eew 70 mice! i can't even imagine the smell that those must produce! rats are SOOO much less stinky. if you can smell them at all you know you should have cleaned about 3 days ago.

i have two females that i haven't handled much at all (originally they were food, but now they are to make food ) but they are still nice animals--they don't bite or anything, just squirm when i handle them for cleaning, etc. i am trying to handle the 2 males i got for them a little just so they will be calmer, but they are all still hyper little things. very curious though and personable despite being scared of me.

smulkin is right about the deathly squealing--i just jumped up and dashed in to check on my breeders because i really thought someone was being eaten based on the sounds that were coming from the cage. i guess they were just getting to know eachother a little better though...

i got a wire cage for my breeders, and attached the water bottle to the outside of the cage which has helped greatly with the bottle chewing. i feed the mix that becky posted in a previous thread--cereals, puffed rice, oatmeal, tri-colored pasta, trail mix, etc. they seem to really like it but the little buggers will pick through and eat what they like best first.