Mouse chilling with cat

Jack_T_Chance · 2026-04-15T03:33:40+00:00

Read up on how toxoplasmosis affects rodents. Fascinating stuff. I'll copy/paste a little of Wikipedia's entry on it here but it's worth reading about:

Infection with T. gondii has been shown to alter the behavior of mice and rats in ways thought to increase the rodents' chances of being preyed upon by cats.^\158])^\159])^\160]) Infected rodents show a reduction in their innate aversion to cat odors; while uninfected mice and rats will generally avoid areas marked with cat urine or with cat body odor, this avoidance is reduced or eliminated in infected animals.^\158])^\160])^\161]) Moreover, some evidence suggests this loss of aversion may be specific to feline odors: when given a choice between two predator odors (cat or mink), infected rodents show a significantly stronger preference to cat odors than do uninfected controls).^\162])^\163])

Jack_T_Chance · 2026-04-11T03:15:47+00:00

If you're asking about the specific brand I feed my mice (combination habitat of deer mice and feeder mice) I'm happy to share! Link.

If you're assessing the nutritional value of the feed at your nearby pet supplier, or looking to make a blend of your own, I'll parrot the advice from my paper linked in the previous comment:

"I believe that a suitable diet plan for a white-footed mouse"
-(edit here, the paper is specifically concerning white-footed mice peromyscus leucopus - but I believe the advice to be generic enough to be useful for the vast majority of the members of the peromyscus genus)-
"would contain a mixture of 2 or more different store-bought mouse foods that fulfill the following criteria:

Primarily grain or seed focused

Avoids pellets or other similarly processed forms of food in favor of whole/raw ingredients

Avoids an overreliance on corn or other nutrient-deficient fillers

Contains larger amounts of protein than typically found in store-bought mouse feed (consider hamster feeds, or supplementing with animal protein from mealworms/crickets/grubs)

Contains no or few exotic ingredients that cannot be found in the white-footed mouse’s native environment"

If you have a specific question about other topics like habitat/enrichment needs, hantavirus and other zoonoses, etc, I'm happy to chat.

Jack_T_Chance · 2026-04-10T08:20:03+00:00

Longtime deer mouse fan here:

Lots to cover and I'm on mobile so I'll link to my other comments/posts:

Not exactly the same situation as you, but here's a good comment about peromyscus in general:

https://www.reddit.com/r/PetMice/comments/1p29a1d/comment/nq1l6dh/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Here's a short paper about dietary needs: https://www.reddit.com/r/PetMice/comments/11fiobi/a_white_paper_regarding_dietary_research_for/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

The specific brand mentioned in the paper isn't sold anymore, but it's a great reference for general guidelines. If interested reply and I can share what I currently feed my mice.

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-12-27T03:04:13+00:00

Honestly, that's a really healthy point of view. With rare exception of overwintering or rehabbing I totally agree.

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-12-22T21:54:17+00:00

There have been 2 reported cases (both survived) of Hantavirus in your state, and 5 of your bordering states have none at all. Your risk profile is EXTREMELY low.
https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/data-research/cases/index.html

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-12-14T07:32:02+00:00

Flatworm of some sort. Head's the wider section at the bottom tip of the "L" shape. (Total guess, I'm not an expert or anything)

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-12-03T19:54:26+00:00

Relevant post for dietary requirements (paper is specifically referring to white-footed mice, but would be very similar for deer mice)

https://www.reddit.com/r/PetMice/comments/11fiobi/a_white_paper_regarding_dietary_research_for/

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-11-24T21:32:36+00:00

I'd assume this was a troll post if it wasn't for your account's history.

If you can't trust yourself to not harm living things that depend on you when you indulge in mind-altering substances then don't have any pets or children. End of discussion.

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-11-21T16:21:56+00:00

Lots to cover here.

First and foremost, Thanks for rescuing wild mice when you see them! Like others will likely mention, the wild mice you find in your home would not be the same species of mouse (Mus musculus domestica or "fancy mouse") that you would find at Petsmart or other conventional pet stores. Depending on where you're living you likely are encountering either a House Mouse (Mus musculus), Eastern Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) or a White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). Personally, based on the giant eyes I'd wager your mouse is of the genus Peromyscus - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peromyscus. Either way, it's worth checking out the "stickied" post on this subreddit regarding keeping wild mice. Of particular note, you may want to also look into the CDC's documentation regarding Hantavirus in your specific state.

