How do I help these three baby mice?

Question

Okay, so my mom didn't know that mice were living under the sandbox (filled with water). She lifted it up to drain the water out and saw a mouse with her babies; the mom took off and my mom picked up the babies before they drowned or anything. We put them in the shade and I had to touch one to put it on its belly because it was upside down. I made sure they were huddled up enough so they could keep each other warm and so they knew they weren't alone. I don't know if the mother will come back for them;they're close enough to their old home so if she does it won't be hard to find them. But what if she doesn't come back? Is there a way to care for them?

Answer 1

I hope I am not too late to answer your Q. I only saw it just now.



Chances are the mother already returned for them if the area where the nest is located has remained quiet with no human traffic. Since the bubs do not have fur, an easy way to check to see if mom did indeed return is to check the milk bands. These are literally bands stretched across the tummy underneath the skin. A milk band will appear white and swollen when the bub has nursed. You should be able to see without disturbing the nest. If the bubs do not have full milk bands and are making noises, then unfortunately they have likely been abandoned. Your options are to hand feed them or locate a wildlife rehab center.



KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement formula) is recommended to feed orphan mouse bubs via a non-needle syringe. A mouse bub typically opens his eyes at about 2 weeks old. It is also the age when he usually starts to go potty on his own. Since their eyes are still closed, they will need help going potty or they can bloat and die. This can be done by moistening a q-tip in warm water to gently go in a circular movement on the lower tummy/genital area. You can also gently wipe the area with a cloth moistened in warm water or dribble warm water over the area. Two weeks old is also the time weaning begins. You can introduce wild birdseed into the diet at that time. Bubs are usually completely weaned at 4 weeks old, but wild mice may take a week longer. TFM is an excellent mouse site that has complete information on hand raising orphans to include how much KMR and how often. They have photos of a mouse bub from day 1 to day 28, too, that will help determine their age for the feeding schedule. The links are below:



http://www.thefunmouse.com/info/orphanedmice.cfm#handraising



http://www.thefunmouse.com/info/daybydaybabies.cfm



TFM also has details on wild mouse care. It explains how to determine if they are abandoned, how to safely house them, what to put in the nest and what to feed while weaning. You cannot use a water bottle if you plan to release them in the future. The reason is because it is very important to keep a wild mouse as wild as possible whilst under a human's care. This means the bare minimum of human contact, scattering the food throughout the floor to simulate hunting and no water bottle. (For bubs, use a very shallow top of some type such as a Snapple lid. A bowl is not good as they can drown in it.) The link on wild mouse care follows:



http://forum.thefunmouse.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12871

(If you cannot read the above thread, you will need to register first.)



TFM also has an active forum. You can search the archives for more information or post your own Qs. The link is below:



http://forum.thefunmouse.com/index.php



When you are ready to release them, pick an area with a lot of ground covering, bird activity and no buildings. The ground covering assures a nest. The bird activity assures a food source is near such as berries and nuts. The lack of buildings assures they will not enter a structure with kill traps. A park would be ideal. Also, since mice are crepuscular meaning primarily active at twilight hours (dawn and dusk), release them at one of these times. Be sure there are no storms in the forecast, too.



Raising rodent bubs is difficult. If you decide to ask a rehab center to take over, the following links should help in locating one nearby:



http://www.wildliferehabber.org/st_disp_list.php



http://www.rainbowwildlife.com/find-rehabilitator.htm



http://www.wildlifeinternational.org/EN/public/emergency/emergencyrehab.html



http://forum.thefunmouse.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12871



Your mom has clearly passed on to you a lot of wonderful qualities. What a lovely family! I sincerely hope all of bubs survive.

Answer 2

Wait a little while for their mother to come back. Since they are so helpless, I would suggest you put them in a shoebox and wrap them up in a blanket so they stay nice and warm. If the mother doesn't come back, try to help them a little bit, at least until they are old enough to see on their own and have some fur, which should usually take about a month. Then you can decide whether you want to keep them or let them go back into the wild. But make sure, if you keep them, to take them to the vet to check for disease. I once found a baby owl who had broken her wing, so I kept her until she was big and cared for her wing until it was better, and then I let it go, but it kept coming back to me. Maybe your mice will have the same connection to you :D



Warning: Whenever you touch the mice, do it with a towel or with gloves because you don't want to get any disease from them.



Best of luck with the mice :(



~Ivee~

Answer 3

the mother will probably come back for them, but if she doesn't come back soon, take them with you to the vet's office(get them checked out for disease), but some formula for mice at the vet office to feed them with, buy a tank with a lid, a wheel, a house to hide them in, and a surrogate mother to be on the safe side( mice will sometimes look after abandoned babies, purchase one that has just given birth and her babies so that she will most likely feed the others), and also get them some aspen bedding(make sure its the all natural kind WITHOUT cedar or pine in it), and then put the cage together, put them with the mother and her babies, asnd they will most likely survive and become great mice.

Answer 4

Ennie, Meenie, Miney (or Moe) Bingo, Bango, and Bongo Birdy, Hawk and Kitty Bud, Miller and Michelob Jed, Jethro and Elly Mae Huey, Dewey, and Louie Peter, Paul and Mary John, Paul and Yoko

Answer 5

chances are the mother will not come back sorry. once they smell a little different it will discourage her. im sorry but there is not much you can do. put them as close as you can and leave them. the mother might come back if not. you need to leave them. its just natures way sorry.

Answer 6

You f*ckin kill them all they are ugly and gross and creepy!!! Take a knife to there heads before they infest your house