Taming mice

Question
I bought 2 female fancy mice from a garden centre the monday before last. They said they are 8-10 weeks old. One is ginger and one is black and white.

I put my hand in the cage with food on after 2 days of having them. The ginger one which is a bit braver came up to my hand and ran off a few times before eventually coming up to my hand and chewing my fingers, i have read this is because they are testing to see if my hand is food. should i put food on my hand? i thought i could encourage them to like me with food however they now think i'm food!

They told me to pick them up by the base of the tail, so i picked one up after 3 days of having them and it turned round and bit me. I have looked up mouse handling on the internet and found you are supposed to support their bodies with the other hand, which I was not told. I have been trying to tame them but i am a bit scared of picking them up as i am afraid they will bite me. I have tried wearing gloves to pick them up but i am afraid of dropping them and losing them!

I have been holding treats through the bars and the ginger mouse has been taking them and then quickly running off into the corner. The black and white mouse has only taken food from my hand once and seems generally more shy than the ginger one.

please can you help me with taming them? thank you.

Answer
This is not your fault and is a very common problem. Breeders rarely handle the mice from a young age usually because they have to mass produce them and don't have the time. Unfortunately this results in jumpy, timid and sometimes aggressive mice.

It's a good idea to tempt them with food. However, as you have discovered this means they sometimes nibble your hand due to their poor eyesight. If the 'nibbling' doesn't hurt i.e they just put their teeth on you then they are just testing to see if you are food, particularly if they can smell food close by or if you have recently handled food.

Before you handle them wash your hands with water but don't use any soaps as some mice will find them offensive. Rub your hands in the cage wood shavings and rest your hand on the cage floor until they come up to investigate. It may help to have the cage on your knee whilst you watch t.v or read a book as it could take some time. They may sniff your hand at intervals or try to climb your arm. Once they know you are no threat you can handle them for short periods of time. Putting an item of clothing in their nesting area that has your smell on such as an old sock may also help.

Fortunately mice have long tails which makes it easier to handle the difficult ones (you would struggle with a hamster!). You should hold a mouse's tail a third of the way down from the base with a thumb and forefinger whilst supporting the body. This will help the mouse feel more at ease and you will have a good grip in case he tries to escape.

Handle them as often as possible without causing stress to you or the mice. Play time should be an enjoyable experience for both of you.

I understand that you are worried about them biting you or escaping. Mice are wonderful pets and I hope you are not put off by this experience. If you feel the situation is not improving talk to the garden centre. Perhaps if you are not too attached you could take them back and look others. Always handle them for as long as you like before you buy and see how they react when people approach the cage. If they run and cower in a corner I suggest buying elsewhere.

I really hope they calm down. Please feel free to ask any more questions. Good luck.