Is this true about feeder mice?

[icygirl]

I want to know from you guys, if there is any truth to the idea that if you separate a mouse from its tankmates for ONE DAY, and then put it back, that the other mice will kill it when it is re-introduced?


Here is my story.... Rant coming...

Yesterday I went to a LPS that I don't normally go to to buy a mouse, and I made sure to get the receipt because I figured Luke might chicken out. And last night Luke refused the mouse... so today I went back to return it. (Luke is a very very VERY picky ball python, all my other guys happily eat frozen, but Luke will only accept live, and he doesn't always eat either. I don't have a permanent mouse enclosure, so I have to play the pet store dance for him.)

But they refused to give me my money back! The man working, who I think was the owner, told me that he would not take the mouse back, because it's been "traumatized from being in with a snake" and that he would take it back and "rescue it" but that he would not give me my money back. Now as I said I don't have permanent housing for mice, so I said that I would give it to him. The girl takes my kritter keeper and goes into the back room of the store - I ask what are you doing? - she says that the mouse has been away for awhile so if she puts it back with the others, they will kill it. So she proceeds to waste 10 min of my time while she sets up a 10-gallon tank for the ONE mouse...

Whaaat? I have been returning mice all the time to the pet store I normally go to back at school, and they have NEVER had a problem with returning mice or putting it back where it came from with the others. Nor do they have any sort of "mouse trauma" or hostility problems among their mice that I am aware of.

Now please note I always care for my feeders in the mean time - give them food, hiding places, clean paper towels, etc. I am not a torturer of mice! Yet that's how I was treated at the store, and I was getting a ton of funny looks. Grrr... well that's the last time I go to that pet store. *rant over*

[singingtothewheat]

I get this guys point somewhat. Feeders are tricky. I don't know of any feeder breeder that has a policy saying you can return it if your snake doesn't eat. Are we talking about ONE mouse?

[icygirl]

I get this guys point somewhat. Feeders are tricky. I don't know of any feeder breeder that has a policy saying you can return it if your snake doesn't eat. Are we talking about ONE mouse?

Yes, ONE mouse and ONE day away from the store...

[SquamishSerpents]

personally, i would NOT be happy buying mice from a pet store that allows you to take it home, attempt to feed it to your snake (which in turn stresses the mouse out beyond belief) and then bring it back. who KNOWS what the mouse could have gotten into during that time.

what if someone didn't *actually* try to feed it to a snake, but bought it as a pet for their kid, and then it escaped, and then got into some rat poison? then was recaptured and returned. there's is a very tiny miniscule slim chance that it could be resold to someone as snake food, and then their snake ingests a mouse with rat poison in it.

i know i know, it's farfetched, but really. i like knowing where my food comes from, don't you want to know where your snakes food comes from? i just think it's a bit sketchy.

and yes, there is always the possibility that the colony of mice would kill the mouse you brought back, so i don't think she was "wasting your time" by setting up a 10 gallon for it.

if your snake is that picky, i would surely invest in housing for feeders that don't get eaten right away.

[icygirl]

if your snake is that picky, i would surely invest in housing for feeders that don't get eaten right away.

That's my main problem I am running into with this guy. It's a shame because he is my nicest morph. I bought him assuming I could convert to frozen since he was pretty young, but no luck. I had breeding plans for him but now I don't know what I'm going to do. I never wanted to keep mice so I am kind of in a pickle.

Edit: Oh and the other problem I was thinking of, is that if I got permanent feeder housing, wouldn't I always need to keep at least 2 in there. I am under the impression that mice get depressed and/or sick if they are kept by themselves for prolonged periods. Plus, then if it's true that mice sometimes kill new tankmates (or reintroduced tankmates), then wouldn't I just be perpetuating the problem?

[SquamishSerpents]

i don't think the part about them getting depressed or sick is true. in my experience if you keep 2 mice in the same cage they will either breed like freakin' crazy if they're male + female, or once they hit maturity if they're female + female or male + male, they will fight. usually to the death. so no, i don't think having just 1 mouse would be harmful.

i feel your pain though, about not being able to switch to f/t. i have a female pastel who will only eat lice, and only about 25% of the time. i was hoping she'd be ready for breeding by next year but at this rate, i seriously doubt it.

[Raptor]

i don't think the part about them getting depressed or sick is true. in my experience if you keep 2 mice in the same cage they will either breed like freakin' crazy if they're male + female, or once they hit maturity if they're female + female or male + male, they will fight. usually to the death. so no, i don't think having just 1 mouse would be harmful.

I have two tanks, one is full of about 6 females, the other about 5 males. There's no fighting. They all hang out and sleep together, no fighting. I also put mice in with each other without any problem. I pull everyone out, clean the tank put in food/water, put the new additions first, let them wander around in the tank for a bit, before putting in the old crew. There's mild squabbles, but in about an hour, everyone gets along.

[singingtothewheat]

I breed out my own mice and rats. It's just easier, it is much less expensive and I know that the product is fed something decent, is in clean living conditions and doesn't look sick. Half the time I would look at the mice in the pet store and wonder if I even wanted to bring em home. They didn't look good. I would start with a colony of 1 male and 3 females. You can get food at this place for a fairly good price.
http://www.theratshop.com/shop/produ...&products_id=6

I have a local guy now that will be getting me my feed for slightly less. I do not sub out cheaper stuff at this point because I have swiss websters and they are baby making machines that I think really need a decent diet.

You can get a big thing of chip litter at a feed store for like 9 bucks, and I do mean BIG. Aquariums are fine for this. Lots better for breeding feeders than for the snakes as far as I'm concerned.

You can add vanilla (I'm told imitation vanilla also works) to the water and it will greatly decrease the smell.
You can also go with African Soft Fur Rats. They are Less smelly but certainly not odor free. The down side to African Soft furs are that they can be EVIL INCARNATE and will come at you. Some folks have also reported that their snakes won't eat other feeders once they get on A.S.F.'s.
The good points are:
They generally have larger litters. All mine have been great parent and the mom's will baby sit and feed each others kids.
When you have a problem snake as far as eating, A.S.F.'s can be hunger strike breakers.

Hope maybe this helped. Maybe you could find an A.S.F. breeder near you and try those, or mice, whatever.

[Raptor]

Everyone says that male mice smell. I've honestly never had this problem, even from the tank that's nothing but males.

[SquamishSerpents]

my roommate "saved" a male mouse and kept it as her pet. and let me tell you, that mouse stunk to HIGH heavens!!! she even had it in the BASEMENT and we could smell it all the way upstairs, even after she had just cleaned the tank.

so i, personally, think mice stink.