stopping mouse from biting

Question
QUESTION: My mouse is always biting me, and a few times she punctured the skin, I fry wearing gloves and she bites harder. I've stopped handling her and started handling my other mouse a lot. The biting mouse was the first mouse I got and she was very sweet. And she was that way before my knocked the small, plastic cage over, cracking the top off. She didn't escape, but she's been different. I've always let her smell me before I tried to pet her, but she would still bite me. Could she still be effected by the cage being knocked over?

ANSWER: Dear Jo,

You are right.  A shock can alter a mouse's personality.  I had a mouse start to bite after being out of the cage for a while, but apparently your mouse got freaked out by the fall.  

The best way to handle a biting mouse is to engage with its mouth/muzzle.  Don't react to the bite except to either take hold of the teeth or the mouth, or to tap it very lightly on the top on the nose (doesn't hurt them; insults them!) or gently press its nose down for a moment.  These things can show a mouse it isn't going to get what it wants by biting.

You should continue to handle the mouse daily with the gloves on even if it still bites the gloves.  Otherwise it will just get wilder, more scared, and more likely to bite.  Pet it and massage it so it will get some pleasure out of being held.  

squeaks,

Natasha

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

QUESTION: Should I try all three techniques or just stick with one? Also, I have 2 mice and 1 wheel, whenever one of them is on the wheel, the other one goes a little berserk, should I get another wheel?

Answer
Dear Jo,

Your instinct is right; you should choose what method works best and stick with it.  That means you can try them all out to see what her reaction is.

Mice do love to each have their own wheel, so they would definitely appreciate a second wheel.  

squeaks,

Natasha