Aggressive mouse lonely after losing friend

Question
QUESTION: Hey Natasha!
Its Emily here with Lily Molly and Pip. After taking Honey to the vet we found she had an eye infection. I gave her prescribed oral anitbiotics and her eyes drops. Few weeks after her vet appointment she passed away Friday May 31. I miss her dearly and expecally Lily too. I know Lily is lonely now and shes not eating as much as she was but i still see her drink and eat. Im not sure what to do for Lily and i dont want her to be sad anymore. I would get her a friend but im worried she may hurt a new friend like she did when i brought Pip in. Any advice?
Sincerely,
Emily, Lily, Molly, Pip, and Honey from up above.<3

ANSWER: Dear Emily,

I am so sorry about little Honey :(. I wonder what happened. Did she seem sick or different at all?

Could you please remind me of the exact circumstances of how the mice came to be paired up? I don't remember who lived with whom and who came first, etc.

Thanks :)

Squeaks,

Natasha


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She actually seemed better. Her eye opened up and she was eating and drinking and she would go up and down the cage levels.

Honey was my first girl, and a few days later i got both Lily and Molly. They lived together for several months until i got Pip. They then all stayed together for several weeks until Pip got attacked by Lily so i separated Pip so she could heal. Few days later Molly got attacked so i put Molly with Pip so she could heal. Therefore Honey and Lily stayed in one cage and Molly and Pip in the other.

I found it weird that Lily didnt attack Honey at all besides a bite above her eye and they were best of friends always cuddling and cleaning each other. Why is that?

ANSWER: Hi,

I am glad I asked, because what I would not have known if I had tried to guess-remember, is that it was not one but two mice that Lily had attacked. So it wasn't just a mismatched personality; Lily is an aggressive mouse.

So I would not get a baby friend for Lily. But I would try one thing. Wait a few weeks--  giving Lily all the love and attention (an hour) that a single mouse needs. After, say, two weeks, you can dab their rumps and necks with REAL vanilla and let them play together out of the cage. But when you put them together a week or so later, assuming there were no problems, don't use vanilla, and don't clean the cage that Pip and Molly were living in. This should be the smaller cage, if there is one. This makes it their territory and not hers. (I write this feeling like I am stacking the odds against her! But it is the opposite.) I would at least give her five minutes in the cage without them, so the first moment isn't panicky, but then put them together. And watch... Remembering the four reasons to separate:

1. Blood.
2. Depressed mouse.
3. Mouse blocked from nest, wheel, food, or water.
4. Chasing and squeaking that simply never stops.

There are so many factors involved in inter-mouse aggression, and it is hard to choose exactly the right situation. This is my best formula to be sure that you are giving Lily the chance to escape a solitary life.

I send Lily lots of luck at controlling her aggression and making friends again.

Squeaks,

Natasha

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you!
I am so thankful of this website and you Natasha! I do exactly what you tell me and ill start on this today and ill keep working on it. I want my girls to live the happiest life possible, considering most of the baby mice in the world are sold for snakes and i think thats horrible!

Im getting Honey cremated and i am now waiting for her ashes to come back to me and i cant wait. Even though she is gone i don't feel comfortable without having her in my bedroom in some form or another.

My girls and i want to thank you in advance!
Emily, Lily, Molly, Pip, and Honey from up above.

Answer
Hi,

You're very welcome. It is gratifying for me to know that I have caused a little bit of mouse happiness somewhere in the world.

With little Honey so small, it will be easy to find something beautiful to use as an urn. So she will continue to add beauty to your life.

Good luck with putting the mice together :)

Squeaks,

Natasha