# Do mice brux when they're stressed? (being handled)



## grrrlcrimson (Dec 20, 2013)

I have four show mice that I keep as pets. The oldest one is my siamese. She is one year old and I have had her about 5 months. She's always been the calmest of the bunch and has been more allowing of me to scoop her up and handle her over time - definitely more easily than the others.

In the last month or two I've been finding she'll let me pick her up without having to follow her around the (large) tank -- and when i scoop her up she doesn't squirm much at all - more like she's just trying to balance.

Anyway, last time I took her out she was more active running up and down my arms than usual, and she did something she's never done before -- she leaned over across my arm she was walking on, slid off, flipped, and landed on my lap below her. I scooped her up and she did it again into my other hand. She obviously thought about it too, it wasn't a slip.

So I picked her up again tonight and she was running around on me and I noticed her making a sound that I would call bruxing, and again walking around more than usual and more quickly.

I want to know from people more experienced -- does this sound like she's getting more comfortable and coming out of her shell, being more curious, exploring -- or does that sound like a stressed behavior?

I worry about my babies and they're so hard for me to read some times!

Thanks for all your help, and sorry for the super long post.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I've never come across bruxing in mice.I've seen claims that they do but I'm dubious.You might be interested in the following
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... 0277,d.d2k


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## grrrlcrimson (Dec 20, 2013)

Hm, interesting.

I found this video on youtube, and it sounds like what my mouse was doing -- but mine did not squeak or make any high pitched noise. She was just walking along my arms making that very soft chattery noise.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Clicking in adult mice isn't normal.Have you held her to your ear to listen for respiratory problems?Having said that if the mouse is in good bodily condition I wouldn't be over concerned.


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## grrrlcrimson (Dec 20, 2013)

Mhm I have, I make sure to pay extra attention to their sounds when I handle them and they are otherwise silent critters. That's why it caught me off guard when she started doing that while running on my arms. Anyway I guess I'll just keep an ear out for it and otherwise not worry.

Thanks!


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