female mounting female mouse

Question
QUESTION: Hi Natasha,
Regarding my female baby mice that mounted its mom.  You and the pet shop have said that this is very unusual; mom is a lot bigger than both babies.  I don't feel comfortable putting the female mouse back in with mom, incase it stresses her out.  Could you try to explain why the female baby mouse did this?   Is is that she is confused?  Is it that she is trying to be dominant (we do have another baby female mice that we also kept with mom, that is slightly smaller).  Is it that she has just become sexually active and is either confused or in season?  I know that this can happen in female species, e.g. dogs.  However, if the latter, does this mean that every time she is in season that she will do the same.  This doesn't seem very fair on the other two mice and if so, it might be best to separate or return to the pet shop.  We might be looking for new homes for the baby male mice as they are 5.5 weeks but already starting to fight, nothing serious, just a bit of rough and tumble but we understand that it could become more serious.  I guess we only have a window of opportunity to return to the pet shop and I guess that at this age, they would probably become snake food in any case.
Thanks
Karen

ANSWER: Dear Karen,

It isn't stressful for one mouse to be mounted by another, and it isn't sexual.  Especially in this case I'm sure the mother mouse doesn't feel the least bit threatened.  So this baby is a little bit full of herself!  Female mice jockey for dominance the way males do in other species (actually female dogs do it too).  Even if there is chasing and squeaking in a female only cage, that is not a problem.  The problems are only if one or more of these is true:

1. there is blood
2.  someone has no access to the wheel or to food
3.  someone is depressed and just sits and doesn't run around
4.  they don't ever sleep together.

You are likely right about returned mice becoming snake food.


squeaks,

Natasha

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Natasha,
The baby female mice has been separated from mom and the other female baby for a week now.  A friend has been looking after her for us, he had a spare cage for a time and whilst we are trying to find homes for the male baby mice.  The baby female mouse has been in a cage on her own but the friend has other male mice in another cage close by.  He is looking to keep his cage for when he might have to separate his males.

If the baby female mouse is now reunited with mom and the other female baby mouse, would this be okay or is there likely to be any problems?  The other two, mom and baby are doing really well on their own and I don't want to jeopardise this.  

If there is a problem, we can't really buy any more cages, as we currently have one male in one cage (the male we originally had), two baby males in another and mom and the other female baby in another.  If we can't find homes for one of the baby males, we may need to separate them.

Any advice you might have regarding the situation in whether it would be okay to reunite the ladies would be most welcome.
Thanks
Karen

Answer
Dear Karen,

You can put all the girls together. There may be a lot of chasing and squeaking, while they establish who will be the dominant mouse.  It's pretty clear that the mother will be dominant, but she may need to make sure the babies knows it.  Lots of chasing and squeaking is perfectly normal, and the squeaking does not mean pain; it's just communication.

Most likely the  mice will be fine together. However, it is a problem if:

*There is blood
*Somebody is blocked from getting food or water
*They don't usually sleep together
*Somebody becomes depressed:  does not move around much, sits hunched over.

Best of luck!

squeaks,

Natasha