Rescued a deer mouse, but his poop is now white

Question
I found a small, but furry, deer mouse in the corner of our basement about 10 days ago--don't know if he was sick or injured, but he didn't even try to get away when I scooped him up.  I put him in a box with some bedding, food and water for the night until I could figure out what to do.  The next morning, he was quite listless and I was sure he wasn't going to survive but when I checked again, he'd started eating!  A few hours later he started grooming and seemed much happier.  My plan was to release him outdoors, but my kids convinced me otherwise (my daughter has severe allergies, so this is the closest thing to a pet that they've ever had!)  Now a week later, he doesn't seem happy at all, he isn't eating nearly as much, not grooming and his poop is white.  I've tried to give him a variety of foods (strawberries, bananas, apples, crackers, peanut butter, cheese, rice, oats, corn), but have I missed something?  Or did I give something that made him sick?

Again, I don't think he's happy and I would let him go if that was the best thing for him, but now I feel guilty that maybe I've made the situation worse.  Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you so much!!!

Paula

Answer
Dear Paula,

It sounds like that mouse would be happier if you let him go.  Even though wild mice have short lives, they like to be free.  

However, mice do make wonderful pets.  Think about getting a couple of female mice from the pet store for your kids.  Mice aren't completely hypoallergenic, but (from my experience) they are better than cats or dogs.  As long as the kids just use their hands and wash them (before and) after holding the mice, being careful not to touch their eyes and faces with the mousie hands, and the cage stays clean (you clean it), they should be ok.  And since mice have a short lifespan (18-30 months), it isn't as big a commitment as another animal would be.

squeaks & giggles,

Natasha