Help!

Ella x · #1 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 09:56 AM

Hello,

I have Rescued a baby field mouse (brown hair, Slightly paler belly Small eyes) From a cat There seems to be no blood or cuts just fright. We found it yesturday lunch time and it has lasted to night and today so Far. We are not realy sure what to feed her, We have tried lettace and cubumber nd tomato but they all seem a little too hard to chew so we tried cheese but all she seemed to do was suck it so we tried milk and it seems to work a little... We think... What can i give her to eat?

Thank you

Ella

valleyforge · #2 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 10:05 AM

Hi Ella and welcome to the forum.

Can you possibly post a photo of your mouse so that we can better determine just how old it is? That way we'd be much better placed to give you appropriate advice.

Raising a very young mammal is very time consuming and it may be better for you, your family and for the mouse if you handed the baby mouse into the care of an experienced wildlife rehabilitator.

If you advise whereabouts in the country you are, we can propably provide some contact details of places you could call ... otherwise there is a list of some rescue centres on this website at:
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/maps/rescue-centres

Ella x · #3 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 08:12 PM

Heey

Its this big(not including the tail) >>>|___________________|
Her eyes are just about open. I am ill and off school at the moment so i have the time to look after her. I am keeping it warm with a weat bag next to her. I have tried feeding her cows and Soya milk with a suringe but she accidently sniffes it up her nose and doesnt drink any. We have also tried to feed her peas,bread, oats, peanuts, pumpkin seeds and mash potato and she wont eat Anything. What can i do? I realy need help!

Thank you

Ella

Ella x · #4 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 08:14 PM

This big > |____________________|

valleyforge · #5 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 09:50 PM

OK Ella, I'll try to help you as best I can, but you need to recognize just what a big commitment you are taking on.

It's good that you have taken care of the first requirement ... warmth.

You must ensure that the mouse doesn't become chilled, so ensure that the wheat sack doesn't get too cool, but also ensure that when you reheat it, that it's not at risk of cooking the mouse too, as it may not be able yet to move away from a hot zone if it becomes uncomfortably hot.
The ideal temperature to maintain for the mouse is between 25-30 degrees C ... it is better of course to use an electronic heat pad or incubator to maintain that.

Next is feeding ... the mouse is probably not yet weaned if it that small and the eyes are not fully opened ... so it will take only milk and won't be able to ingest solids for a good while yet.

Cow's milk is not a good substitute for its mother's milk and will make it ill if you continue to feed that, so if Soya is the only alternative you have available then that's better than nothing for now, as the baby mustn't get too dehydrated.

The baby needs the milk to be warmed ... if it's too cold it won't be palatable at all ... so warm it to around 26 deg C if possible. Give the milk using a small artist's paintbrush, cotton bud or dropper/syringe, by gently placing a drop of milk on the side of its mouth .... do not attempt to force liquid into its mouth or it is likely to inhale it into its lungs and die from pneumonia.

The mouse should take between 10 to 20 drops of milk per feed and you need to repeat feeds every 2 hours during the day and also throughout the night ... I did warn you that it was going to be tough going!

If the mouse survives tonight then you will need to get hold of a proper milk replacement formula ... one for kittens or puppies will do ... and you should be able to get that from your vet or from a pet shop.

The milk powder is mixed with boiling water and must be allowed to cool to the right temperature. The mix will keep between feeds in the refrigerator, but will need to be replaced with a fresh batch every day.

You may need to feed like this for the next 7 days or so, before the mouse may be ready to be weaned onto more solid foods, but mice may be able to take a little soaked rusk or mashed banana before the eyes are fully open.

Next essential requirement is toileting ... the baby needs to be stimulated to poo and wee by you gently massaging around its genitals using a warm moist cotton bud or piece of moistened kitchen paper. This should be done immediately after each feed.

Lastly for now ... be very careful in handling ... do not attempt to pick up or restrain the mouse by holding its tail as the skin will slide right off leaving a very nasty sore injury.

It's not ideal to foster a mouse infant on its own as it will become imprinted on you, which will make it unsuitable for release into the wild.

For that reason, as well as how much work it is going to involve you in, I would encourage you to try to find a suitable, experience wildlife carer in your area to help you out.

Please let us know which part of the country you are in so we can put you in touch with someone.

In the meantime, best of luck for tonight.

Marcia · #6 (**permalink**) 05-11-2009, 10:36 AM

Ella, well done for rescuing the little mouse. We all know you want to give her the best chance in life and you've been doing your best to try and help her. But as ValleyForge said, a baby rodent needs specialised and intensive care in order to survive and be able to be released back into the wild. For that reason, the most responsible and kind thing you can do for your little mouse is to let us know where in UK you are so we can put you in touch with professional rehabilitators who could care for the mouse. Any hour that goes by is crucial for her survival as they can get dehydrated very fast. So please, let us help you as soon as possible, ok? Good luck.