injured Field mouse - Advice please x

hermy · #1 (**permalink**) 19-01-2010, 11:12 PM

Our cat keeps bringing in little mice and if alive we normally get them and then release them away from the cat. Some are dead or really badly injured and have died but I have one that was hiding in the house and it seems to have no use of his back legs so i put him outside thinking that he would be in shock, it seems that when I looked after about an hour of so he moved but dragged himself with front legs and was shivering ! I brought him in and warmed him up thinking that if he had to die he could be comfortable, but it seems that he is eating Cherrios! but still can't use back of his body and is dragging himself around with front of his body, so now don;'t know what to do????
Any advice please ???

Thanks Sarah x

fluff11 · #2 (**permalink**) 20-01-2010, 05:14 AM

presuming he is still alive this morning the outcome does not look good,he will not survive in the wild like this,he would be easy pickings for other predators and have no quality of life , on occasions i have found mice in the same suituation that the cats have caught.
in this case the kindest thing would be to humanely dispatch him,not a nice thing to do but you cannot leave him suffering (dragging the back legs sounds like he has sufferered spinal injuries).
some years ago i came across a rabbit that had been hit by a car and was dragging itsself along the road by the front legs (not to mention it had nearly been skinned alive). again not something that should be left to die slowly so it was quickly dispatched.

Elevate29 · #3 (**permalink**) 20-01-2010, 11:47 AM

Have to agree with fluff11, you could try taking it to a local wildlife hospital but I suspect the prognosis would be the same... always a difficult thing to do but putting it out of its misery seems the kindest thing in this instance.

elevate

hermy · #4 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 08:23 AM

thanks, he has gone missing this morning, as he has chewed his way out of the box! He escaped the night before last too and went into a sink full of water! he seems to have a death wish. Not sure what dispatch means though???

Dogghound · #5 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 10:01 AM

It means to kill it. Just a less blunt way of putting it I guess.

hermy · #6 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 10:42 AM

Have now found the sas mouse! he was on worktop in utility and chewed out of box and seemed to have found way to hide under fridge! Had everything out and he was under it! still no idea what to do as he's a fighter!

hermy · #7 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 10:43 AM

oh!

How could I do that????? Do I have to? Is there no other option???

Cowgirl · #8 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 12:26 PM

'Fraid not,

most humane way is to hold it upside down by its tail, swing it quickly (v.v.quickly) overhand & knock it's head (hard!) on the edge of a hard surface like a kitchen worktop or workbench, have a good cry then & lots of wine (& probably nightmares for a few nights).

Honestly, it'll take less than a second & it'll be over before it can think what the....?

Horrible I know, but it's better than the life it'll have otherwise. You tried, but unfortunately we can't save them all.

Feel for you x

NicolaB · #9 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 12:40 PM

So sorry to hear your little mouse is so badly injured

I agree, he's unlikely to make a full recovery so having him put to sleep sounds the kindest option.

Your local wildlife hospital might do it for you if you're too squeamish to do the deed yourself. They're more likely to go for an injection though, the same as putting a pet animal to sleep, which is very quick and painless. An ordinary vet might do it as well.

hermy · #10 (**permalink**) 21-01-2010, 02:42 PM

Oooooooo I really couldn't! I know that he couldn;t survive in wild but wouldn;t it be better to keep him? Happy to care and get equipment etc for him until he decides to die. But not sure if he is in pain? He ate chocolate earlier.... Or am I cuckoo? Thanks everyone though