u/ashleton

I'm getting the enclosure ready for three girls, but I previously had a wild mice in there so I need to clean and sterilize everything. That made me realize that his scent and possible germs would be on the stuff in there. My questions are:

1. Is it safe to upcycle clothes into stuff for mice? I have tons of old clothes that are worn out that I could braid or weave together or something, if that would be safe/good.

2. Would it be possible to salvage the wood stuff by setting them outside for a day to get the scent off (and maybe sterilize it via sunlight)?

3. After a good wipe-down with cleaning wipes, should I then wipe that residue off before putting the bedding in? I want it clean, but I don't want it to be toxic.

I have a couple of weeks until I get them, so I've got time to make more changes.

Another question and I ask that you please don't judge me, I didn't know, but I have a hamster ball I thought was a good idea (but I was wrong and I've learned that now). Can I use it in the enclosure without the lid so it can just be something for them to play in? I've got some timothy hay in the freezer I could put in there or cover it with, or fabric if that's safe. The main bedding I'm going to use is the aspen stuff everyone recommends here plus a little bit of low-dust, unscented paper bedding for digging areas/tactile stimulation.

Any and all suggestions and recommendations are welcome. I have a bunch of the paper that they put in amazon boxes saved up. I assume the cheap, single-ply toilet paper would be fine for them (but correct me if I'm wrong, please). And I'm saving back toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes that don't have glue left on them.

I've talked about being from Georgia in the foothills of the Appalachians, but I never specified where. There's a post on another subreddit of a triangle UAP hovering over where I live, which is Carrollton, Georgia.

I'm not disclosing my name, at least not for now. I don't want people to think I'm doing this for attention or money. I'm only disclosing my location now because it feels like the right time considering the video I saw.

I figure if any agencies wanted me, they would have snatched me up that night the black helicopter flew over, but I also hadn't openly discussed my location, either. Now I am. This is just my note to let y'all know I'm taking a riskier step forward in hopes that I'll be able to reach people locally that might need help.

If I disappear, you'll know why and from where. I don't expect anything to happen, but considering the delicate nature of this whole situation and the state that the entire world is in right now, better safe than sorry. Keep supporting each other. Remember things I have taught y'all and share them. Help each other feel seen and feel safe to open up about their experiences. Be gentle, be kind, be open-minded.

So, a common thing people are experiencing is ringing in their ears. I have had ringing in my ears, but I've also had a sort of ringing/humming in my head for my whole life. I was told as a kid it was just tinnitus, but the ringing in my head is vastly different than ringing in my ears.

I can only "hear" the ringing/humming in my head when it's quiet, much like the ringing in one's ears when they have tinnitus. And when I focus on the ringing in my head I feel a... pressure? That's the closest word I can think of, but it's not quite the right connotation. The ringing in my head also gets louder when I go outside, sometimes accompanied by a stronger pressure that sort of moves across my head. I'm under the impression it's like a scan of my brain, but I don't know for what/why/who/how.

Has anyone else heard of this or experienced it? I've been encountering NHI my entire life as well and I assume it's connected, but again, I don't know anything for certain.

This adorable lil shit loves to get loose because what wild mouse wants to be caged?

Now, Mousie loves me. He'll climb under my shirt when he's scared or just wants to be close. He never minds me waking him up to pet him and he'll even groom me back. He'll play and jump on and around me, but then that wild nature gets triggered and he'll run off and hide. Not because he's scared of me, he just wants a bigger play area.

But, of course, then comes the worrying when you can't just go see him in his cage. You put out a humane trap or two with a bit of apple or just some of their food so that when they finally get hungry enough, you get them in the trap. This lil shit is smart, though. He knows what's gonna happen if he goes into the trap, so he's taking longer to get caught this time.

I'm making this post mostly to help me deal with my anxiety lol. Trying to raise a partially-tamed wild mice is challenging, to say the least. I'm pretty sure he's just in the closet, probably having a ball because it's full of stuff in there lol. What's not in the closet is his freaking food and water, though.

And for anyone curious or unaware, I didn't just catch a wild mouse to have as a pet. I found a baby mouse on the cold ground that didn't even have his little eyes open yet. I formula-fed him around the clock, every two hours until his eyes opened, then I gradually increased the gap in between feedings so I could get some half-decent naps in lol. Thankfully, since he wasn't a newborn, it only took a few days for his eyes to open.

I love this mouse. I want to get him back in my hands so I can check to see if he's ok, then I want him back in his cage at least for a while to get food, water, and rest in his hammock-thing if he needs it.

Thanks for just letting me vent. I'm frustrated to say the least, and I feel like y'all are the ones that'll understand the most lol.

If anyone has suggestions or wants to share their own experiences, please speak up :)

Edit: He's back in his cage in his hammock after a cuddle session and a long drink of water.

The baby field mouse I rescued doesn't seem to like suckling for formula as much anymore. They'll suckle until they're mostly full, then they just want to lick the formula off of my fingers for like an hour. Is this a sign it's time for weening, or does this mean something else? They love being held and will often curl up and bathe while I hold them, or they'll just fall asleep.

A lesson I have learned that I want to share in case anyone needs to hear it: baby wild mice LOVE to try to escape their cage, even if they just sit on top and wait for you to notice lol. That's how Mousie likes to play. They climb all over everything and leap at stuff and try to grab and hold on (including me when I put my hand in to pick them up lol). I had to cover one hole with some tape on both sides of the panel, and I found some clips I can put on the lid to keep it much tighter so the lil shit can't grab on to the edge. Scared the hell out of me when I glanced over and there they were, on top of their cage staring at me for feeding time lol.

The main thing I need to know is: do I release it when it's weaned, or do I keep it as a pet since I'm raising a baby mouse? I've seen both in my search, but I want to do what's best for the mouse. I found it a few days ago and its eyes hadn't opened yet, but they're open now. I'm guessing that means it's a little over two weeks old.

If it's best to keep the mouse, do I need to get a companion for it? Would a domesticated mouse live well with a field mouse?