# Baby Multimammate Mice can they go in with a fancy mouse



## pixie0zzy (Mar 28, 2009)

hey i have just lost 2 out of 3 mice and was wondering if it was poss to put Baby Multimammate Mice in with him to keep him company or would it bebetter to get more fancy mice


or zebra mice if that was poss


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## Ruthy (Dec 10, 2007)

Yes, this pairing works very well, you have mix male multi's with female mice, female multi's with male mice, female and female, male to male etc. They are very good companions and keep eachother company just as well as the same species.

Ruth


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## pixie0zzy (Mar 28, 2009)

thanks for that :notworthy:


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

I've never heard of it, and wouldn't do it personally. Different species are different species, just because they have similar needs does not mean it's going to be a good idea.

I'd hold out for some regular mice, it's not as if they're hard to come by


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## Ruthy (Dec 10, 2007)

LisaLQ said:


> I've never heard of it, and wouldn't do it personally. Different species are different species, just because they have similar needs does not mean it's going to be a good idea.
> 
> I'd hold out for some regular mice, it's not as if they're hard to come by


Many fancy mice breeders keep multi mice and fancy mice together, believe it or not they do actually socialise with eachother, rear eachothers young etc. I have been doing it for a few years, as well as a few of my friends and other people i know and there hasnt been any problems. They provide good company for eachother when they cant be kept with the same species. I have kept and bred multi's and fancy mice together, as well as keeping lone male Multi's with a group of female fancy mice, and visa versa. Honestly i say go for it, its worth trying so that the male you have left has company


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## spider_duck (Feb 25, 2008)

Ruthy said:


> Many fancy mice breeders keep multi mice and fancy mice together, believe it or not they do actually socialise with eachother, rear eachothers young etc. I have been doing it for a few years, as well as a few of my friends and other people i know and there hasnt been any problems. They provide good company for eachother when they cant be kept with the same species. I have kept and bred multi's and fancy mice together, as well as keeping lone male Multi's with a group of female fancy mice, and visa versa. Honestly i say go for it, its worth trying so that the male you have left has company


 I never knew that! :O What about spinys? :hmm:


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## Ruthy (Dec 10, 2007)

Dont know about spineys honestly, Only ever kept them once


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

To me honest i wouldn't mix them just for the sake of it, i mean theres plenty of free mice going, just go get him a companion of him own species...

Besides he male and they really don't tend to care if they have company or not, not unlike females. and males are very territorial, if hes adult its likely he won't accept another tank mate anyway.

The only time i ever have multi's in with mice is when a multi litter needs a surrogate mum, and thats where the female mice come in, and yes they can be left together an get on fine.
However multi's can be techy, and can cannibalise their tank mates randomly at any time.

I would never mix spiny's or Zebra mice with anything but there own species. These are not animals that have been bred and tamed over centuries like fancy mice and are very much still wild animals.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

But introducing another male or two to a lone male fancy mouse is usually impossible. I, too, have kept multis and fancies together. Never had a problem. I would always go for male mouse/female multis, and male multi/female mice.


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## Rie (May 25, 2008)

Tis fascinating, I honestly wouldn't have thought they'd cohabit given the size differences etc. Interesting stuff : victory:

(Tis spider_duck, cant be bothered switching)


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## Ruthy (Dec 10, 2007)

Honestly if you have good quality, well bred fancy mice, there isnt much of a size difference between the two species.


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Multi's are usually very sociable animals, and while it can be difficult to introduce other multi's to them, however raised together from young and you usually never have a problem.

You can search them on youtube and you'll get results of multi's living with mice, rats and even gerbils...

But like i say Multi's can be unpredictable, and while i wouldn't see one as a threat to a fancy rat, anything else could end in disaster should the multi take a turn. This is usually triggered by lack of water or food, but its not uncommon for them to decapitate cage mates for no apparent reason, so its at the owners own risk whether they choose to mix them.


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## Twiglet (May 6, 2009)

LisaLQ said:


> I've never heard of it, and wouldn't do it personally. Different species are different species, just because they have similar needs does not mean it's going to be a good idea.
> 
> I'd hold out for some regular mice, it's not as if they're hard to come by


I've cohabited various species with much success and fancy mice will live with practically everything mentioned in this thread with the exception of zebra mice which are just not as social as the other species. It works beautifully but as with all introductions MUST be watched carefully. 
Some one mentioned that spiny mice etc are wild animals... they are not. They can be considered domestic due to the fact that their natural behaviour has altertered and there are colour mutations. 
The only issue you're likely to find cohabiting spiny mice with anything is that courtship involves alot of chasing which fancies and other mice don't really know what to make of. 
I've also cohabited mongolian and pallid gerbils with spiny mice of several species with no problems. 
I'd suggest putting a young female multi in with your male mouse. 

