# My sweet new pet mice - Evelyn & Freya



## HollyUK (Jun 15, 2011)

Hello FancyMiceBreeders!!

I have been wanting to introduce my new pet mice for a while but haven't been able to get many good photos yet (don't want to poke my camera at them in the daytime, but that is when there is the best light!!) but I got some half decent ones, so here they are... 

*Evelyn*, champagne self... she is really sweet and adventurous climbing all around her cage like a little monkey! Here she is tucking into some dinner...









and *Freya*, silver self... such a pretty girlie with giant pale ears, a little shy to begin with but has really opened up as a very excited and nosy mousling!









I've had them for about 2 weeks now... I got them from MorningStar in Leicester who brought them up so well; tame, inquisitive and healthy. I'm not a breeder, and haven't had a pet for over 10 years, having not had mice since I was really young... but this forum has been so enlightening on giving them a better, happier life. It really has been so helpful for finding out information about bedding, diet etc - so thank you everyone who makes this forum happen.

I was hoping people here would be able to offer me a bit of advice too...
*
First thing: Handling...*
I've only had them 2 weeks so far, but I was trying to get them to walk onto my hand rather than scooping them up out of the cage, as they just run away if I try to do that. I have managed it quite a bit but it requires a LOT of patience and waiting. I read that sitting with your hand in the cage for a while gets them used to you, and they don't seem to mind me moving my hand around inside, and come to put their paws on me and gently nibble my fingers. But they don't seem to be getting any closer to 'hopping on' completely. Maybe I am being too gentle? I really want them to trust me, and want them to come out and see me, but I know this takes time. Last night I thought I'd try just scooping them up, and Evelyn was trying to cling onto the bars of the cage, and made a squeek! I felt so bad. I was still being very gentle, but she seemed to make the squeek to say '_I don't want to be picked up!_' :-(
The breeder picked her mice up by the base of their tails onto her hand, but I just don't feel comfortable doing that, and it's difficult with the cage I have. I think the 'scoop' is better for them.

*Soo... *should I carry on being gentle and having patience with letting them come to me (this means some nights they don't come out the cage). I just don't know if this is progressing? Maybe it just takes a long time? weeks and weeks?
*Or... *should I 'show them who's boss' and just take them out (gently) every night, whether they like it or not, so it forces them to get used to it?

They do seem to enjoy themselves once they're out the cage, I give them folds of fabric to explore, toilet roll tunnels and let them scurry inside my sleeves etc. And they have sat down to wash and preen themself so seem comfortable and occassionally sit still and peaceful (especially with my boyfriend, maybe his deeper voice?) They don't seem to have worked out their plastic running ball just yet, and just tend to sit in it.

Also...

*Second thing: WEEING!*
My cage is a Ferplast wire cage with a second floor and tunnels going outside it which they LOVE! Scurrying along in and sleeping in occassionally. But they WEE in their tunnels! I wash them, dry them and put them all back together, and then they wee straight away in them again. Also in their plastic wheel. It means it makes it smell constantly, and they are in our living room. So I took out both tunnel and wheel for 3/4 days. They *seem* to keep picking a place to wee in a corner, but I put the wheel back in and they still weed all inside it, even though I put it close to their bed. I was hoping they might have learnt to wee only in their 'toilet spot'. But it seems mice just wee when and where they want?? 
I don't want to deprive them of their tunnels for much longer so I think I may just have to make time to wash them every day and deal with it!

In their cage they have 2 little bedrooms (1 plastic and 1 straw nest which they prefer), wooden log with holes, wooden tipee, twig archway and various hanging toys, rope, millet spray etc which I keep switching so they often have a new layout and stuff to check out. It's lovely watching them get so excited when they're find a 'new' thing. I think they seem happy I just want to check if I'm on the right track... do I need to change my actions, persevere with any behaviour that they can learn?

Many thanks indeed and I will post some more pictures to this thread again soon 

Best wishes,
Holly


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## AnnB (Jan 14, 2011)

Yay, new mice! They both look gorgeous.

If they are a bit shy about being picked up, you could always get them to run into a cardboard tube to lift them out of the cage and if you offer their favourite treat on your hand every time you put it in their cage, they'll soon get the idea that hands mean good things!

As for the weeing, some of mine are very clean and use one corner, others wee where they like so I'm not sure how much success you'll have, trying to stop them weeing in the tunnels and wheel.


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

glad they have settled in and doing well.

As for the picking up thing you could try and lure them onto your hand by using treats?

As to try and get them stopping peeing in the tubes you can try to put soiled/peed on bedding into a corner of a newly cleaned out cage and it might encourage them to keep pee-ing there instead. (never tried it with mice but it works with rabbits and hamsters)


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## HollyUK (Jun 15, 2011)

Hey Heather, yes they are doing really well, thanks so much, I will send you more pics of them soon  Hope the rest of the family are well!

Late last night I actually got Freya to hop onto both hands and she seemed to really enjoy coming out to explore and hang out with me for a while, so I'm getting there 

And thanks Ann also, I will try the treats thing, I was hesitant to do that at first, as I didn't want them to only think of me as food, or to think that I keep tricking them into coming out! But I guess the more I do it, the more confident and comfortable they will feel and know I'm not going to hurt them.

I will persevere with the potty training, hehe, they will hopefully realise it's the best way after a while! 

Thank you,
Holly


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## Galaxy (May 25, 2011)

Holly, I use antibac wipes when I clean my mices tubes and wheels & dry it with kitchen roll. Now they don't tend to wee in the tubes and its only occasionally that they will poo on their wheel and in their tubes. Its quick and I know I've killed any bugs that were lurking around. It's just an idea.


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

Only 3 silver boys, dove boy and a dove girly left to be sold. The mums are recovering nicely and probably glad to get rid of the little ones haha.

We tend to use this for all our cages: 
http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/p...johnsons-clean-n-safe-small-animal-500ml.html

But anything that can erase the smell of their own pee in the tunnels should help discourage them from peeing there.


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## HollyUK (Jun 15, 2011)

Aww, well I am still so grateful for mine, thanks again, they are wonderful 

Ahh right.... so it is the smell of their wee that makes them wee there? Okay. I had been washing the tubes in warm soapy water and rinsing thoroughly, but will try the antibacterial wipes I have (they are the special pet friendly ones) to discourage it. Good advice both of you!


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## Galaxy (May 25, 2011)

I got that Johnsons stuff and after just cleaning my cage without the tubes I'd used half of it. It was good though - however I need a much bigger bottle for the same price - like thats ever gonna happen. I must admit I started with the pet friendly ones but ran out and was in the middle of a clean so I used just normal everyday ones and because I dry them and leave them onthe side for a couple of minutes I haven't had any problems. However do not buy the lemon ones. Mouse pee and lemon are just not nice! Am using lavendar ones at the mo and they leave a nice peaceful aroma.


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

luckly we don't have that many cages so we only get though a bottle every 4-5 months.

(only 2 silvers and a dove boys left now. :lol: )

Can't wait to see more photos of your though holly! (more than often I don't find out how the mice are doing once they have been sold)


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## HollyUK (Jun 15, 2011)

Ooh well done on the extra sale. Yeh I will keep you up to date with new pictures, and I thought you would probably see this forum anyway... I really wanted to send you some really good ones earlier but it's difficult to get decent images, they move around so much! hehe


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

haha yeah it's a nightmare when it comes to taking photos of the mice -we take photos to help with sales and for our records but it takes aaaaagggeeeeesss as they don't keep still long enough :lol:


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

Aww, they're lovely, such pretty girls!


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