# Advice on caring for field mouse?!



## McSquirtle

I believe that we have a few field mice living in our garden. The trouble is that we have 3 cats and last week they brought me an adult mouse, he was clearly distressed as was just lying still as they batted it around my kitchen! I quickly noticed what was going on and picked him up (he was incredibly shocked as just let me handle him and check him over with no fuss) He appeared to have no external injuries apart from a small scratch on his nose. I put him into a container with sawdust, water, seed and a hide box and monitored him. I didn't notice him eating but offered him a small amount of plain biscuit and he nibbled that down with no problem  During the night he was very active and trying to escape, which I took as a great sign and I released him the next day to a safer area.
The problem is, that I found the cats playing with another adult mouse yesterday evening... I don't know how long they had been tormenting it for as they were in the garden and I only noticed by chance. I fetched it in and put it in the same container (obviously cleaned!) and once again noticed no external injuries however it seems less likely to make it than the last. Over night it made no real attempts to move around and this morning I found it against the side of the container - I originally thought it was dead but it was just cold and still. I put it in the hide and have put a small heatmat on 'low' below with the container on a towel. I haven't noticed it eat or drink but don't want to stress it out further. Is there anything I can do to build its strength up? My husband says its cruel to keep it going and that I should just hit it over the head :eek6: But I'm a veterinary nurse and its in my nature to give the little guy a go.
Any sensible advice? (unlike my H!)


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## AnnB

Oh no, it doesn't sound very hopeful does it. The only thing I can suggest (other than keeping it warm) is to try some antibiotics if you can get some from where you work. You'd have a job administering anything though without stressing the mouse even more.

Might be worth giving your local wildlife hospital a call for some more advice.


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## AlexArt

If they haven't picked up within a few hours then they are generally doomed, it probably has major internal injuries/broken bones/nerve damage. The kindest thing to do for the mouse is bump it off I'm afraid - they have such high metabolisms that it will be using up it's own resources anyway now if it hasn't eaten for such a long time. I've rescued tons of small furry cat casualties over the years as I have plenty of cats!, from mice/voles/moles/bats/birds/squirrels/rabbits/shrews etc - some survive but most I have to give the golden handshake too as they are often too badly damaged wether it's visable or not, you've done what you can for this little fellow and it's only suffering now, anti-biotics won't heal internal injuries.


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## elmthesofties

The thing is there is no real cure for shock or internal injuries. I keep any mice that the cats give me in a bin overnight. (with the rubbish bag taken out, obviously!) Then I put in a corner of bread with some butter and golden syrup. The sugar gives it a quick boost of energy, the butter has some fat in it, and the bread gives it slow release energy. That's my theory, anyway, and it seems to be working because generally the only mice that die in this house are already dead when they're bought in.


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## peter0

I have a spare plastic tank as my cat likes to bring me the odd gift too. I put in a lot of hay for it to hide in and make itself comfy. I also give a little water bowl and put in some broken up crackers, oat biscuits, bread and some wild bird seed/muesli for it. Sometimes they survive and sometimes they don't. Either way it's better for it to pass over somewhere cosy and quiet and not in danger of being eaten. Well done for rescuing it anyway and i hope it perks up


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## zany_toon

Has the little fellow eaten anything at all? I hope he/she is ok  You are certainly giving it a good chance though doing what you are, and it's worth trying the antibiotics and some really smelly food (I found peanut butter or jam works) that might tempt the little one.


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## McSquirtle

I'm sorry to say that the little guy passed away this afternoon  I had just made him a lunch consisting of carrot, courgette, crackers and soaked bread and came up to offer some and he was "sleeping" in the little hide. I'm glad I gave him a go at recovering and I suppose I was feeling confident after the first rescue a few days ago but it was obviously more injured. I hope that's the last one they fetch me for a while at least. I love my cats but they aren't half cruel creatures!


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## zany_toon

I'm sorry that he didn't make it, but at least you managed to get him away from your cats so they couldn't torture him anymore


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