Identity Details That Tell Mice Apart
Open with name, sex, age and a photo, and describe the markings in words as well — "the hooded one with the torn ear tip" identifies a mouse faster than a name a stranger cannot match to a face. Say who she lives with: a group of females who must stay together, or a male housed alone who must not be given a surprise companion. Note anything that affects daily care, such as a mouse who is blind in one eye or one who always sleeps in the top hammock. End the block with your number, a backup contact, and your vet's details, because with an animal this small a problem found at midnight cannot wait for a search through old messages.
The Cage, Written Down Exactly
Describe the cage as the sitter will find it: bar spacing or tank style, the wheel, water bottle position, and where hides and chew toys live. Mice squeeze through gaps adults underestimate, so state which door latches need a firm push and whether the lid is weighted. Bedding matters to mouse lungs, so name the dust-free bedding you use and warn against scented products or fluffy nesting material that can wrap around limbs. If one corner is the toilet and another the food stash, say so — a sitter who cleans the whole cage to bare plastic destroys the scent map your mouse navigates by, and the profile can suggest spot-cleaning instead.
Food and the Nightly Routine
List the exact seed mix or blocks you feed, how much, and how you serve it — scattered through the bedding for foraging, in a bowl, or both. Note the fresh foods she gets and the ones she never has, plus any favourite treat that works for coaxing her into a carrier. Mice wake towards evening, so set expectations: the cage will look deserted at midday and busy at dusk, the wheel will spin half the night, and that is normal. Say when you do the nightly check and what it involves — bottle working, food scattered, a quick headcount of the whole group.
Handling a Very Small Animal
Explain the scoop: slide cupped hands under her and let her walk on, rather than pinching the tail base or grabbing from above like a predator. Note her temperament — hand-tame and curious, or shy and best admired — and how long she can be out, and where: a playpen or a lap, never an open floor in a room with gaps under doors. If she has a carrier routine for vet trips, describe it, including the bedding from home that goes in with her to keep the smell familiar.
Health Notes and When to Call
Record past problems briefly and any ongoing watch points, then name the signs that mean calling you or the vet the same day: breathing that clicks, wheezes or looks laboured, a hunched mouse sitting apart from the group, a coat that has gone rough, weight dropping, or a new lump — common in older mice and always worth a vet's eyes. Mice decline fast, and their short lives make early action matter more, not less. Keep the whole page in one place beside the cage, and a KinsLe Pet Passport keeps the same identity, care and health notes gathered with your mouse's profile so the next person to care for her starts from facts, not guesses.