is Raising feeder mice for you?

[Lori P]

Awww bummer... one of my best mommy mice, who I've had since May, has a tumor on her side. It's come up very quickly. She is getting around like normal, but, I should probably put her down before it gets painful. Is this a side effect of overbreeding, you think?? Or are these white mice prone to tumors?

[Lori P]

And also, what's up with these rats! I'm tired of getting bitten... what am I doing wrong? These suckers HURT when they bite. And I love the rats. I give them treats every day. I don't hurt them. I do steal their babies tho...

I'm actually getting jumpy about reaching in now, lol. Do you all have agressive rats??? Or are mine defective??

[Hornets23]

I dont know lori...my rats never bit. How old were they when you got them though? If they were mostly grown and not socialized at all..that could be the problem.

[Loren]

Lab type mice are prone to get tumors- some strains more than others. Inbreeding doesnt help, of coarse, and ultimately its probably a main cause as all the common types of feeder mice are pretty much inbred. Time for her to be put into the circle of life.

As for rats, Lori- if they have babies in the cage, they will bite you if you give them the chance(unless they are super tame, maybe). After getting bit twice, I decided it was enough.
I move them by their tails. I hold them as close to the body as possible, and move them as quickly as possible, to avoid injury. The only time I have to do this is when I clean, I transfer the rats into an already clean tub which I set right up to theirs, so I barely have to lift them.
I use my 24" hemostat to retrieve babies from under the mothers- or block them with their food dish (or the hemostat) or something. My hemostat is my favorite all around tool. I reach into the back of the rat tubs, grab a pinky, turn around, and reach it right into the far back of a snake cage right to the snake- done.
I know you like everything to be a pet- but if they have babies- they will likely bite you if you put your hands near the teeth end.
I suppose you could wear some good leather gloves if your dont want to stop handling them.

[NetBSD]

i have 2 rats and i have yet to get bitten, my female is now pregnant but still lets me hold her when i clean the tank, the male on the other hand doesnt liek to be held and tries to run all the time but doesnt bite. ill have to see how the female reacts after she gives birth

[Loren]

well, I should point out that I never have really handled my rats anyways, as far as taming- so mine are really bitey. I dont know how much taming will help- probably some

[NetBSD]

i didnt tame mine at all, for a week i would stick my hand in and rub their necks thats about it. i also give the rats one chocolate chip a day to help prevent RI and its a treat for them, they eat it right out of my hand

[infernalis]

We have 2 rats, the female bites, the male does not. He's a real goofus.

[Zephyr]

I don't have rats. :P
I don't have biting problems with my mice though.

[Loren]

I've never had a bite problem with mice. cant say I've tried to let them bite me either- but then again, I didnt try to get bit by the rats and it happened twice. And I have rasied far more mice than rats- so my deduction is that rats bite more than mice.