After years of no mice...

by Unicorn Wed 21 Dec 2016, 5:58 pm

Hello fellow Mousie Enthusiasts!

I have always, always loved animals, and over the years I have had many pets. As a child I raised quite a few mice, including an oops litter of ours and one of a friend. I had a couple of girls again about 7 years or so ago, before I left the country for grad school.

Well I'm back Stateside, lonely, bored, broke, and petless and so of course I built a bin cage and got myself a hamster. One day last week, I found out a local pet store was closing so the owner could retire. I went there to see if there were any amazing deals on toys for my spoiled hamster. I looked at all the critters because I always do.

Well.

The tank of mice broke my heart. Too crowded, all different ages, needed a cleaning. There was a dead one in there(!) and most of them didn't look so good. One of the few healthy looking ones, an impossibly tiny fuzzywuzz with a single perfect spot on his head, hopped up on the water bottle and looked at me. He reminded me of Pocket, one of the girls of 7 years ago. I couldn't save the whole tank, which still makes me feel a twinge, but I knew it wouldn't hurt to save one mouse, and I also knew I couldn't leave him behind- it might not matter to the world or to those poor others, but it'd matter to him.

Before I really knew what I was doing I'd come home with Flynn. After the holidays I will make him a nice bin too but for now he's in the old 10 gallon (I like a smaller home for rodents while I'm taming them). He gets playtime in the tub which I turn into Mouse Wonderland with a towel and a slew of toys. Sometimes I sit in the tub with him and let him get used to me.

I've had mice before and tons of rodent pets but... it's been a long time since Pocket and her sister, and I feel like there's a lot I don't remember about mice specifically! I'm worried about this little guy. When I first brought him home I was scared he might not be fully weaned, he was soooo tiny (he ate just fine, thankfully). I fret about his health even though I then also scold myself for being paranoid. His fur is looking much shinier, his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, bum, and dainty little feeties look clean and clear and normal, and he's no longer so skinny. He's growing, he's very, very active, has a good appetite and drinks plenty of water. But... is his condition... okay? He seems to have a bit of a potbelly, what if he has worms? is he too bony in the shoulder? I can't decide if he's too fat, too thin, just right, or simply a pet store mouse and therefore just sort of a normal ugly sort like me rather than a supermodel show mouse who has been bred to have perfect conformation and whatnot... maybe it's even just because he's in the awkward gangly stage of his mousie puberty (he's starting to grow his man-parts).

I was going to post photos but most of the ones I take of him consist of a motion blur with a tail sticking out of it. So here instead is a video of his cute self sniffing at me (and tasting me because mice are basically toddlers)- apologies for the quality of said video but I am still learning how to use my editing software.

Anyway, hi everyone! I look forward to telling you all about his progress and hearing about all of your mice too.

by CinnamonPearl Wed 21 Dec 2016, 7:39 pm

Welcome to the forum! What a deplorable pet store. How good of you to rescue little Flynn! Judging by the video, he looks a-okay to me. Only thing I noticed... How big is that wheel in his tank? It's hard to tell cause of the angle, but I worry it may be too small.

by AnonONIagent Wed 21 Dec 2016, 7:52 pm

How wonderful of you to help him out! Some pet stores are so awful; I went to one just recently where a poor mousie was missing an eye and the staff refused to do anything about it when I told them. She looked like she was in such miserable pain Sad

Needless to say I won't ever be shopping there again.

Flynn looks quite healthy to me! And cute as a button too!

by Unicorn Wed 21 Dec 2016, 9:15 pm

CinnamonPearl wrote:Only thing I noticed... How big is that wheel in his tank? It's hard to tell cause of the angle, but I worry it may be too small.

Thanks for the nice message! I'm so relieved he looks well. I was just really worried because of the conditions in that tank, but good to know he's developing normally and is now a healthy boy.

You're quite right on the wheel, actually- I'd originally got it when I got Hodag (my dwarf hamster), because they didn't have the next size up so I didn't have a size comparison and I thought I was getting the right size. I got a bigger one after that, and it's also the size that Flynn is going to need now, I just need to go and pick one up so I was using the old one when I first brought him home (since it was pretty unexpected the cage wasn't already set up)- he's actually grown a lot just in the week I've had him, here is what it was like when he first was using it...

"I running!" He wanted the yellow plastic cap in the middle so much. XD

I'm really excited- I adore my hamster but he doesn't give a fig if he doesn't see me in a couple days because he's busy in his hidey house doing important hamster things. Flynn comes out more and I'm very much hoping he'll be friendly and like a bit of a cuddle. I have taught Hodag a couple tricks with the clicker and I would like to try it with Flynn too but first we need to work on trust.

by Unicorn Wed 21 Dec 2016, 9:20 pm

AnonONIagent wrote:I went to one just recently where a poor mousie was missing an eye...

That is horrible! Ugh, I just don't like the way people treat live creatures in stores. Good on you for not shopping there.

Flynn looks quite healthy to me! And cute as a button too!

His fur is so pretty, lots of very subtle gradients in it, and I love the wee spot on his head. Sometimes he hunkers down into the palm of my hand and washes his face and I just melt. Love

by scaredymouse Wed 21 Dec 2016, 10:02 pm

Welcome to the group! Flynn is adorable

He looks fine to me, too. I have hamsters, too (as well as chinchillas and cats), but mice are so different. They are so gentle and sweet. I had mice as a kid and loved them but went without for many years, until my late 30's. Then I thought i should probably make up for lost time... So now i keep between 10-20 animals at all times, many if which are unwanted/abandoned. I can't get enough of these fur faces.

Anyway, congrats on Flynn and welcome Smile

by CinnamonPearl Wed 21 Dec 2016, 10:37 pm

Oh wait! The wheel looks fine actually. Is it 6" in diameter? If so, then it's good. Sorry!

by CallaLily Thu 22 Dec 2016, 7:39 am

Welcome. Flynn is adorable!

by Peachy Thu 22 Dec 2016, 11:11 am

Welcome!

Your Flynn is super cute, especially when he's playing in the wheel like that! Laughing

I love his name, too.

by Unicorn Thu 22 Dec 2016, 2:19 pm

CinnamonPearl wrote:Oh wait! The wheel looks fine actually. Is it 6" in diameter? If so, then it's good. Sorry!

No, see that's the thing- that's the smallest Silent Spinner (4.5 inch)! He was just that flipping tiny when he arrived.

I ordered him the next size up (6.5 inch). I have to order their food online now anyway as the pet shop stopped carrying Oxbow (sigh). I hope Chewy.com is good to do business with...