introducing male mice

Crumble Froo

hey, i adopted a male mouse a few months ago. he had been a pet in a preschool, and well... didnt have the greatest life... was gonna be 'released to the wild' that weekend, i took an interest, and ended up bringing him home. he was quite skittery around people and wasnt eating great. he's eating well now, and is much much happier around people, and just in general... much more active, etc etc.

so, i thought that the thing that would probably (hopefully) benefit him most, would be a buddy... done some reading, and well, obviously mice are social creatures, everything from social happiness to warmth when they're sleeping (and it does get cold here), but obviously, a female would make baby mice, which we dont want, and a male would be a rival for territory.

done some reading, and apparently, keeping them in separate cages, and introducing them little by little on neutral ground is a good way to start, increasing the amount of time they spend together little by little, and eventually having them live together.

has anyone actually tried this? can anyone give me any advice, or anything. talking to someone online, who can sell me a baby male mouse, would the fact that he's a baby change the situation at all? would hope to get back to him this weekend, with a yes or a no.

hadook

Generally speaking, introducing a baby male would make it easier.

When I kept mice years ago I'd mis-sexed a pair and ended up with 16 little surprises. The father was on his own at this stage for a few weeks and I introduced 2 of his pups (he'd never met them, having been moved long before they were born) with very little trouble. They're quite social creatures so, as long as you're careful and follow the advice you've been reading, you shouldn't have a problem.

The one thing I'd say is that if your adult mouse is more than a year old you might want to consider introducing two pups. Otherwise you run the risk of one being left on it's own when natural ageing takes its course. Mouses don't have the longest lifespan

Crumble Froo

hmm, intersting point there at the end... largely cos i have no idea how old my mousey is. like i said, his previous owners were gonna 'release him to the wild' (he's albino too, ffs), they werent able to tell me much at all about him. but yes, the baby thing could make it easier, maybe if hte person im buying it off has two male mice (my partner had mice before, which reproduced, till there were 30-50 mice... there is no way in hell he is letting me get a female now), ill buy a second off him. thanks for the tips

entershikarisim

Dont do it! Dont do it!!
Seriously, Dont!

males kill eachother, we got 2 at a pet shop and we asked for 2 girls but we got son & dad instead (rolls eyes, thats pet shop workers for you) and even tho they had been together every time we fed them or changed their bedding there was an all out war. The older one became very depressed at his rival and they were very unhappy so we seperated them. They are much happier now and it doesnt matter that theyre solitary, this is how they would live in the wild apart from the odd mate which of course you dont want.
Please please please dont get a male he would be much happier with NO companion then a MALE companion... seriously.. trust me

hadook

I kept (and bred) mice for 6 years and had everything from simple pairs to large groups of males with next to no problems.

entershikarisim

well, in my situation it was causing them more harm then good. mice arent like gerbils they dont really need a companion, i dont think anyway... its just my oppinion but its up to you... dont blame me if they kill eachother!

Crumble Froo

i've decided against it... read a good bit about it working in books on mouse care etc, but most people i talk to seem to say it wont work... i've heard the words 'fight to the death' too often on this case to want to risk it. next time i get mice, i think ill be going for females, but i guess my lil Tundra is living out this one alone.