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Aggressive Mouse Behavior

Mice may bite you or another mouse.

By Audrey Pavia

Mice bite in self-defense when they are afraid, and to send a message that they want to be left alone. If your mouse bites you when you try to handle it, spend more time taming it. You can do this by offering treats if your mouse climbs onto your hand.

Avoid the urge to put your mouse down immediately after it bites you. This teaches your small pet that biting ends handling, and reinforces the behavior.

Mice can be very aggressive with one another. Most fights are the result of territory wars. Do not house two un-neutered males together. Females usually get along with each other, although may sometimes squabble.


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Reader Comments
i think small animals only become aggressive when they are either mistreated, abused or neglected. they bite because they are afraid, and feel threatened. i know because i have a cat, a dog, and two gerbils who never bite or hurt me.
ravyn, dayton, OH
Posted: 10/20/2009 4:07:57 PM
It helps but I would really like to know how a mouse that just squeaked at me before now bites the cage when anyone gets to close to it. I don't know what happened to him but he seems normal until you get close then he's very aggressive.
Ally, Hutchinson, KS
Posted: 7/11/2009 1:42:51 AM
yes, this article can be very helpfull, one of my mice used to bite me, but she doesnt any more. it could sometimes be that you are putting your hand into the cage to fast, mice are unfortunatley the food of birds and snakes in the wild so their natural instincs think its a hawlk swooping in to grap them so put your hand in the cage very slowly, what i would do when my mouse dot bit me, i would keep and hand in the cage AND tell her "no, dot, you dont bite" firmly instead of her getting the satisfaction of me taking my hand out of the cage, at this time she hadnt earned all my trust quite yet, and now she never bites me and runns to sit up on my shoulders:)
Kristen, Lake Stevens, WA
Posted: 5/27/2009 8:07:28 PM
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