[Pete Callan]

I have six baby mice two months old now, was intending to keep them all as I adore my mice, but I don't have the room to house all the males individually since one late developer (he was half the size of his siblings at four weeks) who I originally sexed as female has now grown testicles and it's just one too many!

My question is what would be the best way to advertise for the mice? I want the absolute best home for them, as it's heartbreaking to give them up, so what's best way to avoid the bad ones like people who want to use them as food etc.?

[O'Neill]

Mouse/rat forums I guess would be safest. I doubt people will be eager to buy them as food when frozen mice are cheaper, and readily available from most pet shops though, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by O'Neill

Mouse/rat forums I guess would be safest. I doubt people will be eager to buy them as food when frozen mice are cheaper, and readily available from most pet shops though, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Lots of reptile keepers feed live, even though it's not legal.

[O'Neill]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

Lots of reptile keepers feed live, even though it's not legal.

Do you have proof or evidence of this? And not just the various sick YouTube videos that do not represent Reptile keepers, that can be posted from anywhere worldwide. I'm sure if you look hard enough there's videos of dogs, and maybe even cats abusing other species, this doesn't mean that the majority of owners are doing the same. There are more reptiles than dogs in the UK now as pets, 99.9% of snakes and some lizards will be fed mice, you always get people that will be cruel to other animals, this isn't limited to reptiles, nor is it prevalent.

I know for example that literally tons of dead rodents are imported into the UK each month, I've read that sales are booming at the moment as more people keep reptiles. This is without what is bred here by rodent farms, no reptile keeper I've ever met, or spoke to in the UK has fed live. In the USA they are far more open to feeding live rodents, many even openly encourage it, from the impression I've gotten keeping reptiles over the last 25 years, the situation in Europe is a different one.

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by O'Neill

Do you have proof or evidence of this? I know for example that literally tons of dead rodents are imported into the UK each month, I've read that sales are booming at the moment as more people keep reptiles. This is without what is bred here by rodent farms, no reptile keeper I've ever met, or spoke to in the UK has fed live. In the USA they are far more open to feeding live rodents, many even openly encourage it, from the impression I've gotten keeping reptiles over the last 25 years the situation in Europe is a different one.

Oh yes wait for me to go and get everyone to sign a statement confirming they are feeding live

I've worked in various pet shops where we've had to ban idiots that come in every few weeks for live mice (thinking we won't recognise them), I also know numerous reptile keepers, many of which either feed live or know people that do. Many use the excuse of 'they'll only eat moving prey' to try and justify it. I also know that berkshire agricultural college had a albino python of some sort that they openly fed live food to.

For every good, reputable keeper that wouldn't dream of doing it, there is a keeper that will quite happily feed live. I am not saying all keepers do it, but many do - equally people quite often buy live fish as 'food' for larger fish. One guy even admitted to me that's what he wanted them for (needless to say they weren't sold to him). Whilst it was a while ago I worked in petshops, I still know people in the trade and they still tell stories of a similar vein. Sadly some people don't see anything wrong with live feeding.

[O'Neill]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

Oh yes wait for me to go and get everyone to sign a statement confirming they are feeding live

I've worked in various pet shops where we've had to ban idiots that come in every few weeks for live mice (thinking we won't recognise them), I also know numerous reptile keepers, many of which either feed live or know people that do. Many use the excuse of 'they'll only eat moving prey' to try and justify it. I also know that berkshire agricultural college had a albino python of some sort that they openly fed live food to.

For every good, reputable keeper that wouldn't dream of doing it, there is a keeper that will quite happily feed live. I am not saying all keepers do it, but many do - equally people quite often buy live fish as 'food' for larger fish. One guy even admitted to me that's what he wanted them for (needless to say they weren't sold to him). Whilst it was a while ago I worked in petshops, I still know people in the trade and they still tell stories of a similar vein. Sadly some people don't see anything wrong with live feeding.

I've also worked in petshops, including ones that only sell reptiles, who bred rodents themselves that were always humanely killed and frozen before being fed to an animal or sold, they were also well looked after in life, as I looked after them. The shop was particularly professional, and would question everyone, as well as get them to handle the reptile they're buying, and find out if they've done all they're research before they sold them anything. They would never advise anyone to ever consider feeding an healthy reptile live food, when there is an alternative.

I can't believe that 50% or anywhere near of reptile keepers are feeding live, who is buying all these frozen foods then? Why import so many? This particular shop was selling frozen foods, even rabbits, in large numbers ten years when I was there, I can imagine they're demand is much higher now. The shop in particular I think are still doing well.

I've worked in two petshops that sold rodents as pets, if I remember right mice weren't that popular, I remember people buying dwarf hamsters and gerbils, with they're children present though, I can't remember any inclination to anyone buying rodents for live food purposes, or giving any hints if it, but that's just anecdotal like anyone else's experiences.

Do you think that every reptile owner, or even a majority in your area were frequenting your petshop then? I could write a statement that maybe the majority get they're frozen food delivered, and the one idiot in the area out of a large number would try his luck fooling the shop to sell him or her mice, it wouldn't be any less an assumption. I know several reptile keepers in my area that won't dream of giving our local general petshop any custom, as they are concerned about the welfare of animals they sell. Reptiles especially that aren't given the correct lighting, they've even sold kittens as pets, kept in rats cages. Reptile keepers shouldn't be villified as likely to feed living vertebrates to they're pets, they can even cause the reptile injury.

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by O'Neill

I've also worked in petshops, including ones that only sell reptiles, who bred rodents themselves that were always humanely killed and frozen before being fed to an animal or sold, they were also well looked after in life, as I looked after them. The shop was particularly professional, and would question everyone, as well as get them to handle the reptile they're buying, and find out if they've done all they're research before they sold them anything. They would never advise anyone to ever consider feeding an healthy reptile live food, when there is an alternative.

I can't believe that 50% or anywhere near of reptile keepers are feeding live, who is buying all these frozen foods then? Why import so many? This particular shop was selling frozen foods, even rabbits, in large numbers ten years when I was there, I can imagine they're demand is much higher now. The shop in particular I think are still doing well.

I've worked in two petshops that sold rodents as pets, if I remember right mice weren't that popular, I remember people buying dwarf hamsters and gerbils, with they're children present though, I can't remember any inclination to anyone buying rodents for live food purposes, or giving any hints if it, but that's just anecdotal like anyone else's experiences.

Do you think that every reptile owner, or even a majority in your area were frequenting your petshop then? I could write a statement that maybe the majority get they're frozen food delivered, and the one idiot in the area out of a large number would try his luck fooling the shop to sell him or her mice, it wouldn't be any less an assumption. I know several reptile keepers in my area that won't dream of giving our local general petshop any custom, as they are concerned about the welfare of animals they sell. Reptiles especially that aren't given the correct lighting, they've even sold kittens as pets, kept in rats cages. Reptile keepers shouldn't be villified as likely to feed living vertebrates to they're pets, they can even cause the reptile injury.

Oh for goodness sake I am not vilifying reptile keepers, I am in fact about to become one. I am however aware that your view of them is naive. Perhaps it depends on the area but I so know of a lot of keepers that should not keep any animals, let alone one that requires specialist care. It's like saying all dog owners feed their dogs the right food. Some people are good, some are not. Idisnt mean 50% it was just the phrasing - you are right a lot of keepers are caring but some are not. I will add that lot of the keepers I know that feed live are your lads of the chav variety, who think its funny to see it happen. Again not all young lads are chav and not all chav mistreat animals but social economical status has a big impact.

I feel like I need to add a disclaimer to everything I say just Incase you feel personally attacked.

I too know many keepers from college that do the very best for their animals. However they openly admit that if there was the choice between thier pet dying or feeding live food they would prioritise the reptile over the mouse. Equally mice owners would let the reptile die.

