stop them from jumping

[Mousey]

I just had another mouse die due to jumping to the roof which is wire and crawling until they can't support themselves (it looks like it's a game between the mice.) they take turns and everything. I have tried to only keep the minimum amount of stuff like wheel and houses to prevent injuries but they are still hurting or killing themselves I am very desprate if anyone can give me ideas to try and stop this please don't hesitat to share. I have tried spraying them lightly with water in a spray bottle. This does not affect them.

[uMgaziRatRescue]

I never had any of my old mice do that, but I knew my young babies would jump right out my hand. I found that as they got older they grew out of it and stoped jumping. Maybe that will do that same with your hunnies?

[Vanilla_Rat]

Okay with all the mice I have owned,I noticed that when kept in bin cages or aqauriums,they would constantly try and jump out of the enclosures.But once in cages with bars,they do not jump or anything.Of course the bars have to be small enough so they cannot squeeze through.

[pinkie1205]

Thats true what Lisa said. Also all my mice are in tanks, and they like to ju'mp and crawl on the mesh top, Ive never had any inju'ries.

[Mousey]

I've had 1 injury and 2 deaths possibly 4 because of this. But they also try to turn their body and stuff before they fall back down. Anyways I will build a mouse cage out of wire then.

[Vanilla_Rat]

Thats something I should of added as well.I have never had injured or dead mice from them jumping either.

[pinkie1205]

I dont u'nderstand how they are hu'rtig themselves from this.

[Sharni]

I have 1 mouse that constantly is climbing on the roof *L*....he can smell the other males and is trying to get to them (to kill em...very aggressive!!)...he's always climbing and always falling...has never hurt himself.

All the others in the tanks never do the roof thing....they're happy on the floor or just climbing the decor.

[Mousey]

I do not know how they get hurt I watch and watch and watch and nothing happens until I turn my head. I tried putting safe objects to fall onto in the cage but it didn't seem to help.

[lilspaz68]

I would assume mice like rats act similarly, but its probably more pronounced behaviour for mice since they are only prey whereas rats can also be predators. They both depend on their sense of smell for survival and you will see rats kept in aquariums are always trying to get to the top and sniff the air...they seem unhappy not to be able to smell things.

I would put your mice in wire cages, plus they can climb the wire everywhere and are less likely to fall. I bet your mice are a ton happier in a proper wire cage.

[Vanilla_Rat]

Quote: Originally Posted by lilspaz68 I would put your mice in wire cages, plus they can climb the wire everywhere and are less likely to fall. I bet your mice are a ton happier in a proper wire cage.

I agree.

[Mousey]

I found out that only one of my mice died from the jumping. There was a mouse I got not too long ago as a rescue because she was the only nice one out of them but I recently found her eating the others faces until they died. I thought it was from something in the cage. But this morning I found her doing it and I was in time to save lilly. She's in pain and I am takeing care of that. I hope she will heal ok. as for the mean mousey I have her seperated. I almost never want to rescue another mouse or anyhting in fear they will hurt the other babies I have. I will build another wire cage to stop the others from jumping. Unless anyone know of a place I can get them a wire cage that can fit 14 mice or more.

[lilspaz68]

There's always Martin's Cages, or stacking storebought cages onto each other with connectors?

I tried to find a mouse cage calculator that included height...why isn't height included for mice? Thats silly!

This is a friend of mine's who got her crew of 6 (5 females, 1 neutered male whom I had fostered) a Martin's R-660



Or same woman also stacked storebought cages...the mice loved it!!



Just to give you some ideas.

[Vanilla_Rat]

Nice looking cages!

[pinkie1205]

I may be dense bu't I still dont get it. My mice are in tanks and theyre content. I give them a wheel and a lot of things to play with. Maybe you have TOO many mice in one enclosure...