Orphan baby deer mouse and hantavirus

Question
QUESTION: My cat had this baby mouse so i took it away. I am not sure what kind it is. It is dark grey with white on stomach. Its eyes are not opened yet. Have been trying to bottle feed it kitten formula. What kind of mouse do I have? Should I keep it? If so what should I feed it? What are chances of it carrying diseases?

ANSWER: Hi Lee,

A dark grey mouse is a house mouse, which is good because they don't carry anything you can get (the only thing any house or fancy mouse could give you is ringworm, and I have never heard of that in a wild mouse).

Do keep it, if it survives. My best advice is to watch the series of ten short videos at the addy in my profile (sorry I can't link it; I am on my iPad).

The mouse should definitely be fed every TWO hours *around the clock*. Kitten milk is fine. Other than that, all the information is in there.

If it survives, you will have a simply wonderful pet. Hand raised mice are awesome.

Squeaks n giggles,

Natasha


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


Cheese   QUESTION: This  is "Cheese".  Wanted to send you this picture to make sure he is a house mouse.

Answer
Hi Lee, Hi Cheese!

What a cutie. However, look at those little white feet. If makes me suspect a white-footed deer mouse. His coat may change into the lighter agouti later. Field mice also generally (always?) have white tummies, whereas house mice don't.

So, your question will be again, can he carry anything you can catch?

It is hugely, hugely unlikely. There is an illness called hantavirus that field mice can give humans. This is how I explained it to another questioner:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2012/4/keep-wild-field-mouse.htm

And another questioner:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/8/wild-baby-won-t.htm


Now, something reassuring. Mother mice do NOT give it to their babies by nursing. That's about all I have been able to figure out about the mouse part of it. I have tried writing to the cdc and other places, and I cannot get answers-- for instance, I want to know exactly what the circumstances were of each of the 556 cases in the last 20 years-- has it ever been transmitted through a bite? How do the mice spread it among themselves? I am not getting answers.


Good luck to adorable little Cheese!

squeaks,

Natasha