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Author Topic: Rescuing Baby Mice  (Read 4027 times)

Offline The15thMember

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Rescuing Baby Mice
« on: August 15, 2019, 02:51:54 pm »
Yesterday morning, my little sisters were outside and one of our puppies, Nova, was walking around like she had something in her mouth she wasn't supposed to have.  They got Nova to drop it, and it was a baby mouse!  Its eyes were still closed and it was furred already, and it seemed to be fine, just a little cold.  Nova seemed interested in snooping around in the garage, so we figured she'd found it in there, but it is a baby that is too little to be out of the nest yet, as it its eyes aren't even open.  We decided to try to help out the little mouse, so we did some research and found that the mouse is about 2 weeks old and needs to be fed every 2 hours.  We ran to the store and got some kitten replacer formula and some Pedialyte to help with dehydration.  Then that afternoon, my little sisters went out to feed the mouse and they found another baby on the garage floor.  Since then we have found 2 more on the garage floor in about the same place!  We have no idea where they are coming from.  They can sort of walk, and we've been finding them squirming around just in the middle of the floor, not really close to anything.  We've looked in all sorts of obvious places nearby for a nest, but we can't find anything.  The babies aren't in too bad of shape, and they aren't showing signs of dehydration, but at the same time they are leaving a nest, so we can't seem to figure out if their mama is still caring for them or not.  We put them in a critter keeper, and are on a 2 hour feeding regimen including overnight last night.  If we could find the nest, we'd put them back in it, but we just can't find it.  We are planning on caring for them until they are old enough to release into the wild, which would be about 3 weeks from now. 

Also just by the way, we are aware of the potential hantavirus risk with wild mice and are taking the proper precautions.  We're keeping them outside on the porch, and we are wearing gloves all the time, keeping their little cage clean, and washing our hands every time we are around them.

Here's some pictures.     


   
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Offline jalentour

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2019, 12:40:37 am »
#15,
I can't tell you how much damage mice have caused me in my hives and other property. 
You are free to do as you want here in the US but my hive tool works well to end the life of mice in my hives. 
I get great pleasure in ending their lives a quickly as I can in my barn and outhouses and anywhere else I can.
Best of luck to you.

PS:  any luck fishing with newborn mice?

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2019, 12:54:35 am »
#15,
I can't tell you how much damage mice have caused me in my hives and other property. 
You are free to do as you want here in the US but my hive tool works well to end the life of mice in my hives. 
I get great pleasure in ending their lives a quickly as I can in my barn and outhouses and anywhere else I can.
Best of luck to you.

PS:  any luck fishing with newborn mice?
I figured there would be a comment like this, which is fine, free country like you said. We have mice around here, obviously, but we don?t really have trouble with them. We have plenty of rat snakes and outdoor and indoor cats so our population is pretty under control.  As such we see them as a working part of our local ecosystem, and not particularly as a pest. I?d also like to note that if the babies were in really bad shape, we wouldn?t go to all this trouble, we would just put them out of their misery. But the fact that they seem quite healthy makes it impossible for us personally to feel good about condemning them to death for really no reason. Just our perspective on our situation, of course.

My parents were really into fishing before us kids were born, but it didn?t really transition over to us. We do go trout fishing occasionally, but on the whole it?s something we talk about doing more than we actually do.
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2019, 08:49:05 am »
JT,
I was also expecting an answer like yours when I read the Members post. I also thought the same but that is not what Member needs.
Gg in the garage and look up where you saw the mice on the ground. There is probably a small hole in the ceiling. I used to have problems with squirrels in the attic of my workshop in Jacksonxille. The squirrels would chew through the drywall and make holes. There are at least three holes in the ceiling of my workshop.
My wife used to raise the baby squirrels as you are doing. Bee sure to feed them natural foods that are in your area to get them ready for release.
They get really hungry when they cannot find the food you are feeding them.
Three days after I released one of the squirrels, I walked out back without a shirt on and that squirrel jumped from a tree onto my Barack and ran circles around my chest. I scrambled to get him off and get in the house. I went back outside with a heavy shirt on and a lot of the food we were feeding him and put it in a feeder. We kept the feeder full until he learned to eat natural foods.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2019, 10:21:15 am »
JT,
I was also expecting an answer like yours when I read the Members post. I also thought the same but that is not what Member needs.
Gg in the garage and look up where you saw the mice on the ground. There is probably a small hole in the ceiling. I used to have problems with squirrels in the attic of my workshop in Jacksonxille. The squirrels would chew through the drywall and make holes. There are at least three holes in the ceiling of my workshop.
That's a good idea, Jim, but unfortunately not possible in our garage.  We have exposed beams and then above them is just the metal roof, so no space for a hidden nest up there.   

