Moon's Graden

Hi. We would like to adopt or buy a pet mouse. I had them when I was a child
and would like to provide a home for a small pet, especially after rescuing
two cute baby wild mice from our garage today, where they'd been stealing
honey (we just harvested from our beehives). Anyway, I digress...

I believe I would prefer a female because of the urine odor. Can they be
litter trained, like rabbits can? (We have two house rabbits.)

Will a hamster cage work, or will the bars be too far apart? What is a
better type of cage, and can one be purchased at, say, Pets.com?

What is the optimum amount of space needed for a single mouse? We are
concerned that a "Habitrail"-type cage, or one of those clear plastic cages
with a snap-on lide (about 12" long) will not be large enough.

What about those clear exercise balls for fun?

And finally, what is a good standard diet? What can I supplement it with?

Any advice would be appreciated, as would any sources for pet mice in
Wisconsin. We would prefer to adopt if possible.

Thank you!
Stasia

All the mice I've bought came from the snake snack cage.  They're doomed,
cheap, and I've been quite happy with them all.

One hears rumors that they can -- if you put a bunch of their droppings in a
can, they will tend to go there rather than anywhere else.  I've never bothered
to try.

To test, put the mouse on top of the cage, then put a small cup over the mouse
such that he feels crowded, then wait one minute.  If he can get between the
bars, he will.

I've been happy with those large plastic storage boxes you can get from stores
like WalMart.  They must have 18'' sides, or the mice will jump out.  The boxes
cost half as much as a cage, you can leave the top off and see and grab your
mice at any time, and they're good for other things when your mice finally go
to that big cheese warehouse in the sky.  You'll need a water dish (messy), and
an exercise wheel.  Plastic wheels are cheap, and for a water dish you can use
a tuna can or any other short can.  You'll have to clean it every other day
minimum.

Personally, _I'd_ be concerned about cleaning it.  Remember, whatever your mice
live in or play with will either have to be cleaned or thrown away every week.

1 foot square per mouse is quite sufficient.

For mouse houses, just use empty cardboard boxes and toilet paper.  For mouse
toys, just use toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes.  They love 'em, you
have a constant supply, and you can toss the used ones whenever necessary.
Combine those with an exercise wheel, and they'll be fine.

I've tried one, the mouse couldn't get it to roll.  Others report success.  Up
to you.

Other people really get into the "proper" mouse diet.  I don't believe the mice
care much.  I generally feed mine a piece of wheat bread with a few drops of
vegetable oil, and they live for years on it, but I also toss in oatmeal, dry
cat food, dry dog food, spaghetti, tortillas, chips, small bits of cheese,
little dabs of peanut butter, rice, seeds, french fries, and probably other
things I can't remember.  Try giving your mice some vegetables once in a while,
like lettuce, carrots, apples, potatos, or whatever else.  If they eat them,
then make it a regular part of their diet -- but most of the mice I've seen
won't touch them.

Head for any pet store, check out the "feeder mice", i.e. the ones destined for
snake snacks.  They're a buck each, at most.

what we need right now is a full frontal ***.

I don't think that mice can be litter trained. They're cute, but not
that bright. IF you want to invest the time though...

Hamster cages are usually the right size for full-grown mice, but
babies might be able to slip through. Be careful.

I use a 10 gallon aquarium for 2 mice, and they seem plenty happy with
enough room to run around. I bought some PVC pipe elbows (about 87cents
at Home Depot) for them to run around and hide in. Much more economical
then the Habitrail.

The clear exercise balls are fun(ny) to watch, but my mice are
terrified of it, so you have to force them to get in, which isn't very
much fun.  So I don't subject them to that anymore.

with?

Hamster food works. You can also find lab blocks or pellets. I'm pretty
sure that Rabbit Pellets and Guinea Pig Pellets are NOT ideal for mice.

You can supplement with fresh fruits and veg, as well as bread or
seeds. Try to use fatty treats (like seeds) sparingly.

Pet stores usually have snake feeder mice. Sometimes you can also find
"Fancy" Mice, which come in a variety of colors. People also say that
you can sometimes find mice (and rats, also good pets) at humane
societies, but I've not tried.

Good luck.

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Before you buy.

I've heard that they can, but i haven't tried it with my mice.  Some pet stores
carry "hamster potties", which are like covered litter boxes.  They probably
aren't as consistent about using it as cats and rabbits are.  Mice generally
use the corners of the cage as a toilet, so if you placed a litter box in a
corner, they might use it.

My sister has one of these for her gerbil.  It's too big for mice, but they do
sell much smaller balls for mice.  I don't know how much mice like them.  It's
easy for them to get into trouble, and I would watch out for little "surprises"
... the balls do have ventilation holes, after all.

They sell mouse&rat food in some places, but my mice prefer the gerbil&hamster
food.  They'll gladly eat most people food, so experiment a bit.  Go easy on
fats, sugar, and salt, and try to avoid caffeine, chocolate, and avocado.