# Escape!



## FeralWolf (Dec 28, 2010)

One of my two meeces escaped! It was Twix, my variegated agouti female. I use a hamster cage, and the door doesn't close firmly, so I use an office clip to close it. But when I brought them into the house, out of the car, I hit the door frame and the door opened. I didn't notice until 4 hours later! I went into the bathroom, and it was just open!! I turned the cage around, and fumbled inside looking for my meeces (2). I only found one (Suki). I flipped out and searched the house for my cat, (probably shouldn't have a cat huh?) I found her, but she didn't have my mouse. I ran back to the bathroom, and I looked under things, over things, on the floor, lookin for a dead mouse. I finally lifted a blue towel just about 5 inches from the cage and there she was! I was so happy! I cried, I love my little critters. So she's safe and sound now, but should I look for any signs of anything? Poisoning? Injury? I'm kind of worried about her. She looks fine but you know...


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

She's probably just fine.


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## m137b (Sep 22, 2010)

Aww, that sounds very upsetting. I'm glad she didn't go far.


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Some Hamster cages are not suitable for mice, especially if the mice are small as they can and do find gaps in bars and door latches! Might be worth measuring between the bars on this cage (should be 1cm or less). Measure inside the actual bars (the gap in-between each bar space) and if it`s more than 1cm, I would change the cage. Are you in the UK or somewhere else? If you have a cat, it`s really important to make sure the mice are enclosed and the cat never has access to the room they are in if possible.


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## FeralWolf (Dec 28, 2010)

I am in the US. Why?


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Don`t understand what you mean? Why are you in the US? :? I just mean you being over the pond means that the cages over there might not be as suitable as the cages here in the UK and Europe. Caging mice in a barred cage is best, but it needs to be a safe cage and one that does`nt have bar spacing of more than 1cm or have door latches with gaps or that won`t close properly. That`s asking for trouble!


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

You might want to treat for mites just in case there are wild meeces she could have encountered.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I'm sure the bar spacing is fine as the mice have been in that cage for some time now.

These things happen, glad she's OK after her little adventure!

Sarah xxx


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## FeralWolf (Dec 28, 2010)

Thanks!


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## bethmccallister (Mar 5, 2010)

I had a bad accident involving my cat and a plastic hamster cage. I bought hamster cages for each of my two children and let them pick out 2 mice each that were their favorites. They had the cages on their dressers but my really really bad kitty whose name is Ninja jumped up on the dressers and knocked the cages off because they're lightweight. When they hit the floor they broke open where you snap them together and the mice went running. I only found 3 of the 4 mice unfortunately...poor thing. My kids have to go into the mousery now to visit their mice friends which is a locked bedroom.


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Cats are predators and I would never trust one near mice. I know people do and they say their cat/cats are okay, but you don`t know what a cat is thinking. Better to keep them well away from one another.


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## bethmccallister (Mar 5, 2010)

> but you don`t know what a cat is thinking


I know what my cats are thinking...DINNER! :lol:


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

That sounds so familiar. I let my daughter have a small tank in her room and she failed to close the door to the room when she left. Our boxer knocked it over and proceeded to 'play' with the poor dears. I think they drowned in his saliva; he slurped them to death.


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

lol sorry I can see this boxer slavering with the mice  I love boxer dogs Moustress they were loved to death.


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## webzdebs (Mar 29, 2010)

accidents happen, best thing to do is keep an eye on her and act quickly if you think theres anything wrong. I would treat for mites etc as a precaution but appart from that I'd just keep an eye on her.

As for the cat issue, I have 2 cats who would probably kill anything they got their hands on hence why I keep them out of the room they are kept in and I tend to opt for tanks for the mice rather than barred cages unless the bars are tiny gaps.


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## FeralWolf (Dec 28, 2010)

How do you treat for mites? Just from the sound of it, and the size of the meece, it must be a bit difficult.


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Mite treatment should really only be done by a vet, or using spon-on Ivermectin, which I don`t think is available in the US over the counter. Here, it is made by a company called Beaphar and the pipettes for syrian hamsters and gerbils can be used on mice, but only if the mouse weighs 50 grams or more.

Pyrethrin sprays (plant based) and other treatments for birds and larger animals should not be used as they are a higher strength and can easily kill a mouse if dosed wrongly, which is why a vet should be consulted. If you are a seasoned mouse keeper/breeder, then you will probably have your own tried and tested ways of treating successfully, but a beginner should seek a vets advice as it needs treating over a three week period. Sometimes longer if the mouse`s condition does`nt improve.

Ivermectin is a nerve agent and should always be used with caution and by owners who know what they are doing. Mice that have got loose or onto a floor surface might show signs of itching due to a dust allery/dust mites (due to dust under furniture or on a floor itself) but don`t, or should`nt need treated unless physical signs are there.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

The Iver-On or Spot -On works really well, and I had no trouble ordering it online.

geordiesmice: Anyone who's been around boxers would understand what I meant; he probably thought they were tiny puppies.


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## bethmccallister (Mar 5, 2010)

I bought Iver-on at Tractor Supply, large bottle for $15. It's dosed for cattle so I dilute 1 part mixture to 5 parts water and put it in a spray bottle. I change the bedding and spray the cage then add new bedding and put the mice in. I try to get one or two squirts on each mouse. I do this as a preventative and only on occasion. Not sure how effective it would be for actually treating visible signs of mites. I think if mites are present most people treat them once a week for 3 consecutive weeks.


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