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Mouse & Rat Discussion Twitching whiskers, tiny paws, and all else mouse or rat related.



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  #1  
Old 12-29-2007, 02:26 AM
Tad Tad is offline
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Mice just had babies. A little advice please?


Hello everyone. I'm in a bit of a situation here >_>. So I bought two mice from a petco about a month or so ago, thinking they were both female (that's what the sign said, but their incompetence knows no bounds.) Well about a week after I noticed that one of the mice had become noticeably plumper. Apparently one of the mice was a male...now they have a group of small pink babies(at least 5, but most likely a couple more). I didnt know they were there until I went to clean out their cage. When I moved their hidey house there were a whole bunch of babies under it. I didn't disturb their nest since I knew with most animals they might stop taking care of the babies or kill them if they get the scent of someone on them. Anyway I need some advice on what to do. The babies are about 2-3 days old since they are still apparently blind. I need to know when I should separate the parents, when I can actually move the babies to a different location since their current one is in a cage that has wiring too far spaced apart, and basically all information about taking care of the mice. Thank you in advance for all your information =). Also what should I do with the babies? I am not going to give them back to petco, so i need another option.
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Old 12-30-2007, 01:53 AM
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Sasami Sasami is offline
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Firstly, welcome to the forum!!

Have you checked the gender of the mouse that didn't give birth? It's possible that you have two females but one got pregnant at the store. If the other one is indeed male you need to separate them NOW otherwise you'll have another litter in a few weeks (and she could even be pregnant again now!).

I would leave them alone for another day or two before you move them (carefully). At this age you should be able to see pigment in their skin and can handle them a bit. Handling them at a young age is very helpful for later.

The mother should wean them when they are 21-26 days old. At this age it's important you separate the male babies since they can mature that early! The girls can be left with mom for longer or even permanently, should you decide to keep them.

I would start posting ads on craigslist and asking around in pet communities to find homes for the mice. Having a small adoption fee will help ensure that they go to a decent home and be sure to specify that they are for PETS only. Otherwise they'll probably end up in a snake's mouth or a laboratory. Mice can be hard to rehome so be prepared to at least keep them all temporarily.

The females could all be kept together in one cage. Male litter mates can get along but in most cases will end up fighting as adults. Males are usually best kept singly.

Good luck and keep us updated!!
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Old 12-31-2007, 05:43 PM
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Check the mice to make sure you have a male/female...because as Stephanie mentioned you may have two females and one could of been pregnant when you got her.Otherwise you most likely have another pregnant mouse,since mice can breed again within 24 hours after giving birth.

Make sure the nursing mother has extra nutrients...like a little bit of cheese,milk,chicken or egg.If she does not get extra nutrients and protein,she may start eating the babies.

They should be okay to handle now and it is definatly easier in the future if you handle them early.
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Old 01-01-2008, 07:41 PM
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you can also give them half a milk bone or kitten food for extra protein. You can also give her toilet paper or paper towels for nesting material. And you'll need to seperate the babies around 21 -28 days. No later or they can multiply really fast. I usually try to get an idea of what I have at 21 days but I don't wean the babies until about 25/26 days. if you are not using a water bottle you will more than likely need one so the babies cannot drown when they start roaming around. Also I reccomend using an aquarium or bin cage to house the little ones. They can usually squeeze out of bars. I hope it all works out great and I was able to help you. If you have any question you can feel free to pm me
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Old 01-02-2008, 12:15 AM
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want baby pics !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry im not sure how the rats are at raising thier young have no advice just requests
photos please lol
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Old 01-02-2008, 12:20 AM
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I agree with everyone above. I know nothing of little mice babies. But good luck!

(hopes for pictures. )
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adoption fee, kitten food, litter mates, nesting material




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