If rats aren’t your first choice in a pet, you may want to think about a pet mouse instead! Pet mice are active, interesting, and can be very social.
The basics:
- Size — mice are generally between six and seven inches long, but half of that length is tail! The body is approximately three to three and a half inches long.
- Life Span — mice live an average of one and a half to two years.
- Lifestyle — mice live well in pairs or groups, and are nocturnal.
A mouse is a very social pet, and doesn’t do very well alone. Your best bet is a pair or group of mice, and females are often better than males. Males in a pair or group may fight. Mixed-sex groups mean you’re going to end up with babies! Expect a lot of action from your mice — they are active and playful and can be very entertaining to watch. However, mice are nocturnal. So that means you may find most of the action happens after dark.
Mice are smaller than your average hamster, so they may be able to squeeze through the bars on a hamster cage. Look for bar spacing around a quarter inch if you choose a wire cage. Whether you house your mice in a plastic sided cage, a glass aquarium, or a wire cage, be sure the cage has a lid that fights tightly. A mesh lid is best for your cage, as it will let ammonia and other fumes (from waste) escape. Wire walls make attaching furnishings, toys, water bottles, and food hoppers easy.
Mice can be very good climbers! Your furry friends will enjoy a multi-leveled cage so they can exercise and explore… and as long as the lid of the cage is secure, you don’t have to worry about them climbing to freedom. Cage size depends on how many mice you’ll be keeping. A two foot square cage is enough space for a pair or trio of female mice.
Your mice will also need a nesting box and lots of toys for exercise. Most mice like exercise wheels — choose a solid surface wheel over a wire wheel to protect their feet. Also provide tunnels or tubes (even an old cardboard paper towel core is a good tube), ropes and ladders, and anything else that can be climbed on or through.
Aspen or other hardwood shavings make a good substrate for the cage. You can also use wood or paper based cat litter — these absorb waste and smells well. Hay or torn paper are good nesting materials. The nesting material should be changed every month or so; the substrate will probably need to be changed more often.