Should I quarantine if I have a depressed lone female?

by Molly_mouse Tue 03 Nov 2020, 12:37 am

My mouse, Ellie, is a lone female right now. Her sister, Molly, passed away on Friday and my mom was hoping not to get another mouse. We were going to see how she would do by herself, and then if needed we will get her friends. I have determined that she does need it, she’s obviously very stressed, she’s eating less, she’s cleaning herself way more often than she used to, and she’s sitting in a hunched position. I’ve been spending upwards of four hours a day with her since Friday, usually from 8-midnight. It seems like she’s been getting worse, and I’m worried she’s not eating enough. It would probably be another week until I could get another mouse, maybe less depending on if I can find an ethical breeder or one that’s been rehomed. When I do get the mouse, is it worth it to do the full quarantine? Or is it more beneficial to take the risk and make sure Ellie will be eating as much as she should and less stressed? All I’ve seen that she will eat is vegetables, gerber puffs, and one of the specific grains from her food mix. Treats she used to love like peanuts and seeds, she won’t even nibble at. I don’t know what to do. And I may be seeing things at this point, but I think she may look visibly skinnier. And, if I can’t ethically find a new mouse, should I consider getting a pet store mouse? Any insight at all would be amazing.

by M O U S E Tue 03 Nov 2020, 9:29 am

I am definitely no expert on this, but if your female mouse seems that unhealthy, than maybe you should take the risk. I would try to find another female as soon as possible. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to try this to help your mouse cope --> https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t150-step-by-step-fake-friend-instructions

by Molly_mouse Tue 03 Nov 2020, 1:10 pm

Okay, thank you! I’ll be sure to try that out and let you know how it goes, at the moment I’m trying to track down a female mouse.

by chiroptera Wed 04 Nov 2020, 11:14 pm

I might go ahead and get her a pet store friend if she's doing so poorly alone... mice not eating can be very serious.

What I've done before is take the new and old mice to the vet to get checked before intros, making sure they're healthy, which might be a good idea if it's something you're able to do.

by Molly_mouse Wed 04 Nov 2020, 11:32 pm

As an update: I was able to find a mouse from a local breeder so I'll feel more comfortable cutting quarantine short, and I've found a few things she will eat, and it's a very random selection of food. It includes seeds, but only ones that I have shelled, a specific grain, and kale. I'll be getting a pair of new mice in a few days and I've been spending a lot of time paying attention to her. Thank you for the vet tip, I'll definitely look into that! I'm hoping she can hold on and keep eating what she is eating until I get her new friends, and get everything sorted out. Thank you both for the advice!

by Sponsored content

Should I quarantine if I have a depressed lone female?

Should I quarantine if I have a depressed lone female?

Re: Should I quarantine if I have a depressed lone female?

Re: Should I quarantine if I have a depressed lone female?

Re: Should I quarantine if I have a depressed lone female?

Re: Should I quarantine if I have a depressed lone female?

Re: Should I quarantine if I have a depressed lone female?