# Questions Regarding Obesity and Ears:



## Bou (May 29, 2009)

Alright if you haven't read my introductory post, it described the three mice I've owned for the past few months (I think it's been almost a year for the oldest one, Miss Jingles). I have questions regarding the health of the three.

Alright.

For Bou.

*1.)* 
She started off average in size (I'm assuming - as seen in the picture). Not too fat, not too skinny (at least I don't think). She got along great with my first mouse and I am sure they both got the food I fed them. 
About a month after I got Bou, she seemed to blow up and became more lazy. Some weeks later, she'd slim down again and then again would blow up. Currently she's a butterball of fur--and I'm worried about her. I've heard that obesity in mice will lead to an early death. 
All my mice eat a mixture of blocks and rat food (with the seeds and whatnot). The first mouse, Miss Jangles, isn't nearly as fat as Bou, nor Curly - my newer addition, and I have no idea why. Is it genetic perhaps? Perhaps it's her lack of activity? When I say 'lack of activity' I mean her lack of running on the wheel and jumping all around the tank they're housed in. She was once such an avid runner... 
Any insight on this problem would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps I need to change their food?

*2.)* 
That nip/tear on her ear. Is that normal in a mouse? Perhaps it comes from horrible breeding? Or does it come from the other mice? When I first got her she didn't have it, about two or three weeks later it appeared on her ear and has been there since. It doesn't bother her or anything, I'm just curious about its whereabouts.

For Miss Jingles/Jangles.

*1.)* 
Her tail. That's it! (I'd forgotten my question, heh). 
Alright. Miss Jingles (or Jangles, depending on who you ask) is the first mouse I obtained. When I got her, her tail was kinked at the tip... and This is the best picture I could find (though I could have sworn I'd had better...bah!). 
Could it be the cause of people picking her up by her tail? Or perhaps she was born with it? Any thoughts on this would only feed my brain with possible causes. It doesn't bother her or anything like that. Just curiosity here.

For Curly.

*1.)* 
Alright, I had the hardest time figuring out whether Curly was a male or female when I first got her (which is exactly why I _know_ I'm no where near qualified to breed mice). Erm... Curly, curly, curly... Oh! Hm. Well. I can't really say I have any health questions regarding Curly (as of now). She's extremely active - all day, which makes no sense to me, now that I think about it. There's a question! Is it normal for some mice to be active throughout the day and throughout the night? It's like she bounces - wait, she does bounce off the walls! Is that normal? She's the one mouse that's managed to get lose in my house - through determination and mouse muscle (because a _normal_ mouse would never have been able to climb through their tank's ceiling hole, with a wired covering..!). It's a good thing she's a people mouse or I'd only have two mice to talk about here. No worries though, her escaping days are over for now. When I first got her, she was no where near a people person but I somehow coaxed her to think differently. Mice are loves. x3

So those are my questions for now. I hope I've posted this in the right section. Blech. Though I may come off sounding nonchalant, I really do take my mouse's health seriously. Any replies are appreciated.


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Your first mouse looks like a sable, which means she would be genetically predisposed to being fat. Changing diet or limiting food has little effect on the condition in mice in my experience and they live normal happy lives. By all means give her more activities in the cage and put her food so she has to work to get up to it (like on a shelf or something) but don't worry too much. As for nicks in the ear, mice do it accidentally when grooming or sometimes when fighting. Their ears are very thin and it's easy to do - it never bothers them and it will never heal over, there will always be a nick there.

Kinked tails can be both genetic or from injury. Again they don't bother the mouse so it's not a problem if they are pet only. Last but not least yes it's perfectly normal for mice to be out and about at any time of day or night.


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## Bou (May 29, 2009)

Thank you for the information!


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