Mice Babies!

Question
QUESTION: We got a surprise last Sunday which were a set of baby mice from our Fancy Mouse, Maizey.  They are a week and one day old now and you can see the hair on them and the color and Maizey seems to be a good first-time mother.  My question is that,  when are they old enough to be held with gloves (so we don't get our scent on them) so we can you know, check them out.  We took out Thumbelina who we thought was a girl but know we are second guessing...  we put Thumbelina in the cage so "it" can visit with the babys for a hour a day and take out the mom, Maizey.  

Questions:

1)  When are the babys old enough to be held with gloves?

2)  Please tell me and my family what we should look out for and what to do and stuff like that.

Thank you sooooo much!

ANSWER: Dear Molly,

Congratulations to Maizy!  Unfortunately, if Thumbelina was in the cage when the babies were born, Maizy will be expecting another litter three weeks to the day.  Thumbelina does not need to visit the babies and in fact this might confuse Maizy, which could cause her to eat the babies.  The two will never live together again, assuming you don't decide to go into mouse raising full time; and he has no idea he is a father.  

You may and in fact ought to handle the babies now with clean, dry, warm hands.  Be sooooo gentle! They should each be held at least once a day; I do it twice.  At first hold them at the same time but after a few days, once they have gotten used to your scent, you can hold them individually.  When they are 14 days old they will open their eyes and may be very difficult to hold.  The more you have handled them before, the more easily they will soon settle down.

These past answers of mine will answer many other questions you may have:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/8/mouse-reproduction.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/2/mouse-babies.htm

You will find links to YouTube videos of baby mice of various ages here:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Mice-3824/2008/8/mouse-reproduction-mating-babies.htm

Please feel free to write with more questions.

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha


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

QUESTION: Ok.   We will take out Thumbelina now, but when we put him in for a hour,  he licks the babys and falls asleep on top of them and keeps them warm.  They both really love the babys and love each other and I dont think there is a problem with it yet, but this is my first litter and you are the expert!

Answer
Dear Molly,

Well, that's just the cutest thing!  Apparently he bonded before you discovered the situation and took him out!  I've never heard of mice with shared custody, but there's always a first time : )).  Note of caution:  Mice feed their babies every half hour, so Maizy should never be away for them for longer than that.  

Actually because Maizy is most likely already pregnant again, there is no reason to keep the family apart.  Just make sure to take Thumbelina out 20 days after the first litter was born.  Until then he can enjoy being a good father and make Maizy happy by helping her out.  

Whether you try to see if he wants to babysit the second litter is up to you.  You seem to have good instincts so far : ))

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha