male mouse being eaten ALIVE!

Question
I started out with one male and two female, and soon they started having babies.  So my parents seperated the feamles and males.  That seemed to work for a while, until the starter male started getting agressive.  He tore up almost all 9 males that we had.  and killed one...we've been looking for a small cage to put him in, but none seem to be able to hold a mouse.  This morning i went to feed them before school...and i saw a male mouse stuck between to pieces of the furniture in their cage.  The other mice were eating him.  i thought he was dead and picked him up by the cuff of the neck...he started squirming, and i put him in a jar until i could get home to bandage him up, or try to help.  i've been worried all day.  (i'm at school right now, so...) and i'm not sure how long he'll last...he was barely moving when i left...and the wound was so deep i could see an organ in the left lower part of his body. and the first couple bones on the very tip of his tail was eaten, or just isn't htere anymore...PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

Answer
Dear Amber,

How horrible!  Any small aquarium will be fine for the aggressive male.  Or offer him to the pet store.  

The other mice were eating the dying mouse (and he will die, I'm sorry) because a carcass can rot and ruin the nest so everyone gets sick.  They might have thought he was dead.  What horrible misfortune!  My heart goes out to you and to each mouse.  There IS plenty of food in the cage, right?  They cannibalize if they are starving, too.  

You should dose all the injured mice with an antibiotic so the wounds don't get infected.  You can get something from the vet or you can buy fish Tetracycline in your pet store.  Mix the contents of a capsule or two with an itsy bit of water (a drop) to make a light paste.  Now grab a mouse by the scruff of its neck (at the back of its head) and even though he will struggle, try with your finger to get a bit of the paste in his mouth.  He won't be able to spit it out. Rub a little more on his muzzle (WATCH OUT not to cover his nose!) and whiskers.  He will ingest it when he cleans himself.  Repeat with each mouse.  If the most unfortunate mouse of this morning is still alive, make a slightly lighter paste and gently cover all of his wounds.  Then put one capsule in a large or 1/2 capsule in a small water bottle and mix with water.  Shake well and this should be their only water source.  Change it every other day for a week.  

Males in general have a hard time getting along, so you may find you still have problems without the aggressive one.  If there is a lot of squeaking that's fine, but if there is blood or torn ears, you are going to have to separate the sparring males.  I hope that because they were nestmates they will get along.  This is the problem with keeping males.  Many times they have to live alone.

When a mouse lives alone, you must put the cages close to each other so they can communicate.  And you must give him lots of extra attention and love.  If you don't feel love for this male anymore, the petstore might take him as a feeder.  Single mice really need an hour of people-time a day.  You might be able to hold two fighters at a time without a problem.

The moral of the story is:  Always get females.  I have always have at least 3 females for the last 25 years and they are wonderful companions and don't stink nearly as much.

Good luck!

Squeaks

Natasha