A mouse in the house

Most of you will think I'm crazy but maybe a few can relate and just maybe someone has some useful tips, I hope.
I had a mouse in my house so I built a live trap and caught it. Then I realized if I release it right now in the wet, cold winter it will die. I assume that wild mice in the outdoors dig burrows and maybe stock up on winter food or at least have scouted food sources and this little guy won't have that, right?
So now I have a mouse in a cage that I'm feeding. Geez.
Any suggestions for when and how I can relocate this guy? I wouldn't mind feeding it to a snake or something but I can't be responsible for it dying of exposure or hunger.

(PS. I also wanted to say that I've been away from TFO lately because my mother-in-law had a stroke and now we are caring for her. Life got busy. I still love it here on TFO).

Well that’s a lot! I don’t even know what to say about the mouse but I’m sorry about your mother-in-law! Caring for someone can really take it’s toll so make sure to take care of yourself too.... mentally & physically

I have no mouse advice, but that all sounds like something I would do lol.

Hope all is well with your family.

Sorry life has taken a downward turn. Hope it's getting easier.
The mice in my neighborhood takes up residence in my tortoise shed for winter, well summer too. They have heat food and water plus all kinds of stuff too use for bedding.
If you dont mind letting him go in a shed or garage I think he'd do fine. Otherwise depending on where you live I would wait till temps aren't below 60

EllieMay said:

Well that’s a lot! I don’t even know what to say about the mouse but I’m sorry about your mother-in-law! Caring for someone can really take it’s toll so make sure to take care of yourself too.... mentally & physically

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Thank you, thats so kind and good advice.
I often say to myself "you have to put on your own oxygen mask first". Haha! Is that even a reference that everyone knows? I don't know. But it's true and important to remember.. so thank you!

wellington said:

Sorry life has taken a downward turn. Hope it's getting easier.
The mice in my neighborhood takes up residence in my tortoise shed for winter, well summer too. They have heat food and water plus all kinds of stuff too use for bedding.
If you dont mind letting him go in a shed or garage I think he'd do fine. Otherwise depending on where you live I would wait till temps aren't below 60

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Good advice! I wish I had a shed to let it live in. I have a garage but it's also my work space and I can imagine things going awry and my partner looking at me like " well you did it to yourself" and he would be right. Can't let that happen!

Relocation is a death sentence for almost any wild animal. They grow up in their own territory knowing where food, water and shelter is located. When moved to a new territory, they don't know where anything is and they usually die. If a predator doesn't get them, starvation or a territorial rival will.

You can either feed it until it dies, or find a snake owner with a freezer. Freezing will kill most parasites before thawing and feeding the predatory pet.

LaLaP said:

Most of you will think I'm crazy but maybe a few can relate and just maybe someone has some useful tips, I hope.
I had a mouse in my house so I built a live trap and caught it. Then I realized if I release it right now in the wet, cold winter it will die. I assume that wild mice in the outdoors dig burrows and maybe stock up on winter food or at least have scouted food sources and this little guy won't have that, right?
So now I have a mouse in a cage that I'm feeding. Geez.
Any suggestions for when and how I can relocate this guy? I wouldn't mind feeding it to a snake or something but I can't be responsible for it dying of exposure or hunger.

(PS. I also wanted to say that I've been away from TFO lately because my mother-in-law had a stroke and now we are caring for her. Life got busy. I still love it here on TFO).

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seems to me if you cut is lose in the area that it came from...it will do fine. If the critter came from outdoors....it may come right back into your space.....feed it, keep it safe and then cut is lose when the weather turns....then be prepared for it to show back in your/its home....lol.

Tom said:

Relocation is a death sentence for almost any wild animal. They grow up in their own territory knowing where food, water and shelter is located. When moved to a new territory, they don't know where anything is and they usually die. If a predator doesn't get them, starvation or a territorial rival will.

You can either feed it until it dies, or find a snake owner with a freezer. Freezing will kill most parasites before thawing and feeding the predatory pet.

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Oh man! For the rest of its life?! What have I done?
Well I trust that what you say is true and now I'm faced with a tough decision. Thanks for sharing your insight.
... maybe this is how I talk my partner into letting me have a snake...

You remind me of my friend...she has cats, and of course they occasionally bring a live mouse in through the doggie door.

My friend catches the mouse, then puts it in a really big jar with bedding, etc. In the spring, she lets it go in the field right across the street, hopefully to live out it's life and not get carried in again.

She currently has 12 jars lined up...

KarenSoCal said:

You remind me of my friend...she has cats, and of course they occasionally bring a live mouse in through the doggie door.

My friend catches the mouse, then puts it in a really big jar with bedding, etc. In the spring, she lets it go in the field right across the street, hopefully to live out it's life and not get carried in again.

She currently has 12 jars lined up...

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12 jars?! I hope this is not my fate.

LaLaP said:

12 jars?! I hope this is not my fate.

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Well, I don't know why she doesn't put them in the field as soon as they're caught. I think she just likes them.

But I admit...I couldn't just hand them over to someone to be a meal.

I've been waiting to see if there was an update.
Only because I've never heard of a house with a mouse. Only mice. As in, you found the one that got caught venturing out in the open and was seen. Not the rest of the colony.
Hopefully yours was a mouse from outside.

ZEROPILOT said:

I've been waiting to see if there was an update.
Only because I've never heard of a house with a mouse. Only mice. As in, you found the one that got caught venturing out in the open and was seen. Not the rest of the colony.
Hopefully yours was a mouse from outside.

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Oh I hadn't considered that there would be more. Well I built a good, effective trap so I guess I should set it out again just in case. Hopefully I can put them all in the same cage. I've wondered if my little prisoner is lonely.... not everyone loves alone time as much as a tortoise!
But I don't want a mess of babies!
Sigh. Loving all the little creatures sometimes makes life difficult