Cat caught field mouse

[Coralreefer]

Walking my pug tonight I saw a cat jumping around and throwing something around. New that was not a good sign.
Cat had a little field mouse and as I approached I could hear the poor little thing shrieking for it's life.

I have him but he's pretty weak. He's in a box with fleece. Have some water in a little clam shell.
Can I do anything for this little guy or is it just wait and see basically. I imagine that's the case but I thought I'd ask to see if anyone had suggestions.

Thanks

[farrelli]

Do you have any antibiotics?

You could give him fluids and maybe some molasses to keep his strength up.

[Coralreefer]

Any issues with handling field mice?
Carriers of anything I need to be aware of?

I have 1cc syringes to attempt to get him to drink some water from the baby squirrels we've been helping raise until release.
No experience ever with mice.

[Coralreefer]

all we have in regards to any medicine are Fish Flex capsules which are cephalexin monohydrate 500 MG.

[PeeWee's Mom]

He made it thru the night! Here is a picture. What can we do next?

[Coralreefer]

No one with any experience with Mice?

We don't want to bother you guys as I know time is valuable today but we really aren't up to speed on what to do with a cat caught mouse. Do they need medicine for a cat bite like squirrels do? He's doing better this morning but if he's poisoned from the cat saliva I'd like to get him something before he turns.

[farrelli]

Yes, he would need ABs. I don;t know if cephalexin would work, but I think it can. Let me write someone. Can you get a weight on the mouse?

Is he eating?

[Mommaluvy]

Ill pm Loves Mice

I think he would need abx. The Wild mammal baby book says rhat any animal cat caught does even if you dont see scratches .

Is his container half on heat?
And as Far asked? Is he eating?

[lovesmice]

What you are doing by keeping him in a quiet, dark place is spot on because shock is common after a tumble with a predator. He may simply need a couple of days to regroup so to speak. Since mice are quite the escape artists, be sure there is some type of screen covering for when he regains his strength because I guarantee he will try to make a run for it as soon as he can. Has he been drinking any water from the shallow container? If not, give him some unflavored Pedialyte to keep him hydrated. There are homemade recipes on-line you can use. Has he expressed an interest in food? Wild birdseed is perfect. You can also offer oatmeal or bread soaked in KMR if you have it to help him regain his strength. (Never give cow milk as mice cannot digest it.) If you do not have any KMR, try foods such as scrambled eggs and/or cooked chicken. (Always remove any uneaten fresh foods after 2 hours.) Fleece is good because it is the safest material for use with rodents. Obviously it needs frequent replacement, though. Have you given him a hide-away? Just get a small cardboard food box (my gals love PopTart boxes) and line it with unscented tissue for nesting. He will appreciate having a place to go where he feels safe. I have read that cat/dog saliva has enzymes that are dangerous to mice if ingested, but that it totally different and cat bites are not deadly to mice from the saliva the way they are to squirrels. The bite itself, though, can of course cause serious injury. ABs as Mommaluvy recommended would be a good precaution. As far as which ABs to use, I have never used the Fish Flex capsules (Cephalexin Monohydrate), but I have seen it used by others. You might find the discussion on it at RatGuide helpful as it describes in detail what its uses are, the risks and so forth. (Healthcare/problems for rats and mice are overall the same.)

http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_agents/cephalexin_monohydrate.php

You are a kind individual for saving this mouse. Hopefully his only problem is shock and he rebounds from it quickly so you can release him. Please keep us posted on how he is doing. (By the way, Mommaluvy PMd me about your Q so if you find any of the above helpful, it is due to her because I probably would not have seen this.)

[TubeDriver]

Thanks for trying to help this little guy! :thumbsup

[lovesmice]

Sorry, forgot to say the risks to you are minimal although I would definitely wear gloves when handling him and take the same precautions you do with any Wild critter. Diseases such as Rabies would kill a mouse long before he could infect anyone. Problems Wild animals can get outdoors and transmit to humans such as parasites or skin issues are the same ones Domestic animals like cats and dogs can pick up from going outdoors and are easily treated. As for Hantavirus, not to make light of it but only certain rodents can even get it and in the 20 years it has been tracked by the CDC, there were only 217 fatalities in the entire country-that is roughly 10 people in the US per year. Again, I am NOT making light of these deaths and my condolences to their families, but it is not the plague the media makes it out to be.

[PeeWee's Mom]

Thanks everyone! Okay so I just weighed him and I noticed one of his eyes is crusty closed. I put in HHB high protein block when I left this morning and filled a clam shell with water. I noticed a few nibbles from the HHB and I mistakenly bumped his box when I was bringing out of the dark laundry room so I cant tell if he drank anything as the clamshell was empty! When I checked on him this morning ate about a teaspoon of pumpkin bread pudding (I dont know why I didnt think to put the hhb in there instead)
I weighed him covered/burrito'd and it says 12 grams. Here's a close up of his scared little face! #mrwhiskers

[PeeWee's Mom]

Just to clarify, I subtracted the fleece blanket from the overall weight to get 12 grams. Thx

[Nancy in New York]

I can dose the Cephalexin, though I have never used it.
Not sure this would be the drug of choice, perhaps you can try to find
someone with ONE CIPRO or BAYTRIL or someone that has Clavamox,
again all we would need is ONE.
I will write up the info and send it to you.
Cute little baby for sure! :Love_Icon

[PeeWee's Mom]

Thanks so much! Will keep asking around the capsules I have are 500mgs.

