Possible Cage Rage?

by ian_minatani Wed 07 Mar 2018, 12:07 am

i got a few pet mice a month ago, two females, i have one smaller mouse Mango, and the other a normal sized, named Papaya. Over the course of the month Papaya would occasionally chase Mango around, sniffing or possible biting, mango in the butt. Recently, mango has been running around more, and papaya chasing more, they have plenty of food and water, and a decent amount of room, (20in. x 13in. with a small second layer, and a third area as well). In addition, the top compartment they have, they tend to use as their urination station, easier on me, haha. but recently, when cleaning with paper towels, it has become a much more yellow, almost crayon yellow, compared to the usual semi-clearness.

Any advice will help, thank you.

EDIT: also the urine is very crystallized.

by CallaLily Wed 07 Mar 2018, 8:57 am

Are you sure both are female? Just checking. Smile

If so, this sounds like they’re still trying to work out who’s boss. Groups of 3 or more tend to work out better because there will be more balance - not just one submissive mouse taking the brunt of the dominant mouse’s attention. If possible you may want to consider introducing a third girl (after quarantine of course). Either way it’s usually said that as long as there’s no blood drawn, let them work it out.

I’m not sure what to think of the urine. Again, I would double check that they’re both female and also make doubly sure their water bottle is working properly.

by ian_minatani Wed 07 Mar 2018, 4:34 pm

CallaLily wrote:Are you sure both are female? Just checking.

If so, this sounds like they’re still trying to work out who’s boss. Groups of 3 or more tend to work out better because there will be more balance - not just one submissive mouse taking the brunt of the dominant mouse’s attention. If possible you may want to consider introducing a third girl (after quarantine of course). Either way it’s usually said that as long as there’s no blood drawn, let them work it out.

I’m not sure what to think of the urine. Again, I would double check that they’re both female and also make doubly sure their water bottle is working properly.

Thank you so much, the only way i know how to tell if they are male/female is distance of parts from anus, and they won't let me pick them up, grabbing them by the tail won't result in favorable bonding. Figuring it's been a month of ownership, and there hasn't been babies yet, im assuming they're both female, Papaya is just larger than mango. Also, i don't think my cage is large enough for three, i'll look for obtaining a larger cage in the future, but it's not do-able at the moment, sadly.

Their water bottle goes down often, i'll attach a second bottle to be safe. Thank you again.

by MerciToujoursMaPetiteBoop Wed 07 Mar 2018, 6:15 pm

Sludgy, dark urine may indicate either the mouse is not drinking enough or it is waiting too long to empty out. If one mouse is afraid of the other, it may be cutting back on the number of trips to the water cooler and the water closet.

HOWEVER, sludgy, dark urine may also indicate a urinary system problem, and urine should definitely not be crystallizing inside the mouse. You should get the little ones to their doctor so you can take steps to avoid them getting infections or kidney/bladder stones.

Tip: You can see the underside of a mouse by putting it inside a clear container and looking up at its belly from underneath.

by ian_minatani Fri 09 Mar 2018, 12:38 am

I'm happy to say they have returned to normal, it was likely just them figuring out who's the Dominate mouse, resulting in a lot of marking territory, they are a lot more calm, less angry, and very adorable. To be extra sure, im adding a second water bottle, and all that. Thank you for all your help.

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