Mice Tips - Getting them Social
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:35 pm
I've done Google and looked at what was said there, most of it was the same thing over and over. I was wondering if anyone had some better tips or things not mentioned in those guides. The basics were: Give them time to settle in, hand feed them treats/food, and basically just get them use to you.
I bought two females on Sunday, so I've only had them two days. I took the advice of letting them settle in, only occasionally watching them and eventually attempting to give a snack only to fail. I have left various snacks around their cage to try to associate me with good things, which they have been snacking on over night. I read that peanut butter is a very liked treat, but mine seem to have no interest at all in it. I know it said that patience is the number one rule to this, and I am. I'm not typing this in frustration or giving up at all, just wanting to see if anyone had better suggestions. Is there a treat your mice likes a lot that I might want to try? A toy?
I'm use to the rats at work (Humane Society), but they normally come in social even if a bit nippy. I actually got ones that were surrendered for being "too bitey" to stop. It didn't take long. Just a few days/week of giving them goodies everyday and eventually they were taking things very nicely from me and settled down. Of course if you stuck your fingers through the bars.. that's another story. They'd mistake your finger for a treat... but even that I started to break them of and they would "taste" the finger instead of grabbing it in haste.
I honestly wanted a rat, but I had found a baby mouse at work that was near death and took it home in hopes I could save it. It perked up after eating, but didn't make it through the night after I had run out to buy a cage and supplies. So, I decided to get two mice and give that a try.. and not waste the newly bought cage/supplies. I know they won't be like the rats, but I am still hoping I can get them social enough to sit on my shoulder and/or handle them.
Another thing I read was to leave behind something good anytime I go in the cage to help associate me with good and fun things. So earlier I left behind a toilet paper tube, which my one girl I thought was excited about. Turns out a twitching tail doesn't mean they're happy/excited... and actually means the opposite. I guess I upset her with it.. but she did seem to like it once inspecting it.
I haven't named them yet as I'm trying to get a feel for their personalities more before giving them names. Hard to tell from the pictures, but one is mostly white with tan spots and red eyes, and the other is almost completely black with a white stripe on her head and a partial white stache/chin that runs down her belly in a thin stripe.
I bought two females on Sunday, so I've only had them two days. I took the advice of letting them settle in, only occasionally watching them and eventually attempting to give a snack only to fail. I have left various snacks around their cage to try to associate me with good things, which they have been snacking on over night. I read that peanut butter is a very liked treat, but mine seem to have no interest at all in it. I know it said that patience is the number one rule to this, and I am. I'm not typing this in frustration or giving up at all, just wanting to see if anyone had better suggestions. Is there a treat your mice likes a lot that I might want to try? A toy?
I'm use to the rats at work (Humane Society), but they normally come in social even if a bit nippy. I actually got ones that were surrendered for being "too bitey" to stop. It didn't take long. Just a few days/week of giving them goodies everyday and eventually they were taking things very nicely from me and settled down. Of course if you stuck your fingers through the bars.. that's another story. They'd mistake your finger for a treat... but even that I started to break them of and they would "taste" the finger instead of grabbing it in haste.
I honestly wanted a rat, but I had found a baby mouse at work that was near death and took it home in hopes I could save it. It perked up after eating, but didn't make it through the night after I had run out to buy a cage and supplies. So, I decided to get two mice and give that a try.. and not waste the newly bought cage/supplies. I know they won't be like the rats, but I am still hoping I can get them social enough to sit on my shoulder and/or handle them.
Another thing I read was to leave behind something good anytime I go in the cage to help associate me with good and fun things. So earlier I left behind a toilet paper tube, which my one girl I thought was excited about. Turns out a twitching tail doesn't mean they're happy/excited... and actually means the opposite. I guess I upset her with it.. but she did seem to like it once inspecting it.
I haven't named them yet as I'm trying to get a feel for their personalities more before giving them names. Hard to tell from the pictures, but one is mostly white with tan spots and red eyes, and the other is almost completely black with a white stripe on her head and a partial white stache/chin that runs down her belly in a thin stripe.