[TubeDriver]

I hope Peewee continues to do well under your care. I have a soft spot for little mice, they are often overlooked even by squirrel folks but they are very endearing and would make a great pet. Unlike squirrels which belong outside, mice seem very content to live inside with a hoomin! :)

[lovesmice]

I thought you might find the RG article for treating wounds of interest. You will note under the paragraph beginning with "In the event of bite wounds..." they do mention using Cephalosporins in which Cephalexin is a first generation Cephalosporin. Since I have never used it, though, I cannot attest to its effectiveness:

http://ratguide.com/health/trauma/wounds.php

http://ratguide.com/meds/antimicrobial_agents/cephalosporins.php

[PeeWee's Mom]

thanks everyone! we will start mr whiskers on the meds asap! rhapsody sent me a picture of the food she gives her mouse so we will get that tonight as well!

[PeeWee's Mom]

Sooooo it turns out mr whiskers real name is hudini! He escaped his box last night which resulted in a 3 hr mousehunt (exhibit a)
Then tonight (new container, in the bathroom, with a towel jabbed under the door) he escaped when we putting ointment on his eye. Resulting in a 1 hr mousehunt in the living room (exhibit b and c). We are laughing so hard at what our house looks like after operation "catch mr whiskers". He sure is fast and sneaky!
Even with the 2 of use, we have not been able to get any meds in him, just topical stuff on his eye. We just cant seem to get him out of the container without losing him!
Is there someone close to tampa that has more experience with mice that can take care of him until he is fully recovered? We bought the probiotics and I have a tablet of meds that I can give you.
Thank you!

[Nancy in New York]

Akkkkkkkkkkkkkk, can you imagine one little mouse getting away like this?
How on earth did he let a cat catch him.
Is it just me, or does hubby looked a tiny bit perturbed? :rolf :highfive

[TubeDriver]

:grin2

[lovesmice]

Haha-my beloved Houdini earned her name, too! She was originally Lil' Brown Bear until she escaped from a cage that should have been impossible to get out of. As for giving the medicine, I can understand your frustration with a mouse that is uncooperative. Even some of my Domestics over the years have fought me tooth and nail to the point I have had to offer it to them with food instead (assuming the mouse had an appetite). Popcorn (unbuttered/unsalted) has always worked best for me every time I used it. Just stick a hole into a piece with a fork tine and squirt the dose inside. You can also mix the medicine with something like juice or baby food and offer it from a spoon on the cage floor if he prefers. (Maybe put the cage in the empty tub when you go to feed it to him, though, so if he escapes he will have a hard time going anywhere because of the slippery sides.)

[lovesmice]

Forgot to say what might help with the ointment because obviously the food I suggested is for the oral meds. For any mice that require topical medicine on the head area, I use the burrito method by wrapping them in a thin cloth with just the head/face exposed. A q-tip works well to rub it in. If you are having trouble getting your Houdini out of the cage, try an empty paper towel roll. (These also make great toys.) When he goes in, cover the ends with your palms and you can take him to the area you plan to apply the ointment. Once you are seated, have the cloth on your lap and be prepared to work quickly getting him wrapped. He is still going to fight you, but you should be able to apply the ointment. Also, if his eye is still crusty, you can use a saline rinse to remove the debris.

[PeeWee's Mom]

thanks for the tips everyone! he does this sneaky thing where once we have him he jumps out and runs across my husbands arm (like a tight rope) and jumps into mid air onto the floor. now when we handle him we both get in the bathtub with his container so that if he escapes there is no place to go! if the neighbors could see us, bahahaha!

[TubeDriver]

thanks for the tips everyone! he does this sneaky thing where once we have him he jumps out and runs across my husbands arm (like a tight rope) and jumps into mid air onto the floor. now when we handle him we both get in the bathtub with his container so that if he escapes there is no place to go! if the neighbors could see us, bahahaha!

:grin2

[PeeWee's Mom]

Mr Whiskers is healthy again! Both eyes shiny and completely open! A dear friend of ours that has 5 acres soft released him this morning. Here are a few pics of his new home!
Thank you sooo much Rhapsody, Nancy, LovesMice and everyone on TSB for your guidance and support with our first mouse encounter!
XOXO

[TubeDriver]

Live long and lucky, Mr. whiskers!:thumbsup

[TubeDriver]

Live long and lucky, Mr. whiskers!:thumbsup

[lovesmice]

You did an excellent job of getting him healthy, and what a spectacular place you released him. He will love it, that is for sure. Thank you for saving him. He is a lucky mouse to have crossed paths with you.

[lovesmice]

I am sorry-I should have said thank you PeeWee's Mom AND Coralreefer for saving Mr. Whisker's life. I just thought I was remembering the name incorrectly of who found him when I saw your first post, PeeWee's Mom. How very sweet that the two of you worked in tandem to save this little guy! He was lucky to have crossed paths with 2 kindhearted individuals.

I also goofed on the Pug thread. CR is the person I had been thinking of that had one. How wonderful to find out you (PWM) are a Pug person, too. (My daughter told me yesterday a friend of a friend will soon have Pug pups available so Millie may get her Fawn Pug friend, Willie, sooner than they had originally planned.)

[PeeWee's Mom]

Haha no worries, we are married! He's used to starting something and then counting on me to finish it :poke!
Actually it is the other way around, I run out of steam and he has to clean up my mess!
We love TSB!