Should I keep my mouse?

by Janekon Fri 20 Nov 2020, 10:34 pm

I got 4 male mice over 3 months ago. One of them, Brady, passed shortly after we got home (I think it was lung issues). When they kept fighting so much, I separated my gray mouse, Bunch, from my two brown mice. One of my brown mice, Arthur, killed his cagemate, Chester. This really shook me.
I'm really cross over owning him. I know he is just an animal, but I can't stop thinking about it and how awful it was. I just don't know what to do. I don't want to own him anymore, but I'm afraid of how to do that. Im cross over if I should maybe just soldier through this and give him a good rest of his life.

by River Fri 20 Nov 2020, 10:47 pm

This is unfortunately extremely common with male mice housed together, especially if they are from poor lines. In the wild, males live in groups of one male and several females; they would fight other males over territory. This behavior has not gone away in every mouse as they've become domesticated, and often males will fight to the death. This is why we recommend most male mice, especially from untracked lines, be housed alone.

This is not his fault, and I know you know that, but it may help to know these are just his instincts. Another male was in his territory, and he's wired to defend it. He can still be a sweet pet, though I understand this is traumatic for you and it may take time.

It is also possible Chester died of natural causes and Arthur was simply acting as a clean-up crew. This is also a natural behavior, but definitely hard to stumble upon as a new mouse owner.

I personally would not rehome him. He is a male mouse, and all he has done is act like one. I do understand this has caused you some pain, though. If you decide to rehome I would recommend doing a little more research and screening new owners to make sure he goes somewhere safe. There are a lot of mouse groups here and on FB that may show interest in him.

I'm sorry for your losses. It's a lot to go through right at the beginning.

by Janekon Fri 20 Nov 2020, 10:58 pm

Honestly, that makes me feel so much better. Knowing this is something instinctual makes me feel less disturbed by it. I did get these 4 boys all from a feeder tank, so that's likely why I've had such tragedy with them.
I think I'll likely not re-home him, especially considering the concern with adopting out mice. I just feel really uncomfortable with mice-related things right now (because it makes me think of Chester), but I think I'll feel better about it with a bit of time.

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