My wife used to raise the baby squirrels as you are doing. Bee sure to feed them natural foods that are in your area to get them ready for release.
They get really hungry when they cannot find the food you are feeding them.
Three days after I released one of the squirrels, I walked out back without a shirt on and that squirrel jumped from a tree onto my Barack and ran circles around my chest. I scrambled to get him off and get in the house. I went back outside with a heavy shirt on and a lot of the food we were feeding him and put it in a feeder. We kept the feeder full until he learned to eat natural foods.
Jim Altmiller
Oh my gosh, that is a funny story!  Thanks for the tips.  :happy:  The babies eyes are starting to open today, and they are becoming very mobile.  They are doing surprisingly well. 
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2019, 01:19:35 am »
Good practice for the up coming baby rabbits in case some may need the TLC treatment.  :grin:
Phillip
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14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2019, 10:24:27 am »
Good practice for the up coming baby rabbits in case some may need the TLC treatment.  :grin:
Phillip
Yeah, we were talking about that and wondering how similar and different the baby bunnies will be. Just as cute at least!  :cheesy:
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2019, 06:33:18 pm »
Mice are the most destructive creatures on the planet.  Deer are the deadliest in North America, but not as destructive as mice...  I would have petted the dog and said "good dog"...
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Offline jalentour

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2019, 08:01:30 pm »
JT,
I was also expecting an answer like yours...
Posted by: sawdstmakr

Jim,
Have you ever used a mouse trap?  If you have and you were successful, did you think to yourself, "Good I got 'em"?

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2019, 11:00:08 pm »
JT,
I was thinking about the same answer but I knew it was not what Member needed. I have a cat in my barn that is my automatic mouse trap.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2019, 12:40:14 am »
Don't forget Mr. Jingles in the Long Green Mile.  Pretty smart mouse!!   :shocked:
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Anonimo22

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2019, 10:41:12 am »
You know this thread is so positive!

Its so positive its a great place and time to bring up why beekeepers often have cats XD
We had this one cat, wow this thing could really catch mice. It was so amazing! We'd go out there in the mornings and it would leave the mice on the front porch for us to be 'recognized' somehow. It was the darndest thing. I miss that cat.

It would often be controlling the resident populations of critters that fell into its paws.

It was one of those all black cats that are sort of trying to figure out if they like humans or like being feral more. It didn't like to be touched much.

Its kind of amazing when animals like to try to reach humans and interact with us. (Which is why we like bees.)

Yeah on the mice sorry you didn't find any help here on that. A lot of us have found mice and bees like the same type of real estate and conflict comes sooner rather than later.

You know down in Los Angeles they are having rodent and typhus outbreaks. No joke. Its the weirdest thing, and partly due to the homeless outbreaks and drugs & needles. Maybe we just need to send out like a thousand cats down to that area and it would totally take care of all of that rodent problem down there. Its so amazing its an easy solution also.

The reasons why it would work is that animals can focus their energy and are in a sort of sped up time spawn compared to humans. So they would be able to go all day catching typhus germ elevators down there where all that bad stuff is happening near downtown LA and skid row. It would naturally feed itself with no high cost wages also or waste since the cats would be able to just only need water access to naturally work at that problem.

But no...there's no way they'd listen to common sense.

BTW, sorry I didn't mean to go off on a tangent.

To the one wanting to help the mice, you could donate it to one of those Large Cat animal rescue type wildlife shelters, the ones that rescue bobcat kittens and stuff like that. They always need fresh mice. And it would go to a good cause. (If you ever see bobcat kits they are really neat to see.)

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2019, 01:17:59 pm »
I originally posted this thread because I was looking for any ideas on places we didn't think to check for a nest, and thank you, Jim, for being helpful and constructive on that front.  I also thought that perhaps some people would find it interesting, and apparently I was wrong on that front.  I understand that mice are viewed as pests the world over, but frankly I do not care.  We live in a rural forested area, and in our household, on our property, we do not view them as pests, but merely as animals that we see around, like squirrels or spiders.  We have young children in our family and the experience of raising the mice has been very rewarding for us, and I do not need to legitimize the situation anyone else.  I understand that most people would not have done this and I do not care about that either.  Each to his own.           

