At Home

You will need to have a secure warm box in which to carry your new pet home you can probably get one from the pet shop, but you should check this first.

Carry your new pets home as quickly and as gently as possible and put them into the cage that you have prepared. Mice will soon discover their own dark sleeping place and may stay there for a while. Mice usually settle into their new homes very soon. Then you can begin to make them tame.

You must move very slowly and let the animal come to you. Offer it a titbit, such as a sunflower seed, and curiosity will soon overcome your pet's fear. When the animal takes food from you willingly, try picking it up. Hold a rat two-handed; one hand over its back, the other slipped under its tummy to support the weight. When it feels more confident and fairly sure that you will not hurt it, the rat will walk onto your hand without hesitation.

Your pet will quickly learn to recognise you. Take great care not to do anything violent (waving your arms) or loud (shouting) as this will scare the mouse. You must be quiet and gentle, so as not to frighten it and it will become tame..

You may want to pick your mouse up once it has got used to you and your smell and it is quite tame. You can do this quite easily and without hurting the animal. Hold it near the base of the tail - never hold the tip of the tail.
-This rat is ready to leap away, but its curiosity is overcoming its fear. Soon it will be quite tame and confident.