Handling

How do I handle my pets the right way? There are several ways for several different occasions. Basics are introduced here.
This counts for each of them: Don't rush it! Because if you do your pets will do, too.

Take the mouse in the space between your two hands. It sits on one hand while you cover it with the other. This way you can carry it from one place to another without problems.
This way of handling is also suitable to catching and moving less tame mice.
Don't forget: For very anxious individuals it means stress. Maybe you should use another method (e.g. transport box).

Scruffing a rodent takes a bit of practice and it will cost you some effort for the first few times. Make a fold in the neck of the animal and fix it on this fold. Always support the body of the animal with the other hand unless you absolutely must hold the animal without support (at the vet ect.).
Using this grip, it is important to know how roomy the skin of the species is. Fat-tailed gerbils for example can turn around quite well in their skin when the fold is too small, so they can bite you quickly. The other way around spiny mice have such a tight skin that the grip might be difficult or even impossible. For the latter try to avoid this way of handling.
This grip is used when the animal has to be treated or examined and has to be fixed for that.
This grip means a significantly amount of stress to the rodent. So it should be used only in special circumstances. The following applies: The more shy the animal is, the is higher the level of stress.
Please note: There are some species or individuals you can't hold like this because of massive resistance. In these cases you have to choose an alternative method of handling.

This grip is an expanded version of scruffuing rodents. It's suitable for all individuals which fidget intensely.
The pet is taken on a longer fold which reaches from the neck until the last third of the back. Supporting the body isn't necessary in this case.
This way of handling is usually used when the animal has to be examined and for this fixed securely.
Fixing is associated with considerable stress for the patient. So this grip should be used only if absolutely necessary. The following applies: The more shy the animal is the higher is the stress level.
Please note: There are animals that cannot be handled securely because of the high stress levels or substantial resistance. In this case you have to use an alternative method.

The animal is scruffed as described in the paragraph above („scruffing“) and fixed on a surface of a table or something similar. Additionally it is fixed at the base of the tail.
Since this way of handling causes much stress, it has to be used only in cases of emergency, for example to give an injection.
An advantage of the grip is the almost absolute inability to move. This reduces the risk of inujury for the patient because of sudden moves e.g. by the needle of the syringe.

This means to daze the mouse with an anaesthetic gas. This method makes it possible for the vet to examine - and if possible/necessary to treat - very shy rodents without too much stress and with a lower risk of injury for the pet.
Use this method only in cases when it is absolutely necessary, because every anaesthesia is a risk. Try to find out if there is any information about the compatibility of the gas for the species you keep before you go to the vet because not all species have the same tolerance.

Let the mouse walk on your hand or take it up actively and then close your hand a bit. Then the mouse sits on the hand without a bigger risk of falling off it. Take care not to hold the mouse too tight. That might cause the mouse to think about run away.
This method fits for tame rodents only.

Place a roll from toilet paper or a kitchen roll into the enclosure and wait a bit until the mouse walks in. Then close both ends of the roll with your hands. Now you can take it easily from one cage to another.
The procedure is suitable for smaller, shy rodents up to the size of Mongolian jirds which don't tend to bite. An advantage compared with the direct contact with the hand is the reduced stress level for the trapped animal.
A similar effect can be achieved by using nest boxes or other houses with a closed the bottom. Only the entrance has to be closed when the rodent got in.

Though many mice species have a long tail and many people pick them up by it, the tail was not made for humans to handle mice! It usually causes intensive pain holding a mouse on her tail - even though the victim doesn't scream. Some exotic species will loose their tail quickly when taken up or fixed on it.
Some species (e.g. harvest mice, fancy mice, natal rats)can be held in an exceptional case on the base of the tail. The weight of the body has necessarily to be supported by the other hand. Never let a mouse hang freely on her tail! That is very painful to the small rodent! The same is with taking a mouse on the middle or the end of the tail: Never do it!
This method causes a high stress level as all methods touching mice directly do.

This method fits especially for examinations at the vet. Wrap the mouse into the towel. Let only the bodypart exposed, that is to examine. The mouse is calmer and feels more secure, when you cover its eyes or the whole head. Apart from that the towel keeps the mouse from fidgeting too much.
The smaller a species is the more difficult is it to use this method. That's why it fits best for fancy mice, Mongolian jirds and mice of similar or bigger size. If you are experienced enough you can also use it for smaller rodents.

With a carrier (plastic terrarium of proper size) you can catch almost any rodent. Place the carrier with the open top into the enclosure and wait until the animal walks into the box out of curiosity to explore what's inside. Then close the lid and you have caught the animal.
There are a whole range of exotic small rodents, which don't enter the box voluntarily. Such an individual can be caught by hustling it into a corner of the enclosure with the box. Then it flees into the box or is pushed into it automatically and you close the box just with the lid .
Please note: Some exotic rodents are very sensitive towards stress! Don't shoo them too much!
This method is suitable for all types of mice, gerbils and exotic rodents and compared to methods with direct contact it is less stressful.
Adjust the size of the used box to the species and its size. Boxes that are too small won't lead to a success, huge boxes have a certain risk of injury when the animals jumps around blindly in panic in the box.

Translation
Angelus Noctis
Proofreading
Jedediah