[O'Neill]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

Oh for goodness sake I am not vilifying reptile keepers, I am in fact about to become one. I am however aware that your view of them is naive. Perhaps it depends on the area but I so know of a lot of keepers that should not keep any animals, let alone one that requires specialist care. It's like saying all dog owners feed their dogs the right food. Some people are good, some are not. Idisnt mean 50% it was just the phrasing - you are right a lot of keepers are caring but some are not. I will add that lot of the keepers I know that feed live are your lads of the chav variety, who think its funny to see it happen. Again not all young lads are chav and not all chav mistreat animals but social economical status has a big impact.

I feel like I need to add a disclaimer to everything I say just Incase you feel personally attacked.

I too know many keepers from college that do the very best for their animals. However they openly admit that if there was the choice between thier pet dying or feeding live food they would prioritise the reptile over the mouse. Equally mice owners would let the reptile die.

If your happy to use the few you know to generalise reptile keepers you are being naive not me. I know that overall reptile keepers are told not to feed they're reptiles live vertebrates, in books, by petshops that sell reptiles, by breeders. I also know a very large amount of frozen mice, rats etc.. are sold as food for reptiles. I would like to think that the overwhelming majority in the UK would follow advice given when they buy they're reptile, to feed it pre frozen foods if it requires mice, rats in its diet. To suggest otherwise is quite a statement, and requires more backing up than simply knowing some local chavs who practice this, or the odd anecdotal person(s) who attempts to buy mice for reptile food.

I know of people locally who ran a dog fighting club/facility, through the news when it was announced they had been caught and convicted. Some lived near me and kept lots of dogs in aviaries in they're garden. I wouldn't use this to suggest that this is rife amongst dog keepers, as that wouldn't make any sense. Even though it was quite a few of them, more than the number of dog owners I know personally.

You'll always get people causing unnesasary suffering to animals, I don't know how anyone can say that reptile keepers are more likely to enjoy other animals suffering more than say, dog and cat owners. Maybe it's polarised more.

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by O'Neill

If your happy to use the few you know to generalise reptile keepers you are being naive not me. I know that overall reptile keepers are told not to feed they're reptiles live vertebrates, in books, by petshops that sell reptiles, by breeders. I also know a large amount of frozen mice, rats etc.. are sold as food for reptiles. I would like to think that the overwhelming majority in the UK would follow advice given when they buy they're reptile, to feed it pre frozen foods if it requires mice, rats in its diet. To suggest otherwise is quite a statement, and requires more backing up than simply knowing some local chavs who practice this, or the odd anecdotal person(s) who attempts to buy mice for reptile food.

I know of people locally who ran a dog fighting club/facility, through the news when it was announced they had been caught and convicted. Some lived near me and kept lots of dogs in aviaries in they're garden. I wouldn't use this to suggest that this is rife amongst dog keepers, as that wouldn't make any sense. Even though it was quite a few of them, more than the number of dog owners I know personally.

You'll always get people causing unnesasary suffering to animals, I don't know how anyone can say that reptile keepers are more likely to enjoy other animals suffering more than say, dog and cat owners. Maybe it's polarised more.

But the question was about mice, I simply advised caution in case they were bought as food. Had the question been where can I sell my puppies, my advice would of been to assess the homes for the animals welfare. I can see no difference, except the fact that live feeding DOES happen in the uk, regardless of whether you know anyone that does it or not. Yes advice is that live food can be less advantageous to captive reptiles than frozen, but the idiots that live feed are unlikely to bother reading it. All you need to do is type into google 'can I live feed my snake' to see how many people ask that on a daily basis - in the uk.

