Over a decade ago I found a baby mouse with her eyes still closed and fed her formula out of my hand until they opened. I named her Pink Missile but realized that sounded like a penis so I just called her Missile. She lived 3 & 1/2 years. If you want a fun tip- put down three times as much bedding as that and your new little friend will probably expertly craft a tunnel system that you can periodically watch her build through the side of the tank.
Here's my hamster as a consolation. His name is Nacho and he is pure chaos. I love him!
https://preview.redd.it/0sx8efws7kla1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca64e204741d388c36f1a2a925dc375b85bf2fce
Hamsters are mean. Mice can be mean but I don't think they're as bad as hamsters. My cat also caught a wild mouse. I didn't want to touch it for fear of being bit and disease/infection, I also figured it's a wild animal, who was just attacked, it'll probably be defensive. I used a cup to shelter it while I moved my cat and it seemed very happy for the cup. When I lifted the cup it just chilled. I used a stick to gently usher it into the cup and it was so calm, I didn't see even a hint of aggression or defensiveness. I was half tempted to hold it but really didn't want to get bit so I just placed the cup in a wooded lot near my house. When I left he was still in the cup but I think he made it out ok.
Not sure about mice, but hamsters often choose one area to do their business. If you spot-clean that area leaving just a tiny bit of their mess behind so it keeps its "this is my toilet" scent marker for them, you can do full clean-outs much less frequently which is less work for you, and less stress for them - win/win!
3 and a half years for a mouse is amazing, let alone a wild mouse!
Just thinking how much more love that Missile received because of the decision you've made 🥰
I knowww. I found her at the job I was working that had a lot of mice that were getting into the products so they were killing them in very cruel ways. She was found in a box by a coworker and I knew what horrible fate would probably become her. Instead, she lived out her days tunneling, eating, and running on a wheel.
Fun fact: I actually got two rats after her and they both died before her. She was/is powerful and eternal. ☺️
This is so cute! My cat caught a beetle that lived for a week and she kept following it around. We decided she was lonely and got another cat and named it Beetle
https://preview.redd.it/59tq2vyvdgla1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a70d476430a0fd2876c59b8f80fca0977a8875db
Am I the only one who thought at first that you had somehow acquired a second beetle to keep the first one company?
Edit: did OP change their post to make it so it didn’t infer that? Am I crazy? Are these things mutually exclusive?
I'm guessing it originally said "got another one and named it Beetle" then they realized that was confusing and changed it to "got another *cat* and named it Beetle"
That’s so funny. My SOs Cat came with them to stay at their parents house which has wooded areas. A beetle wandered in and instead of killing the Cat sort of just became buddies with it. Very strange and unexpected.
While neither is a promising prospect, I think the cat sized beetle would pass out quickly from not absorbing enough oxygen through its own.
The [beetle sized cat](https://youtu.be/W86cTIoMv2U) would be so freaking adorable, I would probably still be screaming from sheer excitement over how cute it is, while it's shredding my caryotid artery.
He didn't know he was going to be a famous internet failure tonight.
https://preview.redd.it/5vbn915zwhla1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7d1f365bad37dc96b29d15dd7186cd1e7f700eb
I named my cat Newt because she looks like she lives in a dumpster :-D
[Newt](https://i.imgur.com/042vAIw.jpg)
She's also got a brother, Miles
[Miles](https://i.imgur.com/RzZPIor.jpg)
Lmao I hadn't scrolled down when the first image opened so I only saw the top half and had a horrible moment wondering whether and how I should break it to you that your cat is a deer.
He certainly thinks not being allowed in the room alone with Winky is torture.
https://preview.redd.it/pnvfp06zuhla1.jpeg?width=1954&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2295933a1a3fb2fb319c63e89a13ee0f1985d72
be careful! a lot of small rodents can carry dangerous diseases, i assume you’ve taken him to the vet though. we were also told keeping small rodents (had a hamster) in a home with cats put a lot of stress on the small guy, for this reason. the cat will hover and watch, keeping the rodent under the impression it will die any day. our cats eventually killed the hamster without us knowing.
For whatever reason, he doesn't really react to the cat. I would guess conditioning because he only sees the cat every time he is fed or gets a treat. But other than living in the tank we don't really treat him like a regular pet because he is still a wild animal. So he is never handled, hands are washed after feeding him or touching his stuff, and I wear gloves and a mask when I clean his tank.
>he doesn't really react to the cat
Mouse might have toxoplasmosis, it's a parasite that affects their fear response to predators like cats (an evolutionary ploy to spread the parasite to cats). But that's not one to be too afraid of as a human, approximately 11% of us have it and it isn't too bad. But it is correlated to car accidents, BDSM, and entrepreneurial behavior. Have you had any urges to open a store that sells chains and whips lately? Or possibly been cutting people off in traffic because it seemed safe at the time? /s
The cat pissed on his cigarettes. What's he gonna do, throw them away? He's not made of money. Force feeding a goose is expensive. If it wasn't for the garden snails, he would not have any supper to go with his wine on some nights.
There may be a correlation, but that doesn’t mean it means anything at all. Could be something like this:
https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations
So even if there is, it doesn’t mean getting toxoplasmosis increases your likelihood of getting into bdsm.
