mice bites me

Question
I have recently bought two female mice. I have kept them in a clear box for 2 days and then I got them a rather big cage with wheel and house and little ladders. Today I have tried to catch one of them and I knocked one of the ladders down. I was fixing it when I accidentally trapped my mice tail. I did not mean to harm her, so I tried to offer some treat for her just to smooth things. She did not take it and also any time I want to pick her up she squeaks and runs away. Well they both do. It is like they decided to punish me now. They were just beginning to warm up to me and now I do not know what shall I do. I want them to be tamed as I want to be able to hold them in my hands. What can I do? What kind of treats I can offer them? Before this happened I have been stroking my friends Syrian hamster. Is it possible they could feel the smell on my hands and that is the reason of screaming?

Answer
Hi Gabriella,

New mice, especially from pet stores, are often very skittish and need a little time to settle in.  Since you just changed their home, it'd be a good idea to give them a few days to settle in and adjust.  Then you can try handling them again, a few times a day, even if you can't really pick them up.  Try putting your hand in the cage for a while, then offering a small treat like a pumpkin seed or sunflower seed and leaving them alone.  Eventually, they will want to investigate your hand.  Don't spook them by coming at them from above (like a predator) or by chasing them around.  Every now and then you can pick them up by the tail:  Grasp the center of the tail - not the base or the tip - and lift smoothly and at a normal speed.  Don't keep them suspended for more than a second or two at most before placing them gently on your other hand, never swing them or move them a long distance, and never pull if they are grabbing onto something.  Check their tails first to make sure they're not injured from the ladder - look for kinks, red spots, or swellings.  Continue to use their tail whenever you try to lift them until they are comfortable with you, otherwise they may jump from your hand and could injure themselves.

Keep your hands and them in the cage while you handle them so they can jump away safely if they are scared.  If they run into a hide, let them.  They need a safe space in the cage where they know you won't disturb them.

Always wash your hands after handling your mice or anyone else's pets to prevent transmitting parasites or diseases between animals.  You also won't have to worry about smelling like hamster when you play with them, and they'll be able to get used to your smell.

It might take a while, but eventually, they'll get used to you and realize that you're not scary after all.  :)

-tam