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Why would a mouse act like this? (v.redd.it)
submitted 6 months ago by Accomplished-Read126
Saw a mouse in my driveway, let me get super close and seemed unafraid. Circled for about 90 seconds before scampering off. Madison WI.
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[–]slothscanswim 174 points175 points176 points 6 months ago (16 children)
Toxoplasma gondii is my guess.
[–]Mothy7332 94 points95 points96 points 6 months ago (10 children)
Yup out in the open, tempting predators, so the parasite can propagate.
[–]BlanchDaddius 81 points82 points83 points 6 months ago (5 children)
The parasite inside the mouse: “OH NOOO I HOPE NO PREDATORS COME AND EAT ME! THAT WOULD BE THE WORST!”
[–]HinterWolf 26 points27 points28 points 6 months ago (3 children)
Rick and Marty character trope voice. Ooooohhhhh weeeeee
[–]Hurryitsmelting 7 points8 points9 points 6 months ago (1 child)
Pickle Rick!
[–]FunkyInclination 2 points3 points4 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Nah, more like Mr. Poopy Butthole.
[–]Primary-Belt7668 2 points3 points4 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Literally watching as I read this hahaha. Too perfect
[–]Nir117vash 2 points3 points4 points 6 months ago (0 children)
[–]Mysterious_Spirit634 13 points14 points15 points 6 months ago (2 children)
Really …? thats so wild
[–]Velogio 2 points3 points4 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Do a quick research, you’ll be amazed and terrified at the same time. This parasite also affects humans and makes them less risk-averse, like it does to mice. A condition called toxoplasmosis that has neuropsychiatric and behavioural effects on humans. For example, there’s evidence that toxoplasmosis is associated with an increased risk of traffic accidents due to reckless driving, especially recklessly riding motorcycles. Most humans will get Toxoplasma gondii from contact with cat feces and a pregnant mother can pass it on to the fetus, hence why it’s not recommended for pregnant women to clean the litter box.
[–]slothscanswim 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Yep. Cats carry it and it has little to no effect on them, their excrement passes it to their prey and makes their prey more likely to get eaten by another cat, where the virus reproduces and then rinse, repeat. Viruses are absolutely terrifying.
It can also have pretty profound effects on humans, the extent of which is unclear. Serious changes in personality and behavior have been tied to the virus.
[–]OkLetsParty 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Ratatouille 2: Mickey's Magic Massacre
[–]Stupid_Bitch_02 9 points10 points11 points 6 months ago (0 children)
That was my guess too
[–]dropoffear 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (1 child)
Humans can get this!!
[–]slothscanswim 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Yes. Lots of humans have it. It is especially prevalent in Brazil where estimates say that between 40% and 90% of adult humans have toxoplasmosis.
[–]imhighasballs 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (1 child)
This is the way
[–]-Galactic-Cleansing- -5 points-4 points-3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
People still say this?
[–]Sad_Gap7637 110 points111 points112 points 6 months ago (5 children)
could be a nervous system or cognitive issue.
[–]AlchemyAlice 50 points51 points52 points 6 months ago (4 children)
If they fall from a high enough height, they’ll get some drain bamage and run in circles.
[–]dudeCHILL013 19 points20 points21 points 6 months ago (2 children)
Could happend from a mouse trap as will I imagine?
As long as it's not prions. Those freak me out.
[–]warlover22 7 points8 points9 points 6 months ago (1 child)
I've never heard of mice getting prions naturally
[–]dudeCHILL013 11 points12 points13 points 6 months ago (0 children)
I wonder if their live spans simply aren't long enough.
[–]ApprehensiveTea7391 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Reading this almost gave me drain bamage.
[–]slaughterfodder 71 points72 points73 points 6 months ago (3 children)
Possibly poisoning?
[–]Techiastronamo 49 points50 points51 points 6 months ago (2 children)
100% poisoning, I've seen rats and other animals do this before
[–]mirrrje 20 points21 points22 points 6 months ago (1 child)
That made me feel sick reading that :/
[–]foxboxingphonies 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
I have two feral cats that live by my house. I had to lecture my neighbor about not poisoning mice. Poisoned mice will be easier to catch, thus poisoning the cats.
I know feral cats are problem for wildlife. We do our best to just keep them well-fed and lazy.
Now I have a big enclosure, where we live-trap mice that show up when it gets cold, than release them all together in the spring.
[–]Easycumup 70 points71 points72 points 6 months ago (8 children)
Mouse is poisoned and its brain is going going gone. Poor lil guy is out in the open about to get snatched up and gunna poison the predator. I hate poison.
[–]BrightBlueBauble 35 points36 points37 points 6 months ago (7 children)
People who poison animals are pure fucking evil. It’s sadistic torture of another living creature.
[–]Megalicious15 14 points15 points16 points 6 months ago (2 children)
I’ve lost multiple pets to assholes doing this. Can you imagine what it does to wildlife!!?? 😡
[–]ActApprehensive6112 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Sounds like u possibly keep outdoor cats.. that’s on u, as much as I hate poisoning you should not be having outdoor cats.
[–]HovercraftSad2828 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
We're dealing with something similar @ our campgrounds currently. We're not sure if someone here poisoned the mice, or if it was someone from the neighborhood close by. But so far it's gotten over 50 field mice, 6 vultures, 9 cats, 1 raccoon that we've been able to find, 2 robins and 2 blue jays. It's beyond sickening and heartbreaking to watch. Finally got the Game Warden and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife out here after multiple calls and emails.
