Lonely mousey?

Question

Guin and Basil  

Guin   On April second I walked into a pet store with the intention of checking prices on fish decorations. I ended up telling my boyfriend that I really wanted to get a spunky black and white mouse and a brown mouse. It was the only brown mouse I could see. My boyfriend came home with the boxes and the brown one wasnt the one I wanted. I observed her and she had a kink in her tail and I'm pretty sure something was wrong with her hips or her back. She never ran on the wheel, or climbed, or sniffed. I couldn't take her back, because if I told them the state she was in they would use her as food for a snake. I named her Basil and the other Guin. I guest-amate they were just about 4.5 months old yesterday, and Basil passed away. This leaves me with a couple options for Guin.

I could try to introduce her to my 11 month old big bootied white mice (which I think wouldnt go so well, because she is much smaller).

I could try to introduce a friend for her. Guin never had much of a play mate due to Basils injuries, and her new friend would have to be JUST a month old or younger. But they would be close-ish to the same size.

Have her be a loner. She loves her wheel and she's used to doing things alone. The only difference I see in her is she sometimes clings to the bars of the cage and just stares at me for a bit. But she ran on her wheel all last night, just like usual. She had eaten and spread Basil everywhere, and then burried her and decorated the site with her cat jingle-ball. We cleaned everything up and now I just spread kleenex everywhere to distract her incase she gets lonely.

But Basil usually just stayed inside her igloo, so Guin is used to doing things alone....

Answer
Dear Katie,

Definitely do not leave her alone. Every moment not with you she is in solitary confinement. She is prone to depression, illness, and mites.

I would first try the white does.  I would say Guin doesn't look so small, since she is a bit fat (love that pic!) but I haven't seen the others. If they are fatter than that then you have to cut out the treats and give them plain mouse seed or pellets.

The best way for successful mouse intros is to have a spotless cage that doesn't smell like anyone; dab REAL vanilla on their necks and rumps, make sure there are lots of TP tubes to hide in; and put them in. Chasing and squeaking is fine. The times to separate are:

1. Blood
2. Depression- she becomes lethargic, uninterested in anything
3. She is kept from nest, food, or water
4. The chasing and squeaking is literally nonstop.

You will watch carefully for a couple of hours and when you sleep they should be in the bedroom so you can jump up if something sounds bad. It is actually best to do this early in the day because they will be sleepy; but you will want to be home that day.

If this does not work then get her two little girlfriends, the younger the better.

Best of luck to little, fat, cute Guin!

Squeaks n giggles,

Natasha