# Eating Toilet Paper?



## kyrabbit (Jan 11, 2013)

Okay, I have a few new mice that I got this past week. They're currently in their own tank and for various reasons won't be introduced to my girls Peanut and Buttercup. I've sexed them all (females.) And got them all set up their new tank with food, water, bedding and a nice wooden house. I use aspen substrate for all my critters because Buttercup is allergic to everything else so I tear up some toilet paper for everyone to use for cozier nests.

I was excited to see that the new does had taken the paper into their nest until I looked in the nest and...there's no toilet paper. It's no where to be found in the tank. They have food, which they eat, they have water...am I doing something wrong?

I think it's the biggest doe as she's been chewing on everything like mad and been flipping the cardboard tube over to chew on it as well. Is this going to hurt her? I haven't put any more paper in because I wanted some advice first.


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## TwitchingWhiskers (Feb 2, 2013)

Sometimes my mice get cardboard rolls with some paper still stuck on them. I'm not sure if they eat it, but I doubt it would harm them if they did.


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## onionpencil (Jan 6, 2013)

depends on how much they are eating, a lot -might- cause a blockage. keep an eye on them, and let us know, please.


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## kyrabbit (Jan 11, 2013)

It was the equivalent of two 3in.sq. pieces. They're all running around just fine, acting as neurotic as ever.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I used to use the blue tissue that commercial companies use,great big rolls of it.That all got eaten every week.Never caused any problems and the only reason I don't use it now is because I get an unlimited amount of shredded paper from a college.They don't eat the college paper .


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

I haven't notice tissue paper causing a problem before. I'd be more worried about compressed paper products, but reports of those causing problems seem to be rare. Don't think I ever had mine eat all of it though. :shock:


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## kyrabbit (Jan 11, 2013)

I gave them more this morning and they stuffed it in their house, so I guess it was an isolated incident :lol: 
It just threw me through a loop and I was concerned about the possibility of impaction.
I think one is completely neurotic, though. She flings food and bedding all over the tank, flips the cardboard tubes around and I woke up today to find she dumped the entire food bowl. :roll:


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

Are you sure they haven't just shredded it really finely and its mixed in with the rest of the stuff. When it was really cold here I got cheap toilet paper cut the whole rolls in halves and let them rip them up didn't have any problems.


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## kyrabbit (Jan 11, 2013)

Oh yeah I'm sure.
And I'm almost 100% positive it was the bigger does who ate it. She chews on and eats everything in the tank and has been for two days now. I've seen her chewing on bedding, gnawing on the food dish (gave that up quick), eating cardboard, chewing on the house, eating poop...

My girl Peanut's mum did the same thing. 
I seem to always be the one to acquire the animals with strange habits.
Peanut throws herself off her wheel for fun. 
Buttercup eats anything and everything.
Turkey liked non-food items.
Now this mouse...haha.
Oh and my snake apparently thinks nail polish is pretty appetizing...


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## onionpencil (Jan 6, 2013)

any chance your weird eater is missing something in her diet?


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## kyrabbit (Jan 11, 2013)

That's what I'm wondering.
Can mice develop PICA? 
She seems to go for fibrous materials. I'm going to see if my church has any mountain bread tomorrow and if they do I'll bring a loaf home. I swear this stuff is awesome for mice. Whole grain bread baked with rolled oats and seeds. Peanut and Buttercup love it stale and toasted.


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