Field Mouse Behaviour, help!

01halle · #1 (**permalink**) 27-11-2008, 01:24 PM

Long story short, we have mice in our house. I woke up today to find a field mouse (not much bigger than a ping-pong ball) on my carpet. Usually they are very scared and scurry away before you get to look at them. But this one stayed there even when I got close, dropped the phone (accidently, which how I found it) near it etc.
It slowly staggered across the carpet stopping every few steps, it wobbles side to side really wildly when it tries to walk, it's walked around about 1/8th of the room waddling and taking long breaks, its eyes are closed most the time and it's now been sitting in the same place in the open for around 3 hours now in a ball, but still upright. I was wondering, is hybernating an instinct? Is it being forced apon the mouse? It is quite cold in this room with the front door and back door being here (closed). But I'm just concerened why it is un-afraid and is staggering. What's up with it? Will it help to say that I have mouse poison in my house?

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 27-11-2008, 01:42 PM

Field mice dont hibernate so its not that. Also by the sounds of its a young mouse. Yes it will help to say you have mouse poison in the house, as it will slowly be dying of internal bleeding if its consumed any. which would result in its current state. If its not eaten any its likely that its suffering from an illness, which are more common in rodents through the winter.

01halle · #3 (**permalink**) 27-11-2008, 01:49 PM

Oh.. Well... Me and my brother both felt sorry for the mouse. We actually tried to help it, which shouldn't be done incase it encourages other mice to come into the household.

We've had everything over the years, bees, wasps, mice, rats, ant infestations.

Our house is like haven for some reason.

We still have most of these creatures... Rats upstairs, mice downstairs wasps get in every now and then.

Anyway, the mouse has been alive for the whole morning up to now and looks like it was there most the night..

It's getting weaker I think..Not sure. I just tried to see if it was alive still and it is. It's hard to tell what's going on..

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 27-11-2008, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 01halle

Oh.. Well... Me and my brother both felt sorry for the mouse. We actually tried to help it, which shouldn't be done incase it encourages other mice to come into the household.

I wouldnt say it shouldnt be done, you can always place it in a tank/cage and rehabilitate it until it is healthy enough to be released away from the house.