I think my mouse is preggie

Question
hi, I am just wondering, I think my mouse pregnant but I dont really know, she used to be more active in the day and night especially in the night but now she just stays in her nest most of the time and only my other mouse comes out at night and she has is fatter and my mum pointed out she is really fat and big, so an advice ??
Also I have another mouse in the cage with her I dont know if its a girl or boy but if its a girl, is it ok to keep her in the same cage when the mice are born ?
thanks so very much
Molly

Answer
Dear Molly,

If you have had your mice more than 2 weeks then you have a male and female. If you just got them, examine the second mouse with the help of these pictures:

http://www.thefunmouse.com/info/sexing.cfm

Scroll down to the adult mice.  You will use this info later to separate the babies as well, which you must do between 4- 4 1/2 weeks of age.

If Mouse 2 is a male, you want to take him out of the cage now, or he will impregnate his girlfriend again the day she gives birth! A female can stay in the cage and help with the babies.

Right now, give the expectant mother lots of nesting material.  Don't be surprised at mood changes.  A little extra fat and protein are good for her:  nuts, sunflower seeds, a tiny smear of peanut butter on a cracker, some cheese, some scrambled egg.

if you have to separate the two because they are male and female, you will have mice in two cages.  In this case you should keep a girl baby or two with the mother.  Keep the cages close so they can communicate because the father is going to be lonely.  He ought to be handled for at least an hour a day, because you are his only friend.  The same is true  for the mom if you choose not to keep any girls for her to live with, but I recommend keeping some.  I like to always have at least girl three mice in a cage because then when one dies, the others still have each other and you have time to replace the third mouse.  

You will find many answers to many pregnant mouse questions I have received by searching under "mouse, mice, natasha, pregnant."  (once they are born you might want to use the words "babies" or "litter") If you can't find your answer, feel free to write back with more questions.

Best of luck and have fun with the babies!

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha