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How To Care For Mice

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How To Care For Mice

The pet mouse, or fancy mouse, makes a great pet, especially for young children. Like many rodents, mice need the right bedding, food, cage, and toys to be kept happy. Care for the mouse properly, and he will be an enjoyable pet to look after and raise. The pet mouse, or fancy mouse, makes a great pet, especially for young children. Like many rodents, mice need the right bedding, food, cage, and toys to be kept happy. Care for the mouse properly, and he will be an enjoyable pet to look after and raise.

Step 1: Background information

The pet mouse, or fancy mouse, is found worldwide. Their natural habitats are houses, stables, and sheds. They can grow up to 6-8cms, and live an average of 1-2 years.

Step 2: Buying

When buying a mouse, especially for a child, it must be young so that it is easy to tame. Too young though and it may have nutritional and behavioural problems.

Perform a health check on the ears, teeth, feet and fur. You want to avoid bare patches, parasites, diarrhoea, arched backs, and swollen joints. Always consult a reputable breeder.

To sex the mouse, note that the gap between the anus and sexual opening in the male is wider than in the female.

Always look for a clean sparkly eye and a zest for life!

Step 3: Behaviour

Mice are active and inquisitive creatures, and even more so in the evenings. They are also excellent climbers and jumpers, and particularly gregarious.

The males are less popular due to their unpleasant odour, and if you are keeping a group you should try to get sisters of a similar age. Introducing a mouse into this group at a later date may result in bullying.

Step 4: Handling

Mice tame fairly quickly if they are handled regularly from a young age. A mouse can be picked up by gently but firmly holding the base of the tail and supporting the body as you lift.

Step 5: Housing

Mice are great escape artists so ensure on a wire cage where the gap is less than 10mm, and check that the doors are not too easy to open.

Glass cages are even better as they are easy to clean, keep mess from spilling out, can not be chewed through, and help avoid the nipping of fingers.

Cover the cage bottom with aspen, corn cob, or even cat litter. Avoid pine shavings and newspaper, as recent research suggests they may be toxic to rodents. This should all be removed and the cage cleaned weekly.

Provide a tube or wooden box as a hide, and fill this with hay. Also give them willow branches, loo rolls, and treadmills for stimulation.

Step 6: Food

Mice are true omnivores and will eat most things. A commercial rodent food makes a perfect staple, but also provide some green veg. Peanuts and sunflower seeds can be given as a treat, and insects can provide protein. Hay also makes good roughage, as well as perfect bedding.

For water, drinking bottles are best. Use bottled water when possible, or add a water conditioner and vitamins to tap water.

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Tips & Comments
  1. Girlyy4

    the cage is big enough. if that cage was just left without that other level than it probally would of been a bit to small. Mice cages should have levels if possible so they get the most use out of there muscles. And the people that say you are picking up the mouse wrong your not. I use to work as a vetinary assistant. And if you ask any pet shop owners or vets they will all tell you this is how to handle you mice. The only thing you did do wrong when picking up the mouse, is when you lift it from the base of its tail you are ment to slide your hand underneith and support its front legs. Good work!

  2. VelvetDoll

    I don't think this mouse is kept in this cage as they have exactly the same cage on the how to care for hamsters video so they might just be putting the mouse in this cage for the video. It probably lives with a few others in a larger cage off screen.

  3. AngelRocker123

    this is sooo rubbish and soo wrong!! they hate it when theyre picked up by their tails and can bite u. also the cage is very small and that mouse is kept alone. they should always be kept in atleast pairs. and the stuff theyre feeding the mouse looks more like those kiddie fruit gummies than anything else. what a stupid video, someone should sue these people!!

  4. Anonymous

    I don´t know where to start...this video is so wrong on so many levels! Mice might be small, but they need an unusually large space for living, the cage shown is ridiculously small. Mice should always be kept in at least pairs, anything else is a cruel life of solitude...Mice should never be picked up by their tails, neither should they be constantly dragged out of the cage for the owners amusement. Mice are animals to be watched, they´re are not suitable for little kids, and mice can die very early of stress resulting from constant handling, etc.. I just hate this laissez-faire attitude when it comes to animals! Horrible video!

  5. Anonymous

    only some mistakes in the video: 1) ALWAYS keep mice in groups, never alone 2) don't grab them at the tail. they hate it! 3) shown cages are way too small mice aren't just cute toys put living animals. really bad video.

  6. reptile_lover07

    but ya shoulnt pick them up by the tail, as this may result in getting bitten

  9. Anonymous

    I didn't know about the bottled water, I used normal tap water, and never got any problems. Maybe it depends on the quality of your water in the area?

  10. Anonymous

    awwww, i luv mice!! lmao luv the background music, how sweet haha