Hare Today now has ground whole mouse

[ldg]

Carolina pointed it out to me the other day: https://www.hare-today.com/product_...d=210&osCsid=920453872caa745674262e62b519a031

I think I'm going to order one the next time I order organs. Tux, Laz, and Shel don't like ground food, which is why I had to go frankenprey. But everyone else likes it. So.. I think it's worth seeing. I've been wondering why no one makes "mouse" cat food (canned or otherwise). I mean - it IS what cats naturally eat!!!!

 

[whollycat]

Laurie, my kiddos did not like the ground mousies when I gave that a go over a year ago, but hopefully yours won't be so picky as mine. I do feed a coarse ground balanced raw to mine, and they love that, but the ground mousies...not so much.

Hare-Today does have grown mice, but I've never tried them.

One thing that I do order is whole frozen mice from RodentPro: http://www.rodentpro.com/ Izzy is the only one of my kids that will eat these after thawing and warming in a baggie a bit), but she's always been raw fed, as opposed to my other two (Abby raw at the age of almost 8, Maxie at 1-ish). I started with the little pinkies and she chowed those down and looked at me like, "Is that all ya got to offer--where's the real meal?!" So next time I ordered fuzzies and full size mousies. Now it's all full size mice. She chomps them down like crazy...the two boys look at her like she's wacko, LOL. I'm not giving up on the boys eating mice though!

RP also has rats, rabbits, guinea pigs [I couldn't do these], chicks, and quail.
 

 

[ldg]

Yeah, I'm familiar with HT. But I just started feeding raw in January, so I didn't know they used to have ground mouse. It hasn't been on their "menu" since I've been feeding anyway. :lol3: I had to go to frankenprey, because Laz, Tux, and Shel stopped eating any ground raw. Thankfully they liked it for the transition. I was using NV originally, and had to cut down the bone content with fresh meat - and they decided they liked that better. :lol3:

I'll probably order one pound of the mouse just to see. I have three reliable (of 7) raw eaters that aren't fussy about anything - doesn't matter what it is, they eat it. And one that's not overly fussy. So even though I'm feeding frankenprey to 7 (my 8th stopped eating raw after a problem with constipation. She now eats one meal of raw a day, and that is ONLY ground pork or NV rabbit (with lots of pork fat LOL)). But if any of them eat mouse, I'll put it on the menu, ground or not. Can't get more species-appropriate than that. :lol3:

I haven't priced it out recently, but feeding the whole mice was prohibitive cost-wise, the last time I'd checked. I think I priced it out at RodentPro, but not sure. I should check again. Thanks!

 

[ldg]

Yep, that was one of the sites. To feed two meals a week of mouse, I'd need 18 ounces a week; 4.5 pounds a month. If ordering the weanlings, that's 3 bags of 50. Cost is $112.40. Shipping here, that works out to $22.66 a pound (at 15g per mouse assumption) for just shy of 5 pounds. That's why it's not on the menu! :lol3:

 

[pushylady]

that sounds very expensive to me, considering how relatively easy it must be to breed mice for production.
I was wondering about using those pinkies for raw fed cats. I've only ever used them when I had to look after someone's snake, but I don't see why cats shouldn't have mouse on the menu too.

 

[feralvr]

Yep, that was one of the sites. To feed two meals a week of mouse, I'd need 18 ounces a week; 4.5 pounds a month. If ordering the weanlings, that's 3 bags of 50. Cost is $112.40. Shipping here, that works out to $22.66 a pound (at 15g per mouse assumption) for just shy of 5 pounds. That's why it's not on the menu! :lol3:

That is expensive !!!!!!!! And I am going to place an order with HT sometime soon because I have found that some of the cat's like the goat :rofl: I can't believe it!!!! and the pheasant. So I might order some mice. We used to have a Tegu lizard and feed it the frozen pinkies all the time. Gave me the heebies..... But, yeah, mouse would be the dinner of choice for our feral kitties, so why not offer it to our "tame" kitties :lol3:

 

[Willowy]

I totally want to order some! But I have ZERO freezer space right now. . .I just went shopping, and between the kitties' meat and my food, I don't think I could squeeze in another popsicle :lol3: I really need to buy a chest freezer.

