My new boy!!
+12
EverythingAnimal
CallaLily
CinnamonPearl
MouseLover
Snootietoots
MesaMouse
Artistwolf
Rodents rock!
essentiallysue
scaredymouse
Peachy
AnonymousMouseOwner
16 posters
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Re: My new boy!!
Yeah, I just opened the cage to put food in and he started doing it again lol. Should I continue act like I'm not scared of him and ignore it? He does have such personality, I love it!
Re: My new boy!!
I haven't ever had to deal with this behavior but mabye I can offer suggestions?
Obviously take it slow and don't rush trying to handle him. What I would do is just rest my hand in the cage (don't move it) and wait to see if he chills out and becomes fine with the presence of your hand. Mabye you could even scatter some treats around his cage while your hand is in there? This way if he is just testing your dominance, it shows that you have some control but if he is just extremely territorial, you are not being too "invasive" and possibly showing him that you are not going to take his space.
I honestly have no idea if this will work, but personally, this is what I would at least try if my mouse was acting this way.
Obviously take it slow and don't rush trying to handle him. What I would do is just rest my hand in the cage (don't move it) and wait to see if he chills out and becomes fine with the presence of your hand. Mabye you could even scatter some treats around his cage while your hand is in there? This way if he is just testing your dominance, it shows that you have some control but if he is just extremely territorial, you are not being too "invasive" and possibly showing him that you are not going to take his space.
I honestly have no idea if this will work, but personally, this is what I would at least try if my mouse was acting this way.
MooMouse- Sr Member
- Join date : 2016-08-15
Posts : 274
Re: My new boy!!
Since he's so new, I do agree a bit more time to settle in may be best. Some mice are fine in their new home almost immediately. Others need a little more time. But if it keeps up, my advice would be to just go ahead and get him out of his tank and into a safe play space to work with him. It should improve from there. My only tail rattler so far didn't start with it until after she had already been here for some time, and was previously perfectly tame. She was just trying to bully me I think but I just kept up with what I needed to do in her tank and with playtime and she stopped. Though I did "tube" her to move her until she cut it out. It just made both of us more comfortable.
CallaLily- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 3937
Re: My new boy!!
Thanks for the advice, I will let him settle in for a few more days then, and then try just resting my hand in the cage and see how it goes.
Lol, on a side note, I think he likes paper bedding. He did this all himself, then started to dig tunnels all over, sometimes I can't even find him because he's buried under bedding!
Lol, on a side note, I think he likes paper bedding. He did this all himself, then started to dig tunnels all over, sometimes I can't even find him because he's buried under bedding!
Re: My new boy!!
At least you know he's enjoying his new home!
CallaLily- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 3937
Re: My new boy!!
AnonymousMouseOwner wrote:Thanks! I'm really not sure what he is! He does look to be a lot like a Himalayan though, so that would be my best guess.CinnamonPearl wrote:Oooooooooh he is so CUTE! I love his pattern? Is he a poor Himalayan or a broken agouti?
He's so sleepy ♥
Here's his new stuff!
oh, I got those same little carrot shaped chews and Mickey loves the one I gave him, it was a big hit!
Rodents rock!- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-06-27
Posts : 1818
Re: My new boy!!
I would think it's a warning, probably out of some fear since he is in a new place.AnonymousMouseOwner wrote:I put my hand in the cage and he thumped his foot on the ground really hard, then slapped his tail on the ground a few times, are these warning behaviors? If he's warning me not to pick him up, I don't blame him, the pet shop employees grabbed him by the tip of his tail to pick him up...
In gerbils, when they get startled or scared they start rapidly thumping their back feet. Since gerbils are social animals, it's to warn the others that danger is near.Â
Darn petshot employees picking him up by the tip of his tail, they make me mad.
Rodents rock!- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-06-27
Posts : 1818
Re: My new boy!!
Ooh, gorgeous! I love the uncommon patterns on mice. Scout reminds me of the poor variegateds I've had.
Re: My new boy!!
I put my hand in the tank for a few minutes today and he gave me a good little bite on the tip of my finger, didn't break the skin but I could feel it. I continued to keep my hand in the cage and he started the tail thumping thing again, so I just decided to quit for the day... He is acting a little more scared now, like he'll try hiding, then he tries the tail thumping.
Re: My new boy!!
What I would do is get him out of his tank and into neutral territory. Lure him into a toilet paper tube or box and then take him out and bring him to the bathtub. It sounds like he's defending his turf.
CinnamonPearl- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-06
Posts : 1725
Re: My new boy!!
Whaaaat? How could such cuteness even dream of biting?
I'd start getting him out of his house to play, too. Hopefully getting to know you on neutral territory will help him learn that you're not a threat.
If he keeps up the biting, make you sure correct it by gently blowing on him. One of my boy's territorial biting got so out of control that I could hardly latch his door without him coming after my fingers.
I'd start getting him out of his house to play, too. Hopefully getting to know you on neutral territory will help him learn that you're not a threat.
If he keeps up the biting, make you sure correct it by gently blowing on him. One of my boy's territorial biting got so out of control that I could hardly latch his door without him coming after my fingers.
Peachy- Moderator
- Join date : 2016-04-06
Posts : 3165
Re: My new boy!!
I agree about getting him out on neutral territory - it could well be possible that he's trying to protect his bachelor turf Go careful getting him out though. You may want to let him crawl into a mug or a tube or something so that you don't have to actually pick him up.
Re: My new boy!!
If you have trouble getting him to crawl into something, add some treats in whatever you use to entice him in.
Rodents rock!- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-06-27
Posts : 1818
Re: My new boy!!
OK! So, today I put a TP tube in his cage. He walked up to it and acted as if it were my hand, tail rattling at it, biting it, and trying to hide from it and push it away. Eventually, he got in it, and I picked it up as fast as I could before he could run out. I put a hand on each side of the TP tube and waited. He kept going kinda halfway onto my hand, which is what my girls do, and I could feel his teeth trying to bite me a few times, so I blew on him every time I felt him do that, boy did he hate it. Then, after about 20 minutes of waiting, he just plopped down in the middle of the tube like he was going to go to sleep, so stubborn! Â I let him go back in his tank after that. Could he just be scared and biting/tail rattling out of fear, rather than territorial issues?
I did manage to get this cute video of him though, lol.
I did manage to get this cute video of him though, lol.
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