[O'Neill]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

But the question was about mice, I simply advised caution in case they were bought as food. Had the question been where can I sell my puppies, my advice would of been to assess the homes for the animals welfare. I can see no difference, except the fact that live feeding DOES happen in the uk, regardless of whether you know anyone that does it or not. Yes advice is that live food can be less advantageous to captive reptiles than frozen, but the idiots that live feed are unlikely to bother reading it. All you need to do is type into google 'can I live feed my snake' to see how many people ask that on a daily basis - in the uk.

All sorts of animal cruelty happens in the UK, it doesn't mean "lots" of reptile keepers will feed mice to they're pets, in comparison to cruelty dispensed on animals by keepers of different animals. I'm inclined to believe based on the evidence I've posted, as well as my anecdotal evidence that the overwhelming majority of reptile keepers in the UK are responsible. With reptile keeping becoming more mainstream and socially acceptable you will get those that don't genuinely respect any animal using a pet snake or monitor/tegu to act out what they perceive as fun, which is just cruel and unnesasary.

I don't dispute that live feeding goes on, some breeders, ive read, will as a last resort live feed a wild caught or young snake rather than have it starve to death, there are several other techniques that can be first tried, said breeder would have likely bred the mice themselves, the average reptile keeper won't have a non feeding snake. This isn't an average reptile keeper or a normal situation, all captive bred snakes that are sold will have had three pre-frozen feeds and should be healthy and settled. I keep garter snakes, i needed to scent they're pre frozen pinkies with fish when they were still very young, they soon took to strips of thawed freshwater fish and pre frozen pinkies that weren't scented. Not that it would have mattered, it was just a case of rubbing them against an already dead, bought from the supermarket trout.

[Pete Callan]

Originally Posted by O'Neill

Mouse/rat forums I guess would be safest. I doubt people will be eager to buy them as food when frozen mice are cheaper, and readily available from most pet shops though, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Thanks, I've put an ad online, see what comes of it.

Originally Posted by bazaar1

Lots of reptile keepers feed live, even though it's not legal.

That's what I'm worried about. It's sick, and it'd kill me if I thought I was sending any of my babies to their death. Considering the lack of pet mice in pet stores in the local area as well, those evil people may get mice straight from a breeder.

[xdow]

Originally Posted by Pete Callan

I have six baby mice two months old now, was intending to keep them all as I adore my mice, but I don't have the room to house all the males individually since one late developer (he was half the size of his siblings at four weeks) who I originally sexed as female has now grown testicles and it's just one too many!

My question is what would be the best way to advertise for the mice? I want the absolute best home for them, as it's heartbreaking to give them up, so what's best way to avoid the bad ones like people who want to use them as food etc.?

is housing the males together not an option?
it's not always recommended but i've done it for years and never had issue if they're siblings/together from birth

best way to be honest is just to ask lots of questions.
my mice are feeders for my snakes, but i have advertised them in the past to go to pet homes
i just did so through pre-loved. there weren't many people answering my post, but the ones who came were absolutely lovely about everything,

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by O'Neill

All sorts of animal cruelty happens in the UK, it doesn't mean "lots" of reptile keepers will feed mice to they're pets, in comparison to cruelty dispensed on animals by keepers of different animals. I'm inclined to believe based on the evidence I've posted, as well as my anecdotal evidence that the overwhelming majority of reptile keepers in the UK are responsible. With reptile keeping becoming more mainstream and socially acceptable you will get those that don't genuinely respect any animal using a pet snake or monitor/tegu to act out what they perceive as fun, which is just cruel and unnesasary.

I don't dispute that live feeding goes on, some breeders, ive read, will as a last resort live feed a wild caught or young snake rather than have it starve to death, there are several other techniques that can be first tried, said breeder would have likely bred the mice themselves, the average reptile keeper won't have a non feeding snake. This isn't an average reptile keeper or a normal situation, all captive bred snakes that are sold will have had three pre-frozen feeds and should be healthy and settled. I keep garter snakes, i needed to scent they're pre frozen pinkies with fish when they were still very young, they soon took to strips of thawed freshwater fish and pre frozen pinkies that weren't scented. Not that it would have mattered, it was just a case of rubbing them against an already dead, bought from the supermarket trout.

