Things You'll Need
- Mouse treats
Instructions
Allow your mouse time to acclimate to its surroundings when you first bring it home. Mice have an excellent sense of smell and will be overwhelmed with the scents of a new home and cage. Give your mouse a day or two to adjust to its new surroundings before attempting to handle it.
Feed your mouse and leave your hand in the cage while it eats. This helps your mouse to adjust to your hand and will decrease the likelihood of your mouse instinctively biting your fingers.
Give your mouse a treat while it's in its cage. Once a mouse has adjusted to its new home, it will feel safe in its cage, so feeding it there helps it to feel secure. Repeat this several times each day. Your mouse will gradually learn to associate your hand with food, which will help it to be less fearful.
Place your hand in the cage with a treat in it. Allow your mouse to approach your hand and take the treat but don't pick your mouse up. Do this several times a day for a week before you attempt to pick your mouse up. If you try to pick your mouse up too early, your mouse may become more skittish and you'll have to begin the entire socialization process again. When your mouse has reliably walked into your hand for a week, you can gently pick it up. When you have lifted your mouse out of its cage, give it another treat.