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Mice make great pets, being intelligent, friendly and relatively low maintenance to keep. They live on average for 18 months – 2 years, are easily tamed and if handled properly very rarely, if ever, bite. Sociable by nature mice are best kept in pairs or groups, although there maybe occasions when an aggressive male may have to be kept singly. For this reason females are recommended for first time owners.
Mice are very active little animals and a pair or small group of them will keep you constantly amused with their antics as they play, eat, groom and sleep together. No two are ever quite the same, either in looks or personality and each will have their likes and dislikes as well as their own little habits. Mice also come in an astounding range of colours and varieties and can be extremely pretty to look at, especially if you have several different types living together.
Housing
As with all animals the more space you can offer the better. Most 'mouse' cages are far too small so are best avoided. Good sized hamster cages are great, providing the bar spacing is 1cm or less as mice are very good at escaping through small gaps! Large glass and plastic tanks offer good escape proof homes although they will have to be kept spotless to combat the potential problem with ventilation.
Sawdust and other wood based litters can be extremely dangerous to mice, causing respiratory problems and allergies and should not be used. Safe alternatives include things like Carefresh, Megazorb, Hemp and cardboard based products such as Ecopetbed, Easybed and Bedxel. Shredded paper, newspaper, hay or torn up tissues and kitchen towel (or a mixture of them all) can be used as bedding for mice to sleep in.
Suggested toys for mice can include: tubes from the middle of toilet roll/kitchen towel; solid spoked exercise wheels; ropes and ladders; things to shred (tissue/newspaper etc) and pesticide free sticks/branches from safe source (oak, fruit trees). The list is pretty much endless, as most toys sold for small animals are safe and free household 'waste' items such egg boxes, cereal packets etc can also be used.
Diet
Mice can be prone to skin problems and allergies if fed a diet that is too high in fat and protein, so hamster mixes, which usually contain sunflower seeds and peanuts, are best avoided. If buying a commercial dry food go for a mix for rats food as they have the closest nutritional needs out of all the rodents to that of a mouse. When choosing be on the look out for 'fillers' such as alfalfa or grass pellets as these are things the manufacturers add to ‘bulk’ the mix up and most animals won’t even eat them! Other things to look out for include large amounts of flaked peas or ash and foods that have been artificially coloured or flavoured.
The dry mix should always be available in small quantities and not topped up until most of it has gone to prevent the mice from only picking out their favourite bits! They will also require fresh foods a few times a week, such as small amounts of vegetables, cooked pasta or fruit. Treats can include animal chocolate drops, sunflower seeds and dog biscuits. Contrary to popular belief most mice will not eat cheese and as they do not require dairy foods it is unnecessary to offer them. Fresh water should also be available at all times.
Handling and Exercise
The most likely reason for a mouse to bite is if it is being handled roughly. The safest way to pick up your mouse is to cup it in both hands, but is is also ok to grasp it firmly by the base of its tail and then put your hand under it to support its weight. Never hold it for any length of time by the tail or pick it up by the tip as you will hurt the mouse. Most mice will enjoy play time outside of their cage and this will also help them get used to you. It is important to remember that mice can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps so they should be supervised at all times and must be kept away from other pets. Hamster exercise balls are not recommended as very few mice enjoy being in them and usually become visibly distressed.
Health
There are a few health problems that mice can suffer from, the most common being sneezing and respiratory problems, mites/lice, tumours and food allergies. Sneezing is often caused by dusty cage litters and the first thing to do is to switch it for something less likely to aggravate the mouses respiratory system. Ammonia released from old droppings and urine will also have this affect so it is important to change litter and bedding regularly before it becomes smelly.
Excessive scratching may indicate a mite or lice infestation. If this is the case there will often be small scabs on the skin, commonly behind the ears and around the neck and fur loss. Lice can sometimes be seen as tiny red/orange coloured dots on the skin but mites are invisible to the naked eye. If either are suspected the mouse will need to see the vet for treatment as most over the counter treatments are ineffective. Another cause of excessive scratching, once mice or lice have been ruled out, is a food allergy. Fatty nuts and seeds are often the culprit and the mouse will usually recover quickly once these are removed from its diet.
Mice like rats are fairly susceptible to lumps and bumps, though these are more common in female mice and older mice. The likelihood that a mouse will develop a tumour will depend partly on its parentage and has also been linked to a high fat diet A high percentage of tumours turn out to be benign (not cancerous) and depending on the location and size can often be removed and the mouse fully recover. Even if it is not possible to be removed a mouse may live happily for many months with a lump before feeling any ill effects.
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