# Rescued Baby Field Mouse



## abandonallhope (Jun 19, 2009)

So last night my dogs were making a fuss over their water bucket so out I went to see what was wrong and what do I see but a tiny field mouse scrabbling about desperatly trying to get out. Needless to say I scooped the little sqweeker out and popped him in a box to recover. 

This morning he seems fine, lively and eating (I popped some bread in there) but I've now noticed he only has one eye, it looks like a birth defect as there is no wound. Now I'm loathe to release him as we have quite a few cats in the area and with only one eye I'm worried the poor guy will be chow.

So to cut a long story short, since he dosn't seem to stressed I was thinking about keeping hold of the little guy, and since the only mice I've ever kept are dead and frozen I'd like some advice on if I SHOULD keep hold of him, and how. I am under no illusion that he will ever be tame, and would not push the issue.


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## Merifield (Aug 5, 2009)

A few years ago my son spotted a tiny wood mouse stumbling about
on our patio.The weather was very hot and I think it was very dehydrated as
it drank loads of water off a cotton bud.
We did keep it and it lived quite happily for 4 years. Never tried to tame it
though.


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## abandonallhope (Jun 19, 2009)

Merifield said:


> A few years ago my son spotted a tiny wood mouse stumbling about
> on our patio.The weather was very hot and I think it was very dehydrated as
> it drank loads of water off a cotton bud.
> We did keep it and it lived quite happily for 4 years. Never tried to tame it
> though.


Wow four years thats crazy, I thought most rodents only made it to about 2.


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## Mangaka (Aug 9, 2010)

I would personally release it far away from the cats. If its a birth defect and it managed to survive this long it would be ok, maybe.


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## JPP (Jun 8, 2009)

put it back where it was and let nature take over, plus it probably has a family :whistling2:


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## Merifield (Aug 5, 2009)

It lived for four years and was fascinating to watch...
I've never kept snakes but I know I would never have fed any of my Frillies
anything that I caught wild.... They were far too precious to risk infection and the little mouse was so small and helpless and when your kid picks it up you need to show them what is the right thing to do... which translates as care
for all life. I suppose that's why I have just now put an "oven ready" Dunnock
in a cage next to my tame Blackbird. The neighbours kitten caught it and pulled all it's bloody feathers out on it's back and tail and my daughter brought it in.
3 hours in the boiler room in the dark and warm and it really wants to go...
but sadly it will have to stay until it gets some blood feathers in it's tail.
About ten days.
Donna


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

i should think you could apply harvest mouse care (if that makes sense) to it. prob similar diet requirements to.


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## mrcarlxx (May 1, 2009)

keep him, give him a awesome life


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## pippainnit (Feb 20, 2009)

I'd be inclined to keep him and give him a chance. Yeah there's the age-old 'leave it to nature' debate, but then that theory is all so blurred as releasing a field mouse into its natural habitat which is frequented by cats is not all that natural after all really. 

It's one thing not intentionally interfering but when you're faced with this kind of situation and something, quite literally, lands on your doorstep then I think it's only right to do your best by it.


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## abandonallhope (Jun 19, 2009)

Thanks for the help those that have offered.

I've decided to keep the lil guy as he seems quite settled and isn't that worrie about the big scary hand that comes in to feed him once a day.

I've popped him in a faunarium with a layer aspen and several tubes stuffed with cotton wool, and loads of scrunched up kitchen roll for security, currently giving him a bit of mixed wild bird seed as I'd seen this was acceptable on another forum but will pick up a bag of proper mouse food tomorrow. Any other advise on how to keep him would be appreciated.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I'd take out the cotton wool, cuz it can be dangerous to small critters..... It can get wrapped around a limp, cutting of blood flow.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Yes I agree cotton wool can be lethal. You'd be better with shredded paper. You can buy bags of shredded soft paper that is more like tissues for rodents which would be better for him!


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

swiftly back on topic: regarding keeping, its a field mouse so mimic a field :2thumb: try and find a tall-ish cage and put lots of twigs in for climbing and a nice thick layer of substrate for him to make a burrow. could put a hide in also if your worried about him feeling exposed. i will say iv never kept a field mouse but i should think that would be good housing


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## ditta (Sep 18, 2006)

miss_ferret said:


> swiftly back on topic: regarding keeping, its a field mouse so mimic a field :2thumb: try and find a tall-ish cage and put lots of twigs in for climbing and a nice thick layer of substrate for him to make a burrow. could put a hide in also if your worried about him feeling exposed. i will say iv never kept a field mouse but i should think that would be good housing


 
very good sound advice:no1::2thumb:


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

In relation to the harvest mouse thing.

College keeps them in very nice habitats which is the following:

Tall Exo Terra
Substrate of earth/soil
Long, sturdy twigs reaching up to the top, obviously safely jammed in.
Coconut hide (it's dark so fitted in with how the overall look was, this isn't needed but a hide would be good)
A kind of aspen type stuff which the mouse has used for bedding
They have dried long grass stuff, I assume weat? Which they've got in there so it's literally like a field with it all in there

You don't see the mice much so I assume they like to feel safe and hidden!

I'm sorry I can't be more help with the dietry requirements though!

Good luck and I wish you and the little mouse the best of luck :2thumb:


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Poor little mousey, he needs a pirate name.

I'd be more inclined to let him go, the fear of being held captive is very likely to shorten his life, and while he may get eaten by a cat at some point, you have to weigh up what is more humane - living in fear for another year or two, or the possibility of being eaten by a cat. I reckon if his eye has been missing long term, he knows how to avoid cats, otherwise he'd have been snapped up as a baby.


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## kato (May 12, 2007)

Hello Folks I have had to do some cleaning on this Thread as you may have noticed. Please keep it on topic.

Simon


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

kato said:


> Hello Folks I have had to do some cleaning on this Thread as you may have noticed. Please keep it on topic.
> 
> Simon


your name is simon? i actually thought it was Kato! haha :whistling2:


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## abandonallhope (Jun 19, 2009)

Thanks for the advice folks. 

I'll post some pics up at some point, but I've now changed this little house round to one of the tall faunariums with twigs and a deep earth substrate with toilet roll burrows. He's settling down quite well, and was quite happily munching on some dried peas while I was changing his house around.

Quite suprised at his lack of fear, but I'm pretty sure he's one of this years babies from our field mouse that lives practically right outside our front door so I assume they became used to our comings and goings when still in the nest. Mumma mouse herself (if it is her) is very bold too, she'll happily sit there eating any fallen bird seed while we're sat on the patio, even when the dogs are out.


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