Lone female friend?

by KendraTheMouse Mon 04 Dec 2017, 8:06 pm

So I'm in school for veterinary technology and I knew for my upcoming course we will be required to take care of a mouse for small animal husbandry and low stress restraint. My friend who breeds mice for her reptile collection attempted to cull this female and she survived. I offered to keep her for my class as we both felt bad and anyways I've never had a pet mouse before. I had always been told they were stupid little creatures but now I'm learning otherwise and feel horrible for this mouse because she's all alone and the only family I can get her are either cousins from an aunt or younger siblings that won't be ready yet as she only just turned 5 weeks old. Any suggestions? She's currently by herself in a 20g aquarium with fresh food and water and a toilet paper roll two plastic igloos a corner litter tray a snickers box and a glade plugins box. I have hay for bedding and paper towels lining the tank and shredded paper she pulled into the igloos. Should I ask my friend to save a younger littermate?

by Rodents rock! Mon 04 Dec 2017, 8:18 pm

Welcome!

I would try to get two girls for her so they will be a trio. I'm glad you took her in Very Happy

Mice are actually very intelligent little animals. You can even train them to go through obstacle courses and to do tricks! Dance

Try typing in pet mice tricks and/or pet mice running obstacle courses on YouTube and you will be amazed Very Happy

by KendraTheMouse Mon 04 Dec 2017, 9:49 pm

I sent a message to my friend and she's giving me one female that's a little bit older but still under 3 months old. Having more than one is already going to be a battle only because we have 6 cats and don't need more animals tbh.

by CallaLily Tue 05 Dec 2017, 6:19 am

Getting her at least one friend is a good idea, two would be better. Having 3 girls balances the group out more, so you don't have one dominant mouse constantly bugging the other. But if you can't do a third, a second is better than no friends.

Don't forget to quarantine and go about proper introductions. Smile

by KendraTheMouse Wed 06 Dec 2017, 5:43 pm

I don't think quarantine is necessary and I don't have that kind of space. My friend gave me one female that came from the same mother as Kendra and has been by herself for two weeks since she was going to wait until she was full grown for her python. She has definitely had less handling and is super jumpy. She has her grown up fur and is at least a third bigger than Kendra. We named her Bon Qui Qui because we tried the neutral intro from the link above and they already argued. Bon Qui Qui didn't like when Kendra tried to nurse (i think thats what she was doing) and turned on her and there was a lot of wrestling and also very loud squeaking from Kendra. They had a standoff and anytime Kendra tried to move Bon QuiQui attacked again. No blood so from what I read they were arguing but I seperated them temporarily. How soon until I reintro?

by KendraTheMouse Fri 08 Dec 2017, 7:34 pm

I keep trying to introduce them but Bon Qui Qui just goes over and slaps her tail then they start to fight and squeak really loud. Im sending her back.

by River Fri 08 Dec 2017, 11:11 pm

How long have you been trying to introduce and in what ways? Did you do a deep tank cleaning before introducing?

Remember mice WILL fight. You have to let them and only separate if they draw blood. My girls did and they were best friends right up till the end. I don't think sending her back is in your mouses best interest.

by KendraTheMouse Sat 09 Dec 2017, 5:08 pm

I trued to introduce them in a smaller 5g tank that nothing but a betta fish had ever been in and yes I deep cleaned it with plenty of fresh food hay and water and the bigger one kept going after the little one. I tried 5 times over 3 days and because I work full time and I'm not home at all on the weekends due to living two cities over every weekend until February I didn't want to come home to dead mouse if I just let them at it. For this weekend I put the aggressor in the 5g tank inside the 20g tank with no lids and am basically crossing my fingers she doesnt jump out and kill the younger one.

by Rodents rock! Sat 09 Dec 2017, 5:21 pm

You need to introduce them in a neutral area outside of a tank, not in a tank. Also, you really should have three girls so that one mouse isn't taking the brunt of the dominant mouse. Three mice are no more difficult to take care of than two. Also, the rule is, during introductions, if they fight do not separate them unless you see blood. Mice will work things out themselves. You are doing more harm to the introduction process when you keep separating them.

by KendraTheMouse Sat 09 Dec 2017, 5:26 pm

Ok so I'll try to explain this better. I'm not supposed to have two let alone one. One was just to get through the semester at school and get this class over with. I had to fight my landlord for one. Not getting 3. All other areas of my house are occupied by cats. They have no neutral out of tank time unless i stick them in a ball or am holding them. The artucle i read said introduce them in a platic bin with fun things. All i had was the tank. I don't see the difference between a open plastic bin and a glass tank.

by Rodents rock! Sat 09 Dec 2017, 5:29 pm

They will sound very loud when they are fighting. When I used to have rats, I brought home a new female to be a friend for the female I already. They literally sounded like they were killing each other. The were rolling on the ground fighting and screaming. They did this a couple of times. The next morning they were curled up sleeping together and spent the rest of there lives as sisters.

by KendraTheMouse Sat 09 Dec 2017, 5:31 pm

If I leave them together when I'm not home what are their chances of killing each other?

by Rodents rock! Sat 09 Dec 2017, 5:35 pm

A large plastic storage bin is a lot bigger than a five gallon tank. You could also use the bathtub. Tape something over the drain or just put a piece of duct tape over the drain. And let them work it out in there. Put a few cleaned toys in there. But don't leave them unattended while they are in the tub.

by KendraTheMouse Sat 09 Dec 2017, 5:37 pm

My next day off is Wednesday. I'll put them in the tub then and while they're doing that should i clean the 20g again?

by Rodents rock! Sat 09 Dec 2017, 5:38 pm

KendraTheMouse wrote:If I leave them together when I'm not home what are their chances of killing each other?

You need to be there during the introduction because if you do see blood, then you need to separate them immediately. So, no, don't leave them unattended together till you know they are getting along.

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