Uneaten Mouse

Just like the title; what to do with the mouse?

The mouse is still in his tub, but I opened the tub this afternoon to find him in shed and he doesn't usually eat when in shed.

I'm assuming you're talking about a live mouse? If so, you don't want to leave it in the tub with the snake. If the snake wanted to eat, it would have done so by now. If left alone, the mouse could chew on the snake.

Your options for dealing with an uneaten live rodent...

1. Take it out and set it up in its own enclosure with fresh food and water and try to feed it off the following week

2. See if the pet store you bought it from will accept it back again (some will accept them back in exchange for store credit...many will not)

3. Euthanize the rodent yourself and then either freeze it for a future feeding...or dispose of it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JLC

I'm assuming you're talking about a live mouse? If so, you don't want to leave it in the tub with the snake. If the snake wanted to eat, it would have done so by now. If left alone, the mouse could chew on the snake.

Your options for dealing with an uneaten live rodent...

1. Take it out and set it up in its own enclosure with fresh food and water and try to feed it off the following week

2. See if the pet store you bought it from will accept it back again (some will accept them back in exchange for store credit...many will not)

3. Euthanize the rodent yourself and then either freeze it for a future feeding...or dispose of it

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1. My dad hates mice

2. They're closed in 10 minutes and we live 20 minutes away.

3. How? I don't think I have the heart to kill it.

Which option is best?? Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abuja

1. My dad hates mice

2. They're closed in 10 minutes and we live 20 minutes away.

3. How? I don't think I have the heart to kill it.

Which option is best?? Thanks.

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i would just give it food and water and try again next week. but if your dad hates them...... you could either try taking it back tomorro, or taking it far from your home and setting it free

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abuja

1. My dad hates mice

2. They're closed in 10 minutes and we live 20 minutes away.

3. How? I don't think I have the heart to kill it.

Which option is best?? Thanks.

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I've never been able to bring myself to kill anything either. (Unless it's a bug in my house that doesn't belong there. :rolleyes: ) So I'm not much help in suggesting ways to do that.

Since you can't get it back to the store today...and if you can't kill it...then your only acceptable option is to set it up in its own enclosure. Do you have a small tank or cage it can use? A water bottle? Some bedding? These are all things you need....but you can improvise in a pinch until tomorrow if you need to. A bowl of water..some shredded paper...dried cereal and a carrot or something to eat...and a secure box that it can't jump or chew out of.

If your dad hates mice...then just set it up where he won't have to see it. And then make plans for getting it back to the store tomorrow...or setting up a more permanent enclosure for it.

When I fed live, I always had mouse and rat enclosures set up and ready to go for any refused meal. It's something anyone who feeds live needs to be ready to deal with.

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Originally Posted by stealthk7gsxr

..., or taking it far from your home and setting it free

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Setting it free is not an acceptable option. Of course, I know people are going to do whatever they want...but BP.net does not condone such actions in any way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JLC

Setting it free is not an acceptable option. Of course, I know people are going to do whatever they want...but BP.net does not condone such actions in any way.

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may i ask why not?

I have a little mouse that was "supposed" to be food that is set up in a 10 gal tank with a wheel water bottle food bowl and a little box to hide in we have had him for about 3-4 months and I cant bring myself to use him as a feeder now LOL!! Plus he really keeps my cats entertained :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beto510

may i ask why not?

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It's cruel to the animal in question because they have been bred and raised in captivity and are not prepared to be dumped into an alien and hostile environment where they are responsible for finding their own shelter, food and water.

Captive animals can carry viruses or bacteria that they have developed immunities to, but pass those on to native populations who have never been exposed to them before and are not immune.

One little mouse may not seem like it would make much of an impact...but every single time someone releases an unwanted animal into the wild, it adds to an already serious problem impacting local ecosystems. One little candy-wrapper tossed on the ground does not make much of an impact either...but we don't encourage people to throw their garbage out their windows just because it's more convenient to do so. Why? Because if everyone does it, the problem becomes much more severe. We can't control what others do in this regard...but we can each make our own choice to be responsible for taking care of our world and its ecosystems.

Well, the mouse is now in a small critter cage with cypress, corn flakes, lid with water in it, and a log hide. I'm gonna try and fatten him up a little bit!:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jamie-n-Heith

I have a little mouse that was "supposed" to be food that is set up in a 10 gal tank with a wheel water bottle food bowl and a little box to hide in we have had him for about 3-4 months and I cant bring myself to use him as a feeder now LOL!! Plus he really keeps my cats entertained :D

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That happened to me with a baby rat, and I even got him a little friend to live with... then my roommate's dog broke the cage & killed poor Felix, so I gave the other rat to a friend (as a pet). :cool: Once you develop a "personal" attachment to a rodent, it is difficult to use them as a feeder - at least for some of us, LOL.

To the OP, this is exactly why I now have 2 critter keepers... complete with bedding, toilet paper rolls (they like sleeping in them), water bottles, food, etc. You'd be surprised how often this happens when you're feeding live, so it's always good to be prepared. I understand your dad hates mice, so your other option is to bring it to a pet store. If the place where you got it won't take it back, Petco will usually accept a "donated" mouse. And they always have mice at the humane society, so that's another possibility.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JLC

It's cruel to the animal in question because they have been bred and raised in captivity and are not prepared to be dumped into an alien and hostile environment where they are responsible for finding their own shelter, food and water.

Captive animals can carry viruses or bacteria that they have developed immunities to, but pass those on to native populations who have never been exposed to them before and are not immune.

One little mouse may not seem like it would make much of an impact...but every single time someone releases an unwanted animal into the wild, it adds to an already serious problem impacting local ecosystems. One little candy-wrapper tossed on the ground does not make much of an impact either...but we don't encourage people to throw their garbage out their windows just because it's more convenient to do so. Why? Because if everyone does it, the problem becomes much more severe. We can't control what others do in this regard...but we can each make our own choice to be responsible for taking care of our world and its ecosystems.

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Im not trying to defend letting them go in anyway, but I find my albino mice that get loose live fine in my house :rolleyes: There are three I cant catch... they have names.

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Im not trying to defend letting them go in anyway, but I find my albino mice that get loose live fine in my house :rolleyes: There are three I cant catch... they have names.

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LOL...IN your house? I'm quite sure they do fine in there. Your Mom must love you for those! :P

I switched the mouse to a 10 gallon cage. Here are his supplies:

Water dish
Log
Log hide
Log hide
Newspaper
Toilet Paper roll
The occasional pile of corn flakes

Actually, this week I got a slightly smaller mouse than usual because I didn't want to deal with a rat. Now, I need to fatten the small mouse up because when Abuja's shed, he'll need a big meal.

Also, when his eyes clear up but he still hasn't shed, could I feed him?

I wouldn't advise you try and feed your snake yet. When their eyes clear up right after being cloudy, they should shed within 48 hours. If your snake has still not shed, I would not even try and feed it until it has. Keep a sharp eye out for shed in the tank, then plan your little fat friends demise.