You know this thread is so positive!

Its so positive its a great place and time to bring up why beekeepers often have cats XD
We had this one cat, wow this thing could really catch mice. It was so amazing! We'd go out there in the mornings and it would leave the mice on the front porch for us to be 'recognized' somehow. It was the darndest thing. I miss that cat.

It would often be controlling the resident populations of critters that fell into its paws.

It was one of those all black cats that are sort of trying to figure out if they like humans or like being feral more. It didn't like to be touched much.

Its kind of amazing when animals like to try to reach humans and interact with us. (Which is why we like bees.)

Yeah on the mice sorry you didn't find any help here on that. A lot of us have found mice and bees like the same type of real estate and conflict comes sooner rather than later.

You know down in Los Angeles they are having rodent and typhus outbreaks. No joke. Its the weirdest thing, and partly due to the homeless outbreaks and drugs & needles. Maybe we just need to send out like a thousand cats down to that area and it would totally take care of all of that rodent problem down there. Its so amazing its an easy solution also.

The reasons why it would work is that animals can focus their energy and are in a sort of sped up time spawn compared to humans. So they would be able to go all day catching typhus germ elevators down there where all that bad stuff is happening near downtown LA and skid row. It would naturally feed itself with no high cost wages also or waste since the cats would be able to just only need water access to naturally work at that problem.

But no...there's no way they'd listen to common sense.

BTW, sorry I didn't mean to go off on a tangent.

To the one wanting to help the mice, you could donate it to one of those Large Cat animal rescue type wildlife shelters, the ones that rescue bobcat kittens and stuff like that. They always need fresh mice. And it would go to a good cause. (If you ever see bobcat kits they are really neat to see.)
I have a cat who is a terrific mouser as well.  He is an indoor cat, and we used to live in a house that had sat vacant for a number of years, and for the first few months we were there he'd bring a mouse into my room every couple of weeks.  Interesting idea about the big cat rescue place.  We don't have anything like that around here, but cool idea.  The mice will be released sometime next week.  They may get eaten by the cats and snakes around here or maybe not, but we had fun giving them the chance to grow up and be mice, and that's all we can provide for them.       
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline CoolBees

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #13 on: August 27, 2019, 02:46:01 pm »
Member - I didn't post on this thread, because I love mice so much - that I would have called the cat over to take loving motherly care of them.

With that said, I totally understand where you were coming from on this.

When I was young, our family did the same thing as your family did - and I was better off for it. I really enjoyed reading this thread (even if I would have called the Cat  :cool:)
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #14 on: August 27, 2019, 03:45:55 pm »
Member - I didn't post on this thread, because I love mice so much - that I would have called the cat over to take loving motherly care of them.

With that said, I totally understand where you were coming from on this.

When I was young, our family did the same thing as your family did - and I was better off for it. I really enjoyed reading this thread (even if I would have called the Cat  :cool:)
Thank you so much for your comment, Alan.  It's really nice to see that someone enjoyed the thread.   :happy:

Don't forget Mr. Jingles in the Long Green Mile.  Pretty smart mouse!!   :shocked:
Sorry, Phillip, you kind of got lost in the shuffle there.  I have never seen that movie, but it looks quite interesting, and has been added to my Netflix queue.   :happy: 
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Offline iddee

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #15 on: August 27, 2019, 06:09:29 pm »
Member, regardless of the mice, I want to compliment you on your attitude. Keep up the strength and run your own life as you are doing here. Never let others, especially internet strangers, scare you away from the actions you feel are right.

There was a saying a few years ago...........................YOU GO, GIRL.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Rescuing Baby Mice
« Reply #16 on: August 27, 2019, 08:59:05 pm »
Member, regardless of the mice, I want to compliment you on your attitude. Keep up the strength and run your own life as you are doing here. Never let others, especially internet strangers, scare you away from the actions you feel are right.

There was a saying a few years ago...........................YOU GO, GIRL.
Thank you very much for the encouragement and compliments, Iddee.  :happy:
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

 

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