Channel: CreekValleyCritters

Category: Pets & Animals

Tags: mousecute mouserodentcute miceanimalmicepet mousecutepet micemouse carepet care

Description: I have decided to add Gabi to Asriel's troop but introducing new mice can be tricky. Mice are very territorial little animals and do not like intruders. It is very important to do introductions in a neutral area, one that has no odor of either party and is the territory of neither. I usually clean my small tank thoroughly, clean any furniture thoroughly, line the tank with paper towel and give them minimal toys and huts to fight over. Then I monitor them well for a few days and if all seems well, transfer them to their permanent home, which I also thoroughly clean. There is always a little squabbling as they re-establish pecking orders, but with most mice after about a week or two, they are getting along fine. Basic rule is: allow a little fighting, but if there is blood, separate the mice and try again later. The following is a more conventional way of introducing new mice, especially for very difficult mice (my home grown mice tend to be easier to introduce than pet store bought mice): 1. make sure you have an extra cage for the new mouse/mice; 2. set up a playground in a neutral territory like a table or a bath tub, clean thoroughly, clean any toys, you do not want anything smelling like your old mouse/mice, so they do not see this as their territory; 3. some people dab a little Vicks Vapor Rub or vanilla on their mice to mask scent and make them all smell the same, you can also switch toys and bedding from the different cages so the mice can get used to each others scent beforehand; 4. introduce all the mice under strict supervision in the neutral territory, be right there to break up any serious fights. If there is no blood, it is not that serious and you can let them sort things out, but if there is blood, you need to step in. I use my hand to separate fighters, if I get bitten too much, a Popsicle stick :) I also say 'no' gently but firmly when I see any body language that signals a mouse is about to attack another mouse. Mice learn quite quickly what this means and will often abort an attack once they have learned this word; 5. Leave them together in the neutral territory to play for about an hour (if they are getting along reasonably well) and only for ten or so minutes if they are intent on murder (mice are fully capable of murder, the reason why introductions need to be done carefully). If some mice seem to get along better than others, allow them to have extra playground time, mix and match the mice in smaller groups. Use toys as distractions, make playground time fun so they learn to look forward to this and to each other; 6. continue introductions in neutral territory until all seem to get along; 7. now put them in a small terrarium or cage that is very clean, so still neutral territory. Leave them there for a day or so, keep the cage always close, just in case you hear squeaking and can intervene in any fights. You can also skip this step and go directly to step 7. A lot of mousy introduction is an art, you have to go by what your gut tells you; 8. once they are getting along you can introduce them to the cage of the more submissive mice, usually the new comers. Again make sure everything is very clean to minimize territorial odors. Supervise initially, be close by in case there is squeaking and you have to intervene; 9. once everyone gets along here, they can be introduced into the main cage, again clean thoroughly. Supervise initially, watch/listen for fighting in the next day or so. If everyone is getting along after a few days, then things should be fine. If serious fighting breaks out, backtrack to the previous step. It can take only a few hours to many weeks for new mice to accept each other, it all depends on the individual personalities of the mice. If there is no blood, then they are just sorting out their pecking order, if there is blood, they mean to kill. Females and neutered males usually accept each other within a month or so. Intact males should not be kept together, especially North American male mice, who tend to be more aggressive than European and Australian mice. They may be fine for their whole life and the best of friends, but there is a high risk that one day you will find a severely injured or dead mouse, intact male mice can snap at any moment and become murderous. If you do keep intact males together, never separate them, even for vet visits or cage cleaning, otherwise they can become territorial once you put them together again. The best companions for intact male mice seem to be female African soft furred rats, although intros need to be done carefully.