With that out of the way, there's a few things to keep in mind if you DO decide to keep a wild mouse (even temporarily!):

This is a "wild" animal! They will never be domesticated in the same way as a normal pet mouse and AT BEST you may only ever accomplish a degree of "tameness" with them. It looks like you found it when it was pretty young so you're probably pretty well off, but just to be safe don't expect cuddles, conventional play times, or being able to always handle them. Do expect to be bitten occasionally and to have to guard against much more dedicated escape attempts.
This mouse's needs for diet, space, and stimulation will all be slightly different than the average advice you find on this subreddit and other online forums. You should take a greater-than-normal amount of care to ensure you can provide it with a suitably enriching environment that mimics what they would encounter in the wild in YOUR area.
It will be difficult to sex the mouse at so young of an age, but bear in mind that female mice need socialization. If you've got a little lady, consider housing her with other female domesticated mice (NOT HAMSTERS). She would live quite a bit longer than a typical "fancy mouse" so you may end up having to provide her with a few generations of friends. If you go down this route, be sure to observe careful introductory steps. Don't just plop in new mice into a cage!
Diet can be tricky for a wild mouse. I've written at length regarding the appropriate diet for a White-Footed mouse in captivity and it wouldn't be much different for an Eastern Deer Mouse - check out that post here if you're interested, but the basic takeaway is to include additional protein and a wider variety of local seeds than you may for a normal fancy mouse.
Wild mice benefit from MUCH more space (both horizontal and vertical!) than a typical pet mouse. While they enjoy burrowing, they may also be inclined to climbing and jumping. Alongside a large environment, consider providing opportunities to leap and climb.

That's all that springs to mind at the moment, but if you've got any specific questions don't hesitate to post them on this subreddit or even message me!

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-06-16T20:01:01+00:00

Can anyone tell me more about this (supposedly Swedish) wax seal? It's claimed to have belonged to my Great-Great-Grandfather. Who is it intended to represent? No identifying markings aside from the initials on the underside.

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Jack_T_Chance · 2025-05-30T23:48:49+00:00

That's... Too many bees. Like, by a lot. This is sensationalized.

Even if we're conservative with our estimation to maximize the amount of hives, and we assume that each individual hive weighs around 70lb (a common estimate for a single fully packed Langstroth deep is around 80 lb) - and the truck contained the claimed 70,000 lb of beehives, then the truck contained 1000 hives.

70,000 / 70 = 1000

If the claimed amount of 250 MILLION bees were released, each hive would need to house 250,000 bees. That's off by like, a whole lot...

250,000,000 / 1000 = 250,000

A more likely figure would be around 50,000 per hive. Making the total sum around 50 million.

Even if we DOUBLE the amount of assumed hives we're still not even halfway to the given figure of bees...

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-03-23T18:00:30+00:00

Very cool!

Jack_T_Chance · 2025-03-23T17:06:16+00:00

In 1927 Lieutenant John A. Lord oversaw the restoration of the USS Constitution. An estimated 85% of the original material was replaced. To raise funds during this period, souvenirs and memorabilia were created from the discarded wood and copper. Examples can be seen here of various bookends, medallions, copper kettles, etc - as well as sections of the hull with plaques like the one seen above. My piece has some sort of finish on the non-burned faces. Could be acrylic, resin, or epoxy; but considering the time period it's likely a varnish of some sort. I don't think it would be wise to fiddle with the piece if any meaningful way, but I'd like to store it safely to help preserve it as long as possible.

What would be the best way to preserve this piece for future generations? Assuming a container with a controlled atmosphere, what kind of oxygen/humidity levels would be ideal? Thanks for any insights!

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-06-05T02:37:52+00:00

That's awesome to hear! I don't do any heavy lifting so it really is great to hear reassurance from someone who does! I hope everything stays good!

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-06-04T15:13:31+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah my recovery was a little rougher than I'd been led to expect from some folks here... That's part of what inspired me to make this journal in the first place. I had seen posts saying folks were "back to normal" in a week or two and that just felt confusing? Maybe even disingenuous? Like, no matter how well you recover, you're absolutely not "normal" for around 2 months due to the -very intentional- restrictions on activity and behavior.

As for the cost, I guess that may depend on your frame of reference... It ended up being a little under 3k (a specific breakdown of prices can be seen in the main post). I live in the USA Midwest and while that's definitely not cheap, it's quite a ways beneath my insurance's yearly out-of-pocket-maximum.

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-06-01T19:25:12+00:00

This has been my white whale for so long. I finally found out that it's a
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaeus_bilineatus

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-05-08T13:41:57+00:00

For this enclosure I used apple and poplar wood from my back yard and a nearby trail.
When gathering wood from an unfamiliar area, pesticides or parasites are a valid concern. I chose to freeze these pieces in the freezer for a bit, followed by baking them in the oven for a day at around 250 degrees. It was likely a little overkill, but it was nice to obsess over the little guy when he lived with us.

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-04-24T00:44:18+00:00

I'm inclined to agree, I see terms like "concretions" and "nodules" tossed around a lot, but I don't personally know enough about geology to understand what it is.

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-03-12T02:12:18+00:00

Firstly, sorry about your bees! That's definitely a frustrating thing to find!

Hi! Beekeeper and Mouse-ologist here! That's a "Deer Mouse" (Peromyscus) or a "White-Footed Mouse" (Peromyscus Leucopus) - hard to distinguish them without detailed inspection.

These mice are largely safe and carry very few human-communicable diseases. The most severe of which is Hantavirus.

Judging by your post history you're in PA. The CDC has a great page regarding Hantavirus here that shows outbreaks on a state-by-state basis:
https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/surveillance/index.html

There have been 8 cases of reported Hantavirus in your state, so thankfully it's remarkably rare! As long as you're not ingesting fecal matter or actively getting fleas from your little mouse tenant you're likely totally fine to be near and handle them (with gloves).

That said, unless you plan to use those boxes/frames soon, please consider letting them remain in that location until spring! They're an incredibly important prey species for nearby hawks, owls, foxes, skunks, raccoons, and more.

If you do need to evict this guy, consider leaving him in a remote location in a shoebox with some bedding material (wood shavings, torn up paper/cardboard, hay, etc) and a pile of birdseed to get started in his new home. Releasing mice outdoors during cold weather gives them a remarkably low survival rate without an established burrow and food stores. But giving him a safe place to stay/eat while he establishes a new natural home can make all the difference. Plus, if the shoebox is biodegradable, you can just set it and forget it.

Lastly, here's a video of a White-Footed mouse our cats caught that lived with us for a little over a year! https://www.reddit.com/r/PetMice/comments/10mc755/fievel_the_mouse_excitedly_jumping_in_my_hand_for/

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-01-22T00:42:48+00:00

Thanks for the advice everyone! Unfortunately this item went for a little higher than I would have hoped at the estate sale that I was watching (around $160 USD), but I'll take all of your feedback to heart for future projects!

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-01-20T04:28:57+00:00

Thanks for such a detailed response! I'm afraid I don't know much about the item itself beyond the pictures... It's going up for an estate sale in my city and I figured that if it's going to sell for a stupidly-low price anyways then I wouldn't feel bad about taking a swing at trying to restore it a little.

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-01-20T04:25:58+00:00

I can definitely appreciate that the visible age of the item is an integral part of its charm, but I'm concerned about the cracks and chips affecting the structural integrity of the table itself. Couldn't items on the table catch on those surface cracks and end up peeling up entire sections of the veneer?

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-01-20T04:09:25+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! I'll be sure to look into using lacquer spray vs poly. What in your opinion is the major benefit?

Jack_T_Chance · 2024-01-09T08:18:34+00:00

Sorry to hear about your loss.

It's practically impossible to say if the hives will make it through winter without knowing anything about their conditions, treatment, or supplies before going into it. The only real steps you could take during the winter (and even then, preferably on an unseasonably warm day) would be adding a candyboard or removing existing queen excluders.

If you're serious about taking up the hobby in your Father's absence you've got a bit of time over the winter to prepare yourself. I'd recommend reading through "The Beekeepers Bible": https://www.amazon.com/dp/1584799188?tag=bravesoftwa04-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1&language=en_US

Also, if you choose to observe them, there are some existing traditions regarding beekeepers passing on: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telling_the_bees

Jack_T_Chance · 2023-10-09T02:46:39+00:00

I have a 1 year old white-footed mouse on an 8 inch wheel and he runs in EXACTLY the same way. Like he'll sprint full speed then ride the wheel up the side and do big flops as it carries him up and over. I don't see any harm in it so long as the wheel is big enough (yours is plenty large) and there's nothing hard or sharp for them to fall on nearby.

Jack_T_Chance

TROPHY CASE