rescued baby feeder mouse

Question
I got two baby mice to feed our new snake but couoldnt bare the thought of the poor things getting eatin. my husband fed one to the snake and I cannot let the other baby go through that. she is in a small cage with toilet paper and a hand warmer under it. she instantley fell asleep on the warmer. what does she eat? she is albino, small ears,eyes open, body maybe an inch long,and she pooped twice. we got her 5 hours ago with the snake. she has shown no intrest in her apple or cheese or water in bottle cap. this might sound silly but i have a newborn can i use my breastmilk to suppliment till i can get kitten milk? does she need a friend? any other useful information for careing fot this mousey? also she ran through her water lid when i tried dirt as bedding {switched to tp} do i need to dry her?

Answer
Dear Cc,

Yes, do dry her right away. And get her warm fast. You're nursing, great-- that means you have a nice warm chest to hold her against starting right now.

If she is an inch long and has small ears I am afraid she does still need to be nursed. You thought your kid was bad? This little mouse needs to be nursed actually every two hours around the clock. Mother mice nurse their pups every 30 minutes! I and others used to say 2-3 hours, but they simply survive much more often if you feed them every two hours.


The following videos give you all the information you will need:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CreekValleyCritters/videos?query=raising

This woman has a lot of experience with these pinkies/fuzzies. Watch the first one right away.  

In the first video you will learn how to make a nice warm place for her, and how to feed her and stimulate her. You will mix the pedialyte and formula as directed in the first video. If I am remembering wrong, that that is where it is, let me give my approximation: First two feedings: 90% pedialyte / 10% formula. Second two feedings 80-20; then once or twice 70-30; then 60-40; and you will continue to feed her with the half-half mixture.


You are right that kitten milk is the best. If you can't get that right away, soy milk or soy infant replacement formula are good temporary replacements. You will need an electrolyte solution such as pedialyte too. If you really can't get those tonight, your milk -- as long as your baby is over a month old-- will be better than cow's milk, for a few feedings.  But I truly recommend getting KMR asap, and until then, a soy formula.

Yes, do get her a friend-- but she is so little you can only be sure she will be ok if you get her one or two (best to always have three mice) babies from the same feeder tank (unless you can get babies her age from a better source).

I actually completely disagree with the author of these videos about one thing: In principle, I do not think one should try to "rescue" feeder babies (except like you did, which was by accident). All it does is put money in the pockets of the feeder breeders, who will just breed more babies, and even more baby mice will have terrible and short lives. But in this case there is nothing for it.

You are going to have some very sweet mice. Hand raised mice are very loyal.


By the way, every reptile that would live feed in the wild, can and should be frozen fed. Live feeding isn't even legal in the UK, and their reptiles are fine. You don't have to kill any more mice (well, they will come dead.) Not only just for the mice's sake-- but because little desperate terrified mice can give a snake a nasty bite which sometimes actually leads to infection and death of the snake.

My personal opinion? Bring the snake back. How happy can a snake be in a tiny aquarium anyway? It can't even stretch out. I am completely against live feeding, certainly; but I hate the whole thing about having an animal that you have to kill for or bring its prey. Mice are so much  more awesome than snakes anyway. Besides, that snake has your mouse's friend inside it. Can you really ever look it in the eye again? (kidding)

I hope this generally made sense. I just had a tragic loss of a pet and I am very, very tired. But the videos say it all anyway.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

best of luck and health to the little tyke.

squeaks,

Natasha