Other Pet Mice?

[CaliGirl]

I was just wondering if anyone here has pet mice? Im not sure what brought this on, but I am considering getting 2 female mice. I was hopping some one here had some insite on taking care of mice, I have a few questions.

1. do they smell? (more so than guinea pigs)
2. do they make a lot of noise at night (my hamster would keep me awake every night, but my guinea pig I never hear)
3. Can two females be housed together peacefuly (i have read that males tend to be more agressive and teretorial)
4. Are the cages with the tubes good cages for mice? (is there a chance they can chew through the tubes?)
5. do they like the little excercis balls?
6. Do they need fruits and veggies every day or just as treats?
7. What bedding is best, I dont like care fresh it makes too much dust

If anyone knows the answers to some of theis questions, please reply. Thanks!

 

[VoodooJoint]

1. do they smell? (more so than guinea pigs) - They can. Mice are incontinant so leave a urine trail wherever they go. If the cage is kept clean there should be very little smell.
2. do they make a lot of noise at night (my hamster would keep me awake every night, but my guinea pig I never hear) - nope they are pretty quiet...except on a squeeky metal wheel.
3. Can two females be housed together peacefuly (i have read that males tend to be more agressive and teretorial)- usually. Be sure they have plenty of room.
4. Are the cages with the tubes good cages for mice? (is there a chance they can chew through the tubes?)- They love the tubes but make sure that their main cage area has plenty of ventilation. The tubes need to be scrubbed 1-2 times weekly because of the whole "urine trail" thing. If you fail to keep the tubes clean they smell terrible and get disgusting. I have never had pet mice chew through the tubes. Instead of plastic tubes you can give them toilet paper and paper towel tubes...throw them away when they get stinky
5. do they like the little excercis balls? - not usually...they are too light to move them around well.
6. Do they need fruits and veggies every day or just as treats?- Veggies should be limited as they can cause diarhea. They need good quality food, hay (with seed heads is best), tiny bits of veggie and the occational piece of dog food or dog biscuit.
7. What bedding is best, I dont like care fresh it makes too much dust Aspen or kiln dried pine is good.

 

[CaliGirl]

Would you say that mice make good pets? Do they make a mess, kicking the bedding out of their cage?

 

[VoodooJoint]

Mice are adorable! They don't kick their bedding or tend to bite. They can usually be easily trained that the hand is good and if treated gently will readily climb onto your hand if you put it in their cage...especially if you have their favorite treat handy.

They like to climb and will need a hidy house or two. Tissue boxes are great for houses. A natural fruit branch propped in their cage makes a great jungle gym and chewy treat.

The down side is that they don't live too long. Usually 2-3 years if well cared for.

 

[*Piglets-Angel*]

Just a warning, they only live for like 2 months.

 

[VoodooJoint]

Piglets-Angel....Why do you think that? Mice live 2-3 years. Some die younger..at 1 - 1.5 years but they do live longer then just 2 months.

Here are some mouse links

" The average life span of rats is 2–3 years; mice 1–2 years" (broken link removed)

"Life Span
Their short life span is one of the biggest drawbacks of mice. On average they live for about 1.5-2 years, although they can sometimes live up to 3 "
https://exoticpets.about.com/cs/careofmice/a/mousecare.htm

"The life expectancy of a mouse in the wild can be as short as weeks or months. Pet mice, properly cared for, live 3-5 years."
(broken link removed)

"They have a life span of 1 to 3 years if well taken care of"
https://animal-world.com/encyclo/critters/mouse/mouse.php

"Mice Lifespan 1.5-3 years
(broken link removed)

"Lifespan: One to three years."
https://www.animaland.org/asp/petcare/mouse411.asp

 

[Slap Maxwell]

Mice make great pets. I had them when I was younger. Make sure you provide a wheel- they LOVE those.

 

[*Piglets-Angel*]

Really? All the mice my friend had lived like 2-3 months, yes she took good care of them..I dont get it...?

 

[CaliGirl]

ok, Im trying to think of a good way to ask my parents if I can have a pet mouse. Its always a battle convincing my parents to let me have a new pet. Can you think of anything I could mention that may help convince them?

 

[CaliGirl]

well I just asked my mom; she didn't seem fond of the idea, but she didn't say no. She was concerned about the smell. Since I already have a guinea pig in my room, she thinks the smell will build up and make the would house smell bad if I get a mouse. But my dad is the one I have to worry about. If I cant convince him, then there is nothing I can do.

 

[tinkerbell]

My friend use to have mice and her two females where male/ female, so please be careful the pet stores have no idea what they are doing most of the time. and yes her's did smell and she cleaned out their cage every week! PS- they breed very fast too.

 

[CaliGirl]

do you guys know of any good wesites that I can find good info about taking care of mice? I keep looking, but I cant see anything that has a lot of really good info. All the sits I find have only a paragraph of info about mice and the rest of the site is dedicated to pet rats.

 

[CaliGirl]

I asked my dad if I could have a mouse. Can you guess what his responce was? He said "you can have a mouse, if I can have a pet snake to feed it too." Well Im not giving up yet, so hopefully there is still a chance.

 

[Slap Maxwell]

That's awful. Keep trying.

 

[CaliGirl]

I know, he's always like this when I want a pet. Its not like I dont take good care of my pets, I am one of the best pet owners you can meet. I dont know why he is always negative when I want a pet. Its always tought convincing him to let me have one, but once he gives in he accepts me and my pet.

 

[DragonTamer]

on the wheel note just be sure it's not a slanted wire spoke wheel.. they can get a tail caught, head caught.. can injure themselves or even die on those.. a solid comfort wheel is good, or those mesh ones..

/edit- and a single male mouse can smell far worse than a ferret. just so you know, lol.. (has a male mouse now.. and used to have 5 males all kept singly and a male ferret at the same time... I don't care how much you clean, it's just going to reek!)

females don't smell anywhere near as bad as a male does.. but I prefer males as they're usually very laid back and calm compared to females (who run and bounce and explore everything.. much like female rats)

 

[CaliGirl]

well after doing reading about mice, Im not sure I want one still. Know Im looking at dwarf hamsters (they are so cute!). I used to have a teddy bear hamster. Does anyone know much about taking care of dwarf hamsters? I know they need a smaller cage (are the habitrail mini's ok?). Dwarf hamsters dont smell as bad as mice, do they?

 

[Slap Maxwell]

The mini habitrails are god awful small. I wouldn't keep one in less than two of those connected together.

I would get two dwarfs. Unlike siberians, they don't fight. Two females are more likely to get along.

 

[DragonTamer]

oh god I hate those habitrails.. they're hard to clean, NO ventilation whatsoever... just.. they're a big no-no allaround.

and it depends on the "dwarf" hamster you're getting.. what species? I have an old russian hamster and he's alone as he was picked on and bitten up by his brothers (I caved in and got him). he bites all the time, but once he's in your hand he only gives small nips and doesn't puncture your skin.

they don't smell as bad... no. they do have their own distinct odor though.

I have a love of roborovski hamsters.. but I've only seen them once.. and winter whites are pretty. There's also mouse-like hamsters, chinese hamsters... and a couple others I believe? some get along with each other, others do not.

BEST enclosure for a "dwarf" species of hamster is an aquarium. a 10 or 20 gallon long is ok. wire cages are rather yick for hamsters as well... you'd need to keep it out of drafts, and they could fall from top levels and injure themselves, they're not as crafty at climbing as mice are.