I apologise I didn't write my first post very diplomatically, lots does imply most, I didn't mean that. Just that there are many that do, not all but more than some! Not every keeper would live feed, and perhaps you are right and the majority are of this vein but the op does need to be aware that not all are.

Xdow - do you live feed or euthanise prior to feeding (not trying to judge, rather understand your processes)

Op- xdow raises a good point, males can be house together as long as your careful not to full clean and to monitor them. I'd recommend no more than a quarter clean at a time, I'm sure you know mice get very upset when their scents are gone, and male sin particular can start becoming aggressive after too much has been cleaned

[LightningIguana]

Can you not keep multiple males together with mice? I only have gerbils.

[Pete Callan]

Originally Posted by xdow

is housing the males together not an option?
it's not always recommended but i've done it for years and never had issue if they're siblings/together from birth

best way to be honest is just to ask lots of questions.
my mice are feeders for my snakes, but i have advertised them in the past to go to pet homes
i just did so through pre-loved. there weren't many people answering my post, but the ones who came were absolutely lovely about everything,

Originally Posted by LightningIguana

Can you not keep multiple males together with mice? I only have gerbils.

Tried to keep them together as long as possible, but the last week they just haven't stopped fighting, so had to split them up at the weekend.

[Dean_Burroughs]

i have two male guinea pigs so i dont have a breeding problem,although i did rent a prosti-pig for them which i would not recommend as all they did was fight for two weeks prior to it,i bathed them numerous times to no effect out of desperation i sprayed their coats with lynx to banish the prosti-pigs scent,although people might think that was cruel it worked....

anyhow to cut along story short you should always read up on a pet before you take them on....

[xdow]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

Xdow - do you live feed or euthanise prior to feeding (not trying to judge, rather understand your processes)

Op- xdow raises a good point, males can be house together as long as your careful not to full clean and to monitor them. I'd recommend no more than a quarter clean at a time, I'm sure you know mice get very upset when their scents are gone, and male sin particular can start becoming aggressive after too much has been cleaned

i'd never feed live, there's just too much risk. plus my snake is completely useless when i give her fresh killed (and still warm), i highly doubt she'd even manage to catch a live mouse, let alone despatch it without acquiring some kind of injury!

i pre-kill and freeze. (i like to freeze them just to make sure there is minimal risk of any parasites being passed on, it also saves on feeding/cleaning expenses as once the mice)
i've used a gas chamber in the past, though it takes a lot of faffing around (it would likely be easier with a canister of CO2 and a regulator, but as i couldn't come across any in my price range at the time, i was using a vinegar/bicarbonate soda formula for them)

these days i opt for cervical dislocation. it's free, easy and best of all, it's fast.

i always handle my mice in the same way, when they're picked up, i do it by the base of the tail, and this is what is gripped onto during the CD

the mouse has no idea that being picked up this time is any different to any other time they're handled
he/she doesn't see it coming and they're out like a light as soon as it's done

[Dean_Burroughs]

Originally Posted by xdow

i'd never feed live, there's just too much risk. plus my snake is completely useless when i give her fresh killed (and still warm), i highly doubt she'd even manage to catch a live mouse, let alone despatch it without acquiring some kind of injury!

i pre-kill and freeze. (i like to freeze them just to make sure there is minimal risk of any parasites being passed on, it also saves on feeding/cleaning expenses as once the mice)
i've used a gas chamber in the past, though it takes a lot of faffing around (it would likely be easier with a canister of CO2 and a regulator, but as i couldn't come across any in my price range at the time, i was using a vinegar/bicarbonate soda formula for them)

these days i opt for cervical dislocation. it's free, easy and best of all, it's fast.

i always handle my mice in the same way, when they're picked up, i do it by the base of the tail, and this is what is gripped onto during the CD

the mouse has no idea that being picked up this time is any different to any other time they're handled
he/she doesn't see it coming and they're out like a light as soon as it's done

lousy..........my guinea pigs would kill your snake,they have killed before

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by xdow

i'd never feed live, there's just too much risk. plus my snake is completely useless when i give her fresh killed (and still warm), i highly doubt she'd even manage to catch a live mouse, let alone despatch it without acquiring some kind of injury!

i pre-kill and freeze. (i like to freeze them just to make sure there is minimal risk of any parasites being passed on, it also saves on feeding/cleaning expenses as once the mice)
i've used a gas chamber in the past, though it takes a lot of faffing around (it would likely be easier with a canister of CO2 and a regulator, but as i couldn't come across any in my price range at the time, i was using a vinegar/bicarbonate soda formula for them)

these days i opt for cervical dislocation. it's free, easy and best of all, it's fast.

i always handle my mice in the same way, when they're picked up, i do it by the base of the tail, and this is what is gripped onto during the CD

the mouse has no idea that being picked up this time is any different to any other time they're handled
he/she doesn't see it coming and they're out like a light as soon as it's done

I have no issues with you killing your own, and you obviously do it in a humane fashion. We are all taught how to do it at college (by watching, not just randomly killing mice), because lets face it when working with animals, at some point you're going to need to either witness or take part in euthanasia for some reason, the mic thing was to desensitise us a bit it think.

Ironically one of the girls came into uni this week saying she wanted to report her work experience placement for live feeding thier snakes. Sadly the consensus was that the RSPCA probably wouldn't really be bothered unless it was on a huge scale, and that she'd need to prove it before they'd do anything anyway. It's sad that it's so hard to get animal welfare violations (of any kind) into the sights of organisations like RSPCA. ATM its a case of 'it's got to be serious, or on going, or exposed publically' for them to move forward. Admittidly this is a resource problem too but a lot of it is lack of official powers. I say there should be a police division that specialises in animal issues, scrap the RSPCA as the 'go to' and treat poor animal welfare as a police matter

[xdow]

Originally Posted by Dean_Burroughs

lousy..........my guinea pigs would kill your snake,they have killed before

probably, she gets that much cross scent from my 10 that she probably doesn't even regard their scent as a prey item any more (not that she;d manage to get a guinea, even a newborn down her)

she's had neonate rabbits before, mind. one of my does repeatedly got herself pregnant last year despite my securing the bucks very well. had i not thinned the litters down, in just 6 months she'd have produced about 40 rabbits.

out of interest though, why did you feel the need to rent a "prosti-pig" for your boars?

[xdow]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

I have no issues with you killing your own, and you obviously do it in a humane fashion. We are all taught how to do it at college (by watching, not just randomly killing mice), because lets face it when working with animals, at some point you're going to need to either witness or take part in euthanasia for some reason, the mice thing was to desensitise us a bit it think.

Ironically one of the girls came into uni this week saying she wanted to report her work experience placement for live feeding their snakes. Sadly the consensus was that the RSPCA probably wouldn't really be bothered unless it was on a huge scale, and that she'd need to prove it before they'd do anything anyway. It's sad that it's so hard to get animal welfare violations (of any kind) into the sights of organisations like RSPCA. ATM its a case of 'it's got to be serious, or on going, or exposed publicly' for them to move forward. Admittedly this is a resource problem too but a lot of it is lack of official powers. I say there should be a police division that specialises in animal issues, scrap the RSPCA as the 'go to' and treat poor animal welfare as a police matter

very true, it is a... well i wouldn't say Good, but it's a valuable experience in a way to see it actually happen.
it's so likely to come up when working with animals, you can't shy away from it. better to see it happen the first time and get it out of the way so you can be more mentally prepared for the next time.

though that said, one of my rabbits had an episode of some description a few weeks ago, the way she was, it was really obvious that she wasn't coming back from it & started vocalising and gasping. horrendous to see. i chickened out of helping her along. luckily my mum stepped in to do it though.

with the mice, i've never really had a problem with it.
I don't enjoy it (who would?) but rather just take solace in the fact that i know they've had a good life up until the point they are dispatched and when that time comes, it's quick, painless and they have no idea it's coming.
i breed them for welfare reasons most of all. the freeze/thaw food i was buying from the pet shop was just awful and often wasted. the final straw came when i defrosted one with the most severe malocclusion i've ever witnessed. lower incisors up and so long they were piercing the upper "lip"
upper incisors which had curled completely round into the roof of the mouth.
in addition to this, the mice always felt really "leathery" and just really not nice in any way, broken bones, obvious injuries. since i've bred my own though not a single one has been wasted.

i'm looking to get out of it though soon, so I'm on the look out for a high welfare, UK based producer.
very difficult though as most of the prey items you get from a shop freezer are produced abroad.


it's a very sad state of affairs when the RSPCA won't step in on these things.
especially with the advert running at the moment "...this means we can now act BEFORE an animal starts to suffer"
so how come they never do?
resources are stretched, though as you say.

i may be wrong but if the girl can get evidence of it happening, she could bypass the RSPCA and go straight to the police with it.
they probably would get involved then, however with the state of the police forces at the moment as well, it would likely result in asking her to report to the RS instead.
what a horrible situation.

[teresagreen]

I thought this thread was supposed to be about keeping pet rodents, not killing them and feeding them to reptiles. Isn't there a reptile thread?

[xdow]

it's a thread about breeding rodents judging by the title.

doesn;t specify what purpose those rodents are bred for.
it's also been a few months without activity, there wasn't really any need to drag it up.

[Mattehhhftw]

Here is a video of my family of guinea pigs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AN3ycXSYNc

[Pete Callan]

Originally Posted by Mattehhhftw

Here is a video of my family of guinea pigs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AN3ycXSYNc

They're gorgeous, would love to have guinea pigs again

Have to laugh at the opening post. Whining about six babies. I've got 18 in total now! Had three more litters since then. Dominique, my original mum, had a second litter of nine. Her sister Sable gave birth three days litter to another nine. And Caress, Dominique's daughter, gave birth to twelve in November.

Only the first litter was intentional, that first sexing accident led to Dominique and Sable's litters, and I made a mistake once putting one mouse in the wrong cage overnight which led to the fourth litter.

So I've now got:

By Blake (brought home Jan 2012) and Dominique (brought home May 2012), on 15 July
> 4 males - Bliss, Carrington, Colby and Dexter
> 2 females - Caress and Kirby

Dominique and Bliss, 27 September
> 5 males - went to the RSPCA, all have been rehomed
> 2 females - went to a lovely lady and her son who answered an ad I placed.
> 2 died before two weeks old

Sable (Dominique's sister) and Bliss, 30 September
> 4 females - Annie, Elsie, Valerie and Vera
> 3 males - went to the RSPCA, yet to be rehomed
> 2 died before two weeks old

Caress and Carrington, 18 November
> 9 females - Lady Mary and Lady Sybil were kept due to their beautiful colouring, the other seven went to a local pet store.
> 3 males - Branson, Cosmo and Theo - struggled to find a home for them, but miraculously they seem to be getting on just fine for 11 week old males, so I'm keeping them.

All little ones are healthy. Sable was never meant to be a mother, so Dominique was a real help in fostering the second litter when Sable didn't take to it. If I hadn't given them to Dominique, little Elsie's future was very bleak. Now, she's the most lively of them all! So never intended for so many, but with them all here now, wouldn't swap them

As a bonus, our house also welcomed the arrival of a little baby bunny in December, a lionhead/dwarf lop-cross called Honey. She was the only one of her litter to survive, her two siblings died at three days old when their mother rejected them. She's very definitely the cutest thing I've ever laid eyes on, she's so friendly, loves her cuddles and treats, and she's got bundles of energy!