Pet Tamer's Handbook
Mouse
Mice are a very common rodent, but very rare to actually find. They hide in between the walls of inns, shops and taverns. They are most often found in Mileth Crypt. Due to their size, attitude, and diet, a mouse makes one of the best pets. A full grown mouse will fit in your hand and eat a variety of easily obtained food.
Mice that have been bred are safest because they are calmer and are less likely to carry any diseases.
Kalliope's Pet Pudgy
In the fall of Deoch 90 ((on February 12th)) Eeva, the Suomi Inn Keeper, received a letter from Kalliope regarding her pet pudgy:
Other Facts
Mice like to eat small portions up to twenty times a day.
Many mundanes label mice as pests because they can spread disease.
Untameable: Rat
Mice get their bad reputations mostly from their cousins, rats. Rats are larger than mice and far more vicious. These are the rodents you will find wandering about the taverns and inns in the middle of the day. They cannot be tamed.
Capturing a Mouse
Roll a piece of parchment up to create a tube. Seal the tube or wrap it loosely with string. Lay the roll on top of a table, chest, or high rock with half off it hanging over the edge. Place some type of treat, such as a piece of bread, in the end that is hanging over the surface. Below the tube, next to the surface leave something tall with a mouth, such as a milk can or vase that will ultimately trap the mouse when it falls from trying to get the treat.
Dear Eeva,
A Deoch ago, I found a baby mouse behind one of the ale barrels in the Undine Tavern. I knew Chloe would have gotten rid of him if she knew, so
I made him a new home outside behind the tavern in one of the bushes. I always brought him scraps of food, and kept him warm with some of the rags that were going to be thrown out. I named him Pudgy, and I have had him ever since.
Lately, he's been acting strange. At first, I thought he had just gotten used to me, because he no longer nips at my fingers when I try to pick him up. But then I noticed he wasn't as lively as he used to be. He sleeps a lot more, and is very sluggish when he does move.
Damara's old cat got sick once, and it refused to eat or drink for days. But Pudgy is still eating as much as before, if not more.I really don't know what to think. I can't tell Chloe, because she would get mad at me for keeping it.
Do you think you could help me?
Hopeful,
Kalliope
Taming a Mouse
Mice are relatively easy to tame, particularly ones that were bred. Taming is all about handling. Start by putting food in the palm of your hand and laying it flat near them. This encourages the mouse the walk into your hand. Keeping your hand flat at first is important because it is less intimidating for your pet, and also reduces the chance of you getting bit. Just give the mouse some time to accumulate to his new home and to your scent and he will soon enough be climbing all over you.
((This pet was only avaliable during the Kalliope's Pet Pudgy event, and is nontransferable.))
Caring For Your Pet Mouse
Mice will eat seeds, bread, fruits, vegetables, and rice. Of course, many tamers enjoy feeding their pet mouse cheese. Because mice are prey for so many animals it is important that you keep your mouse’s cage away from any other pets, such as vipers and hyenas.
They can also chew through materials such as cloth, and sometimes thin wood. Keep this in mind when you are choosing where to keep your pet mouse. For good measure, it is suggested to keep them on a high table or shelf; mice are afraid of heights, and so will not jump down if they manage to escape their cage.
If you agreed to assist Kalliope she asked that you drop a token into one of the wells around Temuair wishing for Pudgys health.
Several suns later Eeve reported that "it would appear that Kalliope's wish has came true. She came this morning and said that Pudgy is completely better, all thanks to you. There also seems to be some sort of surprise involved. Perhaps you should stop by and see Kalliope soon."
For those aislings that choose to wish for Pudgys health, they received a baby pet mouse.
Other Methods of Obtaining a Mouse
Areini, the pet shop owner in Tagor refuses to breed or sell mice to aislings; she has heard too many stories of mice that were raised to be pets being used as food for other pets to feel comfortable giving away her own.
The only way to get a pet mouse is from a breeder or to capture a wild one.
Mice reach sexual maturity around 12-16 moons, and can begin breeding relatively young. Place a male mouse into a cage with several other females to begin the breeding process. Never keep multiple male mice together, otherwise they fight each other. After several moons remove the male from the cage and patiently observe your females for any changes.
It will take between three to four double-moons before a pregnant mouse gives birth. A mouse will typically have four to eight babies in a single litter. The sex of the baby mice becomes visible after only two double-moons. The newborns should be weaned by the mother for at least three double-moons before being separated and allowing the mother to mate again.
