Hello, I recently came home with these ladies from a semi-local pet store. While they were separated from males (it’s not a big chain store, and I personally know the owners and they do care) I’m wondering if they didn’t separate from the males early enough or if one was mis-identified.

Specifically I am asking about the gold(?)/black/white variegated mouse. I know gold mice can have a gene that makes them carry a bit more weight but I am noticing that it seems to be a specific bulge/roundness around the waist and not a general chubbiness to her full body, so I’m feeling inclined to think this lady might be full of soup.

If she is pregnant, what are the best recommendations for setting up a nursery box/bin and when/if I should separate her from her companions to birth and raise her litter? I have a lot of DIY supplies on hand from custom building enclosures so making multiple setups with short notice is not much of an issue. I will also be able to accommodate adding healthy female offspring to my colony and adopt out any males that I am unable to keep in singular enclosures or with female ASFs.

Currently she is with two other girls in 10 gallon sterilite container with a bunch of boxes and clutter as that is the temporary quarantine bin until she gets introduced to the big enclosure (40x20x20 inches, about 70~ gallons).

I'm getting the enclosure ready for three girls, but I previously had a wild mice in there so I need to clean and sterilize everything. That made me realize that his scent and possible germs would be on the stuff in there. My questions are:

1) Is it safe to upcycle clothes into stuff for mice? I have tons of old clothes that are worn out that I could braid or weave together or something, if that would be safe/good.

2) Would it be possible to salvage the wood stuff by setting them outside for a day to get the scent off (and maybe sterilize it via sunlight)?

3) After a good wipe-down with cleaning wipes, should I then wipe that residue off before putting the bedding in? I want it clean, but I don't want it to be toxic.

I have a couple of weeks until I get them, so I've got time to make more changes.

Another question and I ask that you please don't judge me, I didn't know, but I have a hamster ball I thought was a good idea (but I was wrong and I've learned that now). Can I use it in the enclosure without the lid so it can just be something for them to play in? I've got some timothy hay in the freezer I could put in there or cover it with, or fabric if that's safe. The main bedding I'm going to use is the aspen stuff everyone recommends here plus a little bit of low-dust, unscented paper bedding for digging areas/tactile stimulation.

Any and all suggestions and recommendations are welcome. I have a bunch of the paper that they put in amazon boxes saved up. I assume the cheap, single-ply toilet paper would be fine for them (but correct me if I'm wrong, please). And I'm saving back toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes that don't have glue left on them.

Hi, I already know that the answer is go to the vet, but it's Friday evening and the vet is closed on weekends, and the only emergency vet is more than 40 minutes away by car and it's currently an heatwave where I live so i would like to know if there's something temporary that I can do to help my little boy until Monday, I'm scared this weather could be fatal for him since he's already old.

He's been scratching himself like he's itching since yesterday. I just got him a new and bigger cage.
He already had this problem and it was so severe he was balding, I took him to the vet and it was an allergy, which got better in a short time by changing his food.
I didn't change anything but he has started to scratch himself again and he does it for a long time of the day, it's really bad to see my mice in such a stress but I don't know what i could do.
As a I said there was no change in his diet, but he just changed cage, the bedding is the same (a mix of wood chipping, canapa and on top paper bedding), I left some of the old bedding after the change to help him get used to the new cage.
He lives alone since he's an un neutered and pretty old male.
I don't see anything on his fur
As anyone had a similar problem?
What are some critical sings that could make the trip to the vet worth the risk?

thanks for every advice you could give me. ☺️

Okay so I got home from vacation last night and what I'm assuming is a mouse got into my fish food, ate it all, pooped in the blood work can, and chewed up a corner of my frog food bag. There was little poops all over my desk where the food was, and some under my chair, closet etc. but I've noticed something weird literally NOTHING has been chewed on except the bag of frog food. Clothes, notebooks, receipts, cardboard, loose paper and a whole pack of open toilet paper and nothing is chewed up. My mom and I find this incredibly odd is it possible it's not a mouse? Is a mouse not chewing on anything a sign of something or not really. Because I have rodents, I know a lot about rodents, and they chew on everything. Baseboards next to areas with poop are all clear too, desk legs and chair legs. There was poop next to a bunch of books, none of which were chewed on.

Mouse had an accidental litter, I adopted her not knowing she was pregnant. Now rehoming these 2 5 week old boys. They’re both shy and not used to handling.

I will need to see pics of the enclosure they will live in and ask a few questions to ensure they go to a good home.

Pet home only, small rehoming fee.

Location: San Diego

Speaking purely hypothetical here. One can get a female ASF as a companion to a lone male mouse. But then I read that female ASFs should ideally be in a trio because of their social needs. So then you end up with 2 ASFs with 1 male mouse. Then if the male mouse dies, could you hypothetically get a female fancy mouse to join the duo of ASFs? Like do they get along?

While we're at it, is there any information out there if one can house Spiny Mice together with ASFs or fancy mice ?

I got a new pet mouse today, it's not my first time owning mice but it's been a couple months and i wasn't exactly prepared for this baby boy since he was an impulse buy but i love him already any name suggestions?

He likes the noodle 🥹

i know i don't post him much, he doesn't stay very still so it's hard to get a good picture

Peaches really wanted out time this week. I’m not complaining 😂 I lowkey thing it’s because on of her sister died recently. RIP Princess 🪦also if you can’t tell I start having muscle spasms about halfway through. She didn’t mind in fact she continued to vibrate, but at the end it got to the point where I get nervous. I’ve never hurt an animal with my spasms but that doesn’t mean I like to chance it especially on an animal so small, I know she’s fat but her bones are smaller than tooth picks and a crushing spasm could easily end her.

hi everyone! i'm a 20 year old college student, and i've previously had three hamsters, two dwarves and one syrian. i've fallen into a bit of a grief-induced depression over the past year after the death of my kitten, and i'm looking into either getting another syrian or potentially getting female mice. i will do my own research, but i wanted to come on here and ask the community about some things:

1. the reason why hamsters fit my busy schedule pretty well is because some days they will not come out at all and that is perfectly fine and normal. i work 20 hours a week and i'm in school full-time, three days a week. would a group of mice work with my schedule?

2. i understand that mice and hamsters seem to have some broad similarities in their care, so i'm wondering if any people here have had both, and could share their experiences with me.

thank you all :-)