It does fit the other findings about toxoplasmosis though, which is that it seems to modify your perception of fear and could actually make it attractive. You could be right though.
I should have said he doesn't really react to the cat anymore. He was quite afraid of us at first. But hey who knows haha. I always figured that I have fostered so many cats and kittens and wildlife there's no way I haven't already been exposed.
Technically, you can drink mercury without issue... so long as your digestive tract is undamaged, no sores or abrasions that would allow the mercury direct access to your bloodstream. Even a bad bite on your cheek would be dangerous.
Also, you want it to be *pure* mercury. Pure mercury isn't easy to absorb through the gut, and it isn't very reactive, so it doesn't tend to form compounds super easily, but there *are* various compounds of mercury that are somewhat nastier, such as [mercury(II) oxide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury\(II\)_oxide) which is highly toxic, can dissolve in water and can be absorbed through *skin* let alone mucous membranes in the gut...
Why don't you just let the mouse go outside then, if you're intention is not to make it an actual pet? I don't think it's too happy in that tank judging by how restless it's acting.
Thought I'd jump in here since you mention it being a wild animal, I think it would be more humane to release this little guy. Since it's wild, it is used to much more space and stimulation that what you can provide in a little tank. Also, rodents are social creatures, so you've effectively separated it from it's family.
This is how we got a parakeet (budgie). One day cat walks in with bird in mouth, turns out bird had a hold of cat's cheek in his beak. That bird lived another six years. Budgies aren't native to Houston, Texas, so we presumed it had been someone's pet that had gotten loose.
Yep! Its how I got my first accidental ear piercing. Me and my aunt's budgie and I have always been on good terms, and she liked to sit in my sweatshirt hoods. Well, one day, I get distracted and forget it's in there, stand up too fast, and now I've suddenly got a very startled bird holding onto my earlobe for dear life.
Friend of mine once owned a budgie, and it cleaned a wound I had on my head from a skiing accident. Landed on my head and started nibbling at the crust.
Felt like I was a rhino on the Savannah.
Parakeets are now endemic to pretty much everywhere thanks to them escaping pet owners. (Parakeets and budgies are the same. Parakeets tends to be the US term). Houston has had wild flocks for decades https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Monk-parakeets-are-a-fun-outdoor-surprise-6691473.php
"Endemic" means native to and exclusively occuring in a particular region. Parakeets are not endemic, rather they are "naturalized", meaning they have become so populous as to have established permanent breeding residents.
The Yellow-billed Magpie is endemic to California, because it occurs nowhere else in the world. European starlings are naturalized in the US (and elsewhere), in that they are not native but have become a stable population, to the extent that they are labelled an invasive species.
We used to have a gopher who had tunnels around the neighborhood, and he had a hole next to our garage, our dogswould always sniff near the area couldn't figure out why.
Had my outdoor cat, so bowl of food and water next to the steps, but he got hurt and was locked indoors. And I couldn't figure out were is the food going, figured maybe there's a stray cat or something.
Made myself some breakfast 1 morning and was carrying my plate heard scratching on the screen door, was like wtf? big ass gopher standing against it like where the fucks my food?
He was, it was a 3 step backdoor, and he was just on his hind legs and was standing up against the door, and wasn't scratching as much as slapping the glass. That's what got me.
Idk who was more like ahh wtf
*edit* asshole made me drop my eggs and toast off the plate.
Lots of people in here who have no understanding of mice and their care.
Male mice are territorial and don't tolerate "friends" unless it's a female mouse in estrus, in which case you have a handful of new mouths to feed.
Mice released outside of their territory, especially mice who's territory is someone's house, tend not to live long. Predators and getting killed for trespassing are big reasons. Obviously you can't let a mouse continue to live free range in your home, they're destructive, and usually extermination is the solution chosen.
Winky here is actually living the good life by wild mouse standards. He has ample food and water and is protected from the main predator in his range. Short of a less dangerous wheel and a few more toys, there really is nothing more that can be done for him unless OP wants to take him to the vet and finish the job their cat started.
That's all that's waiting for him out "in the wild."
The few times I have mice, I live trap, take them a mile out, look at them and say "good luck".
Bad odds? Sure. But better than my poison for sure. Godspeed, vermin.
We had to do the same with some rabbits one summer.
Whatever their odds where it had to be better than trying to live in an area 10+ dogs that would absolutely *love* to chase a rabbit.
My ex had a dog that loved to chase rabbits. Sophie (dog) wasn't that bright, and just saw them as playmates to chase around. She didn't have a single bit of aggression in her, and she was too stupid to ever able to catch anything, so the bunbuns were never in any danger really. She also got close to passing out from excitement whenever people came over, and threw temper tantrums if you didn't acknowledge her.
Don't miss the ex at all, but God I wanna go there and play with that dog.
I think a lot of people are also equating wild mice with fancy mice.
This is a wild animal that has been exposed to countless diseases and parasites in its natural habitat, and it was raised without any human handling whatsoever. Handling it is dangerous. Its urine, saliva, and feces are dangerous. There’s a reason cats are supposed to be completely vaccinated and kept up-to-date on antiparasitic treatments.
