If, for whatever reason, you have been put in the care of wild baby mice, I have included some tips on care and feeding to help you give them a chance at life. Keep in mind that even in the wild, mice have a 50% chance of surviving beyond 5 months of age with normal husbandry. Mice that do so can live up to around 5 years if they are healthy. A couple will have a better chance of surviving than a lone mouse.

As soon as you have baby mice, it is important to keep them safe and warm. You can use a small pet carrier, a large plastic tub, or any other suitable box that you can put them in. Cover the bottom with a towel and place the mice on top. Then use another soft material to lightly cover the mice like a fleece. Put the box in a warm place, making sure it is not hot; otherwise, the mice will become dehydrated. A heater on the lowest setting may be all that is needed. Try the towel the mice are lying on so it feels comfortable and warm in your hand.

If the baby mice are less than 14 days old, they will need to be drip fed with a milk replacer until they are weaned. They usually open their eyes when they are about to be weaned and can eat on their own. You will need to feed them every 2 hours, so be prepared to be up during the night. Set your alarm. When I took care of wild mice, I got up every 2 hours to check on them. Since then, I have read that during the night the mother mouse would be out looking for food and that she would only return to the nest once to feed her young. Use common sense, if she can manage some night feedings, all the best for the babies’ chances of survival, especially in the first few days.

Kitten milk is available for purchase at pet stores. I used raw coconut blended and strained. It should be 1 cup of coconut to about 2 and 1/2 cups of water. You can also use soaked almonds to make almond milk using the same proportions. Make sure the nuts are natural and plain. Once you have prepared the milk, store it in a sterilized glass jar and keep it in the refrigerator until needed. When you go to feed the mice, take a quarter cup of milk and heat it by pouring it into a small pitcher and placing it in hot water. Use an eye dropper or baby syringe (available at the pharmacy) to feed 1-2 drops of milk at a time into the baby mouse’s mouth. When mice are very young, they may not open their mouths. Be careful not to let the milk get into their noses, if you do they will vomit or cough. Doing so can be dangerous to your health. The way I fed the mice was by placing a washcloth on a table and placing one mouse at a time on it. You can then gently support the baby’s head while you deliver the milk with the dropper. You’ll get the hang of it with a little practice. It may seem that the baby is not getting much milk, do not worry. Very young babies may only need one or two drops in the mouth/tongue until they are able to take more. The main goal here is to keep them hydrated with a small drop every two hours.

Once the baby is fed, it is necessary to stimulate a bowel movement. To do this, put some warm water in a small bowl and dip a cotton swab in it. Then place the cotton swab between the baby’s back legs and gently roll it around. You should see a small brown stain, that’s his poop. Submerge the other end of the cocoon in the water and gently stroke the baby’s body, this emulates the mother licking it. After all that, lay the baby down on his soft bedding and put him in a warm place. This is the basic routine that should be repeated every two hours during the day and at least 2 or 3 times during the night, especially around 1am and 5am.

As you can see, it’s quite a commitment to take care of baby wild mice. But, there is also a great reward in caring for them and the bond you will feel as a caregiver.

When babies start to open their eyes or at least take a peck, they may be taking in a lot more milk and starting to walk around a bit. This is when you need to be very careful; one fall is enough to be fatal. You can make a small safe area to roam in the bottom of a pet cage or shoebox/sink. Line it with newspaper and leaves to simulate a natural environment. The little ones will enjoy stretching their legs and taking their first steps. This is important as it will build your muscles and strength.

Once the babies start biting your fingers fairly firmly when you feed them, they may be ready for some solid food. They will also start to open their eyes (12 to 14 days old) Start very slowly with this. Try some baby fruit puree to start or a natural rice pudding. Food should not get cold. Let them lick your finger. Avoid putting the purees in a dish for the mice to feed on, as they could get messy and end up with matted fur, which should be avoided. Some other foods to graduate to are porridge, banana, tomato, dry oatmeal, and strawberries. Just go easy on the food and keep it simple and easy to digest to begin with. Congratulations! In fact, you’ve reached the weaning stage, which is a pretty big deal with wild baby mice.

Continue to provide a safe space for the mice to sleep and once they are weaned they will be able to come out at night to feed. Put a small plate near their bed so they can feed during the night. You can at least get some sleep now! Continue to offer the milk throughout the day and give them some water. Wild mice will usually continue to have some breast milk until about 4 weeks of age.

Now you have to decide whether to keep them or release them into the wild. I don’t know how many mice have been successfully hand-reared and released into the wild. I think it is unlikely that they can survive. However, you have done your part and if they seem strong, healthy and quite active, you may release them. However, you can keep them as pets.

Finally, if you did your best and the mice died, don’t feel bad. The chances of survival in the best conditions, that is, with its natural mother, are still low. Just enjoy the experience you’ve had with them and the chance to peek into their little lives. They are little bundles of love and it is wonderful to have given them at least a little love when otherwise they might have perished.

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