[ccoryjohnn]

I know this is probably going to be the answer to my own question: Because she hasn't been handled much.

But I'll ask anyway.

My female mouse, Purdy is insane. I know she's not really insane, she's probably just very scared. But whenever I try to go near her with my hand, she freaks out. I bought her from a pet store and I know that the breeders usually just breed them, and don't really handle them much or anything. But ever since I've brought her home she's been very scared no matter how much I try to handle her. She is VERY skiddish, and now tries to leap out of her tank! (See 2nd video.)

So what can I do to socialize her?? She is about 12 days pregnant but she is my pet and I'd like to be able to handle her and love her without her being so scared of me! I am willing to do whatever it takes, really. I just want her to be able to trust me. But with her jumping all around and running into walls, I do not want her to harm the babies in any way.

Let me know what you guys think and if you have and suggestions for me that would be very much appreciated!!
Thank you all in advance and sorry this post is so long. But here are two videos of Purdy:

Video 1:

Video 2:

(p.s. her wheel and one of her toys were removed from the tank for the videos)

 

[Rhasputin]

I don't think you should have bred a mouse that you can't even handle. They pass on their personalities to their offspring. ):

 

[ccoryjohnn]

Rhasputin
Greaaaaaaaat. Ha, well I think it's really just because I haven't spent much time handling her and she hasn't been handled much in her past. And the father is the complete opposite, he's so friendly. And she'll let me handle her, she's just scared.

 

[Rhasputin]

I'd definitely try working with her throughout her pregnancy. It would suck if she had her babies, and you couldn't handle any of them, or the mother the whole time she was nursing them.

Just try to scoop er up in a toilet paper tube or something, and make sure she gets handles very often. Maybe you can curb her attitude by the time she has her kids.

 

[ccoryjohnn]

Rhasputin
That's what I'm really hoping. Do you have any suggestions? Or just hold her and let her just crawl on my hands?

 

[moustress]

You need to spend some time getting her used to your hand in a more positive manner. Reaching in with your hand and trying to grab her will only make her more scared. Don't loom over the tank; try to put the tank up to about chest level, and let her see your face. Instead of trying to grab her see if you can get her to get used to having your hand in the tank, just resting on the bottom of the tank. Put a treat in your hand when you do this. If she doesn't take it, give her just a little bit of the treat and withdraw. Repeat as necessary. You can also try to get to go into a tube or cup, and take her out of the tank in that and hold her up by your face. Don't move suddenly or make loud noises around her. She's going to be very hungry as her gestation moves along, so it's a good opportunity to lure her to take treats from your hand. Try a little piece of dried bread or a piece of dry breakfast cereal.

Don't feel too bad if none of these things work; I have a few meeces that were born in my mousery and handled plenty, and they still don't want to be caught and handled. I don't use hides when my meeces litter so they don't get used to hiding, either the parents or the babies. Tubes and toys are fine for later, when the meeces have gotten used to being handled.

 

[Rhasputin]

Definitely start out just holding her, and letting her explore as openly as possible. Let her run up your arms, and across your shoulders. It'll help her to get used to being on you, and not being afraid of being grabbed at.

Picking her up in the toilet paper tube is a good idea too. That's what I use when I can't get a mouse out without it running from my hand. The tube helps them feel comfortable, and it's easy to pick them up inside of it.

 

[Erica]

Here's my experience; I have a doe that I put purchased from a petstore, when I got her home and settled into her cage, she decided she didn't want to look at me or any of my family. When we would get close to her cage, she would bury under her bedding, and not resurface until she was sure we were gone. I bred her, and she started to get a little better since she had daily exposure to me, I didn't handle her at this point, only her babies. By her second litter, she was fine with me being in her cage and handling her babies, and eventually started to climb on my hands. I have had no problem with her babies, and she is actually very tame and lovable now. All mice are different though.

 

[CatWoman]

It might also help to think for a few minutes about the natural instincts of a mouse.

Even though Purdy is a domesticated mouse, she still has the most basic instinctual behaviors, which includes thousands of years of evolution and a lifetime of experience telling her that -nothing- that comes swooping down from over her head and grabs her is a good thing, and that survival comes to those who hide and avoid capture better than anyone else. Mice are prey animals. Birds swoop down and grab them, then fly away with them in their claws. Snakes sneak up, strike, and grab them. Other domestic animals pounce and grab.

The Petstore reinforced the running and hiding behavior, too. I can't imagine it's much different for feeder mice at your PetCo than mine. They're kept in a somewhat overcrowded tank, usually out of direct sight of customers, like redheaded stepchildren compared to the "real" fancy mice on display. When someone wants "just a feeder", the staff goes in the back, opens the tank, starts plucking tails out of a sea of scrambling mice, and you get who they can catch first. From the mouse point of view, it's the very thing their instincts tell them to avoid - periodically something comes swooping down and whoever gets caught gets carried off to be "consumed." The fastest runners and best hiders are left to live another day, and often, get to breed.

Work with her instincts. Start by creating the opposite of those predatory situations, to help her feel safe. Without the fight-or-flight response triggered, she's more likely to consider other, more social behaviors instead. Create a completely quiet environment, where she doesn't have to try so hard to listen to so many different things that could be predators. No high pitched squeaky voice talking because it can mimic the call of certain birds of prey. No swooping, chasing, or grabbing at her. Everything that happens when you're around should be good stuff - the yummiest of treats, in the calmest of environments.

 

[ccoryjohnn]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I started handling her today and she did great! I took her food bowl out an hour or so earlier so she was a little hungrier for more treats And I also took a everything out of her tank so she didn't have any where to hide (Other than 2 toilet paper rolls.) I started out just putting my hand in there and she was very timid and nervous at first but she came around and start sniffing my fingers and such. Then I cut up realllly tiny pieces of apple and let her come up to my hand and take it off my fingers. She was standing on my hand and even let me pick her up at one point! I didn't take her out of the cage yet though, I didn't want to move too quickly.

So tomorrow I am going to work on the same thing and this time take her out of the tank and have more treats with me! :mrgreen: Thanks again for all the great advice guys. I will keep you updated via this thread.

 

[ccoryjohnn]

I ended up putting her in her ball tonight and letting her roll around my room for a while... Then when I went to take her out I decided to play with her for a little while and she did a lot better with me handling her and she was not skiddish I gave her some more treats also while handling. Thanks again guys. I'm just gonna keep at it! :dance

 

[ccoryjohnn]

I've still been working with her and she's at the point where she will walk onto my hand for me to pick her up and take her out of the tank! I'm hoping everything will go up from here and that she will let me handle her babies when the time comes.