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Getting mouse used to being picked up

21 15:32:12

Question
Hello, Natasha. I Bought A Pet Mouse From The Vet On March 20, 2009. She Seems Pretty Tame, She'll Watch Me Though The Glass Cage And Wont Run Away When I Walk Up To The Cage. But She Runs Away Every Time I Try To Pick Her Up. I Give Her Lots Of Freedoms, Like Letting Her Run Around In A Hamster Ball For An Hour Or More A Day, But She Seems So Shy When I Try To Hold Her. Do You Know A Way To Tame Her?
Oh, And Another Question, When I Clean Her Cage, I Put Her In A Smaller Cage So She Wont Escape. She Jumps At The Plastic And Hits Her Head... Is That Normal, And Will That Hurt Her?

Answer
Dear Kelsey,

Mice are programmed by nature to be afraid of anything that comes from above.  Some of my very tame mice still won't let me just carefully reach in from the top and pick them up, though when I have them in a cage where I come at them from the side, most of them learn to walk onto my hand.  This isn't bad, though.  It's important not to scare your mouse by chasing her around the cage with your hand.  

You should let her get used to your hand in the cage.  You can just set it in there, palm up, for a few minutes and she will probably walk around it and sniff it.  You might want to put a treat on your fingers and later, palm.  She may eventually climb on, but even a very tame mouse is sometimes a little 'coy' about this.  Still, it's good practice. Don't scare her by trying to grab her when she gives you two feet.  Wait till she gives you all four.

Sometimes she will at least help you out by letting you know when she wants to get out, by climbing on top of a high object.  Encourage this behavior by repeatedly picking her up and giving her a little love when she does this.  She still may not climb onto your hand, but she is still letting you know she wants to get out.

The easiest way to pick up a very shy mouse from above is to give her a toilet paper roll and to pick it up with hands on both sides when she is in it.  If she doesn't immediately climb onto your hand, you have two options to get her out.  If you then tip gently the roll vertically, most mice will choose to climb up or down.  The other way is to set the toilet paper roll on a safe surface.  She will probably climb out to explore.  

Because mice like to be held, after you have held her for a while, put your hand back in the cage the same way, palm up, to let her go.  Then keep the hand there.  She will probably sometimes climb right back onto your palm, because she is remembering that she likes to get out.  Or she may just make it very easy for you to pick her up.  Always reward her for this by taking her out again for a bit.  In this way she is practicing coming out on her own.

As for the cage cleaning, it is not good for her to bang her head.  She could definitely hurt herself.  You need to find a taller container for her to stay in.  You may be able to keep her in that cage with the lid off, in a large box where she can't escape if she actually jumps out of the cage.  

Have lots of fun with your new mouse! You might want to get her a girlfriend.  Mice are very sociable and are happier and healthier with companions.

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha