What to feed baby mice with no mother

How to Take Care of Baby Mice

By Lee Parker | Updated September 26, 2017

Caring for orphaned baby mice is not easy; many infant mice don't make it through the first week due to heat loss, lack of nutrition or sickness. If the baby mouse is a pinkie; that is, without any fur, raising him to adulthood is difficult, but not impossible. With feedings every one to two hours and plenty of warmth, he has a decent chance of survival.

Supplies to Have on Hand

Being prepared is the first step in the successful raising of an orphaned baby mouse. Items to have on hand include Pedialyte, a small syringe, a heating pad or hot water bottle and soft nesting material such as old T-shirts, blankets and small stuffed animals. Puppy milk replacement, found at most pet food stores, is also important, as this is the closest option to mouse milk available.

Where to Start

Inspect the baby mouse first for any wounds or signs of illness such as blood around the nose, or labored breathing. You also will need to stimulate the baby mouse to go to the bathroom; he cannot do this on his own. Mimic the mother's natural way of licking his genitals by using a damp cotton swap, or the tip of your finger. You will need to do this after every feeding until the baby mouse is able to void on his own.

Full Bellies Are Important

Feed the baby mouse by filling a small 1 cubic centimeter syringe with puppy milk replacement and slowly administering it into his mouth. Be careful not to press too hard on the syringe or the mouse will aspirate; you will see milk come from his nose. Position the baby mouse upright and belly down for his feedings. For the first three feedings, dilute the puppy milk replacement with a little water and watch for diarrhea. If the stools are mustard yellow, everything is normal.

Warm Nests Make Happy Babies

When using a heating pad for your baby mouse, never place the mouse directly on the pad and always keep the pad setting on low. A too-warm pad can dehydrate a baby mouse quickly. If he has other orphaned siblings, keep all the baby mice together and ensure one does not wander off on his own. Fill the mouse's enclosure with plenty of bedding, both under and above the baby mouse. Do not cover the mouse in an airtight container, but do keep him under wraps to trap heat.

Tips and Tricks

Warm the formula for the baby mouse by placing it in warm tap water for a few minutes. The baby mouse will indicate when it is full, but a helpful trick for expected formula amounts is to weigh him first. The mouse's weight in grams, divided in half, equals the amount of cc's he should be eating. If the mouse refuses to drink, try using Pedialyte before attempting formula again.

References

The Fun Mouse: Orphaned Mice
Rat and Mouse Club of America: Orphaned Rats and Mice
Rat Fan Club: Raising Orphaned Rats and Mice
Fancy Mice: Baby Care
The Complete Care of Baby Animals: Expert Advice on Raising Orphaned, Adopted or Newly Bought Kittens, Puppies, Foals, Lambs, Chicks and More; C. E. Spaulding, Jackie Clay

Photo Credits

Can Baby Mice Survive Without Their Mom? (Here's What You Can Do)

Home / Mice Care / Can Baby Mice Survive Without Their Mom? (Here’s What You Can Do)

Phil August 26, 2018 Mice Care 19 Comments

Want to know – Can baby mice survive without their mom if they’ve been abandoned for some reason and left to fend for themselves?

Baby mice are very vulnerable when left to fend for themselves. It depends just how young they are, but chances are they will not survive without their mom’s – but there are some things you can do to help.

If the mice have just been born they will need some care within hours to stay alive, so you need to act quickly.

If their eyes are open and they have fur they are likely 11 or so weeks and older. At this stage, they are easier to look after but still need your assistance.

There are a few main things you will need to do to help orphaned mice survive. These are; providing warm and safe shelter, feeding them, and stimulating them to pass urine and poop.

Contents

1 Helping Orphaned Mice with No Mom
2 Stimulating Baby Mice to Pee and Poop
3 Feeding Baby Mice
4 How Often Do Baby Mice Need to Be Fed?
5 Giving Baby Mice a Nice Nest

Helping Orphaned Mice with No Mom

If you’ve come across some abandoned mice, the first thing you need to do is scoop them up safely and carefully check them for any obvious injuries, laboured breathing, and so on.

