I got two mice from Petco, two females about a day ago. They're perfectly healthy and I got a three level cage for them to play in. However, they seem scared and burrow under the wheel. When I tried to pick them up by the base of the tail they flipped out! I haven't seen them on the top level, although they love to climb. They freeze whenever they see me! Did I do something wrong? They have all the right food and bedding, but I don't want to be bitten when I try to hold them? Any tips? Thanks.
You've done absolutely nothing wrong, mice are just very timid/scared by nature!
However, if you're patient and work at it, mice can become very tame.
When I first got my mice, they would always run away from me just like yours do! But now they come up to the bars of their cage to say hello whenever they see me, and happily fall asleep in the pocket of my hoodie (yes , very cute!).
In order for your mice to feel comfortable with you, they need to get used to you. Let them get used to your smell by placing your hand in their cage and staying very still-if you stay there long enough they'll probably come over to investigate by sniffing your hand, and if you're lucky enough, they'll climb onto it!
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Another good idea is to teach your mice to associate you with something nice, so try placing your hand in the cage with treats on it, or passing them treats through the bars. Mice love peanut butter (although it's very fattening so only use a TINY bit), so try putting some on the end of your finger, keep your hand very still and they'll come and nibble it off:)
Your mice will get used to you eventually if you keep trying to gain their trust and handling them regularly.
As far as bites go-mice hardly ever bite! I've only been bitten once and it wasn't painful at ALL, it wasn't even an aggressive bite, mice will sometimes just give your finger a little nibble if they're a bit scared or unsure of what it is! They wont hurt you!
Oh-and I bet they DO go on the top level! Mice are mostly nocturnal, so they probably sneak up there and have a little explore when you're asleep in bed! Try putting a few treats on the top level before you go to sleep and then see if they're there in the morning!
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Good luck with your new furry friends: D
NEVER! And I mean NEVER pick them up by their tail. 95% of people do not know this, including some vets, and pet shops. Mice and rats can dislodge their tail. Then you have a huge bloody mess and a very traumatized mouse. You also have to wait a month for their tail to grow back after this happens, you CAN NOT hold them in the mean time. I've learned this from personal experience. I think them hiding is just a trust issue, they need to get used to their surroundings. They also need to trust you before they start doing anything. After they warm up to you after awhile, hold them more often and your trust bond will build even more. Hope this helps!=)
Mice from petco aren't handled so yes they are afraid of you. They just need to get used to you. And no more picking them up at the base of their tails, that will only scare them more. I had a mouse that was so afraid to be taken out of hr cage but once she was out then she would just sit in my hand and want to be pet. I could say wait a week and then pick one up at a time by supporting their whole body and just talk to one while its out of its cage. They shouldn't bite unless you hurt them. When one is out of its cage you need to sit very still and remain calm. Animals can sense emotion so even if you are afraid of being bitten you need to stay calm. It will take a while for them to trust you but once they do its awesome.
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Good Luck.
You're not supposed to really pick up mice by the base of tail, it gets them nervice and tense, its not bad but how would you feel if that was you. Its only your 3rd day, so there still getting settled in, give them time to get used to you. What i would do is just put my hand it the cage an let the just check it out and make sure they know your not going to hurt them. just give it time
Don't pick them up by the base of the tail!!!
Contrary to what you may have read or heard, picking a mouse up by the tail, even the base of the tail, is NOT a good idea. It can damage the skin on the mouse's tail and cause them pain, no wonder they are scared of you:)
You need to go slow and build their trust. Mice are very intelligent and will remember being treated roughly due to handling. You need to show you are not a threat. Mice are hunted by pretty much everything, so of course they are nervous and freeze up. My mice were all hand-tamed but still froze up when they heard a noise, however they still loved to be handled. When I picked them up and handled them outside of the cage they loved it and were very happy to play or fall asleep in my pocket!
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Sounds like you have a nice cage set-up too, although you shouldn't handle them for about 5 days after bringing them home, to let them adjust:)
Here's how I have tamed all my rodent pets:
