# depressed mouse?



## Hali (Mar 2, 2011)

I just got a new doe that I plan to breed. she is alone in her cage at the moment as I plan to keep some of her daughters with her and don't want an over run cage when I do breed her. I think the isolation is getting to her, even though I socialize her much more then any of my other mice. She won't run on her wheel and never comes out of her nest/box area. Everything physically, as far as i can tell, is ok. I won't be breeding her until late May because she is still quite small and I'm guessing only 4 to 5 weeks old.


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## willa2602 (Mar 18, 2011)

Awww  can't you put her in with some other mice until she's ready to breed? I'd have thought developing social skills with other mice was still quite important at that age anyway? But I'm new to mice so I'm basing that on other social species...


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## bethmccallister (Mar 5, 2010)

I agree, 4 weeks old would be very lonely for a doe, having gone from a litter with others around at all times to not having anyone. I like to keep my does in pairs even after the doe has been bred and has a litter...then if you need to split them up you can divide the does up at that time since they would all know and be comfortable with each other regardless if they were related or not...they would all think they were.


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