names ofor pairs

[paws]

The zoo's getting a bit boring... I am fascinated with gerbils , so I might catch wild mice as an experimaent to study how they live in the wild (ill be keeping them outside) but also how they adapt to captivity and to compare to gerbil behaviour. Any suggestions on how to care for them... I'm going to give them nesting materials and a sort of ready made nest... I'll also give them a shelter so that they wont get scared... As it is almost winter, i will prob be keeping them inside for a bit... I would like to have baby mice (theyre so cute lol ) But mice dont amount to gerbils at anything. I hope they'll dring from a water bottle, but I dont want to make them too tame, maybe I'll keep one baby, give the others away. The parents I'll set free when winter ends.

[amie]

Did you catch the mice yet?

[lydia]

Hi,

I do like the names Fluff and Snuggle,but some of my other fave names are listed below.
Bubble and Squeek
Toffee and Fudge
Chalk and Cheese
Snow and Flake

With regards keeping wild mice,in the U.K. , Dormice used to be a very popular pet,until it was replaced with the Hamster.....

I've not kept wild mice,but the domesticated variety, Mus musculus domesticus make excellent pets.Tame,friendly and sociable.
Some years ago,we were over run with wild house mice in our home.We tried capturing them with a humane trap,that wouldn't kill them,so I could release them somewhere else.

They could not cope with being caught,got so stressed in the so called humane trap.Their coats looked wet and greasy,and they were obviously very stressed,most of them were dead. I actually changed the traps for ones that would kill them,rather than see then suffer.

Which variety of wild mouse do you want to keep ?I wouldn't expect the adults to become tame,but remain jumpy and nervous.To help tame the babies,you would normally start handling them, just before they open their eyes.So they get used to your scent etc.I would expect you to run the risk though,of the parents eating their babies if you disturb their nest and babies.

Good luck,and let us now how you get on,

Lydia

[paws]

I like snow and Flake. Those are cute names. I would like to catch any mouse that I can find. Mice are sooo cute.

[lydia]

I agree about mice being cute,but then as I've got 18 of them,you wouldn't believe me if I said I didn't like them .

What country do you live in ?
If you are in the u.k., there are some suppliers of wild type mice, striped,spiny etc. that you could obtain them from.
I'm not sure our common house mouse is/would cope with being caught.Also, I think it is illegal in this country to capture wild mice of any species to keep as pets.It is definitely illegal to interfere or trap a dormouse,and also some of our other mouse species,(can't remember the species at this time of the morning).
If you are the U.S.A.,depending on which state you live in, will depend on wether you would be breaking the law, by capturing them to keep.

I would do some serious research into different mice species,and see if there is one who will cope with capture and also cope with being caged.

Lydia

[gracie]

i voted for Fluff and Snuggle, cuz it sounds so cute! Paws, there is this field really close to my house and Amie and i have seen weasels or mice or somthin, so the next time u come over we can go there and try to find some. there were tons!! ;D

[Ed]

Hi,

If you did capture wild mice you would need to treat them for internal and external parasites. Also wild mice are one surefire way of introducing Tyzzers disease to your gerbils.

Eddie

[paws]

Yeah... I guess that's true . I'll give up the idea! ;D

[gracie]

maybe you could catch them, study them for an hour or so and then release them again.

[amie]

I voted for fluff and snuggle......they just seem so cuddly

[RitzieAnn]

mine are named after food brands. Keebler (like the elf) and Ritzie (like Ritz crackers)

This is at PetCo.com
www.petco.com/newpet5.asp?webt=0&subtab=5&tab=

It's a pretty cool name generator...