# Mouse depression; companion suddenly died.



## okapia (Jun 12, 2016)

I originally had three female mice, one died a few months ago and another died suddenly this weekend. A couple days right before her death, I noticed she was suddenly looking a bit thinner than usual but she still wasn't acting sick. She was running on her wheel, climbing up on my shoulder to eat and otherwise acting normal. I'm not sure why her weight dropped, but she always had access to food and the other mouse isn't underweight at all.

So, she was still coming out and acting normal until she didn't come out when I fed them this weekend, and I found her dead in one of their nests. The last female has been behaving strangely since I removed her. She cycles between running around the cage and kind of frantically digging through her bedding and sleeping out in the open in the middle of the cage. I've never seen her do either of these things and I'm pretty sure it's a reaction to the loss of her companion. She's still eating and drinking though, and she doesn't look sick.

I feel pretty bad about it. My mice always did everything together; sleeping, grooming each other, even coming out to feed and get water at the same time.

I don't know if introducing her to a strange mouse she hasn't bonded with would even help at this point, but I'm hesitant anyway because I don't want to get locked into a cycle of always owning mice by replacing lost companions. These were adults when I got them, I knew they would probably live less than two years and I had no problem with keeping them their entire lifespan, but I might move next year where it would be very difficult to take mice with me.

Anyone have any suggestions about what I can do to help my lonely mouse?


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## Zamwyn (Apr 29, 2015)

Sorry for your loss. Sick mice don't always show signs of it, and when they do they're pretty much always quite far gone already.

If you don't want another mouse, then I guess your options are either rehoming her to someone who already have females she can live with or put her to sleep. Or possibly get her two new young companions and rehome the younger ones after your current one has passed away.


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