URGENT!

Question
I found a brown mouse in the water outside a few minutes ago.

I've tried drying her off with a soft terry cloth, and I've taken her and wrapped her in a towel. She's currently on my lap,w ith another blanket over top both of us to keep her warm.

She seems to not be shaking as much but is still very disoriented.

Should I take one of my other mice from my community and see if they can share warmth? Or just leave her until she gets warm?

Anything I can do throughout the night to ensure her survival?

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Faye,

Thank you for rescuing the mouse!  It is very likely she is wild, however, so it is imperative that you keep her as far from possible from your other mice and wash your hands after handling her (and those towels, too).  She needs to stay dry and warm, so put her in some secure cage or tank with ventilation in a room that is heated to around 70-75 degrees, if possible.  You can use an extra light bulb or two to accomplish this, if there isn't another way.  Be careful of putting her in any kind of cage that has wide bars or large holes, as wild mice are experts at escaping!  Once she seems healthy again, release her some place safe and further away (like a wooded area).  If she comes near your mice she could give them any number of parasites, or if she's not really a she, could get them pregnant.  Half-wild mice are rarely as tame or pleasant as domestic mice.

Make sure in her enclosure she has warm nesting material (just putting the towels in there will help, perhaps putting in some toilet paper to shred as well) and food that she might naturally find around the house.  Things like stale bread soaked in a bit of water will give her moisture without needing a water bottle, and peanut butter spread across a cracker makes a great snack as well.  The most important thing is that she stays warm, as cold mice can go into hypothermia very quickly and lose their ability to warm themselves up again.

Best of luck to her!
-Tam