Kicking food out of the bowl...

by River on Thu 01 Mar 2018, 11:30 pm

...and sleeping in the empty bowl left behind.

Why? Makes it very difficult to keep track of how much seed she needs! Graham has picked up some weird habits in her old age and and while seeing her curled up inside the food dish, seeds flung around her is both hilarious and cute...it does not make it any less irritating!

How do I keep track of her eating with this newfound love of hers?

by **AnonymousMouseOwner** on Thu 01 Mar 2018, 11:38 pm

What kind of food do you use? I use Vitakraft - and I don't have a single mouse that doesn't kick the food out of the bowl. It's a messy, annoying habit that mice have but I learned to deal with it. If you use a food with pellets in it - for example the Vitakraft has little colored bits in it - just look through the bedding a little everyday around the dish. If you find those colored bits, then you know she still has food, because those should be completely eaten and you shouldn't see them if the food is being eaten, since they don't leave behind shells like the seeds do.

by Blessed on Fri 02 Mar 2018, 9:00 am

That's funny you have that 'problem', guys... For me, it was usually them kicking bedding into their food bowl (with food in or out of it). Haha

by **scaredymouse** on Fri 02 Mar 2018, 9:07 am

I have slowly learned how much food they eat per week and just give them that amount every week, plus a little extra to be safe. Then i just ignore where they put it. I know i fed them enough because of what i find leftover when i clean the tank. There is no way to stop those little jerks from doing their thing. My girls kick every seed out as soon as i fill the bowl... They love it. Anyway, your best bet is to get used to it and try to determine what they go thru weekly by seeing what's left at the bottom of the tank when you clean. If there is a lot, scale back. If there is very little, add some. Good luck!

by MerciToujoursMaPetiteBoop on Fri 02 Mar 2018, 9:26 am

Sleeping in a strange spot or position can mean the mouse feels unwell. If the surface is smooth and cool (especially if it is glazed ceramic), it may be that she is overheated and trying to cool off. These could relate to her recent abscess and/or treatments for it. Or there might be something else going on that's going to rear its ugly head. (Don't mean to be a downer -- it's just possible, so you should be aware.)

Otherwise, she may have just discovered the joy of sleeping with smooth under her belly. Little Miss April almost insisted on it, whether in a yogurt cup turned on its side, at the curve where my neck turns into my right shoulder, or to the point of chewing round, mousiebelly-sized holes in the paper towel lining the bottom of her tank where she wanted to sleep.

by River on Fri 02 Mar 2018, 10:22 pm

@MerciToujoursMaPetiteBoop It is the ceramic bowls...but its been getting hotter these past few days so I'll keep my eye on it but I think its normal. She has a ceramic house too but she likes to put nests in there instead. Of course! I'll freeze a mug for tomorrow.

I will learn to figure out how much they eat a week. Garcia is a new addition, a big one at that so I'm just adjusting still! I'll keep checking for seeds beneath the bedding daily, though. Glad to hear she's not the only weirdo doing this! She sure does have fun with it. She's be getting more sparky and energetic lately!

by Rodents rock! on Sat 03 Mar 2018, 11:50 am

Maybe try adding a second food dish?

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