 

[goingpostal]

that sounds very expensive to me, considering how relatively easy it must be to breed mice for production.
I was wondering about using those pinkies for raw fed cats. I've only ever used them when I had to look after someone's snake, but I don't see why cats shouldn't have mouse on the menu too.

My cat and ferrets adore pinkies!  I breed mice myself and if the litters are large I give extras to them, I also buy rabbit pinks from my rabbit guy, the cat is pickier about those but the ferrets love them.  Mine are used to eating mice whole, I think ground ones would be pretty gross lol.  If any of you live around reptile expos that'd be the place to go to find cheap mice, or find a breeder but it would be pricey either way, I usually sell them for $1 each but have gone to .50 for other snake owners who buy a lot.  Seems like if I feed too many in a day she pukes up fur so I usually just give one or two and feed frankenprey for the rest. 

 

[feralvr]

I totally want to order some! But I have ZERO freezer space right now. . .I just went shopping, and between the kitties' meat and my food, I don't think I could squeeze in another popsicle :lol3: I really need to buy a chest freezer.

WHAT.... you don't have a chest freezer yet :lol3: I got one from that Jewel freezer promotion they have each Spring. It cost us $160..00 and I got that much and more in free food (coupon book) It was great!!! We still have some free frozen food from Jewel. It was so fun shopping for the free stuff, especially at check out time - no cost :bigthumb: OH, yes, you must get a freezer. I know Sally is thinking about getting one too I don't think you have a Jewel in S.D. though :uuh:

 

[feralvr]

My cat and ferrets adore pinkies!  I breed mice myself and if the litters are large I give extras to them 

I feel sorry for the mice :anon: I used to have pet rats (double :anon:....) because I felt sorry for them at a pet store many years ago and saved to females that happened to be pregnant. I even got them and the babies all spuetered :lol3: You don't feed them live do you?? I never gave our Tegu lizard live mice, that would have made my cry :lol3: I even try to save mice from the cat's at the horse barn. I just hate to hear any animal in terror like that I know I sound like a hypocrite because I can feed them from frozen .... I guess in my mind, as long as the animal is humanely "slaughtered" then I feel better about feeding it. :nod:

 

[goingpostal]

I do feed the pinkies live, the humane way of killing them is to put them in the freezer and that seems crueler to me than letting them be quickly eaten.  I don't get attached, I do sell quite a few as pets but it's just cheaper to breed my own feeders so I dealt with it and learned how to raise and kill them.  My cat gets a live one if they jump or escape, I need her to keep my house from getting overrun but she is quick and doesn't play with them or anything but for her meals she gets dead ones. 

 

[klag]

I feel sorry for the mice

I used to have pet rats (double

....

In college as a gift, I got a Colombian Red Tail Boa Constrictor.  I went and bought it 2 rats to feed.... couldn't kill them, had 2 pet rats for 4 years.  Great pets!!  A few months later, I bought 6 mice to try....  had 6 pet mice til they all escaped 8 months later.

I could only buy dead, frozen mice for the snake. 

 

[feralvr]

I do feed the pinkies live, the humane way of killing them is to put them in the freezer and that seems crueler to me than letting them be quickly eaten.  I don't get attached, I do sell quite a few as pets but it's just cheaper to breed my own feeders so I dealt with it and learned how to raise and kill them.  My cat gets a live one if they jump or escape, I need her to keep my house from getting overrun but she is quick and doesn't play with them or anything but for her meals she gets dead ones. 

I could not do that - not ever - feed them live. Nor could I freeze them live. I will not be able to read anymore about this.

 

[feralvr]

In college as a gift, I got a Colombian Red Tail Boa Constrictor.  I went and bought it 2 rats to feed.... couldn't kill them, had 2 pet rats for 4 years.  Great pets!!  A few months later, I bought 6 mice to try....  had 6 pet mice til they all escaped 8 months later.

I could only buy dead, frozen mice for the snake. 

I know.... I was shocked at how intelligent the rats were and how loving they were as pets. The two I saved from the feeder tank were already pregnant. When the pinkies were born, I was so attached to them. The mother's were perfect mother's. One of the white baby rats - I named her Peabody - had some sort of breathing problem and I rushed her to the Exotic vet. She was humanely euthanized and I was so heartbroken over it. You probably think I am nuts - but they really are wonderful little creatures.

