too many mouse babies

Question
Hi there. this is a bit of a desparate question. i really am at a loss of what to do. i got 3 "female" mice for pets over a month ago. Turns out one of them was a male. When the other two females started to look really fat i took the male out and put him elsewhere. Both females had 4 babies each. when they were born i posted ad's everywhere to try and find them homes. i got 1 response, someone wanting one male. this is disastruous. my babies are all 3.5 weeks old and need to be separated. i dont even have enough cages, and have nowhere for them to go. my parents will NOT let me keep them all. so i am absolutely dispairing what to do with them. im so compassionate about animals i cant bear to think of doing anything cruel. i thought about setting them free but its mid winter here in england and i know they wont survive prob more than a few days :( i dont know if i could bare to do that to them; they dont deserve it. then as though i havent got enough trouble on my hands, by some rediculous measure, one of my mothers looks really fat again. i absolutely cannot understand how she could possibly be pregnant. i took the male out before they were born, and even the males in the litters are only 3.5 weeks old. what on earth should i do :( i dont know if you can help me, advise me, suggest anything. i just do not know what to do. i have no homes, what on earth should i do with all these babies :( Thankyou so much, i appreciate any advice you can give me. A desparate asker :( yours, Elle.

Answer
Dear Elle,

I sympathize greatly with your situation.  Pet store associates too often do not know what they are talking about and they do not care.  Many problems and tragedies are the result of this.

You mustn't put the mice outdoors.  They would probably be dead within a day.  They are hundreds of thousands of generations away from any mice that could survive outdoors.

The best thing to do is to bring the mice back to the pet store.  It is their fault; and they can sell them for their profit.  

If the pet store will not take them, or admits they will just kill them if they take them, then the next option is to contact a mouse rescue organization.  Go to this website:

http://www.ratster.com/

choose:   Rodentries and Rescuers:  By State or Country;  click on the UK.  The only listing I see right now is:

Burmaprize Rattery
Hertfordshire
Breeding rats in the Siamese and Burmese varieties in top ear only
Jacky-burmaprize@sky.com

I suggest you email this place, and if you are not near Hertfordshire, they can certainly give you the best advice about how to place them from where you are.

As to dealing with the mice right now, fast, separate the males and females.  Female mice have nipples.  Females also have less space between their privates.  Males may not show testes yet at 3 1/2 but these pictures of adults should help:

http://www.afrma.org/pdfposters/gender.pdf

Males will eventually fight, but that's better than mating!  Males are not sexually mature until they are 4 1/2 weeks, so your mouse really oughtn't be pregnant again unless you have lost track of time.  You are actually quite lucky to only have gotten 4 pups per litter.  Litters are actually usually closer to 8-12 with pet mice.  

I wish you the very best of luck!

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha