How To Hold a Pet Mouse

A lot of people wonder how to hold a pet mouse correctly. If you are new to handling mice, it can be a little scary at first. Mice are small fragile creatures, and they are always moving or fidgeting.

You cannot grasp them tightly, there is a serious risk of doing damage to them if you do that. They are small creatures, so just think how small their bones are. They will not be a match for a large clumsy human clasping them.

Tame your Mouse First

The more tame a mouse is, the easier it will be to handle. This can take some time, so don’t try to rush this part. If your pet is new, you need to establish a good relationship and trust. This will help the process of taming the mouse.

If a mouse is tame, it’s more likely to allow you to pick it up. Chasing a mouse around trying to pick it up increases the risk of hurting it. You want them to come to your hand to investigate, allowing you to gently scoop them up.

Don’t Hold a Mouse By It’s Tail

There is a common misconception that you can hold a mouse by its tail. This is NOT the case. Admittedly, their tails do not easily shed like other rodents, such a gerbil – but they do not find it comfortable and it can do serious damage.

You can hold the tail gently however, using it to help stabilize the mouse in your hands. Their tails are used to help them balance, and are quite fragile. So never bend their tails yourself.

If you are having problems picking a mouse up, you can coax it into a tube. Then pick up the tube and allow it to walk out onto your hands. This is a great way to easily move the rodent, causing minimal disruption and stress.

How To Hold a Pet Mouse Safely

Once you have become a trusted friend of your mouse, you can start to handle more often. Always approach the mouse slowly and gently, I think you can understand that they are nervous creatures by nature. Rightly so with all the predators after them in the wild.

So without making the mouse nervous, pick them up gently by scooping your hand around it. Support around the body fully, without applying any real pressure. With your other hand you can hold the tail out so it doesn’t get trapped and hurt them.

It really is as simple as that. You just need to exercise a great deal of caution and be gentle. Mice are friendly, soft little creatures. They are a joy to hold, are you have nothing to be afraid of.

Be Careful Not to Drop a Mouse

You may have seen mice running up and down walls and jumping around. But they do not like being dropped, it’s never a good idea to do it. There are a number of health risks associated with dropping a mouse.

Obviously it would not necessarily be on purpose. Mice can become very fidgety and try to leap out of your hands, and if your not careful they might just do it.

They won’t take into account how high up they are being held, so you can understand how easily an injury can occur as result of an accident.

 

So there you have it, that’s how to hold a pet mouse safely. Follow the above directions, be careful, and be sensible while holding them. It’ll become more natural and easy over time, and you’ll form a great bond with each other. Have fun.