Help! Baby Field Mouse.

Georgia · #1 (**permalink**) 24-05-2009, 04:20 PM

We was sorting out the bottom of our garden yesturday and under a pile of compost there was a mother and a baby field mouse. The mother ran away and we waited atlest 5hours and, when she did not return, we brang it inside. I woke up every 4 hours last night and have been feeding it every 3-4hours during the day with watered down semi-skimmed milk through a pepet. Im guessing its about a week old becuase it has fur but its eyes are not yet open. Puppy milk has been sugested on many sites but both pet stores which i can get to do not sell it. It sleeps inside a box with a teddy rat my sister owns and this soft mouse beding i found in the pet store and he seems to like curling up under it. He is not pooing very much when he is eating and i have tried a wet cotton bud, tissue, etc. to simulate his bowels and nothings working.

How can i stimulate is bowels?
Am i doing the right thing?
and should he be eating soild food, or when should i start because my friend looked after one and the mouse loved patatoes so she would mush them up and blend them with milk (because he was only young) but sadly that mouse died so is that wrong?

Please help!

Hedgehoggy · #2 (**permalink**) 24-05-2009, 10:01 PM

Hi, I don't think watered down semi-skimmed milk would provide sufficient nutritional value. Are you able to obtain Cimicat substitute milk powder? Failing that, ready-made Whiskas kitten milk, available in most supermarkets should suffice.

Their eyes open after about sixteen days and they’re weaned at around eighteen days. Once weaned they should be fed on a diet more fitting for a mouse, i.e. seeds, grains, berries, fruits.

For toileting, see here for guidance:
feeding mammals

Georgia · #3 (**permalink**) 28-05-2009, 08:12 AM

Well i found kitten milk and we started feeding him that, he liked it more.
This morning me and my mum went to feed him and he was fine but when we put him back in his box, he died.
I know people have said its not likely they'll live but we've had him for a week or so now and he's eyes just opened yesterday so we was going to try and give him some solids soon. Can anyone help on why he died?

Thanks ,