RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Fri Mar 21, 2003 4:24 pm

Wow, I never expected to post in this part of the forum, but here goes:
I recently got a call from a friend who volunteers at a shelter. She told me that some lady had lost her lease and abandoned all her animals- a dog, cat, tarantula, snake, rat and mouse. Just like that. Anyway, the dog and cat went to the shelter, the snake and tarantula went to a local zoo :x , and the rat and mouse would have gone there too, except "would I like to take one or the other or both?" Of course I said both, even though I've never had a mouse. OK, I know this is long, but I promise I'm getting to the heart of the matter. Number 1: How can you tell if she is a wild mouse? She's got the right coloring, and her fur is more of a wild mouse texture, but (not knowing mice) does this mean anything at all? Just like there are agouti(wild color) rats... also her ears seem to be smaller than the ears on mice I've seen. Number 2: Diet. I'm feeding her a bread with whole multi-grains and sunflower seeds in it, along with some occassional greens, fruit, spaghetti, avocado, yogurt, oatmeal, peanuts. Is this sufficient? and 3: She started out being all jumpy and happy for the first two weeks or so, and now she's sorta down- she just sits there, on top of her house, although she's still eating, and she still runs away when I try to touch her. She's not all spiky like rats get when they're sick, so I don't know- could she just be getting old, seeing as how I have no idea how old she is.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

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Toni & the Little Ratscals

Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:09 pm

Welcome to the club for surprised mouse owners

My only direct experience of mice is with Charlie, who is definitely a wild mouse, so I have no idea if domestic mice come in agouti type colours (though it would make sense that they do).
As for diet, Charlie is a wood mouse, and I read that they eat only seeds and grains, whereas house mice, from which I think most domestic mice are descended, eat a more varied diet, like our rats. Charlie has never shown any interest whatsoever in fresh fruit or vegetables and I eventually stopped offering them to him. He adores sunflower seeds and peanuts and doesn't seem to suffer any of the protein allergies that our rats do from them. (He is also partial to the occasional yogurt drop - not something listed as part of his diet in the wildlife book I read!) He's pretty much nocturnal and I often don't see him through the day (unless I rattle his seed bag, when he comes out immediately). I hear him running in his wheel and gnawing on things in the night though.
I hope your new mousie is ok. Lauramouse should be able to give you better advice than I can; she has considerable experience of mice. I dread Charlie ever suffering from an illness, because he will not allow me to pick him up and he is incredibly fast. I don't know how I would ever get him to the vet, let alone give him medicine!

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Linda and the RMDs

Many have forgotten this truth but you must not forget it. We remain responsible forever, for what we have tamed.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Sat Mar 22, 2003 5:28 am

My thoughts exactly, Linda, about medicine and vet visits. I think at a vet's I may have to pick her up by the tail (shudder) just to have the vet examine her, and I don't want to do that. However, out of curiosity she has walked onto my hand sometimes, so maybe I could do that. But she's also really fast, as I'm sure you know. They're curious creatures, so like rats in some ways, but with definite differences. She sure is cute, though!

I noticed she didn't eat so much today, but as you've said, perhaps a rattie diet isn't really to her liking. I'll pick up some seed mixture tommorrow. I know I heard her last night playing with one of her toys, so maybe she's just more naturally nocturnal now that the newness of being in a new home has worn off.

Also, do you have Charlie by himself? Are they as social as rats, or do you think she's happy alone? I don't think I could or would want to capture a wild mouse for her as a companion, but maybe getting a domestic one...

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Toni & the Little Ratscals

Sat Mar 22, 2003 5:44 am

I thought at first that Charlie was female (he was only a baby) and I worried about what to do for company for him. He turned out to be male and I had read that male wood mice live mainly solitary lives and are territorial, so I decided he was probably better off on his own. I'm not sure what I would have done had he turned out to be female. I wouldn't have wanted to capture a wild mouse to live her and a domestic mouse would have been a different species.

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Linda and the RMDs

Many have forgotten this truth but you must not forget it. We remain responsible forever, for what we have tamed.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Sat Mar 22, 2003 8:45 am

Toni, so glad you took her in! Poor little thing, if she is lying around alot it could be (optimistic) that she is more relaxed now and is past the "hystericlal" phase. Other than that, pregnant? Or the obvious, sneezing ect?

She could be depressed, they dont like being alone, a friend would help. If you do decide to get a friend Id probably go for 2 or 3 young females, that way if anything happens to her your not left with one mouse again. Looking after 3 or 4 is not much different that one. They are much happier in a group.

If she is ill the main meds I use are Doxycyline paste, about half an uncooked grain of rice size once a day or Baytril syrup half a drop twice a day. The doxy mixed in peanut butter, Baytril in a plain biscuit (cookie) soaked in soy milk, mix in one drop and give half the mixture.

The diet your feeding sounds good. Mine love avocado, fresh corn, lettuce in small amounts and just about any human food, rice pasta bread ect.

Handling - you can pick them up by the base of the tail but I usually scoop up any not used to handling. Scoop them up with both hands and secure them in your hand by holding onto the tail with one thumb so they dont suddenly leap off your hand. Once she gets used to you she should run onto your hand, a good way to start this trust is (with patience) smear a bit of peanut butter on your hand and just sit there. She has to crawl onto you to get the treat.

Mice do come in an agouti variety. She was intended as food I take it ? So she probably isnt a wild mouse.

Good luck with her, mice are such amazing animals and its such a blessing she came to you and didnt go with the snake to the zoo. Let us know how she goes.

Sat Mar 22, 2003 3:24 pm

	lauramouse wrote:
	mice are such amazing animals..

I have to agree. I had never thought of keeping mice, but I have had such pleasure from Charlie, even though he is wild and not a cuddly pet like my rats. I could watch him for hours and, even though he won't let me handle him, he is very responsive and always comes out to see me when he hears my voice (or the rattle of the food packet :wink: )

_________________
Linda and the RMDs

Many have forgotten this truth but you must not forget it. We remain responsible forever, for what we have tamed.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery.