Mouse parent in Seattle!

by masonbee Wed 05 Apr 2017, 9:43 am

Hey Everyone!
My name's Mason, I'm a non-binary person living in Seattle, Wa! I rescued 2 fancy mice a couple weeks ago, and am totally in love with my new girls. The were abandoned in an apartment when the previous owner moved out, in a little cage with only their names(Bridget and Judith) and what I assume to be a birthdate on it (August 29th, I guess they're both virgos? Razz

)
Besides the mice, I have two, very sweet and stupid chubby cats, Eb and Flo. Don't worry, they only get to be in the same room as the mice when supervised!
I also found out recently that my girl Judith, who I'd previously thought was the lazier/shyer of the two, is actually pregnant! Whoa!
Anyway, I'd love to get some tips and tricks from more experienced owners, and maybe help from anyone in the Seattle area!

by stephlisa Wed 05 Apr 2017, 12:14 pm

Hiya! Welcome to the forum!

I just wanted to say that if Judith is pregnant, have you thought about checking the gender of the other mouse? You know...just in case Bridget happens to actually be male as it isn't recommended to keep male and female mice together (unless you're deliberating breeding them of course!).
Many people here have had experiences with mouse pregnancies (sadly not me though) so if you've got any questions do feel free to ask.

But yeah, welcome to the forum and good luck with the pregnancy! Also...I love the names of your cats Very Happy

by CallaLily Wed 05 Apr 2017, 1:35 pm

I don't have any experience with pregnant mice but there are a few active members who have. Hopefully they'll be by soon with some advice. Smile

In the meantime, if you haven't already, check out the Breeding Packet.

by masonbee Wed 05 Apr 2017, 2:45 pm

stephlisa wrote:Hiya! Welcome to the forum!

I just wanted to say that if Judith is pregnant, have you thought about checking the gender of the other mouse? You know...just in case Bridget happens to actually be male as it isn't recommended to keep male and female mice together (unless you're deliberating breeding them of course!).
Many people here have had experiences with mouse pregnancies (sadly not me though) so if you've got any questions do feel free to ask.

But yeah, welcome to the forum and good luck with the pregnancy! Also...I love the names of your cats

Ah thank you!
And I have! I've read a little bit about sexing, and am pretty positive Bridget (my other mouse) is female, though I could be wrong. I think their previous owner may have been breeding mice and kept them together so that Bridget could nanny.

by scaredymouse Wed 05 Apr 2017, 5:56 pm

So, yeah, that mouse is about ready to pop! Eeeeeee babies! I just recently had some surprise babies from a feeder mouse I got from the pet store. She had 8 and I was in a position to be able to keep them all... so it was a pretty great experience for me, especially since everything went well and everyone was healthy. I refer to mouse momma as the "mother of my children", her name is George and she was the best momma you could ever want.

Everything you need to know if in this breeding packet: https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t43-breeding-packet

I don't really think I know any special stuff that isn't in there already... but maybe I do... so if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask away Smile

You have to leave them alone, no touching or looking, for 72 hours. Then you can handle them a little bit everyday. The look fragile but they are sturdier than you think, you wont hurt them if you are careful. Boys must be separated at 4 weeks! But girls can stay with momma indefinitely. If possible though, you should try to keep them all until 6 weeks when they just a bit more grown before sending them out into the world.

And here are some of my baby pictures to get you psyched up!

by stephlisa Thu 06 Apr 2017, 2:00 am

masonbee wrote:
Ah thank you!
And I have! I've read a little bit about sexing, and am pretty positive Bridget (my other mouse) is female, though I could be wrong. I think their previous owner may have been breeding mice and kept them together so that Bridget could nanny.

You're welcome, I just wanted to mention the possibility just in case! I just don't understand why someone would abandon them though, particularly a breeder!!!

by masonbee Thu 06 Apr 2017, 11:50 am

Update! So I asked the person I adopted them from, and she said she found them about 18 days ago. Which is really close to gestation time! I'm beginning to wonder if she really is pregnant or just very chubby? She gained the wait very quick and also has pretty visible nipples.
Any advice?

by scaredymouse Thu 06 Apr 2017, 12:58 pm

She looks pretty pregnant to me and looks ready to deliver. Here are a few pictures of my girl a few days before delivery.

by River Thu 06 Apr 2017, 1:28 pm

I think I follow you on tumblr -- I saw these girls recently!
She does look pregnant, most definitely. Babies are always exciting. Are you planning to keep Bridget in as a nanny, or let Judith nurse them alone?

by masonbee Thu 06 Apr 2017, 1:38 pm

River wrote:I think I follow you on tumblr -- I saw these girls recently!
She does look pregnant, most definitely. Babies are always exciting. Are you planning to keep Bridget in as a nanny, or let Judith nurse them alone?

omg you probably do! I've been posting so much in the fancy mice tag lol
I'm planning on keeping Bridget as a nanny! They're super bonded to each other, I'd hate to separate them

by Peachy Thu 06 Apr 2017, 7:01 pm

Welcome! How exciting that you get to deal with babies right off the bat. lol

Baby mice are so much fun... my third litter was born in December. I hope everything goes well and you share lots of pictures! Ear wiggle