Good luck!

Kat


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Personally, I'd got for two baby female multis


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## Twiglet (May 6, 2009)

^^^ as above... then when the old male mouse passes you dont end up with the same problem again and have to worry about reintroducing a single multi to more friends. 

Kat


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## spider_duck (Feb 25, 2008)

Ive only ever seen multis once, from afar, I thought they were huge :lol2: In my mind its like putting one of the rats in with the mice :lol2:


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Which people have actually done before (rats and mice)

personally i don't see the point, why risk it when its SO easy to get hold of another mouse?

I'd only mix species if it were totally necessary, which it isn't.

If you recommend mixing species, and she takes your advice and someone dies, how will you feel then? yes 90% of the time there isn't a problem putting mice with multi's, but there is still that other percentage in which one gets killed or critically injured.

Don't make it out to be all cute and friendly, make the risks fully noticed, and then at least if she does decide to do it, she has been made aware, that way no ones advice can be blamed.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Because adding a new male mouse is usually impossible, that's why! Male fancies do not tend to take kindly to new males. And if she puts female fancies with him, she'll have loads of babies, and he's too old now for her to neuter him. Therefore, the best solution is a few female multis.


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## Muze (Jun 20, 2007)

I have successfully kept multi's and fancy mice together when needed for a couple of years now, like other posters have done, in the pairings mentioned. Ive had no problems with it and infact there seems to be fewer squabbles.

It saved males being alone and also saved babies a few times when ive had to surrogate them.


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## spider_duck (Feb 25, 2008)

Mice and rats!? SERIOUSLY!? My rats would eat my mice if they were in together :lol2: Scary stuff!


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Multimammate rats are much smaller than fancy rats


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## spider_duck (Feb 25, 2008)

Hehe I had a look on tinterweb yesterday and they are much smaller than I originally thought :blush:

However I was reffering to x Sarah x's post......fancy rats and mice together? I couldnt imagine that working in a million years :lol2: Not only is there the size issue etc etc, housing them would be a bugger!


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## pixie0zzy (Mar 28, 2009)

thanks for the help guys has been really help full 

i think my male mouse is about 8 months old (not sure how long they live) do people think its worth it or leave him on his owen

i it poss for fancy mice a multis to mate know it sound silly but dont know how genticly diffrent they are


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I wouldn't want to leave him alone, no. He is unlikely to accept a couple baby male fancies (or if he does, there's a big chance they will "fall out" later on). So you choices are to either have him neutered and get him some girlie fancies, let him have a couple girlie fancies and expect babies (maybe if you keep him with the does while they are nursing, you could let him and a couple of his sons stay together afterward... but that entails letting the does have a couple litters), or get him a couple female multi babies 

Their genitals look the same as mice  Although, female multis have quite a few more nipples than female fancies.


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## pixie0zzy (Mar 28, 2009)

what about female multis getting pregnant from a male fancy mouse


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## spider_duck (Feb 25, 2008)

In regards to lone fancy bucks, weve had to seperate all 3 of ours because they got alone fine for ages then started scrapping. We give them loads of attention etc (I know this cant compare), will they be suffering? I do feel bad for them when I see the girls all playing and the boys running around in their wheels by themselves


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I wouldn't say they are suffering, but I think it's nice for them to have company. I try to offer said company to lone males as much as possible. And, honestly, usually that company is in the form of female multis. When I was breeding fancies and multis, I would separate males and females of each species and they'd live together while they grew on... So, I actually had tubs of mixed species "mice" continuously and never had a problem.

As for interbreeding, I, personally, have never had this happen.


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## spider_duck (Feb 25, 2008)

Amalthea said:


> I wouldn't say they are suffering, but I think it's nice for them to have company. I try to offer said company to lone males as much as possible. And, honestly, usually that company is in the form of female multis. When I was breeding fancies and multis, I would separate males and females of each species and they'd live together while they grew on... So, I actually had tubs of mixed species "mice" continuously and never had a problem.
> 
> As for interbreeding, I, personally, have never had this happen.


Ah right ok, its good to know theres another option rather than keeping them by themselves. Pity it doesnt work with spinys, I desperately want a couple and that would've killed 2 birds with one stone so to speak :lol2::lol2:


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I think spinies are known for being a bit antisocial with others


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## spider_duck (Feb 25, 2008)

Amalthea said:


> I think spinies are known for being a bit antisocial with others


 I know  I prescribe some anger management therapy :lol2:


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

*lol* I can see it now!! "Hello. My name is Jim, I'm a spiny mouse, and I have anger management issues"


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