Other Mice: Buck or Doe

[YourSoJelly]

I was just wondering, what should I get(if mom says yes)? I need to plan this out because it will be a part of my essay. This will be my first mouse, I have had hamsters(normal and dwarf) and I currently have 4 guinea pigs. I would either have 1 buck, or 2(MAYBE, if I'm lucky,3) does. They would probably stay in a 10gal tank, I say probably because it will either be the tank, or a bin cage(still doing that research. If I do get a mouse, can they eat the same things as a guinea pig(veggie wise). So I have a few questions that will be clearly stated at the bottom of the page. Thanks guys!

1. Buck or does? What is your opinion between the two, positives and negatives please!
2. Bin cage or tanks, your ups and downs please!
3. Can mice and guinea pigs share the same vegetable and fruit diet?

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

I had male mice once. They were the smelliest animal I have ever had. Even when I cleaned the cage, the washed cage still smelled strongly of mouse. After my 4 mice passed away I did not get more because of the odor. I don't know if the females smell less or not but that was my experience with males.

 

[MochaAndMoo]

Oh god, females, definitely females. And I thought my pigs smelt bad..

 

[Rabbit_Lover]

Females if you really want them.
Get and aquarium, as long as you clean them consistently the ammonia won't build up. They can chew plastic like nobody's business.
Not sure on the veggies but they smell really bad. You would have to clean the cage every 2 days or so to keep there smell away. Once there sent gets on the bedding they will smell. I suggest you stick with hamsters. I liked them much more, and plus, if there is a possibility that you have mice in your house they will attract them to your mouse cage. It's important to keep those lids closed or they will get in there and and either fight or breed. Once a mouse tried to get in my mouse cage and we had to trap it then.let it lose far away from our house.

 

[TheMuffinPiggy]

1. Females. They do smell less. And if you do get males, then please get more than 1! Male mice are social too
2. I prefer bin cages. They are bigger, and more airy, and easier to clean. And of course much cheaper.
3. I guess so, but not daily, and of course only a tiny amount. What sorts of veggies were you thinking?

 

[MochaAndMoo]

Get and aquarium, as long as you clean them consistently the ammonia won't build up.

I personally hate aquariums.
They lack ventilation, stink quickly and heat up easily in hot weather.

3. Can mice and guinea pigs share the same vegetable and fruit diet?

Mice can eat pretty much everything. My mouse get's a small spoon-sized serving of vegetables every 2 days (Watch for diarrhea when feeding veggies). They should have an unlimited grain or seed based mix (or lab block) as a staple (With around 10%-13% protein and as low as possible in salt).

1. Females. They do smell less. And if you do get males, then please get more than 1! Male mice are social too

It is not suggested to introduce males, it's not worth risking the chance of them fighting (Which usually results in one dying). If you do get more than one male, introduce them young or get two from the same litter.

I definitely suggest bin cages, easy to clean, easy to make and can be customized to your liking.

 

[Aertyn]

I *hate* Aquariums as well. They are not made for mammals at all. Mice love to climb and I feel that Aquariums constrain them too much to ground dwelling. I had a converted 'rat cage' (that was too small for rats but with a little adjusting worked perfectly for mice). With this size of a cage (I had 5 girls in there) I only had to do a total clean out once a week, with spot cleans and toy shifting every day and they barely smelled at all. Most people didn't even realise we had mice in the house unless we told them.



In this image you can see how I cable tied the wire (it's galvanised gutter guard, only $10 for a 30m roll!) to the cage


And yes, mice can eat pretty much anything. They are also omnivorous so they do need some form of protein in their diet. My girls got mealworms, chicken (roasted) and sometimes some cooked egg, they went nuts over chopped up boiled eggs! They also really liked different cereals in their mix things like Puffed Wheet and Kamut, or Shredded Wheat. Pasta was another favorite. (both uncooked and cooked). And they loved Endive and Blueberries. Oatmeal was another favorite, as my girls aged I'd give them a little oatmeal in the mornings (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon between the 5 with a tiny bit of honey) as a treat, made with water of course as mice can't have dairy.

 

[YourSoJelly]

Thank you for the responses! All very helpful.