Most mice can become tame in a very short space of time with gentle
regular handling. Mice normally only bite because they are frightened.
If your mouse is a bit jumpy or nervous it is a good idea first of all just to get it used to your hand before attempting to lift it out of its cage. Try gently stroking the mouse while it is in its cage and offering it pieces of food from your hand. It will soon realise that it has nothing to fear.
Next try placing your hand in the cage and letting the mouse investigate, and step onto your hand, whilst keeping your hand still.
Once it is happy that there is nothing to fear, take off the top of the cage if possible or open the door of the cage, and gently scoop the mouse up in both hands. Do not hold it too tightly or squeeze it as this may frighten it. If your mouse is not easily caught, hold the base of the tail and place it on your other hand while you lift it out of the cage - do not lift the mouse up by the tail alone.
Don’t lift your mouse too high as if it jumps from your hands and falls it may injure itself. It is always best to handle your mouse whilst you are sitting down so that if it does jump it does not have far to fall and will simply land in your lap.
A good way to get your mouse used to you is just to let it wander around in your lap and place your hands so that it can climb onto them. It will soon be investigating you and wandering up your arms.
Once you have taken your mouse out of the cage, and are sitting, face the mouse towards you - they seem less inclined to jump if facing towards you. Let the mouse walk from one hand to the other. If your mouse does attempt to jump, let it and then simply pick it up again. It is better to do this than try and hold onto the mouse which may cause it to become frightened. Once it is happy to step from one hand to another, gently start to curve your fingers around it’s body so that it can begin to get the feel of being held.
Before long your mouse should be happy to walk from one hand to another with your fingers wrapped around its body and you can then start facing it away from you whilst you are sitting down and letting it walk again from one hand to another.
Some mice are more nervous than others and may take a little longer to become accustomed to being handled. Be patient and gentle and your mouse should become very tame.
If your mouse is really frightened or has had a bad experience being handled and bites whenever handled, try handling it whilst you wear a pair of gloves and handle it as indicated above. The wearing of gloves will help your confidence which in turn will help the mouse. Once the mouse stops biting you can move to handling the mouse without gloves.
Younger children should be supervised when handling mice as they may unintentionally squeeze a mouse, causing it to nip or injuring it.
