Mouse Care
Housing
They are social animals and should be kept in same-sex pairs or groups. Mice should be securely housed in a spacious cage.
As with any small animal, the bigger the cage, the better –for a mouse, a cage should never be smaller than 10” x 15.”
Aquariums
A 10-gallon plastic or glass aquarium is suitable for a pair or group of mice. We recommend using a barred top, but ensure that the bars are not spaced too far apart. We recommend a barred or modular cage over an aquarium, as an aquarium has limited placement for toys and air circulation can be a problem. NEVER place an aquarium in the direct sunlight.
Barred Cages
From a basic single story cage to a multi-level home, barred cages offer great variety for your mice’s home. When purchasing a multi-level cage, ensure that the levels are not too far apart in case of a fall, and for any barred cage ensure the bottom is plastic. Always double check the bar spacing to ensure it is not too wide. Many bars are spaced too far apart for mice.
Modular Housing
Modular housing is a series of tubes and compartments that fit together to create a playground for your mice. Brands like Super Pet and Habitrail make all sorts of fun compartments and pieces. While modular houses can be fun, the lack of doors to access the mice and limited air circulation are concerns. Take this into consideration when building.
Bedding
Using the right type of bedding in your mice’s home is imperative for his health and well-being. Pine or cedar shavings must be avoided at all costs. They cause respiratory problems and can be very dangerous for all small animals.
Aspen shavings, Care Fresh or a similar paper shaving, or shredded paper can be used. Mice will also enjoy pieces of unscented tissue, toilet paper or paper towel for building their nests.
Cleaning
Keeping your mice’s home clean is important for their health and happiness. Wet or dirty bedding should be scooped out daily. The entire cage should be cleaned with soap and water once a week along with entirely fresh bedding. Toys, houses and other items should be cleaned at least once a month or more often as needed.
Nutrition
Just like humans, proper nutrition keeps mice healthy and happy. There are many products marketed as rat feed, which are not suitable for rats. Avoid any product that contains seed and do not feed hamster or gerbil food. Rats are rats.
We recommend Martin Mills Mouse & Rat Ration.
Mouse food or blocks should make up about 80% of your mice’s diet. The remaining 20% should be fresh fruit and vegetables and some table scraps like scrambled eggs, pasta or brown rice.
Avoid the treats sold at pet stores. They are loaded with sugar. Instead try puffed rice or other cereal and fresh fruit such as blueberries, ripe banana and grapes.
Toys and Exercise
Mice love having places to hide and play. We recommend:
- A hidey-house – this will give your mice a place to tuck away and feel safe
- A solid metal or plastic wheel for running. Avoid wire wheels at all costs – they can be very dangerous for little mice feet. The wheel should be large enough that the mice don’t arch their backs when running.
- Toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes and wooden bird toys
- Organic apple or willow branches for chewing
In order to create our mouse guide we used the following sources:
www.humanesociety.org/animals/mice
www.afrma.org/rminfo1.htm
www.rabbitrescue.ca
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