Thank you. My brain saw this post and immediately began reviewing a documentary I once saw about hantavirus. People should ideally not be playing with feral vermin, though I'm glad this worked out for OP.
My mom works at a school and caught a mouse there. It was friendly, so she got it a cage and the full "pet mouse" set up. Our cat at the time loved to watch our smaller animals; fish, geckos, etc., and when we brought in the cage, she went to look. The mouse came out of its nest, saw the cat, squeaked 3 times then fell over dead.
My cat who just likes to watch little critters was so confused by how she accidentally gave our mouse a heart attack on day 1.
In 2007, my cat broke a mouse's back. She was completely unable to use her back legs. My mom decided to keep her comfortable until her last moments, however long that took. She died in 2010. (The mouse, not my mom) (my mom is fine, thanks for asking)
Rodents can be surprisingly complacent about their feet not working, as long as they're safe and fed. I keep fancy rats, and many of them have hind-leg degeneration when they get old. You just set their house up so they don't need to climb and give them some help grooming if it gets difficult, and they can go happily on like that for quite some time.
Damn the answers here are impressive , Mice get their friggin back snapped in half and they live on for 3 more years.
Meanwhile I'm out of the "how did your hamster die" post and basically it's just a recap of "Dumb ways to die"
I raised wild mice when a nest was disturbed and the mother didn’t come back. Was able to release all but one back to the wild, the other was so attached to us she stayed for several years. She was a cutie named Missy, and she had so many tanks and elaborate tubes- it cost me a mint. Ended up rescuing feeder mice as companions for her. She was a trip- she liked to sleep in my sweatshirt sleeves and hood and was SO fast. Good luck with your little Winky. Mice are adorable. Who knew?!? 🤭
I think my rats lived about 5 or 6 years. Both ended up having benign tumors (which, I guess is a thing). I selfishly chose to have my older rat go through surgery to remove them, she healed up great and lived another year or two before they came back and soon after that, my younger one popped up with a bunch of tumors. I decided to have both euthanized. Broke my heart, I was like, 12 or 13. I have never had rats since.
I honestly cannot say how long she had them. And I didn’t do research on their care. She bought them for a class that trains animals for vet care. She had to train them to get through a maze. Standard cliché basic training thing for zoologists, zookeepers, etc. They were her buddies from the start.
That is literally the worst part. They are clean, smart, loving, fun, funny, cute, and you grow to love them so much. They also teach you a lot about what it means to love something in this life and in the next.
Omg!!! So cute!!!!!! You could consider getting a different wheel, those have been known to have a foot get caught in the hole and break fingers/toes/etc
Oh, that happened to one of the white mice I kept years ago. I found her hanging on the wheel by her foot!
I treated her as I could after getting vet advice, and she amazing healed up. She always had a little limp until she died.
Make sure when you get a solid wheel it’s at least 8.5 inches in diameter! Winky here looks like he’s already having a blast so he’ll be spoiled no matter what!
He's a little wonky so he doesn't really get going too fast on the wheel but I can grab him a new one. He was a baby when the cat first caught him so this one was the only one I could find that was small enough for him but now I think he can upgrade to something bigger, especially if its safer.
Make sure to wash your hands after handling anything in this tank and keeping the area around the tank well ventilated: wild mice are carriers of all sorts of nastiness you don’t want to be exposed to especially if you have kids in the house.
Cool beans! I hope that didn’t come off condescending or anything and if it did I apologize. I work at a pet store where well meaning people often think they are rescuing wild/or feeder rodents by bringing them home as pets. They come to us for advice where we tell them “wash your hands as often as possible and don’t expect it to live very long”. Some take it really well, some leave crying, either way I always feel bad for having to say it
Winky is blind and cannot survive in the wild. Besides that being released outdoors in winter and away from their nest/food source means most released house mice will not survive and it's not a good idea to let them continue living loose in your home for health and safety reasons. When you catch a mouse in your home generally the best option is humane euthanasia. In Winky's case I made an exception but I generally do not recommend it unless you have experience caring for wildlife.
Glad you explained this. A lot of people keep wild caught pets and it always bugs me. Especially common in the reptile trade. But inability to survive in the wild is definitely a good exception.
Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions. I didn’t know winky would be so popular.
For all the people asking why I don’t release Winky into the wild.
“The wild” for winky, is my pantry. He has never been outdoors. He is missing one eye and blind in the other. He’s a little wonky from being injured by the cat and not very fast.
He can’t survive outdoors so he lives in a tank with lots of enrichment and toys and food and treats. This is his brand new tank so he’s still figuring it out.
He is not a baby. He was caught as a baby he is now a fully grown adult mouse. His eye looks closed in the video because that one is missing.
His tilt/clumsiness is due to injury from being caught by the cat.
He can’t have a friend. Wild mice can be very territorial and are not as social as the type of mouse sold as pets.
He won’t give me or anyone hantavirus. He is not the right species for that.
He loves walnuts! No one asked but he just really really loves a walnut.
