Female mouse with no interest in social grooming

by ErinTruffle Fri 05 Mar 2021, 9:09 pm

Hi, I am brand new here. I really wanted to get some insight from other people who observe mice. So please forgive my empty profile I just could not wait to ask about this behavior.

Has anybody else observed this behavior? healthy female mouse with no interest in social grooming, does not groom her cage mate, squeaks and does not tolerate cage mate touching her in that way for even one second.
No barbering. No fighting. Still sleeps together. They get a lot of enrichment and playtime out of their tank daily.

this mouse acts just like my old mouse Truffle who passed away couple couple years ago (lived over two years tho, I loved her, had a cage mate too originally but they passed early). I swear they’re related... tho I have no proof. They look identical and have the same energy and temperament.

Is it just antisocial behavior? Do some female mice have antisocial tendencies?

Having witnessed it with two different mice now.. I just want to know if anyone else sees this. Because when I look up care guides, female mouse behavior is always lumped together and I only receive advice about fighting vs not fighting or barbering. But I am specifically asking about normal social grooming.

by Dee67 Fri 05 Mar 2021, 11:11 pm

Hi @ErinTruffle and welcome. I don't have any advice but if your girls are happy together then that's good.

by ErinTruffle Sat 06 Mar 2021, 9:54 am

Dee67 wrote:Hi @ErinTruffle and welcome. I don't have any advice but if your girls are happy together then that's good.

they are happy that they have plenty of enrichment and exercise and they’re comfortable and get attention and they get along as cage mates, but with the lack of social grooming as an important social interaction I worry that Tangy will be disappointed. Unfortunately adding another mouse is not on my horizon so I am hoping that they learn to be satisfied with how things are. Or Olive can chill out and let grooming happen sometimes..
Sometimes after yelling at Tangy to stop and running away I see Olive groom herself, she just seems like she doesn’t want Tangy to mess with her fur.
Currently We’ve decided to try and give Tangy more attention, she might be going through a very social phase as she’s growing up.

by River Sat 06 Mar 2021, 1:40 pm

Is it just a pair? If so, it might be worth considering changing the colony into a trio or a group of four. With pairs, there's always a chance the mice (while they may get along fine) won't be the best of friends. Adding more to the group adds more personalities for them to connect with, so it may better fulfill their social needs. I've never had this issue myself but it's not uncommon. Smile

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Female mouse with no interest in social grooming

Female mouse with no interest in social grooming

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