Why Did My Pregnant Mouse Die?
Although mouse breeding is rather straightforward, there are still some things you need to pay close attention to.
If you want your mice to breed, you need to make sure that all the requirements are met. Mice need a stress-free environment and they need to reach the age of fertility.
Of course, it is not ideal if the female is too old either. There are also various diseases that can be identified beforehand.
These can not only make your mouse unable to breed but there will be a risk of dying during the pregnancy as well.
Furthermore, it is important to provide proper care for a pregnant mouse. Although there is not much to do as a mouse owner, you can still make sure that their environment is quiet and safe.
But we are going to talk about that later. First off, let’s see the effects of everyday stress on a pregnant mouse.
Stress During Pregnancy
There are lots of things that can make a pregnant mouse feel threatened. Keeping her in a noisy environment or in a room where many people walk by the cage are only two of the common situations. In a household, people tend to keep these pets near the kitchen or in the children’s room.
In a hectic family, these areas are often occupied with people rushing left and right or children playing with each other and screaming.
A pregnant mouse has to be kept in a relaxing environment. She gets more defensive than usual and gets stressed out more easily.
This is usually when the playtime is over and she starts to concentrate on her own eating and sleeping needs.
In this case, keeping the cage in a spot where other pets can go near it is also a really bad idea. You need to find a safe spot until the mother gives birth to the babies and they grow up.
Female Mouse was Too Young or Old
Of course, you can’t breed a female mouse at the time when she is not even fertile yet. You need to wait out that 4-5 weeks until she becomes able to breed.
Mice become fertile rather quickly, which is why the number of mice you have can start to exponentially grow within a few months.
In case your female mouse is too old, however, then she might be too weak for breeding. In this case, it is better to prevent her from breeding because she can easily die in the process. The lifespan of a pet mouse is 2 years in average.
We would recommend you not to breed your mouse if she is about to reach that 2-year mark.
At that point, you will probably notice that the female is a bit more sluggish, less energetic and also sleeps a lot more. Sleeping more is also a sign of low energy.
Sickness or Organ Failure
Before you even buy a mouse to keep at home, it is important to do some research. You need to be aware of the signs that a pet mouse displays when he is sick or weak for some reason.
During a disease or organ failure, the immune system of a female mouse is simply not strong enough for breeding.
Do what you can in order to cure her illness and make sure that she doesn’t breed in the process. Otherwise, she might die during pregnancy or while giving birth.
How to Care for Pregnant Mouse?
There is really no list of things to do when it comes to taking care of a pregnant mouse.
Pretty much all you need to do is to clean the cage as best as you can before she gives birth to the litter. Cleaning should be done carefully because the pregnant mouse can become frustrated rather easily.
This is why it is enough to notice that your mouse is pregnant in the last couple of days. Noticing it earlier really makes no difference, as you will probably notice that she has a bigger appetite anyway. Once her tummy area starts to grow, it will become obvious why she eats that much food.
Simply put, pregnant mice need to eat a bit more than their normal portions but they don’t require specific attention besides that.
Can a Dead Mouse Still Give Birth?
If the female mouse dies before giving birth, then it is simply not going to happen. The babies are going to die as well inside their mother.
Now a common situation is that the female mouse is weak or even sick, but she manages to give birth to her babies before she dies.
In this case, the mother dies right after parturition or during the process. Depending on the illness the female is suffering from or the time she passes away, the babies might be still-born.
However, they might be lucky enough to get out alive and live a healthy life. This depends on a lot of things.
Wrapping Up
The reason behind a pregnant mouse dying is often the carelessness of the owner. If you take good care of your mice and monitor them on a regular basis, then all risks are minimized.
You should keep them on a healthy diet and make sure they get enough fresh water on a daily basis.
Regular cage maintenance is also very important. This is especially true if you keep the drinking water in a bowl and your mice spill it around the cage.
Water is an outstanding substance for any virus or bacteria to spread and infect your precious pets.
As an owner or mouse breeder, your only job is to do all the basic things that ensure the well-being of your mouse.
Then, when the time comes for them to breed, they are going to take care of the rest. The only thing that pregnant mice hate is a noisy, hectic environment.
Keep them away from other pets and places such as the children’s room or a busy kitchen and everything is going to be alright.