If you have any concerns or don’t think you can take care of them, take them to a vet or pet rescue centre.

It’s not worth getting stressed or struggling. It’s not an easy task caring for baby mice, but it’s incredibly rewarding if you’re up for it.

There are a number of reasons why we need to help orphaned or baby mice:

Sometimes a female will have a litter too large, and it’s necessary to separate one or more of the mice to ensure they live.
Some females can become aggressive towards their young or reject them. Again, you’ll need to intervene if either of these is happening.
You may find mice abandoned for some reason. I’ve heard of people finding mice on their doorstep, in a box or bag in their shed, somewhere in their homes, and so on.

Stimulating Baby Mice to Pee and Poop

If a mother was looking after the baby mice they would lick their private areas to stimulate them to pee and poop.

By using a damp cloth, cotton pad, or similar you can replicate this sensation. Do this when you first find the mice, and after every feed.

It’s easier to show you than explain in words. This video should help:

Feeding Baby Mice

Ideally, they will have fed on their mother’s milk for at least the first 48 hours. This milk is called Colostrum, and it’s rich in nutrients and antibodies that babies need in those first hours to build up their immune system.

It’s best to check with your pet store or an exotic pet specialist to see what they recommend depending on the age of the mice.

They will likely recommend some formula, or a kitten/puppy milk replacement. You’re going to need a small syringe to feed babies, some patience, and to feed them fairly often throughout the day.

How Often Do Baby Mice Need to Be Fed?

You should be keeping a close eye on the mice and acting as per their needs or under the guidance of a vet.

As a general rule of thumb, however, here is a table outlining how often you can expect to feed baby mice.

Age	Feeds Per Day	Frequency of Feed
<1 Week	7-8	Every 1-2 hours and once overnight
1-2 Weeks	5-6	Every 3-4 hours and once overnight
2-3 Weeks	3-4	Every 4-5 hours
4-5 Weeks	2-3	You can introduce crushed mice food blocks
6-7 Weeks	1	Crushed mice food blocks and start introducing other foods

Giving Baby Mice a Nice Nest

All you need is a heating pad and some materials. An old t-shirt or blanket is perfect for making a nest they can snuggle up in.

A heat pad is very important to help keep the mice warm. Just set it to low and keep it under some of the bedding so it doesn’t come into contact with their skin directly.

Keep all the mice together, make sure they can’t escape or crawl away from the nest, keep an eye on them as often as possible and I’m sure they’ll be fine.

That’s all the basics you’ll need to know about helping orphaned mice survive and stay healthy.

As long as you have the time, patience, and plenty of love to give, I’m sure you’ll do just fine if you’re caring for oprhaned mice as their new mom!

About The Author

Phil

I have kept pet mice for a number of years and always had a fascination with these interesting, fun little creatures. I'm always looking for new and interesting mice related information and will always help other mice owners where possible.

Peculiarities of caring for young animals.

Mice

Special care for young animals

Mice develop rapidly, 6–7 days after birth, their body weight doubles, and the size of the body also increases. The sex of animals immediately after birth is difficult to distinguish, but females grow more slowly than males.

After 3-5 days after birth, the ears of ornamental mice open, hair begins to appear on the body. The eyes of mice open at the age of 14 days.

After two and a half weeks after birth, during the absence of the female, the cubs can be taken out of the nest for a while. In this way, you can check their health, as well as determine what gender they are. At the 3rd week of life, the animals get out of the nest and begin to feed on their own, eating, in addition to mother's milk, other types of feed. At this time, you can transplant offspring from the female.

In the first weeks of life, mice grow very quickly and in a month reach a weight of 11–12 g. Body length at this age is 6 cm, tail length is 5 cm. Depending on the diet and conditions of keeping, the body weight of animals may vary slightly.

The sex of decorative rodents is determined by external signs. In females, for example, nipples are visible from early childhood. In males, gender immediately after birth is almost not expressed - the testicles are not palpable, since in the first days of the animal's life they lie in the abdominal cavity, and descend into the scrotum only in the second week of life.

Decorative mice grow and develop much more slowly than, for example, voles and other wild mice. The cubs reach full development in a month, by this period they have puberty.

