# Mice as pets



## SheWroteLove1 (Jan 18, 2013)

Hey guys 
So, I've been reading all these posts bout mice as pets and I'm really interested. I used to have mice as a child, but only for a couple weeks before rehoming them. I'm wondering what kind of set-up they need and their level of sociability? Mice info is appreciated


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## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

I have never owned mice. I hear they bite....


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Mice are great little pets but are very different from rats. Because they are prey animals they are a bit harder to socialize and generally more timid. They do tend to be more active in cage, though, so they are fun to watch while you work on socializing them slowly and carefully. They are generally very sweet pets, too, once they begin to trust you and learn to love you. 

You can house them in aquariums, but I don't recommend that. From my experience they LOVE to climb and they also do smell quite terrible so closed, unventilated spaces are no good for them. Generally a good hamster cage with 1/4" bar spacing could safely and comfortably house up to four females. Males are best housed alone as even littermates can turn on each other and kill each other rather quickly. I have two males living together but I am nervous about their arrangement changing eventually. 

Females are social and need to live in colonies of at least three. You can have a pair, but for whatever reason they tend to fight a lot that way. In three or more they pack up very well, though. 

They need wheels and other toys, and I imagine they'd do well in one of those hamster cages with lots of tunnels and add-ons, etc, plus that could be fun for you. 

They are much cheaper than rats as well, and since they don't require out of cage time they're easier to have around in a variety of situations. They can be handled once you work on trust training with them, but they don't free roam the way rats do.


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## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

I didn't know they didn't free range, nor did I know that they smelled bad. For me, I could never own a pet that bit me. The pet would not last long...mouse soup...


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

DustyRat said:


> I didn't know they didn't free range, nor did I know that they smelled bad. For me, I could never own a pet that bit me. The pet would not last long...mouse soup...


I've never been bitten by a mouse (and I own six) but I have been bitten by my rats... Not lately, but once upon a time. I've actually never met anyone who has been bitten by mice... hamsters, sure. But mice bite about as much as gerbils, which is pretty much never. 

However, yes, they smell. Males are worse than females, but the smell management on them is a lot of work.


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## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

So, you own 6 mice as well as rats? Do they get along?


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## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

I have owned mice in the past always single males. They do smell some but I find no worse than a hamster. I have never been bitten by a mouse and they are adorable. They make entertaining pets but like it was said they are not as interactive as rats. They require less work in my opinion and less money. I would probably have a mouse again but again your not getting a mini rat they act a lot different and aren't as gung ho about activities.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

DustyRat said:


> So, you own 6 mice as well as rats? Do they get along?


Haha, considering rats can hunt and eat mice in the wild, I've never ever introduced them. The rats do like climbing all over the mouse cage, though, and giving me this look like "Why can't I get in?" Considering my rats chase my cat around and terrorize her when they get the chance, I'm not willing to take the risk with tiny little creatures that could probably fit in my big fatty's mouth.


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## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

Funny as ****! Lol


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## SheWroteLove1 (Jan 18, 2013)

Oh my- ahahaha!  Your rats terrorize the _cat?!
_So funny! Anyways, it sounds like mice could be a really fun pet! Do you guys have recommendations about the best places to get them (breeder, or pet store?)?


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## EJW323 (Jun 18, 2013)

I wouldn't get mice from a pet store. Sadly every mouse I got from a pet store died within a couple of months. :/


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## SheWroteLove1 (Jan 18, 2013)

Sorry to hear that :'(

I just went on PetFinder and found two 3-month-old mice looking for homes. Adorable little brown mice  Going to talk to my family tonight!


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## SheWroteLove1 (Jan 18, 2013)

What is the average life span of a mouse?


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## EJW323 (Jun 18, 2013)

I think I read it was 1-1.5 years.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Mice can live up to two years with excellent care and breeding, but around a year is most likely. I'd try to find a breeder,obviously, otherwise rescues are a good bet.


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## Trouble and Xanax (Jun 20, 2013)

I own two males that are kept together, though it is recommended that males be kept single, as fighting and death can/and most likely will occur. These two are just abnormal. Everywhere you look, you will see that females do not stink as much as the males, but I disagree. My females that I had stunk a lot worse than these two males. I can not stress enough how bad they smell, it is really something to get used to, very unpleasant. Also, if you handle them(and you should) expect to be pooped and peed on cause it is gonna happen. 

