# my new mouse no longer likes me :(



## gobey (Aug 15, 2014)

So I rescued a mouse recently from an idiot friend who was going to feed it to his tarantula. I had to save both the mouse and the tarantula.

Anyways I took my time getting her used to my hand. Giving her garden peas and other treats off of my hand, and saying nice things to her. I got her last saturday.

Well things were okay until I came home one day to find she chewed her way out of the bin I had her in. I was so upset. But I found her huddled in the corner of my bookshelf scared. So I finally caught her. She was so calm in my hands for the first time. I immediately got her a better cage. And that night and the next day she decided my hand was a good thing! She was excited when I came to the cage to come out and run up my arm and play. She even let me pet her once.

Then yesterday it all came undone. I actually went out to get her a bunch of toys. Including an exercise ball. Which she played in while I tended to the spiders. But I soon heard a pop. I locked the ball the wrong way. She escaped again. I found her immediately, but had to catch her again. She liked coming on your hand to be lifted. But hated being "caught" to be picked up. She let out a cry and I felt bad. But she seemed ok.

So later she was fine. And again I let her out to play. To show her things were fine. And I put her back in the ball (locking it correctly this time) and supervised her in it. She had a blast when she figured out how to move around.

Then we played on my couch later. But she seemed really eager to climb and jump off, so I tried to pick her up again. Which got bad. She cried again and got really scared. Looking up at me like I was going to kill her. I felt so awful. She then scurried up to my back and hid there. Crying anytime I put my hand up to try to coax her down. She finally did get on my hand and I put her back home. She didn't leave her bed all night into the morning. She's now totally afraid of me again and I feel absolutely terrible.

I've never had a mouse. I never wanted one. I just couldn't let this one be spider food. And now that she's here I can't imagine ever giving her up. But I want her to be my friend again too.

I tried offering her a treat this morning. She nibbled at it and came out for a bit. But not long before hiding again. I have to pick up her home and coax her out that way.

I put her in a little playground in the bathtub while I cleaned her cage and filled it with fresh food, bedding, water, and new toys and setup, hoping she'll be happy and amused. She liked playing in the tub for a bit but when I finally came to get her she was hiding again in the paper towel roll.

She was already skittish. But now she's just terrified of me.

Today she got onto my hand while climbing the cage and I thought I made progress. But just now I tried to give her some treats and she licked a bit before running into her house and actually building a wall at the entrance right in front of me to keep me out.

I think I made her hate me.

I just feel like a bad parent 

Any tips?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

It's not personal,it's simply because she's tasted freedom.It makes me laugh when they speed build walls to keep out prying eyes.If you have a large cage it would be better to down grade to a smaller one until taming it complete with less places to run and hide.A companion if she is definitely female would be a good idea .


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## Ruth (Jul 3, 2014)

This little mouse has been through a lot of change and stress having moved with you and then changing cages , escaping , having and exercise ball etc . I'd leave her alone to settle for a while. Also how are you picking her up ? Are you scooping her which maybe is frightening her. You could try using her tail to lift her and placing her immediately onto your hand. Lots of sites and people will tell you not to use their tails but to me it seems to frighten them a lot less, use the base of the tail and transfer quickly and there is no chance of hunting her. As suggested above id get her a friend or two if you are sure she is female that way it doesn't matter if she likes you as she will get companionship and exercise that way.


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## gobey (Aug 15, 2014)

Ok.... I guess she had about 3 more hiding spots than before. Tubes and things. Some clear some not.... She just was starting to stay out in the open when she was out before. Because she seemed so eager to come out and interact.

Now she immediately hides again and builds these walls and looks more afraid. She just cried and looked so scared yesterday. I feel like she associates me with fear and pain now.  Not fun and food. She wasn't interested in treats.

I know I'm probably not used to these animals and maybe freaking out. She just looked so scared and fragile and I feel like I lost her trust. How do you feel about picking up where she's hiding and having her crawl out onto you? Like a paper towel roll.

I've been letting her crawl onto my hand to pick her up. When I've tried to scoop her up or grab the base of her tail she's too fast. And when I really tried last night was when I think I hurt her and definitely scared her.

And yeah I gotta look into a playmate soon. And here I just wanted to save this 1 little mouse. They're undeniably cute though.

I'm just used to keeping invertebrates. I have tarantulas. Hence I knew it was a bad idea for both the mouse and the spider for my idiot friend to try and feed it to his.

And she's so cute and innocent.


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## Ruth (Jul 3, 2014)

Assuming theres nothing wrong with her and that's why she's feeling pain then I'd leave her for a few days and then handle her even if that means taking the loo roll tube she's in and coaxing her out. I've had ones where they run and hide so I lift them up in their hide. They soon get used to you. I think for your peace of mind remembering it doesn't really matter if she likes you or not she can have a full life and not be held, a bit like your spiders  It sounds like you've given her a very lovely enriched cage and she might take a while to get used to that and like said above has had a taste of freedom and now realizes she doesn't have to be held if she doesn't want. Once she's used to it she'll feel more secure especially if she has a little friend. If you get her a friend make sure it's a super friendly calm one and then you'll always have one to handle and she may even get cues from it. I'd make sure it's female first though and not pregnant  It wouldn't surprise me as she was a feeder mouse if she turns out to be pregnant. I have a tarantula too a Mexican white knee, she's huge and scary lol