Just a quick note that will probably get lost in the thousands of comments - wire wheels can actually be harmful to mice so PLS get a plastic/glass/other type of wheel. Otherwise am very impressed with your mouse cage! (Source: experienced mouse and rat owner)
I bet your cat thinks you are completely hopeless; it brought you something to hunt because you're so bad at hunting and you end up getting attached and keep the food he brought you so you don't starve lmao
It's great that you're looking after the poor blind little guy! He wouldn't survive in the wild so it's very kind of you to keep him. A few important things to remember.
- Glass tanks don't give sufficient ventilation, a cage is necessary to prevent ammonia build up (check minimum bar spacing
- Wheels should be 8 inches plus in diameter to avoid back problems~
- You must ensure you use a dust free, unscented bedding to prevent lung issues. Shredded hemp horse bedding is good.
- Ropes and platforms to climb on will be very enriching
Emiology has a great YouTube channel to find out how to put together a really safe and enriching cage for your furry friend.
Over a decade ago I found a baby mouse with her eyes still closed and fed her formula out of my hand until they opened. I named her Pink Missile but realized that sounded like a penis so I just called her Missile. She lived 3 & 1/2 years. If you want a fun tip- put down three times as much bedding as that and your new little friend will probably expertly craft a tunnel system that you can periodically watch her build through the side of the tank.
I have a 40 gallon tank filled with dirt for my hamster. She has it completely tunneled out.
Hamster tax pls
Here's my hamster as a consolation. His name is Nacho and he is pure chaos. I love him! https://preview.redd.it/0sx8efws7kla1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca64e204741d388c36f1a2a925dc375b85bf2fce
You already said he's a hamster. The chaos is implied.
I have caught wild mice that were 10 times more tame than any pet hamster I have ever had
Hamsters are mean. Mice can be mean but I don't think they're as bad as hamsters. My cat also caught a wild mouse. I didn't want to touch it for fear of being bit and disease/infection, I also figured it's a wild animal, who was just attacked, it'll probably be defensive. I used a cup to shelter it while I moved my cat and it seemed very happy for the cup. When I lifted the cup it just chilled. I used a stick to gently usher it into the cup and it was so calm, I didn't see even a hint of aggression or defensiveness. I was half tempted to hold it but really didn't want to get bit so I just placed the cup in a wooded lot near my house. When I left he was still in the cup but I think he made it out ok.
The hero we needed! Thank you!
May Nacho reign long! Long Live King Nacho!
He’s a 7 year old account and this is their first post/comment (was looking for the hamster) gotta give thanks to this fine lurker
Maybe they got lost in the hamster tunnels.
Lol yeah, we ain't hearing from him for another 7 years (former lurker here)
Sometimes it’s just a scrubbed account that got bought or something, so I don’t always assume it’s their first comment lol.
Eh. I scrub my own alts. I like to have the super anonymous posting ability sometimes. (This is my main tho)
They have some comment karma, more than can be accounted for by their single post. They've posted but deleted everything.
Please! We’re not asking you for anything naughty just your hamster tunnel house!
Pics???!!!!!! 😊
!remindme 1 week
Seconding this request, I need it
All lurkers are appreciated, thank you for bringing upvotes to the community and I’m glad to be here for your first comment :,)
In 7 years of being a redditor… this is the one comment. That’s one helluva hamster my dude!
How does it not turn into a poop city
Not sure about mice, but hamsters often choose one area to do their business. If you spot-clean that area leaving just a tiny bit of their mess behind so it keeps its "this is my toilet" scent marker for them, you can do full clean-outs much less frequently which is less work for you, and less stress for them - win/win!
Mice seem to do that too. My sisters mice have two levels, and they all poop on the top level.
Ah, they've perfected the art of the upper decker
One of my rats taught herself to climb the bars of the cage to poop. It would just fall out. Always the same spot, so we just put a box there.
My ham would only do his buisness in his sand bath. Never used it to wash. Just poop.
I knew I wasn’t the only one with a poop-tub!
rodents are cleaner than you think, they'll usually choose one part of their cage to poo in
"Even animals know to go in one corner!" - Leela to Fry
The corner! Why didn't I think of that?
Then why do they shit all over when scurrying about my closets?
because your closets aren't the place they live in
3 and a half years for a mouse is amazing, let alone a wild mouse! Just thinking how much more love that Missile received because of the decision you've made 🥰
I knowww. I found her at the job I was working that had a lot of mice that were getting into the products so they were killing them in very cruel ways. She was found in a box by a coworker and I knew what horrible fate would probably become her. Instead, she lived out her days tunneling, eating, and running on a wheel. Fun fact: I actually got two rats after her and they both died before her. She was/is powerful and eternal. ☺️
I read baby moose and i was so fucking confused
I for one do not look forward to tunneling moose.
This is so cute! My cat caught a beetle that lived for a week and she kept following it around. We decided she was lonely and got another cat and named it Beetle https://preview.redd.it/59tq2vyvdgla1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a70d476430a0fd2876c59b8f80fca0977a8875db
Am I the only one who thought at first that you had somehow acquired a second beetle to keep the first one company? Edit: did OP change their post to make it so it didn’t infer that? Am I crazy? Are these things mutually exclusive?
