I caught a mouse and i dotn knwo what to do now

Question
My cats were chasing this mouse around and they cornered him. i caught him and put him in my old aquarium. i gave him food and water but now I'm not sure if he is safe to keep or not. i don't know if they carry any dangerous parasites/diseases. he doesn't seem to mind being around me and he seemed to stop caring even about my cats being near the aquarium. I'm worried that if i let him go he will be too accustomed to my cats and they will kill him. i cant let him outside either because he will freeze to death. what should i do?

Answer
Dear Corrie,

Thank you for saving the mouse!

It is very rare, but not impossible, for a mouse to carry a disease which a human could get.  Precautions to take are to wear gloves when you hold the mouse, keep the cage clean and don't breathe in the fumes when cleaning its cage.  If you possibly got a horrible flu after contact with the mouse, you would just want to mention the mouse to your doctor.  I don't mean to scare you; you are far more likely to get hit by lightning than die of a mouse-related illness.  Still, you never want to get bitten, for risk of more minor infection.

If you want the mouse as a temporary pet, there's no reason not to keep it until the Spring.  If you don't want to take on that responsibility,  don't feel bad-- you did save its life.  If you are going to let it go outside, try to find a place over a mile away where it will find some shelter. If it is in the woods you can leave it something warm like a wool sock and maybe a little box to nest in, and a small pile of food.  Mice will return home a mile away, except probably not in a big city.  

If you keep the mouse it must, more than anything else besides food and water, have a wheel to run in.

Good luck with your  new friend!

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha