I occationally get field mice in my house, and it seem my cat is wearing out. Some requested that the next mouse I catch, she wants. Though nornally a fall item, these 2 mice came in the winter, and I caught them both.
The 2 are now in a plastic 5 gal. bucket with holes drilled in the lid for ventilation. I put a lid w/ water in it, put some soil from a potted plant on the ‘floor’ and put in some cat kibble.
They are in a room that is commonly about 50F, this is because it offers secondary containment if they escape the bucket.
What do I need to do to keep them happy and healthy till I can deliver them?
hmmmm, the hamster ate that post - I wonder if that hamster knows these mice , lets try again.
I am concerned about the low temps, should I put some cedar mulch in the bucket, or pine neadles, leaves or grass? Anything else? I don’t want to heat that section of the house, and want to keep them there.
I raised generations of mice on nothing but Cheerios and water. I think 50F should be fine, temperature-wise. I mean they’re animals, who (as I understand) have undergone eons of genetic selection in order to live outside.
They will probably chew through the plastic bucket, if they have not already. Use metal if you got it.
As to how well the “room” will contain them if that happens, good luck on that one. A mouse can squeeze through any hole its head will fit through.
As to what to feed them, the cat food will do fine, as noted. It will probably be the healthiest eating they ever had. Drop a plastic lid in there, flip it over with a stick and pour some water in it too.
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Then, put the buckets in a 55-gallon metal drum. Set it in the middle of a well-lit room, and surround it with glue traps. Buy several large, angry cats from the pound. Feed them very little, and leave them in the room. If you have children, give them all BB pistols and make them do shifts watching The Bucket.
Metacom, hater of mice, the fucking little furry bastards that shit all over my stuff.
I had pet mice for a few years, till I got sick of them and didn’t get any new ones. They’re really hardy creatures. Short of starving them, I’m not sure how you couldn’t keep them alive for a week.
Actually, lack of water will kill them pretty quickly. The kids don’t always remember to put lids on the feed containers after they are empty and in the fall or late spring (when the mice are active but there is less natural food around) I will find a few dead ones at the bottom of an empty feed barrel every once in a while. There are usually a couple of grains of goat feed at the bottom, but without water they don’t last long.