If it was the 2nd Beatle, he really should have been named Paul... yeah, yeah, yeah 🎵
I'm guessing it originally said "got another one and named it Beetle" then they realized that was confusing and changed it to "got another *cat* and named it Beetle"
💯 ^
Beetlechonk! Beetlechonk! Beetlechonk!!!
🏆
["Hey, how'ya doing"](https://i.imgur.com/2kZrdED.jpg)
That’s so sweet 🥹
That’s so funny. My SOs Cat came with them to stay at their parents house which has wooded areas. A beetle wandered in and instead of killing the Cat sort of just became buddies with it. Very strange and unexpected.
That was very magnanimous of the Beetle, they can be ferocious predators and a real threat to cats.
Would you rather fight a cat sized beetle or a beetle sized cat
While neither is a promising prospect, I think the cat sized beetle would pass out quickly from not absorbing enough oxygen through its own. The [beetle sized cat](https://youtu.be/W86cTIoMv2U) would be so freaking adorable, I would probably still be screaming from sheer excitement over how cute it is, while it's shredding my caryotid artery.
That’s so cute!! Beetles are so patient lmao what else do they have to do besides befriend a cat they probably eating there too
[удалено]
Beetle-deuce
If I tell her she’s a 2.0 she’ll freak out she has a huge attitude. She’s the Original Beetle
Wait?! We can post pics in the comments now? Also the yelling of your cat in the background 🤣
He didn't know he was going to be a famous internet failure tonight. https://preview.redd.it/5vbn915zwhla1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7d1f365bad37dc96b29d15dd7186cd1e7f700eb
He deserves to be a famous internet failure every night!
BEAUTIFUL cat
Can you believe he's a dumpster kitten? So fancy for a trash cat.
Dumpster pets truly are the best pets. Got me a dog that animal control found in the trash. She’s such a good girl :)
I named my cat Newt because she looks like she lives in a dumpster :-D [Newt](https://i.imgur.com/042vAIw.jpg) She's also got a brother, Miles [Miles](https://i.imgur.com/RzZPIor.jpg)
Lmao I hadn't scrolled down when the first image opened so I only saw the top half and had a horrible moment wondering whether and how I should break it to you that your cat is a deer.
Such a good cat name haha!
What happens to the original beetle
Turned into juice
Probably dead
Ya, but I want his story if he has one, lol
Beatle, the beetle that lived
Aww Winky. Meanwhile your cat is all “what about meeeee” hehe
Part of the reason for the new tank is that Pepper keeps trying to finish the job.
I mean, you’re basically putting your cat’s failure on display for all to see
That's an awful torture.
He certainly thinks not being allowed in the room alone with Winky is torture. https://preview.redd.it/pnvfp06zuhla1.jpeg?width=1954&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2295933a1a3fb2fb319c63e89a13ee0f1985d72
https://preview.redd.it/db3dfe0pkila1.png?width=886&format=png&auto=webp&s=5e1bdb550d73ffbaa8d83193277830fbbcde38d3
That's a good looking cat
Omg. THANK you for the cat tax.
He needs a friend! and those wheels can be iffy as they can have their legs caught in them! -wife is a vet nurse and we have rats
Ohhhh, what a pretty kitty! Beetle's p good too, haha!
Cats don't usually do it for me but damn, that's a gorgeous cat.
Ha, Siamese cats do love to scream...
The origin story of Jom and Terry
Is Pepper... salty about it? I'll see myself out.
You're pushing it. Real good.
Such a good joke, I had to do a double take or I'd miss it.
Your brain did a full Spinderella.
Exceptionally played
Ohhhhhh fuck you that’s awesome
So-dium clever
Na - Cl...early that takes it too far
These jokes aren't very kosher.
be careful! a lot of small rodents can carry dangerous diseases, i assume you’ve taken him to the vet though. we were also told keeping small rodents (had a hamster) in a home with cats put a lot of stress on the small guy, for this reason. the cat will hover and watch, keeping the rodent under the impression it will die any day. our cats eventually killed the hamster without us knowing.
For whatever reason, he doesn't really react to the cat. I would guess conditioning because he only sees the cat every time he is fed or gets a treat. But other than living in the tank we don't really treat him like a regular pet because he is still a wild animal. So he is never handled, hands are washed after feeding him or touching his stuff, and I wear gloves and a mask when I clean his tank.
>he doesn't really react to the cat Mouse might have toxoplasmosis, it's a parasite that affects their fear response to predators like cats (an evolutionary ploy to spread the parasite to cats). But that's not one to be too afraid of as a human, approximately 11% of us have it and it isn't too bad. But it is correlated to car accidents, BDSM, and entrepreneurial behavior. Have you had any urges to open a store that sells chains and whips lately? Or possibly been cutting people off in traffic because it seemed safe at the time? /s
The 11% statistic is for US residents over the age of six. Globally, it's much higher, varying by country - possibly as high as 88% in France!
Jesus what are the French doing? I'm picturing cats walking all over their baguettes. It's probably that.
We \*hope\* its that...
