Caring for a single mouse

by alaynamarie Sat 21 Sep 2019, 1:25 am

In my psychology class last spring we did a project where we trained mice. At the end of it, I decided I wanted to take two home, because I had gotten attached to them. So they had been moved from the pet store, to my teacher’s house, to the school, and then to my house. They adjusted very well though, and have been happy and healthy ever since then. However tonight when I opened their cage to feed them, I could only find one. After looking around for awhile, I found the other one had passed. Her sister is now alone. She’s still under a year old, so my question is, should I try to get more mice to keep her company, or not? I worry that she may not get along with new mice, since she had only ever been around mice from the same litter. But I want to do whatever I need to do for her to live a long and happy life. Any advice? Also- is there any way to know why she died? They are both very small compared to other mice I’ve seen at the pet store, so I’ve always wondered if that was bad. Besides being small, they have always been playful and energetic. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

by Robin~ Sat 21 Sep 2019, 6:49 am

Hello!

I would definitely try to look into getting her some friends if possible. If you have the space getting 2-3 more girls would be great. Just be sure to quarantine them for a month or two before introducing. Even if they don’t get along it’s worth a shot, and even then they should be able to get along as mice really do appreciate company in most cases no matter the genetic relationship.

Here’s an article on bonding:
https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t19-keeping-mice-together-introducing-them

As for cause of death, the only set in stone way is by taking her to an exotic vet to get an autopsy.

by figandmatilda Sat 21 Sep 2019, 11:39 am

I'm so sorry to hear about you loss!

I would recommend getting her a new pal (or even two maybe!) Maybe you could find some around her age at the pet store or a mouse rescue. I found that my female mouse, Fig, was hesitant to bond with the new girl, but after a day, they cuddling together and best friends. You can search up YouTube videos about bonding female mice. Sometimes it doesn't always work, but most times it does!

Good luck!

by CallaLily Sat 21 Sep 2019, 3:26 pm

As others said, getting her two or more female tank-mates would be great if you have room. But I wanted to add that if it’s not something you can or want to do for whatever reason, you can just treat her as you would a lone male mouse. Give her tons of attention/play time and change up her toys often.

Posts that may be helpful to you:
Bringing Your New Mouse Home
Keeping Mice Together and Introducing Them
Quarantine
Step-by-step Fake Friend Instructions
Totally Free Toy Ideas
Homemade Popsicle Stick Toys
Housing Pictures

Edit: even more toy ideas in the DIY Section if you’re looking for plenty of things to keep a lone mouse busy. Smile

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Caring for a single mouse

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