Well I got 2 mice..

[SpotsandSally]

Well I got 2 female mice from petco a couple weeks ago. Then I noticed she got really, really fat. And a couple days later, what would you know it, a bunch of bubs popped out of her.

They are the cutest thing ever! Like honestly, how could someone not resist the noises they make?!?

They're 4 days old, and that's a photo of it compared to a dollar coin.

Right now I hear momma's feeding them, as they've suddenly become quite vocal, haha. Weird little mummy things! I can't wait until they're fluffy but not quite at the hopping stage, since then they won't chill as fast. 10 babies, mom has been doing a great job!

They're so cute though! I love the way that even though one was pregnant, the 'Nanny' still is as attentive, if not more, than the mom. It's adorable.

Kiwi isn't allowed to see or interact with them, though he's heard the babies and few times and keeps trying to sneak into the bathroom. Bad birdy.

 

[lotosha]

Ohhh, so small. Keep updating us with a new photos of them.

 

[Betrisher]

Oooohhhh! Adorable!!!! I did exactly the same thing about ten years ago. It led to me getting right into fancy mice and breeding them for - well - about ten years. Mice are awesome! They're clever and funny and snuggly and just the most gorgeous little guys. I like them much better than rats. You can teach them tricks (just like parrots) and have great fun building them toys and mazes (just like parrots). The very first thing you need to do when they're about two weeks old and before they're three weeks is sex them and separate the boys. If you don't... well... you know what happens! You really must post pictures for us so we can enjoy your little mousie family.

Oh, and yes, the Aunty will help care for the litter. She may even lactate and begin feeding them. Our Cecelia did that when Angela got sick and tired of nursing. The other thing you need to do is keep your lovely girlies quite safe from wicked wild mice. Wild mice will sneak in and have their evil way with your girlies and you will have a population explosion of semi-feral mice. Sadly, they don't survive in captivity and all will die, which is extremely sad for their Mothers and for you.

Oh, I'd love to get another few little mice to play with... but I do think my marriage would reach some kind of explosive point if I did. My dear, dear husband is quite saintly about the mess my birds make of his home and I do think he was secretly pleased when we buried our last little mouse, so better not tempt Fate.

One last thing: you'll find that if you clean your mouse cage/tank every second or third day, the smell will be less than if you clean every day. Mice like their own aroma and if you clean their home, they'll purposely go around spraying it all over with eau de souris to make it nice and homely again, especially the boys.

Oh and another last thing: if you plan on keeping all your kittens, you'll need to have a bachelor pad for the boys. It's said you can't keep male mice together, but I've done it successfully many times with litter mates. So long as the boys are always housed together, you won't have problems. Take one out overnight, though, and he'll have trouble moving back in - his brothers will challenge him and there'll be fights.

 

[Terry57]

They are adorable! Are you going to keep them?

 

[RavensGryf]

:11: I just learned SO much about mice that I never would have known otherwise!! LOL! Quite interesting.

Oooohhhh! Adorable!!!! I did exactly the same thing about ten years ago. It led to me getting right into fancy mice and breeding them for - well - about ten years. Mice are awesome! They're clever and funny and snuggly and just the most gorgeous little guys. I like them much better than rats. You can teach them tricks (just like parrots) and have great fun building them toys and mazes (just like parrots). The very first thing you need to do when they're about two weeks old and before they're three weeks is sex them and separate the boys. If you don't... well... you know what happens! You really must post pictures for us so we can enjoy your little mousie family.

Oh, and yes, the Aunty will help care for the litter. She may even lactate and begin feeding them. Our Cecelia did that when Angela got sick and tired of nursing. The other thing you need to do is keep your lovely girlies quite safe from wicked wild mice. Wild mice will sneak in and have their evil way with your girlies and you will have a population explosion of semi-feral mice. Sadly, they don't survive in captivity and all will die, which is extremely sad for their Mothers and for you.

Oh, I'd love to get another few little mice to play with... but I do think my marriage would reach some kind of explosive point if I did. My dear, dear husband is quite saintly about the mess my birds make of his home and I do think he was secretly pleased when we buried our last little mouse, so better not tempt Fate.

One last thing: you'll find that if you clean your mouse cage/tank every second or third day, the smell will be less than if you clean every day. Mice like their own aroma and if you clean their home, they'll purposely go around spraying it all over with eau de souris to make it nice and homely again, especially the boys.

Oh and another last thing: if you plan on keeping all your kittens, you'll need to have a bachelor pad for the boys. It's said you can't keep male mice together, but I've done it successfully many times with litter mates. So long as the boys are always housed together, you won't have problems. Take one out overnight, though, and he'll have trouble moving back in - his brothers will challenge him and there'll be fights.

 

[SpotsandSally]

LOL Betrisher.. You've got me quite set up!

