Please help

[The-Wolf]

...... wrong.

Hi all
I brought home a new mouse today, to add to my existing two.
she is slightly smaller and an albino.

I cleaned out the existing cage, so everything had a new smell,
I handled my existing mice then handled the new one (transfering scent)
then I put them together.
there was lots of pushing, then scrabbling, then biting
the new mouse was so frightened by this she was shivering.
all this happened in seconds and I seperated them before any seriouse
damage was done.

I now have a problem.
I can not return the new mouse, as I'm sure she will be attacked again,
seeing as she will have been seperated form her old mates for some time.

I am troubled about trying to put them together again, but I don't want to keep the new one on her own.

I've just read online about dabbing all the mice with a strong smell like vanilla essance (to hide each mices' scent) and then putting them together.
I am dubious that this would work and I don't have that to hand anyway.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Hmmm.... How about dividing the two parts off, letting the new mouse settle in in her part, then either introduce them in the new ones territory (as she's smaller but will be more dominant in her territory)? Or dividing the two bits, then swap, then intro? Or divide and use the new mouse's old bedding in with the other two? Or the other way round?

 

[The-Wolf]

Hmm I like the bedding idea

any other suggestions

 

[GSD]

when i introduced my guinea pig in with my other two the older 2 wernt happy because they wernt happy with a new partner.I know guineas and mice rnt the same but mabe it ill work 7

rub on some strong sent onto the chins of all the mice and let them meet somewhere neutral.not in the cage.Do this few times and everyday swap bedding with eachother so both get eachothers scent.Everytime they meet on neutral ground(noones territory)then put the other new mouse in for 10-20mins with only 1 of the other mice.Kepp the other one out.This way their lesslikley to gang up on the new mouse.Then repeat with the other one.Then put the new one in a small cage so they can see and smell eahother but not attack eachother

it will take time though
but it worked for me.

good luck

 

[Lynz781]

How about giving her to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

 

[The-Wolf]

How about giving her to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

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love to Lynz, but you are all the way up there

 

[Lynz781]

Can you get another cage?

 

[KeddyPie]

I know a lot of cases of the vanilla idea working with rats, which are very similar to mice. Also, it might be a good idea to let them meet on neutral territory, like am epty bathtub with some un-used toys (fresh boxes, toilet paper tubes). For one, there will be no instinc to defend territory for either parties, and they should be interested in their new surroundings and tehrefor rather distracted from the new addition.

Another idea, is to introduce the enw girl to one mouse in this new territory intead of both. The desire to not be alone might drive the aggressive one to befriend the new one rather quickly, then you can add the less aggressive of the old girls.

Normally, even with very aggressive mice (or maybe just rats... They are very very similar, so I'm assuming they are the same ) they can be introduced, but sometimes it takes a LOT of time and a LOT of hard work. Maybe playtimes together and the bathtub for a week or two every day, for a good amount ot time, until the old mice accpet the new one.

Determination normally works in the end. If after 2 weeks of failed intros, there might be a chance that it is impossible... That is when you ougt to start thinking about another mouse to befriend your new girl.

Hope some of that helps Mice and rats are the one subject I know my stuff on.

Edit: Yes, I now realize I pertty much just quoted everyone else ^__^ I didn't read the other posts before posting.

 

[emma12321]

A dab of vicks vapour rub on the nose should do the trick. It was recommended to me by a guinea pig breeder and i now have 4 unrelated females of different ages living together (guinea pigs). Bathing them also helps but that i would like to see, guinea pigs are like soap in the water i would hate to have to bath mice.

You could also try cleaning the cage then taking out the older mice and letting the new one mark her territory then try her with the others one at a time. Also try the neuteral territory thing. Sometimes it doesn't happen though, my sister had 2 male rats together and tried to introduce a baby and they all fell out with each other so now she has 3 cages, it should in theory be fine with females though.

Something else you may want to consider is getting another female then all the agression won't be centred on one new mouse. I did it the other way round a few years ago and it worked out fine. I had one female mouse milo on her own for about 3 months then i got 2 friends for her and they got along fine.

Good luck

Emma

 

[Dweenus]

This is kind of off topic but last week I was trying to add 2 new dwarves to my exiusting 2 dwarves, but one of tem got injured through bitin and it was difficult to pull them a part.

 

[KeddyPie]

Sometimes it doesn't happen though, my sister had 2 male rats together and tried to introduce a baby and they all fell out with each other so now she has 3 cages, it should in theory be fine with females though.

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In my personal experience, it is much harder to introduce females then males. I've never had a male rat not accept another rat of any gender, and I've never had one of my females rejec the company of a male, but normally when introducing a female, or when a female is taken awake for 2 weeks due to surgery, very often the other females attack them. In my opintion, the males are much less likely to start fights when referring to rats.

 

[The-Wolf]

ok, I've tried everything and the situation got worse.
there was a huge scrap which ended in the new mouse
having its' back bitten, small amount of blood.

This was yesterday and she is fine this morning.
I have taken her back, as I didn't want to keep her on
her own and I have no more room for another set up.

I seem to have a very aggressive female (Pixie) , so
there is no way for me to add any more mice to the pair I have now.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and help.