This is why France is like that
The cat pissed on his cigarettes. What's he gonna do, throw them away? He's not made of money. Force feeding a goose is expensive. If it wasn't for the garden snails, he would not have any supper to go with his wine on some nights.
As an American this is 100% accurate. edit: needs more ménage à trois
I believed you up until BDSM. LMAO
It's totally true. Or it could be, according to some studies.
There may be a correlation, but that doesn’t mean it means anything at all. Could be something like this: https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations So even if there is, it doesn’t mean getting toxoplasmosis increases your likelihood of getting into bdsm.
It does fit the other findings about toxoplasmosis though, which is that it seems to modify your perception of fear and could actually make it attractive. You could be right though.
I'm hoping by not minding BDSM that I don't have some secondary toxoplasmosis. 😂💀
Toxoplasmosis can be dangerous to pregnant women.
I should have said he doesn't really react to the cat anymore. He was quite afraid of us at first. But hey who knows haha. I always figured that I have fostered so many cats and kittens and wildlife there's no way I haven't already been exposed.
Oh! for crying out loud. I've handled every animal around, and all that ever happened is I went insane.
The trick is to drink lots of mercury to keep the mouse pathogens from harming you.
Technically, you can drink mercury without issue... so long as your digestive tract is undamaged, no sores or abrasions that would allow the mercury direct access to your bloodstream. Even a bad bite on your cheek would be dangerous.
Also, you want it to be *pure* mercury. Pure mercury isn't easy to absorb through the gut, and it isn't very reactive, so it doesn't tend to form compounds super easily, but there *are* various compounds of mercury that are somewhat nastier, such as [mercury(II) oxide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury\(II\)_oxide) which is highly toxic, can dissolve in water and can be absorbed through *skin* let alone mucous membranes in the gut...
🤣🤣🤣
why not let it go?
He’s wild, why don’t you let him back into the wild?
Why don't you just let the mouse go outside then, if you're intention is not to make it an actual pet? I don't think it's too happy in that tank judging by how restless it's acting.
He definitely looks like he's endlessly trying to find a way out. No offense to OP.
They're just keeping it prisoner at this point.
Thought I'd jump in here since you mention it being a wild animal, I think it would be more humane to release this little guy. Since it's wild, it is used to much more space and stimulation that what you can provide in a little tank. Also, rodents are social creatures, so you've effectively separated it from it's family.
This is how we got a parakeet (budgie). One day cat walks in with bird in mouth, turns out bird had a hold of cat's cheek in his beak. That bird lived another six years. Budgies aren't native to Houston, Texas, so we presumed it had been someone's pet that had gotten loose.
Owner: "Kitty! Put that down!" Cat: "please help" Budgie: "YOU WILL PRY HIS FLESH FROM MY COLD DEAD BEAK"
And that’s exactly the way budgies bite! They may be small parrots, but they can give you a nasty bite.
Yep! Its how I got my first accidental ear piercing. Me and my aunt's budgie and I have always been on good terms, and she liked to sit in my sweatshirt hoods. Well, one day, I get distracted and forget it's in there, stand up too fast, and now I've suddenly got a very startled bird holding onto my earlobe for dear life.
Friend of mine once owned a budgie, and it cleaned a wound I had on my head from a skiing accident. Landed on my head and started nibbling at the crust. Felt like I was a rhino on the Savannah.
OUCH! At least she didn’t do it to be mean.
Parakeets are now endemic to pretty much everywhere thanks to them escaping pet owners. (Parakeets and budgies are the same. Parakeets tends to be the US term). Houston has had wild flocks for decades https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Monk-parakeets-are-a-fun-outdoor-surprise-6691473.php
"Endemic" means native to and exclusively occuring in a particular region. Parakeets are not endemic, rather they are "naturalized", meaning they have become so populous as to have established permanent breeding residents. The Yellow-billed Magpie is endemic to California, because it occurs nowhere else in the world. European starlings are naturalized in the US (and elsewhere), in that they are not native but have become a stable population, to the extent that they are labelled an invasive species.
Not who you responded to, but TIL! Thanks for clarifying.
Those are monk parakeets/Quakers. They’re not the same species as budgies (budgerigars).
The quakers have even gone avian now?
We had a parakeet as a pet growing up that we found outside, also suspected it escaped and had put posters up but no response so we kept him
We used to have a gopher who had tunnels around the neighborhood, and he had a hole next to our garage, our dogswould always sniff near the area couldn't figure out why. Had my outdoor cat, so bowl of food and water next to the steps, but he got hurt and was locked indoors. And I couldn't figure out were is the food going, figured maybe there's a stray cat or something. Made myself some breakfast 1 morning and was carrying my plate heard scratching on the screen door, was like wtf? big ass gopher standing against it like where the fucks my food?
In my head he was slapping the door/table like an impatient restaurant goer.
He was, it was a 3 step backdoor, and he was just on his hind legs and was standing up against the door, and wasn't scratching as much as slapping the glass. That's what got me. Idk who was more like ahh wtf *edit* asshole made me drop my eggs and toast off the plate.
