Looking after a wild mouse - any advice?

[Bex28]

My other half rescued a wild mouse from the jaws of his parent's cat tonight.  The poor wee thing was a bit shaken but had no bites or scratches on it.  We decided not to let it back outside the house because the cat has a habit of finding them again and torturing them, as cats do, so we brought it back to our house.  Bf now wants to keep the mouse.  We have put him in part of the hamster cage that we detatched, and gave him some hamster food, water and a place to bed down and hide.

I was just wondering, has anyone else looked after a wild mouse and do they have any advice or tips?  He is over 10 days old, as his eyes are both open.  And no, I'm not handling him cos I'm pregnant, but the bf has and he seems okay with it (the mouse seems ok with it that is!).

Many thanks!

[spudqueen]

Personally I think it's better to let wild animals back in the wild.

[woofgang]

was going to say the same. Mice are notorious for responding to stress by dying. Let the poor thing go again and get a tame captive bred one if bf wants a mouse. You are being sensible not handling it yourself, but there is still an infection risk to you and the babe from your bf's handling it, he will need to wash his hands very well after every time he handles it or the cage.

have you still got hamsters? I am not an expert but wonder if a wild mouse might have bugs that could be passed to other rodents and make them ill

[Eels]

It's not really fair IMO to keep wild animals in captivity.  The stress of being surrounded by predator species (eg humans) and in unfamiliar surroundings traumatises them, and they cannot be tamed.  Unless these things are born or reared in captivity it's very unkind to subject them to the constant fear of living with something that would be perceived as a threat.

Please just put it back where you found it and let nature take its course, either that or euthanase it if you can't bear the thought of your cat killing it.

[butter1]

Bex28, I agree with the others.  Although you think your doing good you are probably not.  The little mouse is a wild animal and finding it more stressful being locked in a cage with humans picking him up and walking past him.  Poor little thing must be traumatised... please put him back where you found him. thanks .x

[Cetti]

Is it a Wood Mouse?

If it is then it's one of the  prettiest little creatures in the UK and I can understand up to a point you wanting to keep it - but it belongs in the wild with the rest of its family.  Just imagine the parents, brothers and sisters all looking for this tiny creature  imprisoned for the rest of its life in a cage, never running through the grass or feeling the sunshine on its little back.......what I'm saying in the gentlest way possible is take it somewhere in the vicinity of where it was found and release - today.

[Bex28]

Thanks all.

Personally, that was my sentiment too, to let it go; I also believe that wild animals should be released back, it was just the thought of the cat finding him again and then finding it dead on the porch that put me off, even though the cat is only doing what comes naturally.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, you have all eased my mind a little more and made the bf see it from a different perspective.

[rachaelersk]

Oh my god. Was just reading this and was thinking how awful and then looked at the name and realised it was you..... my little sis. Nooooooo put the mouse out and leave animals to do the natural thing and if the cat gets it so what thats what i got my cats for. Mice have terrible germs and noooooo its just awful stop it now.

Rant over. x

[Bex28]

The mouse has now been put back into the garden after a little bit of food and water to make sure he was not in shock, and he scampered away.  I feel much better now!

[Cetti]

You will sleep well tonight knowing he's back home and happy with his family and friends - and what tales he will tell .....:-)  Well done!

[dancing.mice]

we have a baby mouse which we  rescued from our garden.we don,t no how old it is but we think it,s over ten days old.we don,t no what to feed it on but it seems to be drinking milk.

[Shelly285]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...