Mouse Frustration :(

by MouseLover Sun 19 Jun 2016, 10:08 am

Feeling really frustrated and need a little rant because I'm feeling sorry for myself.

The breeder I was planning on getting new mice from this month hasn't answered any of my emails in over 3 weeks, so I think that my plans to get new mice may have fallen through Sad

It's really weird, and I hope nothing bad happened to her or her mice, but i'm feeling really disappointed right now.

I am really really struggling to find new mice. There are no pet shops any where near me that sell mice. In fact, it seems to be pretty rare to find mice in UK pet shops at all. I'm not sure how true it is, but someone once told me that pet shops in the UK don't tend to sell mice, because people may use them as feeder mice. Apparently, live feeding mice to snakes in the UK is illegal, unless it is a last resort (i.e. the snake is refusing to eat anything else). Not sure how much of this is true, but my point is - I've never seen pet shop mice in my area.

I've checked my local rescue. No mice. I've tried to contact breeders on another forum (no response).

I've been looking online for mice for sale adverts (e.g. on gumtree, or preloved - UK equivalents to Craig's List). The only mice that seem to be available in my area are a few unwanted pets that are well over a year old - but I want younger mice for two reasons - #1 Honey is a year and a half old, but Violet is only 4 months, so I'll need some friends for her who will (hopefully) be around for the rest of her life, as realistically Honey probably has about 6 months left. #2 I'm selfish and want young mice, because mice don't live long enough to begin with so I want a chance at having them for two years.

I don't drive either, which limits how far I can travel to get some mice.

So yeah, right now, I am feeling quite frustrated and have a distinct lack of meecers in my life. I am very grateful for the two that I have right now, but I have had two mouse deaths this year and it's definitely time for more mice in my life.

by scaredymouse Sun 19 Jun 2016, 12:26 pm

Yucky. Something will turn up. To bad I can't put one in the mail for you! Every time I go to the pretty store there are at least 25 homeless feeder lady mice that need homes and 25 males. Right now there are 8 ladies on petfinder. And my local breeder has 15 pied merle babies. Come get one!

by MouseLover Sun 19 Jun 2016, 12:35 pm

Argh I wish! Seriously, I don't know how you guys cope with feeder mice tanks. You must have to try not to look, or else you'd surely be taking a new mouse home every time?

by peas Sun 19 Jun 2016, 2:02 pm

I tend to feel like feeder mice wouldn't exist if they were banned like you are saying. So although those mice have short lives in often crowded conditions, they do have lives they would not have. Is it better they didn't exist at all?

So as much as i hate the idea of feeder mice maybe it is better to be a feeder mouse than nothing at all. I am not sure about the neurophysiology of mice but it seems to me that young mice are full of energy and probably feel good, so even if they have short crappy lives comparitively in feeder tanks, they probably enjoy just being alive.

by CinnamonPearl Sun 19 Jun 2016, 3:18 pm

Such a shame! I've had plenty of troubles with breeders in the past. When I was first getting mice, I was dealing with a breeder who would drop out of existence for weeks at a time every time I asked to see pictures of her mousery. I ended that relationship with a very angry email accusing her of trying to scam me. Maybe you could try asking around to any other animal people you know?

by MouseLover Sun 19 Jun 2016, 9:40 pm

peas - to be clear, I was saying that I don't know how you guys cope with feeder tanks because I'd want to buy them every time I saw them. I wasn't making a statement about it being upsetting or cruel. I won't start a rant on my opinion on that, it'd take too long Wink

CinnamonPearl you know how disappointing it is then Sad

unfortunately I don't know anyone else who keeps mice... they just don't seem to be a popular pet around here, no idea why! The only animal people I know are through forums really.

And so the search continues!

by Brynne Mon 20 Jun 2016, 1:19 am

Peas, feeder mice DO exist in large numbers in the countries where they can't be sold live. It's just that they are killed and frozen before being shipped to their destination. They skip the step of being trucked to the pet shop for their final days.

by CallaLily Mon 20 Jun 2016, 12:41 pm

Oh how disappointing. Sad

I hope you're able to find some mice soon.

by MouseLover Thu 23 Jun 2016, 10:38 am

I may have found some mice... There's an accidental pet litter about an hour's drive from my house! All have been handled since 3 days old and should be ready to leave in 2 or 3 weeks.

I actually quite like the idea of having some from an accidental litter, as I know they are someone's pets and possibly would have had even more handling than from a show breeder. The owner seems really keen on finding quality homes for her mice, as she is requesting to see the cage they will be kept in. Have sent an email so am waiting to hear back.

They are white, broken blue + white, and broken yellow + white. They look like they might be rex or frizzies Shocked

I have always wanted a fuzzy mouse!

by Peachy Thu 23 Jun 2016, 11:47 am

Yay! I hope it'll work out for you. Smile

by CallaLily Thu 23 Jun 2016, 7:16 pm

Yay! I've never had a mouse from a proper breeder, but Celyn and Rina were from an oopsie litter and were so tame from day one. I could tell they were handled often. A big difference from my other girls who were all from a shop.