I am so sorry.
At least you gave them a good retirement as active mice instead of just being stuck in a cage.
Probably no one else would have given them heaven on earth.
3 Likes
Hugs for you and your little dudes.
1 Like
Iâm so sorry for your losses. (((hugs)))
1 Like
RIP Little onesâŠ
Please donât let your cages be empty. Adopt or buy some more.
3 Likes
You did a very good thing for them right up to the end.
RIP wee mousies.
1 Like
That was a wonderful thing to do. Mousy retirement. Those little guys earned a happy ending.
Since you have the setup, what about getting a few more? Or, even saving a few from snake food.
3 Likes
Condolences on the passing of the old gentlemen mice. Thank you for giving them a retirement of enrichment and kindness.
2 Likes
Thank you! I thought of that. They joy was that I worked with them for 8 months before they retired so I knew them for around a year and a half. It wouldnât be the same! Iâm not sure if our new institution âdoesâ the adoption thing but Iâm going to look into it.
8 Likes
If they donât, we have a barn hunt club where we use pet rats (yes spoiled, pets) for dogs port. (Just FYI our rats enjoy interacting with the dogs and will self load the tubes when we hold them to their crates.)
We do retire our âold guysâ when they are done working of if we have one who doesnât enjoy working. Might be an option for you too!
1 Like
I am trying very hard to visualize what you are talking about! Hahahaha!
Iâve been emailing the vets at the new institution and answering their questions about future adoptions. They were concerned that pet-store bedding and food have the outside chance of having parasites, esp. pinworms. They didnât want my colleague or me bringing that into the vivarium. Iâve been building a solid case that when our old vivarium moved, we got tons of supplies that no one wanted to move. I also mentioned that I got bags of expired PicoLabs 1053 mouse food because yes, YES, I do feed the squirrels. I know⊠I know⊠Pretty much, everything but my 3D STEM construction blocks came from a vivarium and the toy pieces came from a friendâs kid. I think I am slowly wearing them down (well, giving them no reason to deny our future requests).
I mentioned that these mice are unique in that they are scruffed 5X/week for 2 years while working. They are incredibly used to being handled when retired. And at least my batch was incredibly friendly because I pet them all! My colleague said she bathed her mice weekly (!) by having them wade through a pie plate filled with warm water and a drop of Dawn dishwashing detergent. She and her daughters dried them by handing them off to each other in dry paper towels. The mice were fine with it! I thought âWhaaaaat?â
Hopefully Iâll have two more little men at some point in the future!
6 Likes
In regard to concerns about pinworms, you could mention you would use a handful of cedar chips in your home cage bedding to prevent pinworm infiltration if pet store quality bedding indeed could be a source of pinworms (havenât heard that one but doesnât mean it isnât true).
Thanks! Since my former company moved to a new vivarium (at the institution I now work at), one researcher had LARGE sterilized bags of rodent bedding. I snagged 2. I think I went through only about 1/3 of one bag for the little men! Weâve got that base covered. The old vivarium moved, too, and I have tons of supplies and food from them. Pretty much everything comes from a strict vivarium environment. Even the food. I have no need to visit a pet store.
I also, ummm, feed the squirrels with the excess rodent chow. (I know, I know)
2 Likes
