How do I get my baby mouse to eat solids?

Question

I found a baby mouse when he was around 2-3 days old. He was on the pavement at a store. He was burnt really bad from being on the hot pavement. I used neosporin to help heal the burns. I feed him with an eye dropper and I give him kitten formula. He is now about 2 1/2 weeks old and doing good. By reading info on line I know he is to be eating solids. I have tried baby rice cereal(soupy). He will eat this as long as I give it to him in the dropper. I gave him a small piece of an apple he tried that 1 time and wont try it any more.I have put formula on crackers, cheerios and food for mice from Pet Smart. He wont eat it. He wants the dropper. How do I help Dhiren transfer from milk to solids? Also we want to get him a friend. I don't want to bread. I can get a 4 week old mouse. Will it be ok to place the 2 of them together?

Answer 1

ola he asks for its suitcase which he te answers back everything that vc if he may want www.malakairesponde.blogspot.com

Answer 2

don't rush it! try giving him some squishy dog treats or cat treats. if he eats them try giving him some purina puppy chow if eats that then go on head and give him other rat foods. but while indrucing rat foods mix with puppy chow.

Answer 3

I would allow him to eat from the dropper a little while longer, and keep a variety of pet-store mouse food in his cage at all times. When he is ready he'll start to nibble. Also, withhold the dropper for a little longer than you normally would. Allow him to become hungry. He'll start eating the pellets, seeds, and other foods you make available to him. That is what his mommy would do. She'd force weaning on him because she would be tired of nursing. It won't hurt him to nurse a little while longer, and I'm sure you enjoy doing it, so don't stress too much. He'll wean. Just be patient.

Also, I wouldn't recommend getting another mouse. Unless you can bring your mouse and the new mouse to get two separate opinions on s*x. Sexing a small animal like a mouse (that means determining s*x, in case you didn't know) is extremely different. If you don't want to breed but accidentally get the opposite s*x you'll have an impossible time preventing babies. And just so you know, your mouse is more likely to stay social with people and bonded to you if he is an only mouse.

Good luck with your little baby! Good job on the rescue! If only everyone were as compassionate as you!

Answer 4

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;... help

Answer 5

He will move onto solids when he is ready, so don't worry. Try geting some baby food/porridge on your finger, and as disgusting as it sounds, let him l**k it off! This is how I weaned my baby rats. I was worried they wouldn't wean at 3 weeks, but they did. Some still fed (those I kept and were housed with the mums.) at 4 weeks, even though they were perfectly capable of eating solids because other babies were eating fine on their own in seperate cages of 7 and 8.

All individual animals are different. I looked on the internet and it said that baby rats may start to open their eyes at 12 days, but don't worry, because my rats took 14, 15, and even 16 days to open theirs! I was worried but really there was nothing to worry about. So if he's still not eating solids after a while, just ring and ask the vet.

As for the companion, I think it's fantastic that you thought of this, as many owners (wrongly) assume that it's fine to keep mice/rats on their own. Unlike Syrian Hamsters, which are naturally solitary and are usually ok to keep on their own, even though it's better to give them a companion, mice and rats are NOT naturally solitary and need companions of their own species.

The 4 week old mouse may be a little too old to introduce to your mouse, but it is certainly a lot better than no friend at all! Try the introduction, but if all does not go we then you may have to purchase a younger mouse and re-home the other one. Depending on the size difference, it can vary how well animals react to other strange animals. You should get a mouse of the same s*x, I take it Dhiren is a male?

Just be careful with the introduction. I had NO problems introducing 4 week old babies together from 2 different litters, one lot born on friday, the others the next day, the saturday. A mouse of the same age would be better, but you shouldn't be able to get one that young. Try it, and if it doesn't work, get one the same age. I hope it all goes well for you!

Congrats on raising a baby mouse, you deserve a lot of respect for achieving it! =].

TheRattieFuzzbutts xxxx