Obese mouse

Question

  QUESTION: Hi Natasha,

I have a new mouse, Bani, whom I've had for a little over a month. She was not quite full grown when I got her and she's just blown up in this last month. She's a large mouse, weighs 2.2oz, but her size is unbelievable. She looks more like a hamster than a mouse. Due to my last two mice passing on (one due to age, the other had a respiratory problem), I only have one other mouse with her. The other one, Symbelmyne, is normal, not too skinny, but seems to be missing out on food and I'm worried that this situation is only going to get worse. I've given them a wheel (they both just sit in it), and tried different foods, but she's getting bigger by the week. I've even tried feeding at specific times and putting her in another cage to let Symbelmyne eat, but she's not as ravenous as Bani and doesn't always seem interested in dinner. As you can see, I could really use some advice!

Thanks so much,
Anna

ANSWER: Dear Anna,

I would really like to see a photo of the two mice side by side. If that isn't possible write back and I will do my best without. But it will help a lot.

Mice should always be free fed a seed or pellet diet. So the other mouse should be able to get plenty. For the moment give them nothing else.

Write back! The photo will help a lot.

Squeaks,

Natasha


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


  QUESTION: Hi,

Yes, right now they are free fed a seed and pellet mix. The only other foods they get are veggies or greens, but not a large amount. I tried to get a few pictures, they didn't want to pose for the camera, but hopefully you can get an idea.

Thanks,
Anna

Answer
Dear Anna,

I'm glad you sent the picture. I wanted to make sure-- don't laugh; this mistake has been made-- it wasn't a baby rat! In any case, it looks like a brindle mouse. Brindles are usually distinguished by a certain very vague sort of mottled tiger-striping, but a mouse can technically be a brindle if it has the brindle genes but doesn't show the marking. In your photo I don't see any marking at all, but I showed it to some mouse geneticist friends who agree it is most likely a brindle, and brindles run quite large and fat.

Mouse people are somewhat at disagreement over what to do about it. Although some people would try to slim it down with a pellets-only diet, my breeder and I, and others, agree that as long as it only eats healthy food, it's OK if it is fat. It's just its genes. Not every person is meant to be slim as a whistle either. Many mice live long and healthy lives as quite fat creatures. I certainly would rather be fat than eat only pellets! Of course if she can be encouraged to run in her wheel that can help too; but how do you convince a mouse to exercise?

Addendum: a mouse person says this: "They can get fat to the point that they can hardly walk and/or start to get abrasions on their bellies." Of course then you need to use the pellets.

There is, of course, the possibility that-- if you have a wire cage-- a tiny wild mouse snuck in and you have a pregnant girl! This happens quite frequently and actually even happened to me a few years ago. Wild mice can get through bars that are meant for tame mice. To be actually sure with a wire cage, you need what I now have, which is a converted bird cage. Why birds have such close bars I don't know; but some bird cages have very close bars. If you live near NJ/NYC, by the way, I have a beautiful four-story converted cage, the twin to the one I use, for you, for free : )) ! She doesn't look pregnant to me, though.

As with any human, there is also the remote possibility that something is wrong; but with it at such a young age I wouldn't worry about that at all.

Enjoy your sweet mice. I like the fat ones, myself, because they fill up your hand so micely <--- typo but I think I'll leave it! Friend me on Facebook if you want to see my mouse and rat (and mouse-sized rat) "kids"-- Natasha Millikan. Let me know who you are.

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha