I think my mouse has a cold.......

Question
QUESTION: I got a fancy mouse and I noticed he is sleeping more and is sneezing a lot. His ears are also turning white:(. I don't know what he is doing or why he is doing this. and I live in Illinois so it's really cold right now.

ANSWER: I'm sorry for not replying earlier, I have had difficulty accessing the internet.

Sneezing could be the type of materials you use in the cage. Sawdust, hay and straw can cause sneezing becuase they contain fine particles which causes the mouse to sneeze. If the other mice are OK then it probably isn't a cold.

Sleeping a lot more could be a sign of depression. Make sure he isn't being left out by the group. He won't get cold if he has plenty of bedding and a few of his friends to snuggle up to.

Please feel free to ask any more questions.

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

QUESTION: I dont know wut the name of the bedding I  used is.He doesn't  have any other mice.And the depression could be true because my other mouse just recently died.But I dont see the problem because they hated each other.The one that is still alive (Rumpfy) bit at the other mouse (bob) all the time.

Answer
Mice are social creatures so he really needs a buddy or two, preferably of the same age and size. They will keep him warm and stop him from getting depressed. Although they appeared to 'hate' each other mice are not so complex to feel that emotion. They were probably competing for food and territory. Mice are less likely to fight if they are in a large cage as the dominant mouse has more territory and the others have more room to hide if necessary. Make sure there is a wheel and plenty of hiding places. You should feed them plain boiled rice because they won't fight over their favorite bits of mouse food.

If you don't want to get him buddies or if he also fights with them despite being in a larger cage there is the option of euthanasia.

Please feel free to ask any more questions.