# sleeping?



## athiena14 (Jun 20, 2013)

Ok this is starting to worry me... My doe Trish who is preggy has been going to her water dish and falling asleep. Thankfully the water is never high enough for her to drown in when she does this, but will wake her up and shoo her to her nest. This is the 3rd time I've noticed this and had no others in her cage doing it. She also seems to breathing harder than the others. This is her first litter so i'm not too sure if that's affecting this behavior or what...


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## visitor (Jan 8, 2011)

She could be overheating, so being sensible and using the water bowl to cool herself down. She is going to be hot with all those babies inside her.


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## athiena14 (Jun 20, 2013)

what could I do to help her out? any why would she be the only pregnant on that would be over heating?


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## visitor (Jan 8, 2011)

I am guessing the reason she is doing it is to keep cool. I have seen dogs do the same thing. 
I can`t see the harm in letting her use her bowl as long as the water isn`t deep.
When it was really hot last week i filled jam jars ( lid on) with cold water and placed them in the cages. The male mice all snuggled against them and fell asleep. The females all stayed in their beds.


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## athiena14 (Jun 20, 2013)

ok thank you, I'll try that out during the mornings when it seems to be happening most of the time.


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## visitor (Jan 8, 2011)

Usually my mice are very active in the mornings as it isn`t too hot then. It tends to be in the afternoons that they totally flake out and sleep on top of their bedding.
The water obviously gives your mouse comfort for some reason.

I do remember my uncle`s labrador dog wandering off one time, and we searched ages to find him. We discovered him submerged in a pond up to his neck. We called him to us and he came. Not long after that his poor body was riddled with cancerous lumps. We were never sure whether he was soaking in the pond to ease the discomfort, or whether he was trying to drown himself, as dogs do often wander off to die, if able to do so.

If your mouse is bright enough in herself i wouldn`t worry overly much. Maybe try her with a shallow saucer of water. Budgies enjoy a bath so no reason mice wouldn`t either.

Check her skin too to make sure it doesn`t look red and inflamed


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## athiena14 (Jun 20, 2013)

problem with shallower dishes with these two, is they love to dump their bedding in it then spread it around their cage. Not to sure why but it end up making me clean their cage more often. I did put cold damp paper towel stack in there for her to rest on. and hope that helps her. Also put the cage in a cooler area of the house. with the way we have things set up is the air is turned on throughout the entire day and during the night its turned off. during the morning it heats up really quick until we turn on the air again


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## visitor (Jan 8, 2011)

Ah. So that would fit with her getting too hot. Clever girl has sorted the problem herself


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## athiena14 (Jun 20, 2013)

lol yea, i'm still surprised that its only her though that's getting over heated. oh checked her skin, it looks normal.


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## visitor (Jan 8, 2011)

She`s maybe planning a water birth :lol:


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## athiena14 (Jun 20, 2013)

oh god that would be weird to see XD


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## thammy24 (Dec 20, 2012)

hahahaha, water birth. thanks for the good laugh


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## YuukikoOgawa (Jul 26, 2013)

If the shallow water dish is too much of a mess, you can try picking up some cheap ceramic tiles at Home Depot and chilling them in the freezer.

Put one in her cage, but not quite underneath her favorite nest, so she has the option of laying on the nice cool tile if she needs it. My mice seem to like just licking the condensation off too.

The ceramic doesn't heat up terribly fast, and so far I haven't had issues with cracks from the freezer because it doesn't soak up moisture. It will cool off at night if you just leave it in there after the initial effect has worn off, and I've caught mine sleeping on it a few times even when it's been in there for over a day.

They're also really easy to wash off and sterilize, because they're nice and smooth. Unlike water dishes.


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## athiena14 (Jun 20, 2013)

Ok I'll try that if any others get that way, she's had her bubs and seem to be doing fine now.


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