Chirping mouse?

Question
Hi,

I just have a question about my mouse's 'talking'. Often I can here her chattering and chirping; sometimes she'll be in her nest, other times out and about. It's very loud; I keep her in my room and she will wake me up with it. It's not always a constant thing. She can be perfectly silent most of the time. She is nearly two years old. When I first got her a year and a half ago, she made these sounds but much quieter. Do you think it's a respiratory illness? I also have recently had to stop keeping her on aspen bedding. (Don't sell any anywhere near I live). Until I get more I've been mixing pine shavings with shredded toilet paper. Could it be that? Should I stop with the pine/toilet paper and use something different? Sorry for such a long question; thanks for reading.  

Answer
Hi Katie,

The chirping and chattering might be a result of being sick before you got her, if it's been going on softly since you first obtained her.  The fact that it has gotten so much louder recently may well be a result of the pine, which has a tendency to irritate the respiratory system, or it could just be that she is two years old.  That's a really good age to reach for a mouse, and it could just be bothering her more now that she's not a young girl anymore.  In either case I would suggest switching from the pine to something a bit gentler on her breathing.  Paper-based beddings like Yesterday's News or Carefresh are commonly available, although expensive, and should be frozen for at least a day before using them to cut down on their risk of mites.  Yesterday's News can usually be found for less money in the cat section as cat litter, so check there, too.  I think Aspen can be shipped fairly inexpensively, since even when compact it's very lightweight.  You could also check around at your local feed stores, as they will usually carry a big variety of beddings, too.  Lastly, if there is absolutely no other option and you *have* to use Pine, adding in toilet paper is a wonderful idea and can be supplemented with hay and shredded paper to cut down on how much pine you actually have to use per cage change.

If you switch her bedding to something gentler and the squeaking stays really loud, I would recommend seeing a vet to have it evaluated by a professional.  If that's impossible, and sometimes it just is, you could then pursue antibiotics and see if they have an effect on her chattering.

Your question wasn't long, heh, thank you for asking!  :)
-Tam