MiCE (again, again)

Question
ok, your advice is great! You have been such a good help. I do belive she is
pregnent, but she has not got fatter. I have planned to give the babys (when
they come) to my friend who is not allowed 2 have pets such as dogs, so im
giving her 2 i plan on giving the rest to Bob's feathred Friends a local pet
store that is VERY nice, they said they would sell them ONLY AS PETS! I am
assuming when Avalanche has babys i will need help. How can i get in contact
with you when needed????? THANKS A MILLION! ~Hazel

Answer
Hi

Not sure what happened when I tried to answer this before, I think it went in the question pool?

Anyway it's great you have found homes for them. Having baby mice isn't difficult but I'll be here if you need any help. I'll cover the basics but if you want to know anything else please email me. Please could you send me your email address as if I posted mine I would have everyone emailing me with questions!

You will need to put the 2 girls in a cage by themselves (you don't want her to become pregnant again!). The other girl will help with the babies. In the girls cage try to include the following;


Wood shavings

Birthing house - this can be anything from a cardboard box to a mouse house you find in the pet store.

Nesting material - as many of these as possible, toilet roll, kitchen roll, hay, new dish cloths cut into strips, hamster fluff (looks like cotton wool and is usually pink, blue or white), tissues, cardboard or anything else animal safe.

Water - make sure it's low enough for her to reach (climbing on their hind legs is difficult with a big belly)

Food - she will need protein as well as her regular diet. You can include fromage frais, small pieces of cooked meat, nuts, cheese, peanut butter and any of her favorites.

Wheel - make sure its plastic.

Toy - an empty toilet/kitchen roll is great!

Her cage must be kept away from drafts, noise (e.g. t.v,) direct light or any other pets. Try to keep the cage at room temperature.

The hardest part is not to peek! You will know if shes had them, there will be a lot of faint high pitched squeaking. You can play with them a few hours after giving birth but some mothers find this stressful and may eat their young.

You can play with them when they are 3 days old (this is when they are really cute). If you look at their bellys those will nipples are girls. Handle them frequently (maybe 4 times a day) but for short periods of time (about 2-3 minutes). As they get older you can increase the amount you play with them. Handling them from a young age is very important as they get used to human contact. It is always a good idea to rub your hands in the wood shavings before you play with the babies as a human smell may stress the mother.

When they reach 2 weeks their eyes will open and will be at the 'flea stage'. Handling during this time will be tricky, they are very jumpy and will 'ping' in any direction! Keep a firm hold on their tails till this passes (usually when they are 3 1/2 weeks). This is when they will start to eat solids, it's tempting to give them treats but wait till they are fully grown a it may inhibit their growth.

At 4 1/2 weeks they have completely weaned and are ready to be separated. It is important you don't leave it any longer as they are fertile and will reproduce. If you aren't sure ask the pet shop to do this.

I hope this isn't too overwhelming, please contact me if you have any more questions. Good luck!