Mother mouse keeps abandoning babies

Question
Hi:

My mouse Snuffles bred with a healthy mouse, and also healthy herself, and just had 8 healthy little babies yesterday. About four, at birth, were set outside the whelping hut and still had the cords attached, along with a few stuck pieces of bedding, but I cut the cords with small sisscors with bedding scent on them and a gloved hand. I also removed the bedding pieces gently with small bedding-scented plyers. They are still doing very well, but...

Earlier, she set two babies at the back of the hut and left them there. I put them back with a bedding-scented clean spoon, also warmed, and she put one baby back again later. I put it back with the litter once again, and she then set the baby outside the door of the hut. I put it back in with the same spoon, and left the room. I checked back again about h alf an hour later and it was still inside, and she was outside eating.

Would you possibly know why she was setting those babies aside, please?

Thank you,

Lydia

P.S.: she knows me and trusts me very well, and in fact let me hold her the same day she had them with no problems later; this all happened today. She's about 5 months old, but is mature and calm for her age. We also keep away from her 78-degree-fahrenheit aquarium the rest of the time so we don't disturb her. ;)

Answer
Dear Lydia,

There are three common possibilities for this behavior.

1. She is a new mother and is confused. This can happen with the first litter.

2. She is nervous for some reason, even with all the terrific precautions you have taken, and thinks it is too dangerous to raise all the babies.

3. There is something wrong with these babies, whether they are sick or genetically defective. In this case she doesn't want to waste milk she could be giving to the healthier pups.

Nature would of course let the abandoned babies die and that would be it. But I am with you-- keep trying to save the abandoned baby. Maybe it will get past a crucial time period and she will accept it. Question: Does it have a milk band, or is she not feeding it at all? If she isn't feeding it even when it is in the nest, it is going to die.

I hope this works out. You're doing a terrific job.

squeaks,

Natasha