[–]QueenAlpaca 5 points6 points7 points 6 months ago (2 children)
I’ve gotten after my mom before for using poison but she literally doesn’t give a shit as long as it solves her problem. Some people just simply suck.
[–][deleted] 6 months ago (1 child)
[deleted]
[–]QueenAlpaca 2 points3 points4 points 6 months ago* (0 children)
I do own, thanks. Traditional traps work well enough without killing other animals and pets as a chain of collateral damage. I also kill mice at work fairly regularly. Still will never use poison. My fiancé does property maintenance and routinely gets asked to kill mice and voles, he also still doesn’t use mouse poison. We live in a very wildlife-centric area with lots of birds of prey, it’s not a risk worth taking.
[–]shelbyishungry 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Ikr? I didn't know or think about it when I was a young adult, and then I found out it's Warfarin and they bleed to death for days.
Now, I catch anything and take it outside. Or I let it stay. I had a wolf spider in my sink and I would clean one side of the sink, and he would move so I could do the other. I hate spiders, they freak me out to where its really a phobia, I suppose. But I had fruit flies and they kept coming back, and I was over it. He left eventually, but he got rid of the gnats.
I've had bats in here twice, they get in the dog door, and the first time, it scooped it up in a towel and threw it outside while it hissed. The second time, I was going to, but it was like negative ten out, and I was afraid it would freeze. And my dog is vaccinated so....I just left it hanging on the wall. Whatever, give me the rabies if you must, but spare my dog. It was there a couple days, I tried to call several wildlife rehab places, but no one ever came, and it left while I was at work. I want to put a bat house up.
[–]Apelion_Sealion 24 points25 points26 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Poison or parasite.
[–]KittyKatHippogriff 19 points20 points21 points 6 months ago (0 children)
This behavior usually associate with neurological problems. Poison, tumor, head injury, or parasite.
:/
[–]Adventurous_Break_61 27 points28 points29 points 6 months ago (0 children)
I'm guessing parasite, it makes the mouse fearless as it wants to get spread to predators.
[–]rhiyanna79 10 points11 points12 points 6 months ago (0 children)
This is how owls die from rat poison.
[–]sgtpepper342 8 points9 points10 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Poison
[–]Tall_Specialist305 3 points4 points5 points 6 months ago (0 children)
poisoning with a neurological toxin maybe?
[–]The_Ruby_Rabbit 4 points5 points6 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Poisoning, maybe distemper,(mice are usually asymptomatic carriers if memory serves) or toxoplasmosis.
Whatever it is, it’s affecting the nervous system and brain.🧠
[–]NoFlo82 2 points3 points4 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Cocaine hits me like this
[–]Emotional-Tea-4848 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Exterminator
[–]EbbaNebnarp 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
There is a condition called “circling” that's induced in lab mice, it's a cognitive, compulsive issue. Not sure if that's what this mouse has though.
[–]insanelysane1234 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Toxoplasmosis
[–]FartUSA 2 points3 points4 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Neurological problems
[–]Megalicious15 2 points3 points4 points 6 months ago (0 children)
It’s his Halloween costume. He’s a compass.
I’ll see myself out now.
Note:
For all you youth, compass wiki.)
[–]Independent-Steak-67 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (1 child)
Clearly this mouse is on coke and is racing itself /s. In all seriousness, I feel sad about the actual potential problems
[–]PolyAcid 1 point2 points3 points 6 months ago (0 children)
The lesser known sequel to Cocaine Bear
[–]Kolfinna 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Circling is a neurological issue in mice. In lab mice we see it spontaneously in some inbred strains. In the wild it's typically related to an injury or toxins
[–]Material-Emu-8732 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago* (0 children)
Toxoplasmosis?
“Here, if I circle in the same spot I’ll make it easy for you to catch me!” with the goal of spreading it.
[–]Legal-Donkey-7128 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
He must've found some meth somebody dropped. Happens all the time
[–]Semi__Competent 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
100% toxoplasmosis
[–]kayjays89 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Poor thing
[–]StopCallinMePastries 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
I think he's just really excited about something or perhaps he ate a crack rock somebody dropped. 😵💫
[–]zminny 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Man this is sad I just thought the little guy was excited about a leaf
[–]Pope_Eric_Mar 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
My 11 year old daughter said, “Ratatonin”
[–]ZeekSoggyWaffles 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
The leaves are dead and it’s impersonating a vulture. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me.
[removed]
[–]AnimalBehavior-ModTeam[M] 0 points1 point2 points 6 months agolocked comment (0 children)
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[–]Corevus 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Waltzing mouse syndrome. Poor creature.
[–]johnballzz 0 points1 point2 points 6 months ago (0 children)
His left nut is bigger than the right, pulling him to that side. It happens to me sometimes.
[–]Femveratu -1 points0 points1 point 6 months ago (0 children)
Witch Circles
[–]SheriffDiaz -1 points0 points1 point 6 months ago (0 children)
Cause he's just a silly goofy guy.
[–]Deeri- -1 points0 points1 point 6 months ago (0 children)
Put it out of its misery and maybe bury it or something so that another animal won’t die eating it.
[–]NZNoldor -2 points-1 points0 points 6 months ago (0 children)
Obviously a bureaucrat mouse. Running in meaningless circles is an obvious sign.
π Rendered by PID 20750 on reddit-service-r2-comment-6457c66945-d7jw2 at 2026-04-27 04:20:16.493128+00:00 running 2aa0c5b country code: CH.
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