How to Care for an Infant Mouse

You may find yourself with an infant mouse because your pet mouse has abandoned her baby or cannot take care of it, or perhaps you felt you had to adopt a pinkie (an infant mouse that does not have any fur yet) from the pet store. While many individuals feel mice are disgusting rodents, others find them to be good pets whose company they enjoy. Taking care of an infant mouse is harder than caring for an adult mouse, according to The Fun Mouse, because their little bodies are more vulnerable to illnesses. However, many feel that the rewards of caring for an infant mouse outweigh the risks of losing it.

Things You'll Need

  • Mouse cage with narrow wires
  • Torn cotton shirts
  • Heating pad
  • Small stuffed animal
  • Gram scale
  • Puppy or kitten milk replacement in powder form
  • 1cc syringe
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Instructions

  1. The Infant Mouse's Cage

    • 1

      Purchase a mouse cage that is made of clear plastic or wires. Make sure the wires in the cage are close together because the infant mouse could escape when it is older and more mobile.

    • 2

      Place cage over a heating pad on low heat if the infant mouse does not have any fur.

    • 3

      Place torn t-shirts on the bottom of the cage for the infant mouse's bedding. This kind of litter is more comfortable for young mice, according to the Rat and Mouse Club of America, because their claws will not get caught in the material.

    • 4

      Put a small stuffed animal in the cage. According to the Rat and Mouse Club of America, the infant mouse will feel more secure if it can snuggle with a stuffed animal.

    • 5

      Clean the cage on a regular basis. Since you are using cloth rags, you can wash them and reuse them until the mouse is old enough for cob litter.

    Feeding the Infant Mouse

    • 6

      Weigh the infant mouse on the gram scale. Divide the mouse's weight by two; this will help indicate the number of cc's to feed the mouse from the syringe. For example, if a baby mouse weighs 6 grams, you will need to feed it 0.3 cc's of formula per feeding. Weigh the infant mouse every day to monitor its growth.

    • 7

      Mix the puppy or kitten milk formula according to the package's instructions.

    • 8

      Place the formula in the syringe and allow it to warm in a cup of hot tap water for three minutes.

    • 9

      Hold the infant mouse so its body is parallel to yours and its head is supported while you feed it.

    • 10

      Gently push on the syringe's plunger as you feed the infant mouse.