# CHUNKY OR OBESE ?



## yyoung (Mar 30, 2009)

I have several tanks of mice....all different mice from all different sources of all different sexes .... all mixed up in various tanks (obviously boys and girls apart !). In one tank ALL of the mice have gotten very fat. They share a massive luxury pad (the biggest of all the tanks) and they have the most toys and climbing stuff. They get fed exactly the same as all the other tanks and yet these mice are fat. Question is why are they fat ? and do I need to worry about them being too fat ? They are healthy and bright eyed and lively and curious. I only ask because my friend thinks they are obese and unhealthy. I just think they are happy healthy and chunky. Anyway what do you think ?

The white mouse is a crappy mongrel mouse (who I love dearly) and the cinnamon is one of Caits (who until recently was sturdy and healthy but not fat). I thought it was unlikely that a mouse would gorge itself to the point of obesity. Every mouse in this tank is fat.

There are absolutely no differences whatsoever in the feeding of any of my mice.


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## emiliabird (May 18, 2009)

That's so strange - 
I have two mice who live together in the same cage and share a food bowl and one of them is so small and the other is fat. Her weight seems to vary though - and she's actually the more active one (little one is more of a sleepy head) Perhaps they have bulked up from muscle?
I don't know if it's unhealthy though, and sometimes i feel like i should do something when she looks like she's waddling a bit - but it's hard when the other one is so small. I think they are so cute when they're chubby though!
Sorry - this isn't very helpful!


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

The cinnamon is probably carrying red or sable.Both are prone to being obese.The albinos colour is hidden by lack of pigment,it is probably also a variety such as fawn or red.I have fawns and reds.The only way to stop them getting fat is to keep breeding .Constant breeding has health draw backs to.The fatness tends to lead to infertility if they aren't constantly mated and when this happens I use the big ladies as companions to the bucks.They live out their lives quite happily as far as I can tell.I can't help liking these chunkies.


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## yyoung (Mar 30, 2009)

The interesting thing is .... the other two in the tank are plain old agouti and they are also fat. The albino mouse has a sister from the same litter living in the tank next to her and she isn't fat at all. Also in that other tank is the sister to the 2 agouti fat mice and she isn't fat at all. It's really weird. These mice have more space to run and climb and they have the same food as the others. Odd !!!


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

There is no dominant yellow in the cinnamon's background at all. Maybe she's just taking after her breeder :lol:


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## yyoung (Mar 30, 2009)

So does anyone have a clue as to why these four are so fat then ? Should I cut down their food ?

They seem so healthy and happy that I'm reluctant to alter their diet ....


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