Mice in New York

[Mrs. Beach]

What a kind offer! Certainly, MouseMamma, certainly! I will keep that in mind. For now, just enjoy, love, and take wonderful care of the sweet mice I'm sending you. Sorry you have to wait so long!

I've been working with them all twice a day on "Would you come with me?" (hold still, I'm not a predator, I'm just going to pick you up), and "Go home?" (yes, you're moving through the air but it's OK), and "Go home!" (this is your cage; you're not moving through the air any more; go ahead and crawl out of my hand). All but two or three are really good with "Would you come with me?", and a good many of them are beginning to climb into my hand as it moves slowly towards them. Smaaaart mice!

Other commands: "New York miiice!" before I open the door and turn on the light. Some know "Medecinos!" (I'm going to scruff you, now). The point of this command is that they know they'll be scruffed and it's not a surprise something they'll constantly be in fear of when I take them out. In the morning, they hear, "Oats and rice! Mm! Mm! Mighty nice!" accompanied by six taps on the top frame of their cages after the oats and rice have been scattered. "Bye-bye" when the lid goes on, so they know they won't be interrupted any more, they don't have to wait, tensely, to see if anything else happens. "Bye-bye" before the light goes out. Just simple manners so they know what to expect and can be relaxed. Interaction. Communication!

[MouseMamma]

WOW! I never thought of simple commands like that! My mice just know "C'mon!" and they'll usually climb on, but a command to let them know they're about to be scruffed is a brilliant idea!

[Mrs. Beach]

Yeah, MouseMamma. It hurts me to see the reproachful looks they give me sometimes after I give them their meds, and since I am suddenly picking them up, morning and night without fail, and always give them meds, I wonder if they think they will always get meds when I pick them up, and I don't want them to think that. So I started the "Medecinos!" command. They also aren't so startled when I do scruff them. Again, it's letting them know what to expect. They know they're prey animals, and they can get so stressed.

[Neurozool]

I never thought of giving them a command to let them know when I am leaving and they won't be bothered for a bit! That is a great idea! Sometime I forget when I have the red light on, and I'll go over to a cage and move something- and wow does that freak them out. I need to remember that just because I can see them, does not mean they can see me- and if I could train them to know that something like 4 taps on a cage meant I was there and not to be spooked...Mrs. Beach, you are a awesome mouse mom! I am soooooooooooo glad I got to meet you in person and see just what a little time (or a lot) and effort can do! BTW, how is the get MES castle??

On a slightly related note, I got my first 3 adopted mice from about an hour north of me. They are all very fat (but nothing a diet and 24/7 saucer wheel can't fix) but are all very friendly- and I prefer that to perfect weights and skiddish! The one female was born without her right eye, but she is very sweet and healthy otherwise. I believe she is a ruby eye pearl. Her name is Snowball. Her sister's name is Freckles and is mostly white with a large grey spot on her head. I also adopted a brother as he came with his own 10 gal and water bottle. He doesn't have a name yet, although due to his very frantic nature, it will be an active name. (maybe Zoom or Zip) Also, is jumping around a lot a male trait? Both he and Milo tend to do this. I thought it was just a MIlo thing, but now that I can see two boys and compare them, I was wondering if this was a male thing...oh, and Milo is know climbing his bars (he is in a cage, not a tank) and pees out of it. I think he smells the other boy and feels the need to have a say in the matter. (Hey, this is my room!)

LOL!! MIlo is burying his coconut house by finding a good piece of Carefresh and carrying it over and throwing it on top! I was wondering how it was always buried in the morning! NM, I can definantly see how you have fallen head over heals for the boys!

[Mrs. Beach]

Congratulations on your new mice!

[Norman's Mom]

Neuro, I know, right?!?

[Mrs. Beach]

NM, you KNOW!

[Neurozool]

Oh Milo, he is something else! And he is so much more friendly then the girls! He hops up on the bars to get closer to me and 'his' dog. My girls have always had more of a 'where's my cheerio?' attitude, but not Milo! I love that mouse!

[Mrs. Beach]

Mouse castle construction has been suspended as I am going to Pennsylvania almost every weekend to care for my elderly parents who are each having a health crisis. It is no longer an emergency situation, just gonna be lengthy. My weeks are all five days long.

"His" dog? Tell me about Milo and "his" dog.

[Neurozool]

My dog Amok is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and is a sweet dog. I have been sleeping in the mouse room so as to get a good nights rest and not wake up my hubby when I get up at 2 am for work. Amok comes with me. Amok and Milo have adopted each other (Amok did the same thing with Gideon- my cat- when he was a kitten) They will touch noses though the bars, and Milo is not afraid of him at all. He was sitting on Amok's head yesterday (under very strict supervision) but only for a short period. They are buds.

[Mrs. Beach]

Oh, man! I've heard of friendships like this! Had a student whose pet rat PLAYED WITH their dog!

[Neurozool]

So how is everything?

[Mrs. Beach]

Everybody is great! All plans are in place. Looks like everything will go smoothly.

[ateles]

I've already posted in the Adoption/Wanted, but thought I'd put a note here too just in case.

I am very, very sad ( ) but I need to find a new home for my three girls. I can meet the mouse train when it stops in Belleville, IL, or anywhere in Missouri (it's going through there, right?).

Is there any chance someone would be willing to take them and love them for me? They're petshoppers that had URIs when I got them, but after we cleared those up, they haven't had any other trouble. They're very sweet and I love them very much... They can come with my 20H tank and a check for a few month's supplies if that helps at all.

Thanks for considering.
-- Kay

[Neurozool]

I might be able to if you can get them to St. Louis (where I am) I would need to put up another shelf for another 20 long, but it could work...let me think about it.