# Mice won't let me pick them up



## susnfx (Mar 7, 2014)

I adopted two fancy mice from the humane society a couple of months ago. I've read about their care extensively and they have a nice home with good food, nice wheel, etc. etc. However, they absolutely refuse to let me pick them up. I've been so careful--not even attempting to pick them up for the first week. After that I tried just setting my hand in their cage and holding very still for long minutes at a time, hoping one of them would eventually step or run onto my hand. When cleaning their cage I use a toilet paper roll to corner them, catch them, and transfer them to a holding box while cleaning.

Are there any tricks to getting them to let me hold them? I've tried to be so careful and quiet and slow-moving around them, but whenever I try to move my hand to pick one up they both zoom into their house. The closest they'll come is to stretch their necks out and sniff at my fingers.

Thanks.

Susan


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Take away anything in which they can hide for a few weeks. Then, a few times each day, pick them up quickly and confidently by the base of their tail, move them to the palm of your other hand, and set them down again. Once a day transfer them into a small plastic tank or box. Sit with the box on your lap, watch a film (or some other activity that doesn't require a lot of moving about) and rest your arm in the box. Eventually they'll investigate your hand (because there is nothing else to do in the small tank); sniffing, usually with their eyes closed, then scampering on to your hand and back off again, and then in no time they'll be running up and down your arm. When they are used to the giant hand looming around and picking them up you can add houses etc back to their cage if you want to, but be aware that this could make them revert back to hiding.

I hope this helps you and good luck.


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## L&amp;CLove (Mar 6, 2014)

Instead of taking things away from their environment, take them away from their environment where the only thing familiar is you. So on the couch, your bed, the bath tub (with a towel on the drain, tuck in so they won't escape). If you have a spare cage/tank, that works too. Give them a little box to hide in, so if they get stressed they can calm down.

Do what you've been doing, patiently putting your hand for them to go on. If they do get on, slowly lift your hand up, and if they want to go down, put them back down. They're testing the waters with you and building trust. Do this for a few min each day, same time, mice do well on schedules and routines. Soon, you can take them out easily. Don't pick them up by their tail. Try not to corner them anymore, maybe they associate that as a bad thing with you. Maybe leave a tiny article of clothing also that smells like you in their cage/tank so they become familiar with it.

I adopted my mouse Leif and after a few months she was scared of me. She's obsessed with me now. But I'm sure you can have them trust you faster, you just need to change the methods.


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## KiwiKoala (Feb 12, 2014)

It took me a long time (as in a couple months) to get my mice comfortable with being picked up since I didn't mind waiting for them to warm up to me naturally. Once they did, they'd run up to the cage door wanting to climb into my hands so I could take them to play on my bed.

I'd put my hand in the cage like you do, and leave it there until the mice seemed done investigating it. Eventually they'd try to climb onto my hand. Next I started putting both hands cupped at the door to the cage, so they could come out on their own and climb in. After they were comfortable with that and started climbing up my arms I started taking them to play on my bed.

It was a really long process and there are definitely faster methods, but I didn't care much about handling them right away so it worked for me.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Ditto what SarahY said. Giving them things to hide in teaches them to hide. It's actually more of an instinctual thing, but if they never get to hide the impulse is lowered greatly.


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## L&amp;CLove (Mar 6, 2014)

KiwiKoala said:


> It took me a long time (as in a couple months) to get my mice comfortable with being picked up since I didn't mind waiting for them to warm up to me naturally. Once they did, they'd run up to the cage door wanting to climb into my hands so I could take them to play on my bed.
> 
> I'd put my hand in the cage like you do, and leave it there until the mice seemed done investigating it. Eventually they'd try to climb onto my hand. Next I started putting both hands cupped at the door to the cage, so they could come out on their own and climb in. After they were comfortable with that and started climbing up my arms I started taking them to play on my bed.
> 
> It was a really long process and there are definitely faster methods, but I didn't care much about handling them right away so it worked for me.


This sounds good too. Just make it into a routine for you and your mice everyday, and eventually it'll become a breeze.


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## susnfx (Mar 7, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestions. I did find one way to start things off. I used a toilet paper roll to capture one of the mice, then held it across both hands, so that the mouse could come out on either end and be on one of my hands. Did this with each of the mice and got them to sit on my hands for a few minutes, with one even running up my arm before she bailed off back into their cage (it wasn't a far drop). Taking their house and wheel out of the cage helped too as they had no place else to go but into the toilet paper roll.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Sounds like you're doing just fine.


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

As per SaraY and other but could also remove the food from the cage about 2-3 hours before attempting to have the mice come onto your hand and place a small amount of food in the palm of your hand, the smell of food and hunger usually helps in getting them onto the hand quicker, but must remember to replace the food bowl immediately after.


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