# Mice - to get male or female?



## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Any recommendation on which sex for a first time mouse owner?


----------



## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

Okaym for a first time mouse owner there are pros and cons to both.

Female mice need to have companion mice just like rats, they can be a little skittish but get better with being handled. They need at least a 10 gallon tank for 2-3. DON"T use regular rat cages, 1/2 inch spacing is to big and I and many other people found that out first hand.
They are fun and playful though.

Males, NEED to be alone, male mice are known to kill each other leaving a traumatized owner to clean up the mess.
They tend to be more friendly, less skittish and more likely to let you handle them. They SMELL, they need to b cleaned frequently or you will have a smelly smelly mouse tank.
10-20 gallon tanks are good for boy mice. 

My verdict? Boy mice. For a first time mouse owner.
I personally used a 30 gallon plastic bin with a meshed top, and it worked like a dream. light, easy to clean, cheap, and lots of room for meece.


----------



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

Like kiko said, pros and cons to both.

I have three females, and they are VERY cute and entertaining..I am also on pregnancy watch for all three. That is something to watch for. They can be kept in groups, whereas males cannot, but they die without companionship, so that can be a pain.

Males are supposedly more friendly, I actually wanted a male but ended up with a girly because there WERE no males. They can be alone and there is no chance of pregnancy. They are very smelly, though.

I'm also pretty new to mice, but I love my little girls, they are quite fun.


----------



## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

I had 5 girls, and it was great.

My issue was they die SO suddenly, you usually never see it coming. And even females, will sometimes kill one another.

That was my trauma, 4 of the 5 died suddenly overnight. I was devastated.


----------



## ratfan06 (Dec 31, 2010)

I would go with a male. Females do NEED companionship. When one of my girls lost her friend, she barely left the spot her friend died in, for a week. I honestly thought she was going to mourn herself to death. Once I got her a new friend, she lit back up, became active again, and did a complete turn around. By the time she passed, her cagemate was too old to care about a new friend and I just gave her extra attention. They didn't really care if I interacted with them hardly at all, though they were very good. They never tried to jump off of me, never bit, and seemed comfortable hanging out with me while I did stuff. They loved hiding in my pockets and sleeping.

My boy is pretty close to being their polar opposite. He's much more interactive and demands to be out with me a few times a day. He's not the least bit skittish and is comfortable and happy just sitting on my shoulder. He doesn't hide in pockets and likes to see what's going on. He's actually so comfortable, that he'll eat on my shoulder. My girls never would. He is definitely smellier and more aggressive, (he can be a mean little critter when he wants to be), than they were. 

I find myself closer to Bandit than I ever was to my girls. I can do more with him, without him getting stressed or frightened. The girls always seemed happy being with me, but I had to catch them first. Bandit is right there ready to come out. I love that. He's every bit as excited to see me as my rats are. I never experienced that with female mice. 

The other advantage to a male as a first mouse, is that, (as everyone else has said), they do have to be kept singley. If you decide mice aren't for you and you don't want mice after this one, you don't have to figure out what to do with a lonely cagemate.


----------



## Critter Aficionado (Jan 30, 2011)

Male mice do smell significantly more and as first time mouse owners we were really taken aback, but after awhile it just smelled to us like really strong corn chips. We've had two males so far, one was a nipper and the other is as well and actually bit my fiance hard enough to draw blood. But they were both rescues; one was taken to the shelter with his litter at a very young age and stayed there for nine months with no handling, the other is four months taken in as a baby and not handled at the shelter, who doesn't handle their non-rabbit small animals/any more for some reason.

We found a three level hamster cage with 1/4" bar spacing that's about the same size as a ten gallon aquarium give or take. We went that route for ventilation and temperature control purposes, but also because mice like to climb and this new guy really likes climbing the bars around his cage.


----------

