what to do with caught mouse

Question
hi,
ive caught a mouse that is stray, i hate killing animals so thats not one of my options but i dont no if it carries diseases so i dont think i can keep it. its small and is not full grown, what do i do?

Answer
Dear Grace,

By a stray mouse do you mean a wild mouse? I'm going to assume that; if you mean a stray pet-type mouse let me know.

The disease that people worry about is hantavirus, which can be lethal.  This disease is carried by Deer Mice and White Footed Deer Mice, but not House Mice or pet mice. However, the incidence of HPS (hantavirus pulmonary syndrome) is very, very rare. It is usually contracted by breathing in dried urine and feces in an area that is or was infested by mice. However, it can also be contracted by a bite. I wish I could find information about incidence of disease from handling a wild mouse, which I want to guess is zero (which would explain why I can't find it).  I myself would not worry about it, but I can't guarantee it for someone else. Especially if the mouse is not full grown, since babies don't get the disease from birth or nursing, it would have had little time to contract the disease. You can find a lot of information (some of it somewhat contradictory) on the Internet. This link explains it pretty well:

http://healthvermont.gov/prevent/hanta/hantavirus.aspx

Your risk also depends on the state you live in; for instance:

"As of July 2007, six states had reported 30 or more cases of Hantavirus since 1993 - New Mexico (69), Colorado (49), Arizona (46), California (43), Texas (33), and Washington (31). Other states reporting a significant number of cases include Montana (25), Idaho (19), and Utah(24). With only 7 cases, Oregon has a notably lower attack rate overall and relative to population, compared to other Western states."

If you decide the minimal risk is worth it, the question is only whether or not you and the mouse would make good friends.  That is, do you want a wild mouse for a pet? And, does this mouse want to be your pet?   If you don't want a pet, you want to release the mouse. I'll tell you how to do that in a minute.

If you want to keep it as a pet, the question remains if the mouse will be happy in a cage.  Although some people feel that wild animals should always stay in the wild, many people do choose to keep wild mice as pets and they do make great pets. My own feeling is if the mouse doesn't spend a lot of time trying to get out of the cage, it's happy. A young mouse shouldn't be difficult to tame. On the other hand, if it jumps and jumps at the top of the cage, it wants to be set free. Of course it must have a wheel to use up its excess energy.

If you choose to release it, then don't tame it.  Bring it to an area that is wooded or grassy where it has plenty of places to hide. Leave some food and nesting material nearby. You can also leave it a little box such as a shoebox with an entrance in it to use as a temporary home, and return for the box later. In that case, keep it in the box for a little while and release it from the box, so it knows that's a good home.

If you keep it, set up its cage like a tame mouse with accessories you get at the pet store (wheel, water bottle, mouse food). Give it a couple of toilet paper rolls to hide in.  And have fun with it : )) !!

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha