What Should I Expect?

by ProXan3103 Wed 18 Nov 2020, 3:45 pm

Hey there! As said in the title and description, I have a question about what to expect when I get my first mouse next month! Of course I've seen just about every youtube video I could find and read as much as I could online, but honestly most of them were too technical to give me any real gauge of what to expect behavior-wise, and I am very curious to see what other people have experienced when bringing their mouse home for the first time... how long did it take for them to get used to you? Were they out and about exploring their enclosure very quickly? Anything else you can add would be great as well! I want to hear anything that might be useful to me.
I'll be getting a male, probably a satin, angora, satin angora, or texel...haven't decided yet! He'll be in a 40 gallon tank (20 gallon travel tank as well) with a mixture of aspen and über paper bedding and fed a mixture of oxbow young rat and mice food, oxbow garden variety young rat and mouse food, & mazuri (also some dried fruits and veggies for treats)- may add more things to the mix as time goes on but for now that's what I've decided. Of course there will be lots of hides, toys, ropes, bridges etc...maybe a dig box but it's all too much to name lol. Again, anything you can tell me is appreciated!

by River Wed 18 Nov 2020, 6:30 pm

It really depends on the individual!

It sounds like your mouse will be from a breeder, so chances are he'll be bred with temperament in mind and should warm up to you fairly quickly. I give a few days to settle in, but my current boy was exploring as soon as I put him in his new set up. He was still nervous, but I think that's to be expected. It's been four days and he climbs into my hand on his own already, so I expect him to be fully settled in within 1-2 weeks. Just a guess.

Texels have my vote. Knowing absolutely nothing about them, I think they're super cute. With that tank size, remember you definitely want to have the cage cluttered. It feels counterintuitive, but mice love it. It makes them feel secure in large spaces. Sounds like that's already in your plans, but I thought I'd mention it. As far as diet goes, you can also ask your breeder what they recommend. This gives you the benefit of knowing what those lines have done well on historically. From there you can of course make your own decisions.

Good luck!

by chiroptera Fri 20 Nov 2020, 1:04 am

Most of the mice I've had over the years have been very quick to explore their new homes! The more you offer them, the more excited they seem to be to explore (and pee, poo, and chew on) every last bit. Taming is really dependent on how confident your mousie is, a little bit of genetics, and patience - if you're patient with your mouse, eventually they'll come to trust you. Some mice still get scared when you approach them in their enclosures, but almost all of mine have eventually learned to enjoy playtime once they're out.

I will say that when I offered Oxbow garden select, both my mice and my roommate's rats ignored it unless it was the last thing left in their bowl, so I might suggest leaving that out if you haven't done the math for your mix yet. But on the other hand, mice are individuals, so your boy might like it just fine.

I would suggest not picking based just on looks, and spend some time with them and getting a feel for their personalities, if the breeder will let you. Of course, sometimes a mouse is just too cute to resist, but some of my sweetest mice over the years were the "simple" pink-eyed-whites. Wink

Good luck with your future new friend, and we're here if you need anything. Smile

by ProXan3103 Fri 20 Nov 2020, 12:02 pm

Thank you both for your very thoughtful responses!
Based on what you've both said I'm super excited to see how my little guy interacts with his enclosure when I first get him home...I'll give him a few days to settle before I begin really interacting with him so that he isn't mortified or anything ahaha, I've also decided not to use either of the oxbow formulas I've mentioned above after reading a bit more about them, I'm still in the process of finding a better pellet currently to mix with the mazuri so any recommendations are good! I'll also talk with the breeder about the food mix they use and ask to take some home with me so I can gradually move the mouse I get over to whatever I buy.
I haven't really thought about visiting the breeder beforehand but I'll message the one I want to buy from to set something up! Hopefully they're okay with that and I meet my perfect little guy, I'll make sure to keep the thread in-the-know. Very Happy

by River Fri 20 Nov 2020, 3:56 pm

Just an update, it's been a week (well, six days) since I got my boy and he's pretty well warmed up to me now! He hops into my hand and climbs up to my shoulder when I put my hand in the cage, overall very interactive, so that might give you an idea of what week 1 might be like.

Another thing I think worth mentioning is sometimes new mice will make little 'tft' sounds when they first get home, like a dry sneeze -- this is a reaction to the new environment. I've had it happen a few times before and now with my new guy (who had a very long journey home) so I thought you'd like to know so you don't panic! Keep an eye on it, but as long as it's just dry and not worsening it should go away when they've settled in.

by chiroptera Fri 20 Nov 2020, 11:00 pm

For a lab block, my go-to is Science Selective Rat! They've recently begun stocking it at Petcos in the US, or it can be found on Amazon. It's got a bit less protein than Oxbow Regal Rat and I've found that a lot of my mice like it better. (Of course, every mouse is different so your mileage may vary.)

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