Can You Tame a Wild Baby Mouse?
Mice make for adorable pets. If you find a wild house in your house, however, you shouldn’t keep it as a pet.
A lot of people ask, ‘Can you tame a wild baby mouse and keep it as a pet?‘
No, you can’t. There are a few reasons why as I’ll explain.
Contents
Wild Mice Are Not Used to Being Handled
If you’ve had pet mice you will know how long it takes to build up trust when handling them from an early age.
Wild mice have grown up without any human interaction and will often not take kindly to being handled.
Just imagine how you’d feel being thrown into a small cage after having the freedom of the outdoors. Don’t be surprised if you get bitten!
Wild Mice Are Likely to Bite You
As mentioned above, wild mice are very likely to bite you if you try and handle them. They will be scared, confused, and just want to escape.
There is nothing fun for the owner or the animal if your ‘pet’ is scared of you and just wants to return to its natural habitat.
Wild Mice Can Carry Diseases
This reason is and should be enough to scare you all from taking on a wild mouse as a pet.
There is always a risk of a disease being transferred from the mouse to you, and that means sickness, pain, and some potentially some pretty horrible symptoms.
Some of the potential illnesses include:
- Lyme Disease
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
- Lassa Fever
- Bubonic Plague
- Tularemia
- Rickettsialpox
- Salmonellosis
In Summary
If you want a pet mouse, buy a fancy mouse or another species of mouse being sold by a breeder or a trustworthy pet store. Fancy mice are inexpensive, easy to look after, and readily available.
If you find wild mice in your garden leave them alone. If you find a baby mouse however, this post will help you understand what to do to ensure it’s safe.
About The Author
Phil
I have kept pet mice for a number of years and always had a fascination with these interesting, fun little creatures. I'm always looking for new and interesting mice related information and will always help other mice owners where possible.
Hi Phil,
Wonderful articles with great information. With the cold weather, a mouse (or mice) have found comfort in my home. To keep them from roaming for food, I’ve been leaving out fresh water and recommended food for them underneath my sink (where they probably came in and will be sealed once they are all removed). I’ve ordered and received a PETA recommended trap and release trap. I also have an empty fenced in back yard where they can safely reside through the winter (and I’ll continue to provide fresh water/food for them). However, my problem is that I don’t know HOW to provide shelter that will be warm enough for them. I created a makeshift home from a large plastic garbage can, elevated, filled with lots of shredded white paper napkins. I’ve tested it when a flash flood came through and it remains dry. I’ve called far and wide all the Rodent / Wild Mammal Rescue organizations I’ve located, but none have responded to my calls or messages. I read that house mice cannot survive in temps under 65 degrees F. I’ve also investigated how winter feral cat homes are made in an effort to create something. PLEASE tell me what you recommend will work. I’ve had this mouse (mice) in my home for a month now and must act soon to remove all that are inside.
Thank you!!