It is important to monitor the growth of the young. Regular weighing of animals helps to control this process. The length of the body is measured from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail using a centimeter tape. When carrying out these procedures, care must be taken in handling mice, to prevent their anxiety.

Comparing the measurement results with those given in Table. 6 indicators, we can conclude how correctly the development of animals occurs. An increase in body weight and size is an indicator of normal nutrition. In case of deviations, it is recommended to approach the diet of rodents more carefully.

Table 6

Weight of decorative mice depending on age

It is possible to separate cubs from their parents after the manifestation of their independence. Males and females can be kept together in a common cage until puberty. At this time, young animals should be fed in the same way as their parents, paying attention to the fact that the diet includes as much vitamin food as possible (sprouted wheat, fresh herbs, fish oil, etc.).

During lactation, it is recommended to include oatmeal, boiled or pasteurized milk and infant formula in the diet of lactating females. The same products can be given as complementary foods to mice from 3 weeks of age. After some time, other types of feed are gradually introduced into the diet of young animals: bran, milk, dried fruits, crushed grain mixture consisting of oatmeal, sunflower seeds, corn and peas. New types of food are given in small quantities so that the body of mice can gradually get used to them. Green and succulent foods should be introduced into their diet very carefully so as not to cause digestive upset.

In the event that females do not have milk, newborn mice are transferred to artificial nutrition. They are fed from a pipette with 26% dry milk (diluted at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 0.5 cup of warm water), 2-3 drops 6 times a day. After about 3 weeks, they are transferred to 5 meals a day, and after another 1.5–2 months - to 2 meals a day. Feeding is done 2 times a day, morning and evening.

Young animals should be given limited amounts of water during growth and development.

Both with natural and artificial feeding of rodents, it is necessary to regularly give them types of feed rich in vitamins and microelements.

When artificially feeding decorative mice, it is recommended to carefully observe sanitary and hygienic rules. Drinkers and pipettes should be washed and boiled before each use to prevent disease.

Already shortly after giving birth, the female mouse is capable of repeated fertilization, since at this time she has the so-called postpartum estrus. Therefore, during this period, it is better not to allow the male to her, since pregnancy that occurs during the period of feeding the cubs can greatly weaken the body of the female.

As mentioned above, artificial feeding is a very difficult task, and many cubs, despite all human efforts, do not survive. One of the reasons for this may be that the baby was born very weak or artificial feeding began too late for him. Another common cause of death for motherless babies is inhalation of milk. In addition, mice can die from infection, since no food other than mother's milk contains antibodies that prevent harmful viruses and bacteria from entering the animals' body.

Grown-up mice

Caring for young animals, while observing the basic rules of keeping, does not require much effort, especially if the female takes care of the offspring and does not refuse to feed. In addition to regular weighing, you should also pay attention to the general condition and behavior of the mice. This allows you to timely identify deviations in physical development and correct them.

Young mice are especially shy and should be gradually accustomed to human presence. When examining and feeding, try to avoid sudden movements and loud noises.

This text is an introductory fragment.

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Care of motherless mice. Mice

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Krasichkova Anastasia Gennadievna

Contents

Care of motherless mice

If the female died during childbirth or a few days after them, or she refuses to feed her cubs, then in the absence of infectious diseases, small mice can be planted with females with small offspring. Before doing this, the orphaned animals must be marked, and their fur rubbed with old sawdust taken from the cage of the future foster mother: having felt its own smell, the mouse will accept the babies.

If the owner fails to find a foster mother for orphaned babies, then he will have to take care of them and feed them with infant formula.

Artificially fed mice will have slightly worse coats than other pups. Rodent milk contains a component that promotes the development of hair. On this occasion, you should not show much concern: when the baby begins to eat on his own, he will begin to grow hair normally. However, she will look healthy no earlier than in 2 months.

An owner who takes care of orphaned mice must be prepared for the fact that the babies may die, despite his best efforts to save their lives. In this case, one cannot blame oneself, since the result of artificial feeding depends not only on the attention and care of the owner, but also on the viability of rodents. The smaller and weaker the cub, the less likely it is to survive.

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