[raving_ratties]

My house has got mice in it. We've been hearing them in the walls, so my brother set traps out. All of the mice we've caught are very young so they're reproducing and we've likely got an infestation. Well, last night I could sometihng rustling in my trash can. I checked it out and found a tiny little mouse inside. I tried to move him into a tank, but he got away. :U But I found him again today! He was in my trash can again and I was able to move him into a makeshift habitat but now I don't know what to do with him. It's very cold where I live, so if I put him outside he'll likely freeze but I don't have any other options. I know that I can't domesticate him either, so what should I do? The mouse is currently in a 6 gallon tank with fleece, some nesting material, a bowl of water and some puffed millet that he's nibbling on. I've got the tank on a heating pad too since my room is in the basement and it's a bit chilly down here.

 

[Mrs.Brisby]

Just a warning. Since it's a wild mouse there is potential for zoonotic diseases. There are a lot of things you could do. You could put it back in the area it came from and it will go back to its family. You could find a suitable area nearby, like a junkyard/field/some place with dense undergrowth, if you don't want it near your house. You could put it down. You could look into giving it to a wildlife center but they will most likely feed it to one of their predatory animals or release it. You could try to keep it but it might die anyway. Wild animals, especially the prey type animals, don't enjoy being in captivity. It's very stressful and scary for them. If I were in your position I would first deal with the infestation. Seal your trashcans, food cabinets/containers, and any cracks leading into your house. If you get rid of the food source, the mice will leave in search of something else to eat.

 

[Lita]

I understand your situation way to well! XD We caught one, decided to take it to the park to release it and it got out right before and the cat caught it and it died shortly after. Caught a second one and it died within a day, caught a third and it's currently in a tank, and has been for a little while now. My brother read somewhere that if you release a wild house mouse you want to do so 2 miles or more away from your house, or else they will be able to find their way back. They'll know where they were getting food and would rather go back if they can. Careful if you decide to release it though, you could get in trouble, they are pests and can carry illness like Mrs.Brisby said, so cities and towns don't usually take to kindly to releasing wild mice at their parks/fields. And if its near houses you can get in a lot of trouble. We wanted to release multiple ones together, since they are social and I figured it might be safer for them to have their family with them in a strange place. But at least at our house the traps have stopped working so we're kinda stuck at the moment. Our little booger (aka spider mouse, he/she likes to climb the mesh tank lid and sniff at the cats that come watch) is rather relaxed for a wild animal, likes to come out of hiding in the middle of the day when we're downstairs. The first two were much more fearful and more like what you'd expect, only came out if they thought we weren't there. This one likes to watch us and the cats. We really need to let him/her go though. XP I'm getting attached!

If you don't want to kill him, and want to give him a chance, I'd take him somewhere wild and let him go. A hiking trail, beside a lake, something like that. Chances are he'll get caught by something, he could freeze, but there is also a chance he'll make it. It's nature and a wild habitat is his best chance.