Pregnant mouse?

[Tsubaki]

Mice eats their young due to extreme stress or a serious protein deficiency, if simply being alone or with unfamiliar mice got them to eat their young they woulndt be as effective as a species. 99/100 times young get eaten, wrong type of feed. My source for this? I bred fancy mice for years, and only had accidents the first few months untill I figured out pregnant mice needed supplements. Aka animal protein, insects (dried or not) or dried meat.. or even high quality (high protein low sodium) cat food works. Without supplements there's always a chance of the mother culling the litter because she can't spare the protein the babies are made out of, they aren't vegetarians after all. Rats do the same. I could even sort of, count, and sex the newborns without losing any. They did sometimes clean out the weak ones though. Only other problem is if you put a nursing mom with a non nursing possesive female, that would steal babies and blocks the mothers acces causing the babies to lack nursing. Males fighting isn't anything you can do about, it takes a long time and serious dedication to breed friendly males that can live together. If store bought mice fight, they will not very likely stop.

[TRD]

Originally Posted by Tsubaki

I bred fancy mice for years

Same here Now Japanese dancing mice... we have around 25 or so right now who are off limit to the snakes (much to their disappointment I could add)

[Scubadiver59]

Originally Posted by TRD

Same here Now Japanese dancing mice... we have around 25 or so right now who are off limit to the snakes (much to their disappointment I could add)

Did you put them in clear cages next to each other to see the disappointment???

[regi375]

Originally Posted by Scubadiver59

Did you put them in clear cages next to each other to see the disappointment???

The cage I have my feeder mice in is in plain view of my cat. I've seen her sitting on the floor, staring at them. Even if they escape to avoid becoming nourishment for my snake, my cat will get them. Talk about being screwed, lol.

[Macropodus]

Originally Posted by regi375

The cage I have my feeder mice in is in plain view of my cat. I've seen her sitting on the floor, staring at them. ...

So whether or not the mice can see her they can still smell her? Are they breeding for you or are they just kept there as in a holding cage until they're fed off?

We have a long-haired cat (Norwegian Forest) which requires regular grooming. Our African Soft Furred Rats are on another level of the house where the cat is not permitted. There have been a few times over the years when I inadvertently groomed the cat and then shortly afterwards went to the ASF's. They are almost always very active when we enter, even happy to see us. But on days when we smell like cat they freeze, motionless. I'd immediately leave, change clothes, wash my hands & forearms with soap/water, and then re-enter to see them back to normal.

I imagine regular exposure to cat scent could cause a decrease in reproduction rates for any small mammal from mice up to rabbits.

[Magdalen]

Originally Posted by Macropodus

I imagine regular exposure to cat scent could cause a decrease in reproduction rates for any small mammal from mice up to rabbits.

I'm not so sure about the rabbit part (I've never bred rabbits) but rabbits (not wild rabbits) tend to get along with cats fairly well. Haha my rabbit is actually kind of an a**hole to my cats. He likes chasing them. Or going for their faces. Actually before he got fixed.... he reeallllly like my cats if you get my drift. Anyway I'm off topic.

[Macropodus]

Originally Posted by magdalen

... My rabbit ... Before he got fixed.... He reeallllly like my cats if you get my drift. Anyway i'm off topic.

....lol...