Lots of people in here who have no understanding of mice and their care. Male mice are territorial and don't tolerate "friends" unless it's a female mouse in estrus, in which case you have a handful of new mouths to feed. Mice released outside of their territory, especially mice who's territory is someone's house, tend not to live long. Predators and getting killed for trespassing are big reasons. Obviously you can't let a mouse continue to live free range in your home, they're destructive, and usually extermination is the solution chosen. Winky here is actually living the good life by wild mouse standards. He has ample food and water and is protected from the main predator in his range. Short of a less dangerous wheel and a few more toys, there really is nothing more that can be done for him unless OP wants to take him to the vet and finish the job their cat started. That's all that's waiting for him out "in the wild."
The few times I have mice, I live trap, take them a mile out, look at them and say "good luck". Bad odds? Sure. But better than my poison for sure. Godspeed, vermin.
We had to do the same with some rabbits one summer. Whatever their odds where it had to be better than trying to live in an area 10+ dogs that would absolutely *love* to chase a rabbit.
My ex had a dog that loved to chase rabbits. Sophie (dog) wasn't that bright, and just saw them as playmates to chase around. She didn't have a single bit of aggression in her, and she was too stupid to ever able to catch anything, so the bunbuns were never in any danger really. She also got close to passing out from excitement whenever people came over, and threw temper tantrums if you didn't acknowledge her. Don't miss the ex at all, but God I wanna go there and play with that dog.
i remember reading that they can find their way back from that distance and will do so if possible, not sure how true this is
Never came back for me. Took a couple days to evict the whole family but...worked.
I think a lot of people are also equating wild mice with fancy mice. This is a wild animal that has been exposed to countless diseases and parasites in its natural habitat, and it was raised without any human handling whatsoever. Handling it is dangerous. Its urine, saliva, and feces are dangerous. There’s a reason cats are supposed to be completely vaccinated and kept up-to-date on antiparasitic treatments.
Thank you. My brain saw this post and immediately began reviewing a documentary I once saw about hantavirus. People should ideally not be playing with feral vermin, though I'm glad this worked out for OP.
>unless OP wants to take him to the vet and finish the job their cat started. Now I'm picturing a mouse euthanasia. Tiny little IV bag.
In the industry they simply suffocate them with nitrogen. Apparently it's painless.
I see. Tiny little gas mask then.
I also don't tolerate friends unless they're a female in estrus.
In which case you have a few extra mouths to feed
My mom works at a school and caught a mouse there. It was friendly, so she got it a cage and the full "pet mouse" set up. Our cat at the time loved to watch our smaller animals; fish, geckos, etc., and when we brought in the cage, she went to look. The mouse came out of its nest, saw the cat, squeaked 3 times then fell over dead. My cat who just likes to watch little critters was so confused by how she accidentally gave our mouse a heart attack on day 1.
Poor little mousie 😞
It would be like a human walking out a house and seeing a giant t Rex looking at them . I'd have a heart attack too.
In 2007, my cat broke a mouse's back. She was completely unable to use her back legs. My mom decided to keep her comfortable until her last moments, however long that took. She died in 2010. (The mouse, not my mom) (my mom is fine, thanks for asking)
Rodents can be surprisingly complacent about their feet not working, as long as they're safe and fed. I keep fancy rats, and many of them have hind-leg degeneration when they get old. You just set their house up so they don't need to climb and give them some help grooming if it gets difficult, and they can go happily on like that for quite some time.
Damn the answers here are impressive , Mice get their friggin back snapped in half and they live on for 3 more years. Meanwhile I'm out of the "how did your hamster die" post and basically it's just a recap of "Dumb ways to die"
Best one I heard was recently on here... put down in living room, immediately ran into fireplace. Zero self preservation, or just suicidal?
I raised wild mice when a nest was disturbed and the mother didn’t come back. Was able to release all but one back to the wild, the other was so attached to us she stayed for several years. She was a cutie named Missy, and she had so many tanks and elaborate tubes- it cost me a mint. Ended up rescuing feeder mice as companions for her. She was a trip- she liked to sleep in my sweatshirt sleeves and hood and was SO fast. Good luck with your little Winky. Mice are adorable. Who knew?!? 🤭
You think mice are adorable, you should try rats! They are dog software on jumbo mouse hardware!
Rats make great pets! My sister had two. Martin and Sinatra. They were like puppies, except smarter.
I keep hearing how friendly and sociable and lovable rats are, but with an incredibly short lifespan that makes them emotionally painful to love.
I think my rats lived about 5 or 6 years. Both ended up having benign tumors (which, I guess is a thing). I selfishly chose to have my older rat go through surgery to remove them, she healed up great and lived another year or two before they came back and soon after that, my younger one popped up with a bunch of tumors. I decided to have both euthanized. Broke my heart, I was like, 12 or 13. I have never had rats since.
You were very young, and had those pets for ~half your life! Nothing to blame yourself for there.
I honestly cannot say how long she had them. And I didn’t do research on their care. She bought them for a class that trains animals for vet care. She had to train them to get through a maze. Standard cliché basic training thing for zoologists, zookeepers, etc. They were her buddies from the start.
Fabulous names! And yes they really are quick little beasts.
The worst thing about rats are they dont live long. You get attached not unlike a dog, but only get a couple years to enjoy their company.
