Mouse: Animal behaviour and problems.

General information

Mice live in small groups and are predominantly nocturnal animal. They are omnivores, prefer, however, cereal and cereal products like bread and sweet pastries and cakes. A female can give birth to over 100 young animals in the course of a year. This enormous reproductive performance is biologically appropriate for mice who are being hunted by hords of enemies. In their role as gregarious species group, mice are not suited for individual cages. The human being can never be a substitute partner. Apart from pure white albinos with red eyes, there is a whole range of colour shades and variations.

Social behaviour

Mice live in small groups and are extremely gregarious animals. They need the contact with their fellow species and help each other with the body care by mutually cleaning and licking the pelage wherever it is difficult to reach certain body parts. Under no circumstances can a human being take over the role of a partner in a satisfactory way. Life in a group asks for a clear social ranking in which the male highest in ranking takes over the leading role. In general, mice live peacefully together if the animals come from the same litter. With newcomers fights are possible. From time to time there might also be fights of social ranking among the males. The adversaries drum and beat on one another with their forepaws. The losing animal then stands up straight, places his forepaws on his body and offers his unprotected throat. Also females can fight, for instance about the best nesting places, but things usually get settled within a short time.

Behavioural disturbances

Social ranking fights among the males and the biting going with them are normal appearances in the group life of mice. One can't talk here of behaviour disorder. Behaviour patterns occurring in times of heat and mating are normal and part of the everyday life of mice. On the other hand, however, gnawing at wire netting or aimless and endless proceeding hand over hand on bars indicate a behaviour disorder which can be attributed to the fact that the mice are not kept in ways appropriate to their species.

Man-Animal communication

The best way to learn to understand mice is to observe meticulously their life in extended families and their natural behaviour. The more varied and adapted to the needs of the mice the cage or the enclosure is fitted out, the more the animals will betray themselves by their behaviour. So it can for instance be observed how they build walkways and shelters or that mice are skilled climbers. This way it is much easier to understand that also a small animal like the mouse deserves our entire attention in care and ownership. Mice can be tamed within a very short time and eat out of the hand if one keeps quiet when offering feed.

Animals "talk" to their fellow species by body posture, position of the tail, facial expression, vocalizationd and many more. If the human being has the position of companion and substitute for fellow species, then he must try to make up a little bit for the big deficit. The easiest way to do this is to talk calmly to his pets. Just the way he would talk to other human beings. Animals are extremely capable of learning and understand very quickly what words, the tone of voice and gestures want to say.

The mouse is a defenceless rodent steadily ready to escape. His weapon is to take flight to his hiding place as quick as lightning. This means that the mouse can only come to trust a human being who has a heart and full understanding for his needs - we do not speak here of real communication. And this trust can best be won by giving small titbits because, as it is generally known, you have to throw a sprat to catch a mackarel. Within a short time then you may even stroke his back or neck.

Undesirable behaviour

Small little albinos or coloured mice do not need run in the apartment. If the cage is big enough and the mice can on a regular basis crawl on you or go about a table, un "undesired behaviour" can to a large extent be avoided. Being rodents they will, however, gnaw and nibble at everything everywhere, when they are freely moving around unattended, and damage furniture, wallpaper, wood laths, carpets and many more. Moreover, they will defaecate and show territorial behaviour by marking the expanded territory with urine. Gnawing at cage bars means that the mice suffer from lack of activity.

Mood barometer

Since the human being is not able to perceive neither the smell nor the vocalization of mice, he is to a large extent dependent on the interpretation of their body language in order to recognize the prevailing mood. Defensive behaviour, avoidance behaviour, aggressive posture, agonistic behaviour (danger of biting) can easily be detected. Mice can be completely fearless and even bar a cat's way. A truly unusual circumstance!

Psychology of animals

The small, flexible mouse rules the art of survival just as no other animal does. Although the coloured mice living in the apartment are of a more gentle nature and less shy, they still uphold the behaviour pattern of the housemouse in wildlife. The person who ever had the chance to to gain an insight into the psyche of these interesting animals, will be astonished and get what he expected when owning and taking care of such a mouse.