I don't plan on keeping all of them, though I have extra cages and could probably keep a pair of sisters, and a male. I've got 6 cages, and that'd occupy 3. Not sure if I want a boy though, since I'm not exactly planning to breed again..

Yep yep, bachelor pad for the boys.

From what I read though its best to remove them at 4 weeks (exactly)? That it'll make the babies stronger and healthier? And that they can't impregnate each other until *after* 4 weeks, so if you seperate them on the dot it's ok?
I trust you but that's what I read, haha.

I didn't realize mice & wild mice could breed! They're in a pretty secure home, but I'll watch out.

 

[SpotsandSally]

5 days old and boy are they active and STRONG! Taking a photo was hard, they wouldn't settle down

 

[SpotsandSally]

They ate one only 9 babies left.


The babies are getting all flaky, their fur should be coming in soon!

 

[lotosha]

They ate one only 9 babies left.


The babies are getting all flaky, their fur should be coming in soon!

Yes, they do it sometimes. Hope that other 9 will grow up fast. What are you going to do with so many mice?

 

[Freespin]

Aww I had mice as a kid, found an amazing video the other day of mice doing all kinds of awesome tricks! They are super cute once they get fur!

 

[Betrisher]

I can't stress this enough! Sex them before the fur comes, or it'll be weeks (and numerous pregnancies) till you can do it by observing their testes! Girls have a very visible mammary line on each side of their tummies. Boys may have it, but it's much less obvious. Once the fur comes in, you can't tell. All you can do is wait till the boys' testes descend and by then it's too late. The Deed will have been done. Repeatedly. If I lived closer, I'd offer to relieve you of some of them. <3 <3 <3

 

[SpotsandSally]

Ok I found 1 boy. I don't like this method, lol, they're too tiny! The nipples come in at day 9, correct? Can't i sex them then?

 

[Betrisher]

Yeah, you should be able to sex them fairly accurately by day 10. Once they start growing fur (even the shadow of it), it becomes fairly impossible. I hope there are two boys. That would make life a lot easier for you. They could be company for each other.

 

[starrynightxxi]

we had baby hamsters once and even when the fur was coming in, you could still see difference because the hair is thinner in that area. Of course, they were long haired hamsters, so that didn't last long!

If you have a steady eye, the boys have a greater distance between the rectum and the genitalia, and the females a smaller one.

 

[SpotsandSally]

Looks like there's 6 girls, 3 boys. They're starting to wobbly walk around. It's so adorable!

 

[Betrisher]

Ooohhhhh... I want!!!!

Are they all PEWs? (Pink Eyed Whites) They're adorable! Please call one Patricia after me!! Please?!

 

[SpotsandSally]

Haha! Yep, one will be named Patricia

I need to get a more recent pic. They've started running. 2 of them were stepped on thanks to it I haven't gotten more than 1 out at time thanks to that. Horrible, disgusting and an awful feeling. Just.. Ugh.

Ill edit this in a sec to show how much they've grown. One of them is having issues with eyes opening. Think it's the runt. One eye is slightly opened and the other is still closed.


Yep, all PEW's. There were recently some fancy mice for sale. But.. After the 2 kits being squished I don't think I ever want another litter again, ever. I like my animals able to move... ):

Ok, here's the cuties. The mom is in the first pic. She's always fluffed up lol. The babies are soo adorable.

 

[Betrisher]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear of the poor little ones that got squished! Don't beat yourself up over it, though. I'm quite sure you didn't set out to put them in harm's way and sometimes these accidents just happen. We made a sort of playground for ours on top of a coffee table. They were too scared to peek over the edge and stayed nicely together where they should be. Please give Little Patricia a loving hug from me and do let us know all the names of the others. Sweet little PEWs!!! Love 'em!!!

My PEWs were called Finbar and Anastasia; the belted moo-cows were Fergus and Aislinn; the black one was Georgia and the fawn one was Ruaridh (pron. 'Rory') - bit of Irish influence going on there. Ruaridh, having the fawn gene, suffered obesity in adulthood. The poor little thing grew to the size of a tennis ball, despite being on a strict diet. Eventually, she got diabetes and passed away from that. She was nearly three, though, which is a Great Age for a wee mousie.

Oh, while I think of it, I shall just post this poem, which I've always loved. Anyone who loves mice will enjoy it, I'm sure.

'To a mouse, on turning up her nest with a plough' by Robert Burns

Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle.
I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth born companion
An' fellow mortal!
I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't.
Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's win's ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.
That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld.
But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
Still thou are blest, compared wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!

 

[lotosha]

Adorable babies.

 

[SpotsandSally]

Here is today's photos! The second one is the only boy. How do you mark them? I tried using food coloring and it was gone in a day.

That's a wonderful poem! Adorable!

There is a lovely black boy fancy mouse for sale.. Hmm..