Tricks, but no Treats! D:

by Degare Tue 27 Dec 2016, 4:25 pm

I have a cute little girl, named Pumpkin.
She's very shy, but also very friendly. She's not too adventurous, she just wants to mostly stay on me (in the "hand cup", on my arms, and on my shoulder near my neck). She's keen on giving little kisses, and chittering to me happily. I love her.

But here's my problem;
I want to teach her many things, and I have no doubt that she's smart.
I want to start by teaching her to come when called, and then to fetch, etc.
But to do this, you need to reward them with treats...

She has zero interest in treats... Maybe it's because her food is too awesome (but I don't want to change it, it's good for her). Or maybe it's just because she's a cuddler, and not a glutton... I dunno.

How do I teach her to do... anything, if she doesn't care about treats?

Misc. Notes:
Food: Sweet Harvest "Rodent and More" by Kaylor of Colorado.
Cage: Tiny "critter keeper" (this is her "bed", not her "living space" - she spends most of her time out with me).
Bedding Material: Kaytee Clean and Cozy, White (that fluffy paper stuff).
Hide: Small "igloo" with fluffy stuff.
Chews: Yes.
Wheel: Silent Spinner (no bars so she can't break her toes).
Treats: Dehydrated Papaya and Pineapple. Fresh Apple. Raw Sunflower Seeds. Lay's Baked Potato Chip Crumbs.

by Bthny Tue 27 Dec 2016, 9:16 pm

All of my girls have been treat motivated, so I haven't tried anything else with mice for long term use, but here's a few ideas that might be worth a try.

It sounds like she's comfortable/wants to be with you, so one option would be to use yourself as a reward. For example, you would use your finger to lure her through the activity, and then let her climb on your hand to cuddle instead of a treat.

Another option is to use a toy she's interested in as a reward. This works pretty well for dogs and potentially could for mice. I unintentionally used this on one of my mice a few times. I had a thin wooden chew that she would follow over her agility obstacles to catch and play with it.

by scaredymouse Wed 28 Dec 2016, 1:15 am

What kind of treats have you tried?

by AnonymousMouseOwner Wed 28 Dec 2016, 1:19 am

scaredymouse wrote:What kind of treats have you tried?

They put a list of treats in their post, in small letters towards the bottom. Smile

by scaredymouse Wed 28 Dec 2016, 1:41 am

Ah, I see (kinda)! I'm on my phone, it's late here, and I don't have my glasses on Smile

So, here are some mouse favorites: Plain cheerios (up to 7 a day), dried mealworms (3 per day), raw pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, rice Krispies, millet sprays, walnuts/pecans. I go to the bulk section at the grocery store and grab a handful of things like pumpkin seeds, coconut and raw nuts, it lasts a long time for a mouse. You can find the mealworms in the bird section at the pet store, they are less expensive than the reptile section.

What is the fluffy stuff in her igloo? If it's that cottony stuff at the pet store, it's not safe. It's to best to just use shredded toilet paper.

I understand she spends most of her time with you, but is the critter keeper her only residence?

Mice shouldn't be without access to water for more than a half hour, does she have water available when she's out?

FYI, it might take her a few times to try something new. I promise, she will want something on that list. All of my mice come running when they hear me, they know I have the treats.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Wed 28 Dec 2016, 1:47 am

I second what Scaredy said, I made a list of treats here if you're interested: https://petmousefanciers.forumotion.com/t1124-5-great-mouse-treats

Those are just some ideas for treats, my list doesn't contain every great mouse treat. Scaredy covered most of them Smile

by Degare Thu 29 Dec 2016, 1:51 am

Her nesting material is this stuff... Though she hasn't shredded it yet, she just seems content using her regular floor-litter.

I've added a live mealworm, and a lucky charms (both the grain part and the marshmallow). No interest so far.

Mice shouldn't be without access to water for more than a half hour, does she have water available when she's out?

Because of this, I've started playing with her in half-hour segments, with 15 minute breaks back in her home. (she does drink almost as soon as I put her in - I'm certainly not used to having such a small animal, that's for sure!)

by AnonymousMouseOwner Thu 29 Dec 2016, 1:59 am

Degare wrote:Her nesting material is this stuff... Though she hasn't shredded it yet, she just seems content using her regular floor-litter.

I've added a live mealworm, and a lucky charms (both the grain part and the marshmallow). No interest so far.

Mice shouldn't be without access to water for more than a half hour, does she have water available when she's out?
Because of this, I've started playing with her in half-hour segments, with 15 minute breaks back in her home. (she does drink almost as soon as I put her in - I'm certainly not used to having such a small animal, that's for sure!)

That nesting material should be removed, it's not safe. She could ingest it and it could cause serious harm.

by scaredymouse Sat 31 Dec 2016, 7:16 pm

The nesting material is not safe. The cotton fibers can get tangled up in their stomach and cause serious problems. It's best to just throw it away. You can give her plain shredded toilet paper. They love it! I'm glad she's getting more frequent water breaks Smile

Keep trying with the treats, lol. She may just be slow to try new things. She's a mouse, treats are in her DNA!

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