Cat Injured Field Mouse

Question
I found an injured adult Field Mouse on my porch tonight.  I'm assuming my outdoor cat had gotten a hold of it.  The injury looks to only be to the eye.  It is bloody looking, but the eye is still there.  It is walking around fine, no other body injuries that I can tell.  Don't really want to release it until it's ok enough to take care of itself.  I don't have a cage for it.  Right now all I can do is put it in a big tupperware with paper towel in the bottom to line it.  Lots of breathing holes in lid.  I also added: a toilet paper roll covered on one end so that it can have a place to hide, some water in a little lid, some sunflower seeds and peanut butter.  I don't have the money to take it to a vet.  For now this is all I can really do for it.  It seems to be wanting to scratch at the eye.  Otherwise fine.  Do you think it has a chance to live?  What are some other things I can feed it?

Answer
Dear Laura,

Put a heating pad on low under half of the container, with a towel in between. If you don't have a heating pad, you can put a hot water bottle next to the container, again with a towel in between. If you don't have a hot water bottle, a temporary solution is a bag of frozen vegetables which you heat up in the microwave.

Other than that, there is just one thing you can do, and it is very important. When a cat injures a mouse, usually it is not the injuries which kill it. The mouse usually dies from infection. Cat saliva is very poisonous to mice (and people!).

Get to a pet store or aquarium shop right away. Buy some tetracycline meant for fish. A common brand is called Fish Cycline. Try to get the capsules.

Open one capsule of the tetracycline and mix it with one cup of water. This will make a very strong dose of antibiotic. It may be enough to save him. If you got powder, use a flat 1/2 teaspoon. If you got tablets, crush them completely into a fine powder (it helps to start by pressing them between two nesting spoons) and measure 1/4 flat teaspoon.

This should be the only water he drinks.

Because you will only have him for a short time, he doesn't need a complete diet. The sunflower seeds are great. No peanut butter, because he may choke. Oats, cracker bits, popcorn (he will like it with butter and salt), pumpkin seeds, and crisp bread, are all ideas.

I wish him the best of luck. If he survives, he should still be OK if he is blind in one eye.

squeaks,

Natasha