keeping and breeding

1922 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by moustress, Feb 10, 2010

laoshu

Discussion Starter · Feb 9, 2010

DO you ever feel like dropping it all...
I love keeping and breeding mice and have done now for aprox 6 years solid but from time to time i just want to stop!
I think sometimes the work i put into it can get me down .. and the big expence it can be at times but the main factor is other people really!
I get really fed up of people that are not genuine. The last few months i have been holding onto stock for people (quite a few for weeks to months) only to be let down time and time again with every excuse in the book ( and trust me i have heard alot over the years so i am not a fool) and people that are just not honist. I cant stand lies! its one of my big hates.

It makes me sad really, I try to be as honist as i can with everything , i am a genuine person (or at least i think i am) and all i want in return is honisty and people to share my interests with.

Is it just me?

*sorry to rant i have also met some lovely genuine people who keep mice, its people like you that put a smile on my face and keep me enjoying my hobby*

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Mark

· #2 · Feb 9, 2010

Hehe hope im not included.

Now send more Abys my way :roll: girls pref as ive got way too many boys!

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julieszoo

· #3 · Feb 9, 2010

Aww chin up, it is very frustrating to have time wasters

I've had this time and again with rats. I wish people would just say they had changed their minds rather then leaving the animals with me to grow up while I turn away other prospective owners

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Cait

· #4 · Feb 9, 2010

It has happened to me many times, and yes it is VERY frustrating. It makes you not want to supply anyone with stock because despite what you think you can never tell who will be the one to let you down. Mind you I suppose its worse when you find out afterwards that they have sold the animals on, not bothered breeding/showing (which is why you gave them your best mice) or worse.

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laoshu

Discussion Starter · #5 · Feb 9, 2010

Mischievous_Mark said:
Hehe hope im not included.

Now send more Abys my way :roll: girls pref as ive got way too many boys!

no not you , you kept me informed of what was happening when you bought from me and it went through smoothly.
I have loads of abbys at the moment, though i feel alot will have to stay and live with me

julieszoo said:
Aww chin up, it is very frustrating to have time wasters I've had this time and again with rats. I wish people would just say they had changed their minds rather then leaving the animals with me to grow up while I turn away other prospective owners

Thanks Julie
it is annoying and even more so with rats. With the rats i will keep a waiting list and then when they are born take deposits from the people on the waiting list ( unless they are returning for more like quite often happens, then i trust them) and then i advertise them and will only hold a kitten with a deposit that must be paid before they are ready to go. soooo many time wasters with rattys.

MouseBreeder said:
It has happened to me many times, and yes it is VERY frustrating. It makes you not want to supply anyone with stock because despite what you think you can never tell who will be the one to let you down. Mind you I suppose its worse when you find out afterwards that they have sold the animals on, not bothered breeding/showing (which is why you gave them your best mice) or worse.

I know what you mean, i thought about not supplying mice anymore but then i really helps to pay for the food and the heating and the bedding. I also get to meet some lovely people and make some friends

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Cait

· #6 · Feb 9, 2010

It's a good job that there are those who make it worthwhile or what kind of hobby would it be? :lol:

Seriously though, breeding any animal is hard work, especially when you have a lot and are trying to produce exhibition quality all the time. It is very time consuming but eventually I suppose we all agree it is worth it, even when it's freezing cold and snowing and we have to lug sacks of food out into the garage, or we are ill but still have to spend hours feeding and cleaning out regardless. I think everyone has their 'I should give this up' moments, but I guess that's when you find out how dedicated you are.

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laoshu

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 9, 2010

I dare not be ill... no one else can do what i do here lol..

I dont think i could ever give up.. or not for a long time anyway! I love what i do to much but yep its just sometimes its a bit much and need to winge!

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Jack Garcia

· #8 · Feb 9, 2010

I feel like that sometimes, but I can't imagine myself not "doing mice." They're a part of my life as much as my job or the place I live.

There are folks in the US who are flaky like that too...which is a big reason I don't adopt my mice out but to 4 people, more-or-less. It's hard to adopt out to people who don't show their mice even though they said they would or who give them to feeder breeders instead of return them to you when they can no longer care for them.

That's why I adopt to so few people.

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moustress

· #9 · Feb 10, 2010

The few times I've placed my meeces I always made sure that the people who got them understood that I would take the animals back if for any reason they didn't want to keep them.

And I also sometimes get really bummed and stressed out on occasion when things don't go the way I'd planned; at times like that the work seems too much to be worth the pain. Failed litters, deaths of favorites, weird accidents; all things that sap the enjoyment from the mousekeeper; these things pass. And then I'll have a successful litter, watch them grow, open their eyes...it makes it all worth while again.

Other people can be so unreliable when it comes to critters; I've never been asked to keep someone else's meeces, but I did provide a home for two kitties that belonged to a friend of my son, and it turned out to more than just a hassle. It was an ordeal because so many things had not happened with these animals before they came to me. the part about the male not being fixed was the worst...though the fact that neither cats had their shots up to date really lowered my opinion of the owner, which was already minimal, since I never met her. I did a lot of running back and forth to the vet to get things dealt with, and got scant thanks. I really love critters in general and look with scorn on pet owners who don't take care of their animals properly. It's a little different, I would guess, taking in a few ratties or mousies for a month or so; still when the owners don't do what they said they would, it must be frustrating and hurtful.

I would miss my mousies too much, I'm sure, if I were to get rid of all of them.

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