watch as a kid).
Side story. I found out my beloved kitty of 10 years had jaw cancer back in October 2015. Yesterday actually was 2 years from the day that I had to send her to kitty rainbow bridge. To say that I've been heartbroken and struggling with the grief of losing her would be an understatement. I adopted her a wee bitty thing, and grew up with her. Today though, instead of feeling immense sadness and heartbreak when I thought about her, I actually smiled as I thought about happy memories. Finding little Oliver was meant to be! Â
I used heavy duty suction cups for my hermies, but I'll be sure to be careful.
Food wise, I got the vita subscription dwarf hamster formula that was listed in one of the links above.
I'll get him a larger wheel though! I have no problem getting the prettier one, especially if that is what he needs.
Oh thank goodness. I told my sister that, as she uses carefresh for her guinea pigs kitchen, and she said she doesn't either. My freezer is so tiny and so full right now!
I've decided if he is indeed a boy, he will be named Oliver from Oliver and Company. If he is actually a girl, either Sophia/Sophie (I just  love the name) Sabrina (back in HS, I was obsessed with Sabrina the Teenage Witch) Olivia (Law and Order SVU) or Marnie (sounds cute, also from Halloweentown that I used to watch as a kid).
Side story. I found out my beloved kitty of 10 years had jaw cancer back in October 2015. Yesterday actually was 2 years from the day that I had to send her to kitty rainbow bridge. To say that I've been heartbroken and struggling with the grief of losing her would be an understatement. I adopted her a wee bitty thing, and grew up with her. Today though, instead of feeling immense sadness and heartbreak when I thought about her, I actually smiled as I thought about happy memories. Finding little Oliver was meant to be! Â
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