Should I get more mice?

by CutesyMousey Wed 04 Apr 2018, 2:28 pm

Currently, you might know that I have a huge Alaska cage just for my 4 girls. They absolutely LOVE it and it’d be awesome to add perhaps 1 or 2 more to the cage, since they do have a bunch of room and I have the ability to give 2 more girls a great life. But I have a few questions that I wanted to ask a few more experienced mice owners before going through with it.

1) Is 5-6 mice overdoing for just one Alaska cage? I wouldn’t want them to feel too cramped up.

2) *Forgive me, I’m terrible at explaining* Will I have to introduce each new girl to each of my current mice individually? For example, I know how to introduce 2 mice together, thanks to this forum Smile

, so will I need to do this with each new mouse and each of my current mice? Hoping that makes sense aha

OR, is there an easier way to do it. For example, putting the 2 new mice in a neutral territory and just placing one of my current mice in with them, then, of course, alternating my current mice with the newbies - would that work?

3) What are the chances that my current 4 will not accept a new mouse? I’d hate for them to not get along and ending up having to be seperated from each other.

I’m really sorry for so, SO many questions. I’m pretty new to mice but I’m totally obsessed with them...they’re probably one of my new favourite animals. Hopefully you guys will be able to help me decide Smile

by Jadamouse Thu 05 Apr 2018, 11:24 pm

5 to 6 mice should be fine in one alaska cage, and no you shouldn't have to introduce them individually. when you get the new mice keep them seperate for 2 to 3 weeks in quarantine to make sure they aren't sick or pregnant. for bonding putting the whole group (current mice and new mice) into neutral territory with only a few toys will work. make sure though that you have a travel cage or something near by if anything goes wrong. the mice will most likely squabble and squeak a bit so dont be alarmed, when the mice squabble just seperate them carefully with your hand (be careful - you might get bitten by mistake) or have something to seperate them with. bonding them could take a week or it could take a month it just depends on the mice. put them all together like this each day for 20-30 minutes at a time and mak sure you are there supervising at all times. if any of the mice draw blood from one another do not try bonding them again the next day and seperate the new mice and old mice straight away and if anything is too bad take the bitten or hurt mouse to the vet asap.

the chances of your current 4 not accepting the new mice is hard to say... it all depends on the personality of your current mice and the personality of the new mice.

I hope this helps!

best of luck Smile

by Peachy Fri 06 Apr 2018, 9:24 am

Female mice will get along more often than not, it can just take some time (up to two weeks) for everyone to work out their spots in the hierarchy and settle down. Chasing, humping, squeaking, sniffing etc are all normal. You don't need to intervene during these behaviors, and separating them when it's unnecessary can do more harm than good. ONLY separate if things get serious. It's hard to miss, they lock themselves into a little squabble-ball. Trust your gut about separating. And use a toilet paper roll. Serious problems like this aren't common, however. Smile

It's best to introduce everyone at the same time in neutral territory like a bath tub. A large space works well because it lets them come to each other on their own terms. You can plop your two new ladies in for a couple minutes first and then add all four of the new mice in. Let them hang out in there for 15-30 minutes. I usually set up their new home during this time.
After 15-30 minutes, if they seem to be doing well, move all six of them into their new enclosure. Don't separate and reintroduce them later unless there's blood drawn. In most cases this is unnecessary, confusing, and can cause more problems than it "solves."
I like to keep toys to a minimum for the first day together and then slowly start to add more. This helps them learn to share the boring essentials before they have to share the fun stuff. You can add toys in right away if you'd like, though. Good signs are grooming each other, snuggling each other, sharing a nest, etc but don't be thrown off by an occasional squabble. Even well established colonies squabble!

by CutesyMousey Thu 10 May 2018, 8:09 am

Thank you so much! You have really helped me Smile

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