# My babies are finally looking forward to me coming!



## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

When my mice first came home they seemed really friendly, but as they found out we wanted to pick them up when we saw them, then they started to hide when they saw us come. However, the last couple nights I've been coming to the cage with a baby spoon smeared with peanut butter. I open the cage, call to them and then stick the spoon down so they each get a couple of licks. Now whenever they hear me walking around in the kitchen or walk past their little noses poke out and they start sniffing really hard. hehehehe... Especially the one doe. She is a peanut-butter-holic. :lol: She'll do about anything to get a lick.

They are still a bit afraid to be held, which I think as to do with heights. Anyone else have mice that are not afraid to be in your hand, but start to shake when you lift them up to your level? If I hold them on the bed when I'm sitting or laying down they seem fine.

We also had company over yesterday for my son's 4th birthday and boy did those mice do good! They were poster children for mice owning. Everyone loved them and thought they were SOOO cute. Nate's sister who is SO not an animal person really liked them. They pricked their ears extra cute and wiggled their whiskers extra sweetly. Even Nate's grandma was really interested. She just couldn't believe how adorable they were. :lol:


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

First time meeces when handled are a bit agoraphobic; cupping them and holding them close to your chest calms them; they can hear your heart beating, you know. And cupping them and holding them close to your face so they can see that you have eyes and a nose, letting them get your scent by giving you 'nosies', and by the ear to get that scent. Meeces are very scent driven, and that's an important way for them to know you. Oh, the earsies! when they stick their whiskery little wugs in it tickles so much! So sweet!


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## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

moustress said:


> First time meeces when handled are a bit agoraphobic; cupping them and holding them close to your chest calms them; they can hear your heart beating, you know. And cupping them and holding them close to your face so they can see that you have eyes and a nose, letting them get your scent by giving you 'nosies', and by the ear to get that scent. Meeces are very scent driven, and that's an important way for them to know you. Oh, the earsies! when they stick their whiskery little wugs in it tickles so much! So sweet!


I'll have to try more of that. I have done that before, but they didn't seem to like it, so I stopped. This one in particular is my little curious one. She is also the peanut-butter-aholic, so I think she will eventually be the most snuggly.










And they all do the pooing constantly thing. Is that a totally natural thing? Or a fear response?


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Go easy with the PB; it's fattening and has a lot of sugar and salt. Try a chunk of dried bread. My meeces riot for any form ofj bread, and I dry it cuz sometimes live yeast can persists in baked bread and cause problems, or maybe it's the residue from the yeast.

Meeces are like little children, they love to eat stuff they like, and it's your place to be sure it's more healthy then not. Save the PB for if you need to get some medicine into it's little face.


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## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

I don't use a lot of PB. I just use about 1/2 pea size on the tip of a baby spoon. That is split between 6 mice. Do you still think that is too much?


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Enh. Not so much. Meeces poop in your hand cause they are anxious and fearful. It's a lot of excitement for a tiny mousie to have a Big Hand take them and move them out of their space. There is such a thing as too much handling, especially with a very young thing like the one in this pic. You will know a mousie is secure being handling when it relaxes in your hand, and there are couple of things they might do that express this. One is sitting in your hand eating a treat; the other, that I like even better, is when they settle down and rest in the palm of your hand with their belly flat and relaxed against your skin. When they do this, you will feel them talking to you through your skin, they vibrate in high frequencies that are used for mousie talk, and when they settle and talk to you, it's a very special thing.

It's a humbling thing to know that such a little creature can hear your heart and your breathing, and anything else that is going on in your body that makes any sound. When you hold the mousie to your ear listen carefully, you may hear tiny chirps and whistles that are almost out of your range of hearing.


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## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

Well, I had a lot of fun with my "wild group" tonight. They're the 4 out of my 6 that are in a tank together. They are so much bigger than my other 2 that I had to separate them. I put them all in the travel case and then put my hand in for the to climb on. They took turns jumping up and climbing on me. They are really coming around. After that when I put them back into the tank they kept looking up to see if I was still there. I held each one up to my face and ears. They all were comfortable "kissing" me and sniffing around. That bunch is getting very confident. The one doe is always checking my hand for food. LOL. She has a one track mind. She even nibbles my nails just to be sure they aren't food of some kind.

I also had playtime with my 2 smaller does. I encouraged them out of their house (they are such home bodies) and got them to run around their tank. Those 2 aren't real scared of me, but just aren't very adventureous. They still seem to enjoy low-key stimulation. I put my hand down in the cage and tease them. They seem to think it's funny when I touch their backs. They run ahead 2 steps, then turn around and check me out. We do that game a lot. They're so much more intelligent than I was expecting.

What does it mean when they lay low and vibrate when you're holding them. The one doe does that. Is that bruxing? And is it nervous or happy? She does it just periodically.

Oh, and I'm probably only holding each mouse about 1-2 minutes per day. I do a lot more of the hand down in the cage and letting them play on their terms, but the actually holding up in my hand doesn't happen to much. I try to hold each mouse twice a day for about 60 seconds.


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## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

I cant believe how addicting mice are! I've been bring them over individually in the travel case and then putting my hand down in there while I'm surfing the web. They climb up in my sleeve, on my shoulder, in my hair. I have 2 favorites now. Bander and Dora (the peanut butter explorer). They come right out when they hear my voice and are ready to come play.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

They've got you under their spell. Bwahahahahaha....


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## jessilynn (Jul 9, 2010)

Pooping is a sign of fear that should decrease over time. It also has to do with genetics, my well bred mice hardly ever poop on me.


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## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

moustress said:


> They've got you under their spell. Bwahahahahaha....


 :mrgreen: Especially Dora. She can't resist me. I'm like the pied piper to her. Her little white nose is the first to peak out when she hears me. hehehe...


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

You loom large in their legend: The Hand brings food! And warmth, and fun.


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## shadowmouse (Sep 17, 2010)

You're right. I guess I'm just surprised they figured it out so quick. I've raised tons of other small critters: ducks, chicks, squabs, rabbits, etc. But, they don't seem to get that and if they do it takes LOTS of handling and time. I'm not with the mice more then 10 minutes a day right now. But, they totally get it!


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