# How do your mice act when you handle them?



## Whurmy (Mar 10, 2012)

Are they constantly jumping around, or are they calm and just let you pet them?

I really want a rat rather than mice, but I'm pretty sure my mom will not let me get a rat. :x I keep trying, though, so we'll see. She's okay with mice, but she like D: D: D: about the rat.  I'd like a rat because I feel like they have more personality and you can bond with them more than you can with mice.

I had a guiena pig years ago, but I was allergic either to her dander or her hay, but I could not handle her without breaking out in a ridiculously itchy rash.  She was pretty calm, just curled up and let me pet her, but she'd explore if I set her in my lap or on the floor.

When I was nine, I had the sweetest little hamster ever. She had energy, she'd crawl up my arm to my shoulder if I held her. We were idiots and she had babies and we just couldn't take care of them.  My mom gave all of them away, including my girl.

When I was fourteen, I had hamsters again. Two robo dwarves, who were ridiculously jumpy, terrified of me no matter what I did, but they also came from Petsmart. :x So, I can now understand why they disliked people so much.

Now, like I've said, I want a rat. But my mom is firmly against them.  But! She's agreed to mice and I'm willing to take what I can get. At least until I move out. MUAHAHA. I mean...

I've been doing nothing but researching fancy mice for days and days, and I think I'll be happy with them. But, I just have two things that keep coming back to me.

How big are they? In inches, from tip of their nose to their little furry butts? I'm guessing about 2 inches? The reason I wanted a rat was because they're biggish, around the size of a guinea pig. You can set them down and let them explore without being worried that they'll escape into a vent or disappear into your dresser or something. You can actually catch them when you let them explore. I'm worried about my mice hatching an escape plan and disappearing. 

And, what all of my rambling has been about. :') How jumpy are they? When you pick them up, do they just sit in your palm and groom themselves, or do they start running up your arm and make you form little bridges with your hands so you don't drop them?

Also. I'm pretty sure this fits in behavior, but feel free to move this if need be. :3


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

If you give them lots of fuss from a young age, you really can bond with them!











:lol:


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## Blade100 (Jan 31, 2012)

That White mousie is huge!
And the agility mouse omg how amazing!


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

Blade100 said:


> That White mousie is huge!
> And the agility mouse omg how amazing!


you should check out the other videos of the white mouse (Stu) they are wonderful! he was hand raised!






I so want to try it one day (when I have 3-4 weeks of nothing better to do!)


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## Blade100 (Jan 31, 2012)

Oh wow.
So dedicated must have the patience of a saint.
I love little stu


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Off topic rat-related posts moved to their own thread.

Mice can be superb little pets. You won't become part of their pack as you might with rats, but they have their own charms. They can become very friendly and will climb up your arm from their cage and sit on your shoulder, all of their own free will. They are very placid, gentle animals (unlike a lot of hamsters).


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## morning-star (Apr 9, 2011)

Blade100 said:


> Oh wow.
> So dedicated must have the patience of a saint.
> I love little stu


 :lol: that and steady hands, and the ability to endure getting up every two hours or so - so It's like having a real child. :lol:


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## Whurmy (Mar 10, 2012)

Oh my gosh, that first video. ;_; Stu is just precious. And that little brown one was a little spazz. :') So so cute.

I could never hand raise an animal. o.o I would mess up so bad. 

Placid and gentle definitely sounds more like what I'm interested in. :3 As long as I can have some kind of bond, I think it'll be good enough for me.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Moving slowly when you reach into the tank is a good start; let them get used to your hand just being there...they are very curious and they will want to explore eventually. Having a treat in the hand might help, something starchy like dried bread is good. when they climb onto your hand readily, lift them slowly and see how it goes.

Most mousies are active explorers and love games with hands like making rings with your thumb and index finger for them to crawl through, or holding them with finger spaces open so they can poke and peek. If they don't come to the hand, you can try getting them into a little box or jar. Let them get your scent by lifting to your face. My friendliest meeces love rubbing noses, and enjoy your warm breath. It helps them realize that you are a living creature, not just a grabby hand.

I have to get a good mousies cuddle at least a couple of times during my evening of mousework.


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## Whurmy (Mar 10, 2012)

Thank you for the tips, Moustress!  I will definitely keep that in mind.

I can see why you get them cuddles.  Your curly mice are absolutely adorable. They look scruffy and snuggly. Totally wish I could get my mice from you. My mom likes your mice, which is really saying something. And I'd like it if my mom didn't hate the mice I get. :')


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Whurmy: Thanks so much for the praise. It has taken me a long time to build up my mousery, and then to rebuild it after losing 3/4 of my stock in an accident. I had the genes to restore the missing lines, and that took about a year. I wish you could get meeces from me too! I always have more than I need, and I'd love to share the bounty.

Those curly girlies are just wonderful to handle!


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## Whurmy (Mar 10, 2012)

You're absolutely welcome! I'm so sorry about the accident, but I'm glad you could restore your lines, because you have beautiful mice. And they definitely look wonderful to handle!

Ideally, I'd like a curly mouse with a stockier/bigger build than, let's say Petsmart mice, and larger ears. But I seriously doubt I can get one. :')


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Yeah, I really hit the jackpot when I got my curly meeces. I have curlies showing up in some of my litters, but it's a recessive gene that also brings along some health issues and a peculiar congenital body and head shape. These I have now are just amazing. I'm hoping to have some splashed long haired curlies one of these days.


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## Whurmy (Mar 10, 2012)

Aww, poor things.  That's kind of a win/lose. My mother would tolerate my mice more, but I definitely don't want mice with health problems.  Yours really are amazing, I'm quite jealous.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

One thing I've noticed about my good curlies is that the hair on the head is not as long as the body coat, and I think that's what causes the health issues in the recessives; the hairs curl into the yes and ears and irritate and it makes them scratch which does further damage. I end up having to pts every single one...it's sad.


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## Whurmy (Mar 10, 2012)

Oooh, that makes a lot of sense, actually. And I have no idea what pts mean. I was guessing post traumatic stress, when I read it on your post. :')


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Put to sleep, a polite euphemism for euthanasia, or culling.


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## Whurmy (Mar 10, 2012)

Ohhh, oh oh oh.  I know I couldn't do that.


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## Yelena (Apr 25, 2010)

It's horrible but sometimes it the best thing you can do for your mousey. I had to take a hammy to the vet once, wasn't expecting what they told me and was gutted to leave without him.

Think handling depends on the mouse. I have two boys, brothers. Ari will quite happily sit on my shoulder and either watch me work or curl up and fall asleep. Janco, on the other hand, will not stay still! He doesn't like me handling him and will try and run up into my hair. Once he's in there its a nightmare to get him out too! This has caused some problems in the last week as I need to handle him to see if he's ok but I cant get him to stay still


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## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

Males, in my experience, are more cuddly than does. I have a buck who is content to chill with me and 4 does. The girls will pitch a fit when I try to take them out, although once out are pretty calm. That said, my girls don't get as much handling as Augustus.


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## matt_m (Apr 20, 2009)

If you go with rats definitely get at least a pair, both make good pets. Fancy rats are probably more 'affectionate' and maybe form more of a bond with you (I guess there are always exceptions). My mice do not mind being handled in the slightest. I'd like to say they enjoy it...but I am sure that is probably just my imagination! I do have one doe in particular that is a little bit jumpy, but one out of 14 isn't bad going haha!


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