I would only buy them frozen too. and after thinking more about this, I will not be feeding my cats frozen mice either. I am sure some of you don't understand and could come back at me with the argument.... YOU feed lamb, rabbit, goat, etc. (all of which could be wonderful pets too) but I guess I have my reasons and limits. I also ride and love horses and could never eat or serve horse meat to my dogs or cats. SO, does this make sense to anyone, :dk: To me, it makes perfect sense and that is all that matters.

 

[ldg]

Lauren, you don't need to explain as far as I'm concerned. I couldn't feed live animals to my cats.

 

[goingpostal]

There's plenty of raw feeders who pick and choose what meats they feed, I know lots of ferret people who also have pet guinea pigs, rabbits or rats so they aren't ok feeding frozen ones.  A lot of people don't like meat than looks like an actual animal but are ok with frankenprey or ground.  I like rats and don't think I could breed/kill them, thankfully none of my animals seem to like rat anyways but I do prefer meat that I know how it was raised/killed over slaughterhouses or even how most feeders are kept, it's actually part of the reason I do breed my own mice is the pet stores care of them was downright disgusting and several times they all died because the owner "forgot" to feed or water them.  Plus she just kept them all together, breeding like crazy, fed chinchilla pellets, no light, no hiding spots, rarely cleaned, it was horrifying. 

 

[feralvr]

the pet stores care of them was downright disgusting and several times they all died because the owner "forgot" to feed or water them.  Plus she just kept them all together, breeding like crazy, fed chinchilla pellets, no light, no hiding spots, rarely cleaned, it was horrifying. 

That is exactly how I ended up with Fern and Avery.... they were in a feeder tank. We were actually at that store to buy my daughter, who was seven at the time, a pet rabbit. We were taken into the back room to see some new baby rabbits that just came in that day. Across from the baby rabbits, were the feeder rats in a metal tank. I went over to it. Fern and Avery were persistent and trying to climb out to reach me. There were at least twenty or more rats in that bin. I had NEVER held or allowed a rat to crawl on me before. And my husband and daughter were in shock :rofl: But they snuggled with me and I could not put them back in the tank. My daughter came over complaining "MOM..... ARN'T WE HERE TO GET ME A RABBIT?????" I turned to her and said with a smile "How about a rat???" She still got her rabbit ..... :lol3: We got all of the supples and I had a really cool cage and set-up for the rats. I had Fern and Avery and their babies (who were all fixed :lol3 for about three to four years until they all passed on. They don't live long. They made the best pets though. I did find homes for some of the babies. Good homes. But kept two from Fern and three from Avery. So you see, that is why I have a completely different opinion on feeding them live.

Sorry for getting of topic ara2: I am sure there are many other stories of "pets" that people have had in which are being used for meat, feeding cats, dogs or people for that matter. I just could not feed them live....

 

[klag]

 I was shocked at how intelligent the rats were

Oh yeah, they were fantastic pets for many years!  Definitely smarter than 3 out of 5 of my cats.  The mice were not really fun, other than cute to look at/watch.  No interaction with them.  Kept them in a huge 55 gallon tank for 6 tiny mice.  They escaped and one found it's way into our pantry, and into a twinky box.  Luckily we were all immature college guys and thought it was hilarious...  if that were anyone else finding a mouse in the pantry - well, laughing would probably not be the reaction. 

One of my ferals killed a rabbit right on my back porch the other day, left it there for me to look at for a while before they took it away.  I wanted to bring in a piece for my indoor kitties to try.

It was actually pretty bad, I watched the whole thing happen on my porch.  It was pretty violent...  I called the police.  They were NOT happy I called them for that. 

 

[lisamarie12]

I realize this topic was posted awhile back, however, I wanted to follow-up with any new feedback re: HT's ground mouse - hit or miss with  your cat(s)?

I'm thinking of placing an order, it'll either be money down the drain or a new protein to add to the kids diet.

Thanks.

 

[ldg]

This isn't going to help. Some liked it, some didn't. It wasn't enough of a hit among all of them to justify the expense for me (I feed 10). I have started ordering it again, but I'm feeding it to one: my kitty with lymphoma (small cell, intestinal). She will only eat ground raw, and was eating only llama, so I've been trying to find more proteins. Lamb? No. Beef? No. (She never liked any ground poultry and still doesn't). Goat is working. And mouse is working. I'll live with it! Better than only llama!