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## mmarie02 (Aug 13, 2014)

Hi, 
I am also a new mouse owner and love my little girls too. You did a very good thing rescuing this poor mite, obviously i am no expert as I have only had mymice for a week but from what I can gather some mice are naturally more skittish and timid than others; my mouse Harriet is very skittish she will sniff my hand when i put my hand in her cage but always darts off almost immediately she has also built a barrier around the entrance to her nesting box and im presuming that patience will eventually pay off. On the other hand her sister Matilda is a lot more tame and will come straight to me even when I sit near the cage, she will on occasion sit in my hand and I think the curiosity in both of them will win them over so I place my up-turned hand in their cage numerous times a day but only when they are already awake and active. I do not no whether your mouse lives alone but I have read extensively this week and every book/article I have read states that mice are very un-happy without another mouse (same sex if female, not sure if it is a male what you would do), maybe this would help?


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## gobey (Aug 15, 2014)

Ruth said:


> Assuming theres nothing wrong with her and that's why she's feeling pain then I'd leave her for a few days and then handle her even if that means taking the loo roll tube she's in and coaxing her out. I've had ones where they run and hide so I lift them up in their hide. They soon get used to you. I think for your peace of mind remembering it doesn't really matter if she likes you or not she can have a full life and not be held, a bit like your spiders  It sounds like you've given her a very lovely enriched cage and she might take a while to get used to that and like said above has had a taste of freedom and now realizes she doesn't have to be held if she doesn't want. Once she's used to it she'll feel more secure especially if she has a little friend. If you get her a friend make sure it's a super friendly calm one and then you'll always have one to handle and she may even get cues from it. I'd make sure it's female first though and not pregnant  It wouldn't surprise me as she was a feeder mouse if she turns out to be pregnant. I have a tarantula too a Mexican white knee, she's huge and scary lol


Oy vey....

Well yeah after really reading it looks like my mission today or tomorrow is too go find a nice friendly female for her to play with, and to satisfy my new need to have a mousey friend. I never had any desire at all to pet and play with and love a little mouse until she came into my home. :3

Like I said, aside from my 2 cats which require nothing but food and water, I'm a guy with big scary spiders lol. I suppose this is fulfilling my lost desire to handle the tarantulas lol. Because contrary to what the exotic reptile booth carney who sold me my first tarantula told me.... they are NOT for holding.

Giant White Knees are awesome Ts too! You're clearly a mammal person first because no tarantula keeper I know has just one lol.

I have 7. But that's why I knew you just don't risk feeding one a live adult mouse. It's too risky for the tarantula and just really cruel for the mouse. I know feeder mice are eaten by snakes and whatnot that will only eat live prey. And that's the way of things. But there's absolutely zero reason to feed a mouse to a tarantula when they're content to eat crickets and roaches. It's not a quick death for the poor little mouse.

Hence I thought I'd rescue her. But now I see I'm taking on a project and I'm gonna end up with 2. :/

So for now she's still skittish and blocks me out of her home, but if I pick up the roll she's in she'll come out to play, then she won't want to go back and is braver. But once that passes it's back to being terrified. 
I'm letting her sit now. I took a few of the hides out and placed in some socks that I wore around my wrists for a day. Maybe my scent will become familiar.

I'll accept if she doesn't want to play, I just don't want her to be so terrified of me. 

Because for a day she wasn't. She used to take treats from my hand, even eat on my hand. Now nothing. It was actually the day of and after the escape she warmed up to me. When she first got out I found her shivering in the corner. As if she was frightened. Like "I'm done exploring. I'd like to come home now."

And then she would greet my hand with enthusiasm.

No longer. That's why I'm confused and upset. I just feel like I wronged her. She's so fragile and was finally trusting. I broke that trust for her.

Sorry I'm ranting. Like I said I'm just not used to these animals at all and I took one in with minimal research beforehand other than proper food and bedding and housing.

I'm obviously researching as much as I can now. But I always figure asking the experts is best.

Thanks!


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## gobey (Aug 15, 2014)

She now has a big sister!

I kind of think white red eyed feeder mice are a little ugly, but it was the only way to get a confirmed not pregnant female.

The new mouse is friendly and brave, although not "calm". She's fast and won't sit still. But let's me pick her up... if I can catch her.

She seems healthy and gets along with my little one. Taking out the buried hides in favor out exposed ones seems to make her a bit friendlier. Although I think she'll always be nervous.

But they get along. The new mouse is the dominant one. My only concern is at night when they're cuddling. My little one squeaks. I caught it once. The big one was grooming her and she squeaked a few times. Is this normal? It didn't seem bad? They don't fight. I just hope she's not hurting her. I have about 10 days to take the new mouse back if she's a problem.


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## Rainy_Days (Sep 30, 2014)

Yeah that's all normal that she squeaks when the new mouse grooms her especially since you said she was more dominant. To show dominance the more dominant mouse will mount, force groom or ask to be groomed by the submissive mouse.the squeaks are just little protest squeaks, but as they work out where they sit with each other they will calm down.


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

If I mouse is handled alot when they are <4 weeks old they will be easier to tame and retame. I hold each baby for 2 minutes and stroke them. This happens twice a day. I get really tame mice who actually never want to be put down off my hand.


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