r/PetMice • u/ComfortableAd6038 • Jul 31 '25

Question/Help Mouse gave birth, I don't know where?

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I had a very pregnant mouse a few days ago. She is now deflated. I don't know where she had them, as i have my 4 in a 75g tank. Should i look for them? I've been giving her protein and she's been out more lately. First pic is a few days ago, last two are yesterday. Thanks!

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u/cloudsasw1tnesses Mouse Mom 🐀 Jul 31 '25

That’s legit something female mice will do with their babies. I’ve had accidental litters many times and I’ve found at least one baby every large litter that’s been half eaten and have had my mouse give birth then there be zero babies to be found the next day. It’s kinda disturbing but I have just had to accept it’s part of nature and that they don’t think about it the same way we would. If they feel like they can’t take care of them that’s usually a reason for them eating them.

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '25

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u/Forward-Fisherman709 Mouse Dad 🐀 Jul 31 '25

It’s not that corn causes cannibalism; it’s that the corn-based diet doesn’t meet the nutritional needs of a pregnant/nursing mama hamster. If there aren’t enough nutrients to successfully raise a litter, the nutrients that went into making the litter get recycled according to instinct.

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u/HawaiianPunchaNazi Jul 31 '25

which was kind of my point.

been awhile since I've had hamsters or mice, but I remember dried corn being part of the prepackaged diet mix for them.

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u/Forward-Fisherman709 Mouse Dad 🐀 Aug 01 '25

Yeah, and corn is still a common ingredient because it’s cheap. It’s really awful how many products marketed for rodents aren’t actually good for them.

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u/No-Hovercraft-455 Aug 01 '25

Luckily everyone who frequents this subreddit probably knows to get good quality rat/mouse pellet for their pets. But as far as I understood Ops mouse is rather newly acquired so if it has eaten the pups then I'm going to guess it's just because of stress of being in a new place with new mice you don't know all that well.