trying to make orphaned mice pee

Question
Hello, today I went into a pet store and saw a tank of motherless "fuzzies." Being the impulsive, bleeding heart that I am, I brought two of them home. They are very small with their eyes closed. One of the two looks like her ears may be opening up so I'm guessing they're about 12 days old. Both eagerly accepted kitten formula from a syringe and after two feedings, they each have a big full belly. I have been trying to make them pee since the first feeding. I have tried both dry and wet (with warm water) q-tips and paper towels and nothing seem to be working. One of the two did poop while I was rubbing her genital area but neither have peed and I'm getting worried. Any tips on how to do this would be great. Thanks! Hallie

Answer
Hello Hallie,

They may be already going to the bathroom on their own - keep a close eye on their bedding in case they've already got it figured out.  If you can keep them warm enough you can house them on a paper towel or tissues for a few hours to watch more closely for stains that might not otherwise be visible in the bedding.  They won't be able to burrow down and keep warm that way, though, so I really would watch their temperature if you try this.

They don't produce very much fluid, so it's also possible that you didn't notice them go to the bathroom while massaging their genital area.  Turning them belly-up while rubbing them should also help them go, too.  I wouldn't start to worry unless they stay bloated, which would mean their digestive system has not started moving their food through their body - the core purpose of stimulating them to go to the bathroom.  At that point, the best I could recommend is to continue doing what you're doing, with warm moist cutips, and maybe expand the area you massage a little bit like a momma mouse grooming them.  You sound like you're doing a great job, though, keep it up!  :)

Best of luck!
-Tam