# Help introducing mice



## Angelames (Nov 27, 2012)

Hello everyone, I just need a bit of advice on introducing new mice.
In my year of owning mice I have done introductions a couple of times using the technique of neutral territory and have had great success, until yesterday...

I had three mice who are about 1 year and a bit old. Unfortunately Lilly has been struggling with a big tumour and had to be pts yesterday after work. She was the dominant one of the three.

I also have two new 5 week old babies that I have rescued off of someone who wanted four females but ended up with three pregnant girls and one happy male.

So last night to cheer myself up I thought I would introduce everyone in a little plastic box which I had disinfected with pet safe stuff. Everyone got on just fine. Then I cleaned out a cage and just put bedding in with one new cardboard box. My two old mice are about 4 times as big as the babies and all of a sudden they started attacking the little babies. So I grabbed them and made them have a time out (good job mice have tails) but every time they returned the same out happen. There was no blood and no marks so I am wondering if I should have let them carry on but it was just so frightening watching it.

So any advice? Maybe it was too soon after loosing Lilly, poppy and Willow my big girls did seem a bit scared and lost without Lilly and are normally very docile. Luckily the babies were not scared and were not harmed.

Thanks


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## BlackSelf (Apr 15, 2014)

Neutral territory is a must! If your mice dont meet in a territory they may attack each other. Also i'd say put a wired mesh between them so they can smell each other before acutally interacting, they'll get used to their scent and they shouldn't attack


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## KiwiKoala (Feb 12, 2014)

When I introduced my mice I put the old mouse in the carrying cage I had used to take the new ones home, and put the new mice in the old mouse's cage. This way they could smell each other and get used to each others scents, with the added bonus of getting the new mice's scent spread all over the cage. When I introduced them in neutral territory they got along perfectly, and there was minimal fighting once I put them all in the cage. Maybe this would help?


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## BlackSelf (Apr 15, 2014)

I'd say go for it and keep an eye on them for signs of fighting
good luck!


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