Wait for adoption or make another choice?

by AnonymousMouseOwner Sun 23 Jul 2017, 2:26 pm

Welp, unfortunately the person I wanted to get the mice from on Craigslist hasn't answered their texts I sent them in two days. I guess that means they don't want to give them to me and it wasn't meant to be. I'll keep checking to see if they answer, but I don't want to keep bothering them, so I won't text them anymore.

I still want to adopt some more mice, I would preferably like to save some mice in Daisy's memory, but I'm not sure how. That was the only ad I've seen for mice being re-homed on Craigslist in several months. I would wait for more mice to come up for adoption on Craigslist, but it doesn't happen often and I don't want to wait months... So, here are my options.

- Impatiently wait several months for the perfect mice to come up for adoption (Often times they are male mice, and I cannot get anymore males, so I have to wait even longer for females to come up for adoption)
- Buy mice from the pet store. Not my first choice, but I do still feel I would be saving a mouse from having a not-so-great life.
- Buy feeder mice. This only works if I can get a pet store to sell me feeder mice (they always tell me no, they only sell feeder mice for food for other animals). If I just don't tell them they are pets, I might be able to save some feeder mice, but I am not thrilled by the fact that they could quite possibly be pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see some cute mousie babies grow up, but I'd have to find good homes for any baby mice I wouldn't have room for, and that is almost impossible around here. So I've pretty much ruled out this option, sadly.
- Ask a local breeder if they still breed. I found a reliable mouse breeder, their mice look big and healthy with huge ears, and they were recommended to me by a registered AFRMA breeder. However, I'm not positive this person still breeds, as the last pictures of their mice are from 2 years ago. I'd have to ask about it. I don't feel like I'm saving any mice by doing this though. It would be nice to have healthy mice with good lines, but it wouldn't feel as rewarding as saving a mouse from a pet shop or Craigslist.

I have room for two female mice. One mouse would go in the 20 gallon long, and one would go in with the trio, since they have a newly upgraded tank and room for another mouse. Sorry for the long rant, I'm just having trouble deciding!

by Mouse friend Sun 23 Jul 2017, 2:43 pm

I really feel for you as I've been in that position although we don't have the option to rescue feeder mice in the UK as far as I'm aware. I tried to rescue a little boy off a site similar to Craig's list but the girl just broke all contact:( ( this was before I found the girls) difficult decision to make. Sorry I can't be more help Undecided

by Rodents rock! Sun 23 Jul 2017, 4:53 pm

If none are available for adoption, there is nothing wrong with getting mice from the pet store. The mice are innocent and can't help they ended up in a pet store. So I believe when you buy mice from a pet store, you are saving them by giving them a good and loving home. They deserve that as all animals do. Very Happy

by AnonymousMouseOwner Sun 23 Jul 2017, 5:16 pm

Thank you everyone, we are going up to the town with all the pet stores next weekend. Hopefully all works out and maybe I can find the perfect pair of girls. Also, just wondering, is it mean to split them apart if they spend 4 weeks in quarantine together? It just seems like they'd miss each other, but I guess they wouldn't mind since they are going to have new friends...?

Edit: Well, I just learned that I probably won't be able to get them that day. That's okay though, what's meant to be is meant to be. When the right time comes, everything will work out and I'll get the perfect 2 mice.

by Rodents rock! Sun 23 Jul 2017, 9:42 pm

If you get two new mice from a pet store and they came from the same enclosure, they can be quarantined together, no need at all to separate them. Then after quarantine, you can introduce them to your other girls if that was your intention.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Sun 23 Jul 2017, 9:49 pm

Rodents rock! wrote:If you get two new mice from a pet store and they came from the same enclosure, they can be quarantined together, no need at all to separate them. Then after quarantine, you can introduce them to your other girls if that was your intention.

Yes, that is what I was planning to do, I was just hoping they wouldn't miss each other after quarantine... Confused

I have 2 groups of girls right now, a group of 3, and a group of 4. Each mouse would be put in different groups, since I room for 1 more mouse in each group's tank. I hope that wasn't too confusing, lol.

by Rodents rock! Sun 23 Jul 2017, 9:59 pm

AnonymousMouseOwner wrote:
Rodents rock! wrote:If you get two new mice from a pet store and they came from the same enclosure, they can be quarantined together, no need at all to separate them. Then after quarantine, you can introduce them to your other girls if that was your intention.
Yes, that is what I was planning to do, I was just hoping they wouldn't miss each other after quarantine... I have 2 groups of girls right now, a group of 3, and a group of 4. Each mouse would be put in different groups, since I room for 1 more mouse in each group's tank. I hope that wasn't too confusing, lol.

