Orphaned mouse/vole/creature?

Jadey · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2010, 11:12 PM

Hey!

I'm looking for some advice about a little mouse type creature I found. This is how I came about finding the little thing.

On friday I was at work and at about 10 AM when I was walking the dogs (I work at a doggy day creche) I seen a little baby mouse type on the path. I pulled the dogs away from it and checked to see if it was alive (without touching it) it was so I just left it thinking it might find its own way back to its nest or something. Anyway, To cut a long story short I went back after work (at about 5.15PM) because it was playing on my mind and sure enough the poor thing was still on the path. I looked closely and when I realised it was still breathing I decided to take it home (Bearing in mind it had been out for at least 7 hours in the hot sun and cold breeze).

I know a lot of people might think that I should have left it but I would never have been able to forgive myself if I had of done that knowing it was more than likely going to die.

Anyway, I got it home and put it in a fleecey tea towel to keep it warm while I checked on the net what to do with it etc.

Since then, I've been giving it warm puppy milk (It says its made of goats milk on the box) every 2 hours ish and I've had it on top of a hot water bottle in its tea towel. It's livened up considerably and wanders about in its shoe box lol I've also been stimulating it to go to the loo

A bit about it, I don't know what it is exactly, I think its either a mouse or a vole. When I found it its eyes and ears were shut but it has hair although it is really fine. It had just tiny little dots of teeth which seem to have grown since. It is still blind and its ears still appear to be closed.

So, I've got some photos of it for you and I was hoping you could help me identify it and help me with what to do next and also how old it might be.

I must say, I'm surprised it survived the night after being out for so long and in those conditions. It really is the cutest little thing though!

Thanks!

paulinemiller10 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-07-2010, 12:08 AM

I'm not sure what your mouse type creature is, but could it be a baby rat, it has very large feet and quite a thick tail, all babies look cute. Pauline.

RKB · #3 (**permalink**) 12-07-2010, 12:38 AM

It does appear to be a Brown Rat. Even at that young age, it's bigger than any mouse or vole (or soon will be).

That leaves you with a bit of a problem, I imagine! First is that rodents, and particularly rats, can carry nasty diseases (leptospirosis, salmonellosis), and if you feel at all ill (aching, flu-like, or jippy belly) then see your GP. But these are possibilities rather than probabilities - most of the time it's no worse than handling a wood mouse. And you're not dead yet so it's probably ok

You also have a dilemma about what to do with it. If you want to release it then you have a problem because nobody will thank you for it and you cannot simply 'let it go' - a release needs to be a planned process with support otherwise it's not going to last two minutes. You'd need to do this far away from people and keep leaving out food.

Alternatively, you could keep it as a pet. Rats are quite intelligent and make very good pets, although you'd need to handle it lots to keep it tame, not trust it alone with children (it's not a docile domestic rat, so you're taking a risk with its personality), and make sure it has secure housing (they can chew through almost ANYTHING). But otherwise treat it like a pet shop rat and it will probably be a great pet. There should be plenty of info in books and the web about keeping and rearing pet rats, so in a way it's actually much easier than if it were a vole!

If you want to release it, handle it as little as possible to keep it wild, and don't talk to/look at it, so as it doesn't start trusting people.

Jadey · #4 (**permalink**) 12-07-2010, 07:24 AM

Ah I see. Well I've owned rats before so that shouldn't be any trouble

About the diseases thing, what do you think the chances are of it having a disease? Also, if it does have a disease then what happens next? Will it have to be put down or is there a injection or anything like that? Will it have it all it's life?

It was our intention to re-release it but if it doesn't stand a chance then thats not something I want to do. I didn't save it just to delay its death =/
Having said that, all of the family has been stroking it and talking to it while it gets its feeds so we might have already tamed it?

Thanks for both of your help!

paulinemiller10 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-07-2010, 10:16 AM

Welcome to the forum Jadey, when we were kids growing up on the farm, my mother used to rescue all wildlife, we used to play with the mice, rabbits, feed the birds, stroke the fox, and I m still here to tell the tale lol,

When I treat wildlife now I always wear gloves, all wildlife can carry disease, not just rats, I always find it strange that rats are sold as pets, but wild rats are vermin, maybe its what they pick up when they run around.

It was ratties lucky day when you found him, he was born to live his little life like everything else, and why should 'nt he be saved too. Pauline.

vole-woman · #6 (**permalink**) 12-07-2010, 10:40 AM

I think I posted recently that nearly all wild mammals carry leptospirosis - not sure why rats alone seem to be the focus, though perhaps someone here knows. So if it was a baby hedgehog or a wee vole or a fox cub, you'd still need to take the same (common sense) precuations re hygiene.

vole-woman · #7 (**permalink**) 12-07-2010, 10:51 AM

And I think it's right that animals can carry the disease but not be affected by it themselves?

RKB · #8 (**permalink**) 12-07-2010, 01:22 PM

I think if you just use common sense for now (wash hands, don't handle with open cuts, wear latex gloves if you're worried), and then get vet advice.

I'd be a lot more concerned with an older animal. With children, make sure they wash hands, and you want to avoid them getting bitten - children can be less gentle and the bites can be quite deep.

Jadey · #9 (**permalink**) 13-07-2010, 08:39 PM

ok, so i spoke to my mam and we are agreed that we will be keeping it.

I think its a little boy but i'm not 100% sure so if i posted a photo of its bum would you be able to help me sex it?

The other thing is i know rats are social creatures so i was wondering if it would be possible to buy a domestic rat and introduce them so it has some company? Or would that be a bad idea? If i could get him a little buddy at what age would they need to be introduced to each other to avoid them fighting?

Sorry for all the questions! I just want to make the little guy happy

Again, thanks for all your advice. We've been following it all through and alls looking good

paulinemiller10 · #10 (**permalink**) 13-07-2010, 10:07 PM

I have never kept rats as pets Jadey, so I don't know a lot about them, but I do know quite a lot about wild rats, I watch them on live cam, they can be very funny and very naughty, I relocate them to the country away from buildings.

Male rats have a pointed sort of bottom, females are round, posting pic of male rat, I have wood mice living in my garden, and if a rat turns up they take all their food, so I put the food in a box with just a small hole for mouse to get in, and this is a pic of ratty with his nose in the mouse hole wondering why he does'nt fit lol, my wood mice are lovely, every now and then they have babes, one babe had just got in the bowl and was enjoying its supper when ratty turned up, grabbed him by the neck and carried him off, so I soon trapped him and sent him on his way.

It will be interesting to find out how your ratty grows up, and how friendly he is with people, and what your friends think of a real wild rat lol, let us know how he gets on. Pauline.