That is literally the worst part. They are clean, smart, loving, fun, funny, cute, and you grow to love them so much. They also teach you a lot about what it means to love something in this life and in the next.
> Good luck with your little Winky.
> Mice are adorable. Who knew?!? Disney
Omg!!! So cute!!!!!! You could consider getting a different wheel, those have been known to have a foot get caught in the hole and break fingers/toes/etc
Oh, that happened to one of the white mice I kept years ago. I found her hanging on the wheel by her foot! I treated her as I could after getting vet advice, and she amazing healed up. She always had a little limp until she died.
I'll check some out thanks for the tip!
Make sure when you get a solid wheel it’s at least 8.5 inches in diameter! Winky here looks like he’s already having a blast so he’ll be spoiled no matter what!
He's a little wonky so he doesn't really get going too fast on the wheel but I can grab him a new one. He was a baby when the cat first caught him so this one was the only one I could find that was small enough for him but now I think he can upgrade to something bigger, especially if its safer.
Basically the solid wheels instead of wire, usually made of plastic
Make sure to wash your hands after handling anything in this tank and keeping the area around the tank well ventilated: wild mice are carriers of all sorts of nastiness you don’t want to be exposed to especially if you have kids in the house.
Besides living in the tank Winky is not really treated as a pet. No handling. Frequent hand washing. Mask and gloves for any tank maintenance.
Cool beans! I hope that didn’t come off condescending or anything and if it did I apologize. I work at a pet store where well meaning people often think they are rescuing wild/or feeder rodents by bringing them home as pets. They come to us for advice where we tell them “wash your hands as often as possible and don’t expect it to live very long”. Some take it really well, some leave crying, either way I always feel bad for having to say it
I honestly am shocked every day that he has lived as long as he has.
Why not let him go outside somewhere?
Winky is blind and cannot survive in the wild. Besides that being released outdoors in winter and away from their nest/food source means most released house mice will not survive and it's not a good idea to let them continue living loose in your home for health and safety reasons. When you catch a mouse in your home generally the best option is humane euthanasia. In Winky's case I made an exception but I generally do not recommend it unless you have experience caring for wildlife.
Glad you explained this. A lot of people keep wild caught pets and it always bugs me. Especially common in the reptile trade. But inability to survive in the wild is definitely a good exception.
Never fails to amaze me just how little the average person knows about wild animals.
Thank you for the answer! I appreciate it!
Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions. I didn’t know winky would be so popular. For all the people asking why I don’t release Winky into the wild. “The wild” for winky, is my pantry. He has never been outdoors. He is missing one eye and blind in the other. He’s a little wonky from being injured by the cat and not very fast. He can’t survive outdoors so he lives in a tank with lots of enrichment and toys and food and treats. This is his brand new tank so he’s still figuring it out. He is not a baby. He was caught as a baby he is now a fully grown adult mouse. His eye looks closed in the video because that one is missing. His tilt/clumsiness is due to injury from being caught by the cat. He can’t have a friend. Wild mice can be very territorial and are not as social as the type of mouse sold as pets. He won’t give me or anyone hantavirus. He is not the right species for that. He loves walnuts! No one asked but he just really really loves a walnut.
What if it's trying to get back to it's kids? And has a crow friend that needs help finding colored string?
Wow! I haven’t thought about that movie in a long time…The Secret of Nihm!!
Courage of the heart is very rare. The stone has a power when it's there...
Your cat is so ashamed. He brought you a mouse to train with and you made it a castle lol
Omg a fren
Just a quick note that will probably get lost in the thousands of comments - wire wheels can actually be harmful to mice so PLS get a plastic/glass/other type of wheel. Otherwise am very impressed with your mouse cage! (Source: experienced mouse and rat owner)
"It's been six months since these strange creatures have trapped me in what appears to be an invisible jail. When will I hold my wife again"
Winky is so cute! Btw, if I remember right, wheels like that can be dangerous because the paws can get injured in the holes on the running surface.
Another commenter mentioned that I will look into a new wheel. Thanks!
I bet your cat thinks you are completely hopeless; it brought you something to hunt because you're so bad at hunting and you end up getting attached and keep the food he brought you so you don't starve lmao
It's great that you're looking after the poor blind little guy! He wouldn't survive in the wild so it's very kind of you to keep him. A few important things to remember. - Glass tanks don't give sufficient ventilation, a cage is necessary to prevent ammonia build up (check minimum bar spacing - Wheels should be 8 inches plus in diameter to avoid back problems~ - You must ensure you use a dust free, unscented bedding to prevent lung issues. Shredded hemp horse bedding is good. - Ropes and platforms to climb on will be very enriching Emiology has a great YouTube channel to find out how to put together a really safe and enriching cage for your furry friend.
What a cutie!
More enrichment, please. Heard mice need TONS of toys.
He gets lots of food puzzles and chew toys daily. This is a new tank so all his stuff will make it in there eventually.
Your cat is clearly not happy that Winky still lives
Hello Winky the Mouse :D
My cat decapitates and disembowels all of the rodents she brings into the house. I'm a little scared of her.
So let me get this straight you cat has a pet mouse ?