New furry addition! (now with pics)

First topic message reminder :

Mick, the orphaned field mouse. He was abandoned and was wriggling around in one of the packed boxes in the garage - dad found him. Very, very young! He's probably just under two weeks old, with a full body of fur, but his eyes and ears are still shut.

Bought him some formula, as well as little stuffed mice to replicate siblings. He's currently in a large plastic tub, filled with shredded paper, with some formula-soaked cotton balls. He's still in the garage, just in case his mother is still around somewhere. Here's to hoping!

No pictures, I'm afraid, as I don't want to frighten the poor little thing. Not sure that he's going to make it, as he isn't even weaned yet, but we can at least make him comfortable. Hopefully he'll feed soon, as he wouldn't take the formula earlier today.

I've been using a damp, warm cotton bud! Great minds think alike, eh?

Also, when I was stimulating him to go to the toilet, he kept suckling at his own toes

It sounds as though he? Is in good hands.

*"Keep trucking on!"
Sound like he has a fighting chance. I find a brush better as it simulates mums tongue running throught the fur.

When he licks himself.... thats party time!

*(Another aussie saying... sounds rude written but its... "you keep going no matter what till you break down or reach the goal."

OMG! It's so cute.

The only brush I have that hasn't had paint on it is the one I use to sweep up stick insect poop!

And yes, he's definitely a 'he'! I checked And he has terrible aim.

Definitely not giving up on him. He's too adorable!

He's due his next feed in about half an hour. Hopefully he'll be as cooperative as he was in his last one!

He is adorable wishing for the best!

Thanks!

One other idea....
If he dosent pee/poop often enough....

(Don't read further if you don't like bum talk.)

If you lightly brush a young animals anus as their as mum would do with her tounge, it will make them want to defecate/urinate, thus letting them sleep comfortably & then be hungry when they wake.

That's what I've been doing They can't poop on their own when they're young. If he doesn't get his belly and bum wiped, he could get poisoning.

Just had another feed, a wash and a big poop. Now he's curled up on his heat pack - again.

Sounds good!

I think I really am going to get my heart broken here... I've made mum promise not to let me get a fancy mouse in the next few months!

Eleanor, you've been doing such a great job! It's very heartening that he has survived this long without his mum at such a tender age - and I'm looking forward to the next instalment on his progress.

Well done Eleanor!

Its exhausting being a furmum. I still miss bunny lol

Thank you!

I have to admit, I'm quite nervous about it all. I've looked after animals before, but never as young as this and I've never really felt the pressure of having an animal so totally reliant on being hand-reared. I really am hoping that he'll be okay, as I know I'll be devastated if he dies. He's such a sweet little thing. I can't even describe how touching it was when he first started to feed. He was so greedy, he took the entire nozzle - about a centimetre long - into his mouth!

I remember Bunny, Hayley

I can imagine how touching it was Eleanor, when baby mouse started to feed

When a baby animal with no other resources is landed on our laps, it's only natural to do our very best for them. Here's hoping Eleanor.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him!

Poor Bunny

Just finished his midnight feed! Will go back down in a bit to wash him down and do poo patrol.

Bit of a panic this morning. Checked on Mick the Mouse after Dempsey's walk & he was very still & not responding.

He seemed a bit cold so I warmed up his rice sock & pu try him on it, then got some warm milk. By the time I got back with the milk he was wriggling around, so obviously the chill had got to him. He had a bit of milk & settled down again, so all ok so far!

"sk all lk sk far!" - Oh, I totally agree!

He's been moved into the warm now, as it's all rainy and cold outside at the moment. Some fresh shredded paper added. I'll be moving him into a terrarium once he reaches the hopper stage.

Caryll wrote:.........., sk all lk sk far!

So glad to hear that!

Glad to hear he is doing ok.

Get some wool like hamster cage bedding, its nice and cosy

Lorraine wrote:

Caryll wrote:.........., sk all lk sk far!

So glad to hear that!

Believe it or not, that was Predictive Text!

Not really something we can easily get around here, I'm afraid. I'd be a bit concerned that he'd get his toes/nails caught though.

Caryll wrote:

Lorraine wrote:

Caryll wrote:.........., sk all lk sk far!

So glad to hear that!

Believe it or not, that was Predictive Text!

And there was me thinking you'd learned to speak Klingon!

Stick with it Mousey !