# Newborn mouse babies?



## Jacknoliver (Jan 3, 2014)

My mouse, gypsy, just had from what I tried to count 5 babies. The father is an albino domesticated mouse, and she is a wild field mouse. I had assumptions she was pregnant, but now that she has little pinkies, I don't need to assume anymore. I went to check on her today. When I lifted her hut she ran off to her little boyfriend while I discovered her babies. She went back in there with them, but I don't know what to do now. I need to separate them eventually and the cage is getting smelly but I don't want to take chances with handling anything. Soooo what do I do now? The babies can be between a day or 3 days old. I'm just so shocked and nervous. I just need some tips haha these are my little erasers









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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Mice are a little different then rats when it comes to babies, but also very similar. My boyfriend and I once had a litter of mice, and I pretty much went out and researched their care to death. For the most part, just like rats, mamma mouse will care for her young without you having to do anything. A healthy mouse pup should have a milk band much like a baby rat. 

Do you know how old these guys are? For cleaning, what my boyfriend and I did is we took the mouse pups, once mamma was distracted, and put them and the surrounding bedding in a little carrier. We put mamma in their afterwards with them. We cleaned the cage like normal and put everything back as before. We took her pups and the surrounding bedding and put it back in her usual spot where she had her nest before. Just make sure to put the surrounding bedding in their with them so it still smells like mamma. Mamma mouse should push any bedding she believes is dirty out of her nest and pull in new bedding when she feels ready. 

Mamma mouse can eat her little ones when she feels stressed or feels like they don't belong to her anymore (have a stranger's scent on them). My boyfriend and I have had that happen with our first litter of mice (these mice were pregnant when we got them). Try not to handle them unless absolutely necessary (cage cleaning for instance) until they have grown in their fur. Once they have grown in their fur you can go ahead and socialize these guys. If mamma mouse really trusts you and has a good bond with you guy can probably handle them earlier. =P


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