# Can't we all just get along!?



## doganddisc (May 21, 2012)

When I first got my mice from Rodentfest, I ended up dividing the girls up into two different aquarium tanks. Eight or so in a 20L and four in a 10 gallon. I also put my two RY does (I had them before RF) in the 20L.

Fast forward to now, I'm moving everyone around again. Two of my does are nursing a litter, so they aren't a problem. Two more are with bucks, also not a problem. I have also since acquired a dove doe from a pet store. She was in quarantine until a few days ago.

As I'm trying to merge everyone, I'm running into some problems. The dove doe from the pet store is a doe that everybody seems to hate. I first introduced her to the girls in the 20L. She ended up with a bloody tail so I had to remove her. Then I put her into that ten gallon (pushing crowded at that point). Problems there too- no bloody tail, but she would hang out on top of the water bottle because a certain mouse would go after her if she were down on the ground.

Now I have seven girls in the ten gallon, three with bucks, two nursing, two away from everyone else because one has head tilt and the other is keeping her company, and the dove doe I have separated from everyone. I don't know what to do with her. Everyone seems to beat her up, no matter what combinations I try to make! She is very young still- significantly smaller than all of my other girls. Should I try to introduce them again at a later date or call it quits and pull the tamest girls out of the 20L? The idea here was to save space!


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

Here is what I do, works for me every time and I have yet to have any ill effects from it. If this is not a good idea, someone should point that out, but again, it's worked for me every time without a hitch...

I take a plastic travel container and wash it out, dry it, and add fresh bedding to it (about an inch or so...). I think sprinkle a generous amount of hypoallergenic baby powder over the bedding. Then, I gather the mice I wish to combine and add them in (add newbie mice first). Once all mice are in the container, I then sprinkle the mice with more powder until they are white and dusty (don't overdo it though...). The powder really screws up their sense of smell (temporarily). I leave them in their for about 90 minutes. If there is squabbling, I add a little more powder and it stops. In the meantime, I remove the dirty bedding from the cage they will be sharing and scrub the heck out of it, removing all odors from the original group from the cage. I clean all the toys and hides, bowls, water bottles, ect. Then, I add new bedding, rearrange ALL their accessories, even food & water placements, and add a few toiletpaper tubes to mix it up a bit more. Then, add the mice together.... Has never failed me and I've yet to get a sick rodent from the powder....

JUST a suggestion on my part...


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

kisha said:


> I think sprinkle a generous amount


...eh, I mean *then* not "think" LOL.


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## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

If that doesn't work, I would wait until the new mouse was bigger. Whenever I introduce a smaller mouse to bigger mice, I have always had squabbling.


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## doganddisc (May 21, 2012)

Wonderful, thank you! I added her to the head tilt cage for right now and that seems to be going well. She has a bloodied tail anyway so it is probably better for her to be in a smaller group.


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