caring for wild orphan baby mice

Question
We found 4 baby mice in our garage and the kids had to save them.  The eyes are not open yet and we have been feeding them for 2 days now didn't know cows milk was bad for them, fed them 3x with that.  Now have kittens milk, seem to be doing well not sure how much to feed them though with a med dropper.  Would it be safe to let them go after they start to feed themselves or should we just keep them?  They get sticky cause the milk doesn't always get in the mouth, so should I just use a warm wet washcloth?  Sometimes they go about 5 to 6 hours without milk so should I try to put a small bowl in with them?  when should I put food in with them?  They are probably 5 to 7 days old.  Hope to hear from you soon I could really use some advice.        Thanks, Tracy

Answer
Dear Tracy,

It's good that you have them on kitten milk now. They really mustn't go six hours without feeding. Their mom feeds them every half hour; humans need to feed them at least every two hours. They can't drink from a bowl and could drown in even a very shallow bowl.

You can feed them as many drops of milk as they will take. They will refuse when they are full. Be careful not to give them too big of a drop at once. If milk ever comes out of their noses, it could get into their lungs and cause pneumonia. Baby mice are hard to care for! Their abdomens and genitals should be rubbed gently with a Q-tip after each feeding, to help them eliminate. They should be kept clean with a warm washcloth or softer cloth if you can, like chamois. Make sure they are quite dry before putting them down. Their nest should be on a warming pad which mustn't get too hot.

Put some simple food such as soft cheese and bits of cooked vegetables in when they open their eyes. Within that following week you can offer them harder crumbs and seeds. Nurse them until two weeks after the eyes open or they refuse.

They will probably be very sweet and tame pets. Unless they become unhappy in the cage, it makes sense to keep them. Wild mice live longer than pet store or fancy mice and hand-raised mice can be terrific pets. However, you need to separate the boys and girls about 18 days after they open their eyes. If you have several boys in one cage they might eventually fight and not be able to live together. Girls live very well together.

I hope your little tykes make it. It isn't easy to raise baby mice unless you are a mother mouse. Often they survive-- but they also often don't.  Don't blame yourself if they don't make it.

Best of luck <:3  )--~

squeaks,

Natasha