Oh, ok, I understand now. LOL
I would be sad to separate them.
So my guess would be to quarantine them separately.

by Peachy Sun 23 Jul 2017, 10:03 pm

I try not to split mice up, but only because it makes me sad. Like my brindle sisters, Willow and Sunshine, they did everything together and were so sweet.

Maybe try a new plan if they seem exceptionally bonded... But mice take life as it comes, move on fast, and will make new friends quickly. Smile

by AnonymousMouseOwner Sun 23 Jul 2017, 10:42 pm

Hmm... I only have one extra tank for quarantine. I'll have to think about this, lol.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Mon 24 Jul 2017, 2:59 pm

Well, now that I'm thinking about it...

You are taking them away from their old friends either way. The pet shop I get my mice from quarantines them for a week before putting them on display, so the girls most likely bond during that time. Then, if you buy a single mouse, you are taking her away from all her friends she bonded with in that pet shop.. right? If I get a pair of mice, at least moving to a new home will be less stressful since they get to do so with a buddy, even if they do have to part after 4 weeks. I think they'd get over it pretty fast, just as a single mouse would get over being taken away from all her pet store buddies, right? That's how I thought of it...

by Rodents rock! Mon 24 Jul 2017, 8:15 pm

AnonymousMouseOwner wrote:Well, now that I'm thinking about it...

You are taking them away from their old friends either way. The pet shop I get my mice from quarantines them for a week before putting them on display, so the girls most likely bond during that time. Then, if you buy a single mouse, you are taking her away from all her friends she bonded with in that pet shop.. right? If I get a pair of mice, at least moving to a new home will be less stressful since they get to do so with a buddy, even if they do have to part after 4 weeks. I think they'd get over it pretty fast, just as a single mouse would get over being taken away from all her pet store buddies, right? That's how I thought of it...

Yea, that's true. I hadn't thought of it that way. Very Happy

by Mice Are Cute Mon 24 Jul 2017, 8:19 pm

Does quarantine really last that long? I had no idea...

Anyway I think getting your mice from a PetStore is a great idea! Very Happy

They are still in need of good homes, just like the mice that are for adoption. It is really your decision but I would do that.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Mon 24 Jul 2017, 8:32 pm

Mice Are Cute wrote:Does quarantine really last that long? I had no idea...

Anyway I think getting your mice from a PetStore is a great idea! They are still in need of good homes, just like the mice that are for adoption. It is really your decision but I would do that.

Yep, I quarantine for 4 weeks just to be safe. It is recommended to do at least 3 weeks, but some illnesses can take 4 weeks to show, so it's safer to do it for 4-5 weeks.

Thank you for your input! Smile

by Selk Tue 25 Jul 2017, 5:03 pm

Some pet stores have adoptable animals... usually unwanted, returned, or previously ill animals they can't sell. You could always ask if they have some older mice (young ones are the ones usually kept on display), mice in the back, or mice up for adoption.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Tue 25 Jul 2017, 5:51 pm

Thank you for the suggestion, but this is a local store and not a chain. I don't buy animals from chain stores anymore, because they are usually very unhealthy and don't live long. So far, I've had good luck with this local store. All the mice I've gotten from there have been healthy when I got them (except for one mouse that had a flea, but that was easily treated and not a huge deal). There's only two places with mice in the store, the small pets section (all the healthy, young mice) and the feeder section. The feeder section has all the mice that sadly didn't make it to the small pets section, and the mice are usually not as colorful, because all the colorful mice get to go to the small pet section (very unfair and sad, I know). I'm assuming any un-adoptable mice go in the feeder section and are just sold as feeder mice. However, I'm apparently "not allowed" by the pet store to buy feeder mice as pets, because they haven't been quarantined. There is also that high possibility they are pregnant, which is not something I want. I wanted to rescue some girls from the feeder section when I got my trio of girls, but the person who manages that section redirected me to the small pet section and said they can't sell me the feeder mice.

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