Mice!

Question
Hi Tara, how are you? I just bought two female mice from the pet store and I was wondering...how can you tell when a mouse is pregnant? One of my mice looks fat and I don't know if she's just like that or she's going to have babies.  I'd really like to know because I can't afford to keep too many mice. If this is the case, when can I expect a birth (mice age is hard to tell!), when can I separate the young from the mother, and are there extra feeding instructions?
Also, my other mouse is very timid. What's the best way to coax her out of her shell?
Thank you very much for any information you may have.
PS. How long do mice live anyway?

Answer
Hello Julia

If she looks like she swollowed a golf ball then shes pregnant, if shes got a big belly but isnt too big she may or may not be pregnant only time will tell. Just be sure to offer extra food when shes pregnant and while shes nursing the babys will come out of the nest at about a seven to ten days and will start to feed on there own but they still need there mother so its inportant to offer lots of food and make sure water is in a bottle or in a very sallow dish because the babys will drown if they fall in a tall dish. Go out and get some cat food yes cat food this contains lots or protine and this is benafishal for pregnant females as well as an snack, only offer about six or seven ieces daily per mouse because too much will cause flacky/itchy skin. Also mice are known to eat there babys so offer lots of food and keeping the area around there cage quite and offering one or two nesting areas she should be fine, also if the other female is pregnant she will kill the otherfemales babys if there isnt enough room for both litters in the nest box two boxes can help curve this, the babys are wenaed at three weeks of age and are quite small and jumpy at this age but if left for another week or two the males will breed with there mother and sisters then you will be over run with mice within a few short weeks, pregnancy lasts about 19/21 days, dont handle the babys when there really small and havnt left the nest yet because she will kill them if they smell funny. For taming keep your hand very still and offer a piece of carrot or cat food after awhile she will come to you for the food and may even sit on your hand while shes enjoys her snack, mice dont become very tame and dont like to be handled there more of a look but dont touch pet also if grabed by the tip of there tail they will get back problems adn the tail may break off. Mice live one/two years.