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Fat and lazy mouse.

21 15:18:44

Question

Charcoal
My mouse is really fat and too stubborn to go in her ball. I have to shove her in, then she poos all over the ball!Then I have to get her out and clean the ball. Shes too lazy to go on her wheel and the only time I can get moving is if she hears me filling the food bowel! I try to give them a small amount of food but they eat it all in five minutes. She's so fat she can bearly climb the bars of her cage. I give my mice all the things they are suppose to eat (grains,vitamins, ect) but she is still very fat. For my mouses sake HELP ME!!!!

Answer
Hi Nicole,

When a mouse is chronically overweight it's not how much she eats or how much exercise she gets causing the problem - it's how her body uses the food.  This is a genetic issue and not one that you can fix.  Honestly, to me, she just looks a little chubby - not deathly obese at all.

It looks like you have given her plenty of exercise opportunities in her cage, so you do not need to force her into her ball or onto her wheel.  In fact, many healthy mice hate to use their balls because the sensation can be pretty frightening (imagine being pushed into one yourself - not fun for everyone!).  If you want to give her more enticing exercise options, try closing off a little area of the floor with very high walls; you can build some out of cardboard boxes or chickenwire from a gardening or hardware store.  Make sure it's escape proof, scatter a few toys around inside the area and let her get in some quality playtime - remember to supervise her the entire time.

As far as food goes, all you need to feed is a food mix labeled for mice (not for hamsters, gerbils, or ferrets - these foods have too much protein that can cause her to store more fat) with occasional treats of cheerios, bits of stale bread, millet sprays, or pumpkin seeds (yum!).  Try not to give treats more than a couple of times a week, but give enough that everyone can have a piece.  Since mice usually eat at night (and are active at night - you might just not see her during playtime), it's best to keep food in the cage at ALL times, not on a schedule.  This will not only make sure everyone gets enough to eat, but by eating less food more frequently and at her own pace you might be able to help out her metabolism.  It may take a few days of keeping food constantly available in the cage for her to get used to not thinking she has to wait all the way until the next feeding time, but she'll figure it out in a couple of days.  This way she won't think she has to rush to eat her fill - she'll know it's there whenever she needs it.

If you are still concerned about her you can take her into a small animal vet and ask for advice, but whatever you do, make sure you don't accidentally punish the other residents of the cage.  The consequences of obesity in mice include a lower fertility (but you don't want to breed obesity into other mice anyways, since it is genetic) and a higher risk of overheating - so watch her and make sure she isn't just "lazy" because she's too hot.  Never let her cage temperature fall below 65 or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and make sure her cage has adequate ventilation (an inadequately ventilated cage feels stuffy when you put your hand or face in it, and becomes smelly MUCH quicker than a well ventilated one).

-Tam