Mice

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 4:56 pm

Anyone here keep mice? Any good, active forums out there? Great caresheets? I've been looking around myself, of course. Just like to see what sites others recommend.

cococrabster · Post by **cococrabster** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 7:50 pm

I'm a mouse girl!!

I don't have any mice at the moment, I had a hard time when mine died, after all they wont get very old and are likely to get respiratory infections and cancer. Proper substrate and a proper habitat are crucial.
Do you already have them or are you looking into them?

I liked this forum:
http://www.fancymicebreeders.com/phpBB3/

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:19 pm

Thanks! I'll check out the forum tomorrow.

I have two female mice at the moment. Wasn't exactly a planned pet but I'm pretty attached now. They're in a 10g with wire mesh lid for the time being with aspen bedding and some hay for nesting. A box hide, a hanging coconut hide, a plastic jungle gym sort of toy with an exercise wheel, and some cardboard tubes.

cococrabster · Post by **cococrabster** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 12:12 am

So cute, I miss having mousies, I fell in love with a lilac angora haired little guy the other day but Joey said no lol
I always used Carefresh but I read aspen is good too.
My mousies loved hanging hammocks and they absolutely loved peanut butter and sunflower seeds! empty toilet rolls are a fun toy too.

In the end one of my guys (Whizzbee) could go for walks in my room, I just let him roam free, he came over when I called him and as soon as I made way to the kitchen (to get peanut butter) he came running after me like a puppy

He would wake me up when I tried to sleep in and as soon as I would come home he would be waiting for me to open his cage. He was a maniac with food, since I had his cage open the whole evening eating for me became hilarious because he launched himself at it lol, I had him hanging on a apple turnover while I was eating it, balancing on the ledges of cups (breakfast cereals and coffee) he even dived into a sandwich right between the slices of bread and butter and cheese and he opened bags of potato chips! No need to say I miss him like crazy

You can win them over with sunflower seeds. offer them and they will come to your hand, it might take baby steps. I never picked any of my mice up by the tail, they always came in my hand.

Post by **wodesorel** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 3:31 am

I knew this was going to happen!

I'm so sorry Calla, you're getting overrun with new pets.

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 7:49 am

Cococrabster, Whizzbee sounds adorable! Thanks for all the tips. I've offered them sunflower seeds from my hand but it's slow going. They're curious, especially Cheeseburger, but won't yet take it from me.

Wode, I know!

But they're sooo cute and I love watching them explore when I add new things to their tank. I should have known, with having a pair of mice when I was little and my favorite stuffed animal that I've had since I was 5 is a mouse! My husband just rolls his eyes. I think he's used to it by now though.

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:18 pm

Now that I can post pics with tapatalk...

Ghost · Post by **Ghost** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:21 pm

Cute! I love the big ears

are they very tame?

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:24 pm

They're still nervous around me. I try to offer sunflower seeds from my hand and they'll come sniff them but won't take them until I put them down. Slow going but I hope we'll get there.

Post by **wodesorel** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:57 pm

They are adorable!

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:56 pm

So you can see why I quickly became attached.

cococrabster · Post by **cococrabster** » Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:57 am

CallaLily wrote:They're still nervous around me. I try to offer sunflower seeds from my hand and they'll come sniff them but won't take them until I put them down. Slow going but I hope we'll get there.

I think with my mice I started out with giving them the sunflowerseeds between my tumb and finger, like handed them to them, they would take them out of my hand. Later on I had it laying on my hand so they would step on my hand to take it. When they get more comfortable they will stay on your hand while eating it. Later on they will hop on your hand by first sight

Make sure you always smell the same (I always washed my hands with the same soap before handling them)

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Fri Jul 04, 2014 10:05 am

cococrabster wrote:
I think with my mice I started out with giving them the sunflowerseeds between my tumb and finger, like handed them to them, they would take them out of my hand. Later on I had it laying on my hand so they would step on my hand to take it. When they get more comfortable they will stay on your hand while eating it. Later on they will hop on your hand by first sight
Make sure you always smell the same (I always washed my hands with the same soap before handling them)

Thank you! I figured it would be similar to taming a hamster but wasn't sure. At this point, they come over and sniff at the sunflower seed but still won't take it from my fingers.

But, Cheeseburger is getting braver. When she hears me getting into the tank, she comes out to investigate right away. Bacon is either lazier or more frightened, spending most of her time in their hide box. I have seen her out so I'm sure she's ok. I think she just waits until the house is quiet before becoming active. Cheeseburger doesn't care as much and will be out running in the wheel in the middle of the afternoon. Are they nocturnal or crepuscular? I know I read which somewhere along the way but geez I can't recall now!

::: off to look :::

Edit: now I know why I couldn't remember. Seems every site has a different opinion or just say both!

Post by **wodesorel** » Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:31 am

We had that wild mouse for around 5 months after one of the cats caught it in the living room and I found it before Fran could kill it. She had been pretty badly hurt and was only maybe three weeks old at the time, so I set her up in a 20 gallon tall and figured either she'd live and we could let her go in the spring or she would end up dying from her injuries. Surprisingly she mostly recovered. I never tried to interact with her or get her used to us humans because we did want to put her out in the shed as soon as winter had passed, but over time she did eventually get pretty comfortable with me around. We had her closed off in the laundry room where we only go to do laundry, and I only went in the cage every few days to remove her poo pile and get her fresh food and water. She would be active at all times of the day and night, so I don't think they really have a good time so long as its quiet for them. I really think if we had wanted to we could have tamed her even though she was a field mouse, so I figure there's always hope for the domesticated ones!

CallaLily · Post by **CallaLily** » Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:29 pm

What a lucky mouse!!

Mine are in X's room so they're warmer and not harassed by the cats. I'd keep them in mine but I figured that might drive Sylvie crazy, plus Spiderman (cat) and I have a little bedtime routine so I don't really want to block her out. She's (yes, Spiderman is a she

) is always waiting for me on my pillow around the time I normally go to bed, wanting attention. It's hard to fall asleep without purring in my ear now.

Hopefully with time, the mice will learn they can trust me. If not they're still fun to watch and make cardboard tunnel toys for.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association

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