# Luna VS The Rest



## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

This kind of comes with a story.. sorry guys.
When I got Luna, (siamese head swayer) she was put in QT and then introduced to my pied girls Willow and Xia. The introduction went smoothly and during the day they were fine, during the night there was a few squabbles and that has been going on for a month or so. No blood so I figured they were still sorting out who is boss. (I have seen Luna "mount" Xia even though Luna is the one being picked on at night).
Luna was always a... "to-herself" mouse. She was never as out there as my other girls. I took her to the vet for this as well as her head swaying. It was not an ear infection so they said if it is anything, it is probably neurological. Anyway..
Since the squabbles continued, I decided to introduce her to Ava and Nova, (my babies, they are 5 weeks old) and there was no squabbles but her "inactivity" continued. I started taking her out for play time by herself and noticed that she seemed to behave like a totally different mouse. She was active, sniffing everywhere. Interested. She played with the TP rolls and everything. 
Today I introduced Ava, Nova and Luna to Willow and Xia. Willow and Xia LOVED Ava and Nova. They ran over to them in the play container and started grooming them and snuggled with them. It was adorable. That was about 6 hours ago. No problems for Ava and Nova but Willow and Xia are, again, picking on Luna.

What can I do? Luna almost seems happier by herself. More active but I can't keep her by herself. All my other mice are quite active, and out there. She is the odd one out.

On a side note..
I took Ava and Nova out for play time, they come running if you put your hand in the tank and you are wearing a shirt with sleeves. They will climb into your sleeve and sit there. After a few minutes, Willow and Xia came out of their house to have a look at what was happening 
'Cuse the quality. My camera seems to suck at taking pictures at night.








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No sign of Luna though.. *sigh*


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## Fraction (Aug 29, 2011)

If she's that stressed out by the other mice that she becomes listless and uninterested in things--then why not keep her by herself? Mice might be social animals, but occasionally it's possible that you could get one that doesn't want to be around other mice. Do you not have enough room/a spare cage?


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## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

I have enough cages to house about another 20 or so mice if I wanted to so yes. I thought about it but wasn't sure if it would be ok. She seemed better with Ava and Nova but she seems more like my other mice alone. I'll move her into a cage by herself on Sunday. (I'm away delivering cattle all day tomorrow)
Once my babies are weaned, I'll see what Luna is like with Zoey. (she is the most layed back of the group).

I guess I can't help but feel bad having a mouse alone.


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## Fraction (Aug 29, 2011)

To be honest, if she's that different personality-wise between being with other mice and being just alone/with you, she'll probably benefit from having her own cage--as long as she gets plenty of cuddles, of course. There's no point trying to force her to be sociable if it just makes her withdraw.


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

While it may turn out that she's better off by herself, this should be a last resort. I'm thinking the "bullying" may be caused by the other mice having difficulty accepting her because she's a bit different. Also, her head swaying could be caused by poor eyesight or a slight (non life threatening) neural or middle ear abnormality. Perhaps this means she hasn't developed the ability to give out and respond to the normal social cues mice exchange.

In the meantime, you could try a bit of social engineering.

First, prepare a second tub, large enough for the entire colony. Pop Luna in there, and let her stay there for a day or so. Then add a friend for her - the least dominant of the two young does. Leave them together for at least two days, maybe three, so they can bond. Check to make sure Luna isn't being bullied.

If all's well, add the other females one at a time, say about every second day. (Sounds a bit like a medication schedule or a recipe.)  Mix well after ever 30g of mouse. :lol: The additions should be from the lower end of the dominance scale first.

After the group has grown to 3 or 4 in number, there may be a few scuffles, but the Luna and the less dominant girls would have had a chance to establish their ownership and right to be there. There will probably be scuffles when the most dominant girl is put in, as she attempts to assert herself, but at least her assertive behaviour will be directed to several mice rather than targeted toward Luna.

See how this goes. If Luna is still hassled and unhappy, then definitely house her by herself, but she'll need special attention to alleviate loneliness and bordom.


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## AyJay658 (Jan 15, 2012)

MojoMouse said:


> Mix well after ever 30g of mouse. :lol:


Hahaha. I just had to post my amusement =D


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## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

I'll try that out. Since I have put them all in a much bigger tank, the scuffles have been less frequent but her inactivity is still there.


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