naughty baby wild mice nipping

Question
QUESTION: By the time I get an answer to this one it might be too late.  My mom sets out these dreadful sticky traps, and then removes the mice from them with oil, waits a day and sets them free out in the woods.  Most of the time they seem to survive, although it looks like torture to me.  This morning I heard little noises and found one of these sticky traps with two baby mice stuck to it.  We took them off in the usual way, but I didn't want to set them out in the woods because they look like they are very young.  I've been reading a bit on-line, and they do have fur and their eyes are open.  Other than that I don't know what age they are, except that they're obviously babies.  The question is two part:

1.  Any idea how to get their fur back to normal?  They're still covered in oil and it's been about 12 hours.  They don't seem to be able to get it off, and I'm scared that it's really hurting them.

2.  I don't know what to feed them!  I've tried warm milk, given on bread (don't have a syringe though I will get one tomorrow if they are still alive).  I've put in some veggies, bread crumbs, the things that they usually eat out of my mom's pantry.  They won't take any of it.  I want these little guys to make it, but I'm terribly inexperienced, never had mice before.  Any suggestions of what to try?  And am I supposed to pick them up when I'm feeding them, or do it while they are in the box?  I've put in a bunch of toilet paper and paper towels for them to hide in.  Anything else I should do?

The only happy (I hope) part of all this is that I've tossed out my mom's sticky traps and bought her some humane live traps so the mice won't have to suffer like that in the future.  But that's going to do these two little fellows no good at all.

Thanks for any help/suggestions you can give me.

ANSWER: Dear Deborah,

This is the normal foundling baby mouse info that I give out:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/4/Baby-Wild-Mice.htm

I can't tell how old your guys are except over 2 weeks (eyes open), so I don't know if they are nursing or not.  I also don't know if they are letting you handle them.  If they are not letting you handle them much, they are probably old enough to eat solid food.  If you can hold them, they probably still need to be nursed, which you will do in your hand as described in the link above.

To get the oil off, use paper towels, kleenex, or cotton cloth.  You can just handle them with it in your hands.  If you are sure you can keep them really, really warm (hot, dry room), you can gently wash them with baby shampoo and water.  

These little guys have just been through mousie Hell, and now they are going to have to deal with the oil on them and with being fed not by mom but by a human; it will be no surprise and certainly not your fault if they don't survive.  If they do survive, they will be very sweet little pets.  

By the way, when your  mom releases the mice she may well be trapping the same ones again-- assuming they don't learn a lesson-- because displaced mice will return home from a distance less than a mile.  Find a nice wooded or grassy area over 1 1/2 miles away to let them go.  The ones that came back and did learn the lesson are of course happily living with you now and don't go near the traps.

The very best of luck to you and your two new friends.

squeaks,

Natasha

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


Baby Mouse   QUESTION: Ok, so today one of the little ones died.  It's dreadful for me, I'm already so attached and I really wanted them to live.  I'm scared that I'm doing something wrong and that the others will die (there are two left now- one from the sticky trap and one from the humane trap).  

Question 1:- how much formula should they be eating?  They usually take about 4 or 5 drops from the pipette I have and I feed them about every 3 hours.  This is as much as they will take before turning their faces away and climbing around my hands, cleaning their whiskers or, apparently, falling asleep on my hand.  I also have a piece of bread soaked in the formula in the cage for them, and I've seen one of them lick the formula off the bread.  Since I don't know how old they are I wanted to give them access to solid food just in case they need it.  I also put a couple of mouse food pellets in there but they haven't touched those.  Is this ok or could they be hurting themselves by licking the bread and ingesting some of the solid food?

2.  Should they have a water bottle available to them?  I bought one, but it leaked all over the cage.  I'll get another if they should have it.  Is there some way to teach them to use the bottle?

3.  Do they need to be fed during the night, and if so, should they be fed as frequently?  I've been feeding them every 3-1/2 to 4 hours during the night, is this ok?  Also, is it important to establish a regular routine for feeding, or can I feed them more frequently when I have time (after and before work)?  

I'm sorry for all the questions.  I really want to get this right and save the two remaining babies.  I took a picture of one in my hand, don't know if that'll help with the age thing, but thought I'd try.  The mouse might be about an inch without the tail.

Thank you again for any help you can give.  It's really amazing what you do here, all the help you give people with their questions.

ANSWER: Dear Deborah,

The mice should be fed exactly what they will eat.  Their mom nursed them every  half hour, so you should feed them as frequently as possible.  Every two hours is recommended.  It's only for a few more days, so maybe you can do it.  I recently rescued a little kitten and had to bottle feed around the clock for 5 weeks!  It wasn't easy.

Yes, get a good water bottle.  I've found the best ones are the store brand at Petco-- they don't leak and they don't dry up very often.  It's crucial that it not leak because if they get wet they will get cold and die.  Teach the mice to use the bottle by showing them how to drink from it a couple of times a day after they are weaned.  At the same time, give them a bottle cap of water changed every time they fill it, or every 4 hours, whichever is longer, until you are sure they have figured it out.  

You are doing great.  They didn't get off to the best start, so don't blame yourself if they don't make it.

Best of luck.

squeaks,

Natasha


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

QUESTION: Dear Natasha,
Thank you for all your help so far.  I'm sorry to have yet another question, but I wasn't able to find any information about this.  The update is that the two remaining mice have thrived thanks to your helpful advice.  It has been two weeks since I found them and they have doubled in size.  Both are still taking a bit of formula when offered, but the one seems to be mostly weaned while the one that was injured is getting on well but still a bit smaller and taking more of the formula.  Anyway, at this point I see no reason why they wouldn't make it, and I would like to keep them as pets at least until springtime as the weather is quickly getting colder.

Ok- now, my question.  I handle the mice regularly during the day and they seem to be very comfortable playing on my hands.  The last two days one of them has been biting/nibbling my hand, not piercing the skin, but enough to make me worry a bit.  He does this when he's comfortable, after feeding, when he's climbing around and exploring.  I am absolutely certain that it's not because of fear.  So why could he be biting?  And more importantly, what can I do to discourage this behavior?  I know from raising conures (parrots) that birds go through a phase where they test boundaries and also use their beaks to explore, during which time they sometimes bite lightly.  Do mice go through a phase like this?  How should I respond?

Thank you for your help.  Please note that this isn't a pressing question, so feel free to answer whenever you have the time- this time it's not a matter of life or death!

Best Regards,
Deborah

Answer
Dear Deborah,

Mice do like to affectionately nibble fingers sometimes.  To discourage this, give  the mouse a quick, extremely light tap on the tip of the nose when it nips.  This is not to hurt them but to insult them! This usually works pretty well.  

Best of luck!

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha