About Jess Expertise I can answer questions about most species of rodents. I will answer any questions about health, husbandry and welfare. I can also give advise about behaviour problems, how to overcome these and ways of enriching the life of your pet. I can help with those wanting advice about house rabbits.
Experience I have experience with rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, gerbils, hamsters and chincillas.
Education/Credentials I am qualified in animal management, I work as a veterinary nurse.
Question hi. i found two baby mice whose parent and the rest of the litter where killed by a dog. they suffered no injuries. i am feeding them soy human baby formula and i am slowly starting to mix baby cereal with it. i also have a hot water bottle under them (do i need it?) and wrap them in a blanket together. i am nervous i am doing something wrong. they have been with me for about three days. they have fur and their eyes aren't open (one of the little guy's eye is buldging out and kind of looks dry. it doesn't blink or anything. i think it may be fine but dead?)
i HAVE been holding them while they feed and sometimes during the day. i would like to release them but is that possible now with me handling them. if i keep them, how long do they live. do i need to feed them at night? am i feeding them the right food? how do i prepare to release them and where? i need help. sorry it is long. thanks you for your time.
-paulette
ps- how much longer is it till thier eyes open or can eat by themselves. please get back to me. i really need help. thank you so much.
Answer Hi Paulette,
I will start with the question about releasing the mice. You are right, since they have been handled then it will probably be impossible for them to survive in the wild, I think it would be in their best interests to be kept as pets in a similar way that you would keep fancy mice. They dont live very long, about a year on average, some don't live as long and some live longer.You can keep them in a tank or a cage but they are good at escaping so it may be better to use a tank. One problem is that you will have to sex them or else you may end up with them breeding. If they turn out to be a male and a female then you would have to keep them in seperate cages. Another option would be to get them to a wildlife rehabilitation centre, they would be able to release the mice back into the wild as they are very experienced at doing this.
As for the feeding, there are no real rules about this as you can't really give them mouse milk. I would try blending up fruits, veg and a source of protein like chicken as they need protein for growth. When they get older, if you are keeping them you should wean them onto mouse or rodent food which can be bought at pet stores.
The hot water bottle is a good idea because they would usually have their mother and all the other litter mates to keep them warm. They are also very vulnerable to disease so make sure you keep everything clean. For the one with the eye that looks strange, wash it in warm water every day just so that its kept nice and clean.
You should feed them as often as you can manage, rodents have a very fast metabolism and need food more often that other species especially when young.It sounds like they are very young, their eyes should open in a week or two depending on their actual age.
You are doing a good job, just remember that they are very small and vulnerable, if anything happens to them don't blame yourself, we can only do our best. Let me know what happens with them and feel free to ask any more questions you may have. Take care and good luck.
