behavior

Question
Hello,

I have a 2 week old who just opened his eyes that I rescued.  Can you tell me about his natural behavior at this age?  He seems maybe a bit behind the 8-ball - very shaky on his feet still, just wants to burrow and sleep all the time.  Is this about right?  Also, can you give me an idea of normative weight?  He is about 4 grams.

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Cori,

At two weeks old your mouse is still very young.  I wouldn't worry about him wanting to sleep a lot - that's what baby mice do best!  I would start to worry however if he seems lethargic to the point of not being enthusiastic about eating or not responding normally when being woken up or handled.  He should be fully responsive when picked up - eyes open, exploring, curious, and moving around.  It may be that he needs more frequent meals to give him a bit more energy.  At two weeks of age you can start putting solid foods in his cage as well, although you still need to be giving milk consistently to provide hydration.  He will explore them as he feels ready and will start to pick up those extra nutrients he'll need.

4 grams might be a bit on the low side, but are you positive he is two weeks old?  The most important thing is that he is consistently gaining weight and never losing.  Here's a diagram of different pups by age in days so you can kind of guess where, developmentally, your little guy is:  http://jaxmice.jax.org/images/literature/pupsposter-large.jpg

-Tam