You can combat their smell with providing a good base diet(browns tropical carnival for hamsters/gerbils with sunflower seeds, peanuts, and corn picked out) and fresh veggies and fruits. Good diet=less stink, though they will still stink IMO. 

They can be very cuddly pets and they are extremely cute and very entertaining to watch. Females tend to be more active and all over the place than males.(my males are very lazy) It is fun to make toys for them to play on out of popsicle sticks and it is also cheap.

I have them in a multi level rat/hamster cage, I just put paper towels on the floor and swap them out everyday, then once a week the whole cage gets a vinegar spray and hose down. Really does not take that long 5-10 min tops.


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

I think a rat would bite as much as a hamster would until you get them tamed. I have had hamsters sense I was little and was only bitten once because my brother was teasing the hamster when I was little. Now it takes me anywhere from a couple days to a week to tame a hamster. I am sure they would be the same as taming a mouse even though they are smaller. I think their cute and love watching them play in cages but never thought of owning them.


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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

I have had mice. They are very similar to rats in several ways; they are playful, inquisitive and with the right handling, they will actually look forward to the attention of their owner. I've never been bitten by a mouse, in fact anytime I accidentally had food-smell on my hands, my mice would very carefully test my fingers and make sure not to bite, like my rats do. I've had hamsters too (mostly rescues) and as much as I like them, they don't really 'want' their owner's attention the way that rats and mice do, anyone who has hamsters knows that they are more likely to try and get away from you when they are out of the cage. Mice are fun to watch, pretty much any cage suitable for young rats is suitable for a little group of mice, they also like to climb and play.

To anyone thinking of getting mice, I'd have one main suggestion; get girls. Behaviourally, the boys are the same but the smell, oh my gosh. Male mouse pee smells like every unholy thing on the planet, lol. That's the reason most pet shops don't stock male mice, as their pee can literally stink out the shop. That stuff could burn your eyebrows off.


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

PurpleGirl said:


> I have had mice. They are very similar to rats in several ways; they are playful, inquisitive and with the right handling, they will actually look forward to the attention of their owner. I've never been bitten by a mouse, in fact anytime I accidentally had food-smell on my hands, my mice would very carefully test my fingers and make sure not to bite, like my rats do. I've had hamsters too (mostly rescues) and as much as I like them, they don't really 'want' their owner's attention the way that rats and mice do, anyone who has hamsters knows that they are more likely to try and get away from you when they are out of the cage. Mice are fun to watch, pretty much any cage suitable for young rats is suitable for a little group of mice, they also like to climb and play.
> 
> To anyone thinking of getting mice, I'd have one main suggestion; get girls. Behaviourally, the boys are the same but the smell, oh my gosh. Male mouse pee smells like every unholy thing on the planet, lol. That's the reason most pet shops don't stock male mice, as their pee can literally stink out the shop. That stuff could burn your eyebrows off.


Haha so I'm guessing bad experiences with male mice was bad with their smell haha and yes your right hamsters would rather explore things and not be handled often I've had so many hamsters and I've only had two that would curl up next to me or on me or even in my sweater like the rats and sleep. Maybe they thought they were rats haha my two hamsters now would rather just run around on my bed.


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## SheWroteLove1 (Jan 18, 2013)

What kind of cage would you guys recommend? I was thinking something like this:
http://www.petco.com/product/113070/WARE-Home-Sweet-Home-Teal-1-Story-Hamster-Cage.aspx?CoreCat=MiceHPCagesHabitats
I really like the deep plastic base; I figure mice enjoy burrowing just like rats.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

That cage might be a bit too small for a group of 3 mice, if you go for females. It'd be pretty cramped. And while mice do love to dig, in my experience climbing is a much bigger priority. 

This one is very similar, just a little taller and bigger and only $5 more:
http://www.petco.com/product/113071/WARE-Home-Sweet-Home-Blue-2-Story-Hamster-Cage.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-ProductListTopRated_Small%20Animal_3-_-WARE%20Home%20Sweet%20Home%20Blue%202%20Story%20Hamster%20Cage-113071


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

I would not recommend a cage for mice! Most people keep their mice in a bin cage.. which is much cheaper than any cage from a pet store or online anyway. They are quite easy to make and provide your mice with enough space for a cheap price, and yes, mice actually do need space. Much more space than either of those small cages can supply. My bin cage has a mesh lid and a small but long mesh window toward the top of the bin and my mice love climbing on that, but they have plenty of space to make a huge fortress in their bedding.
I would not say climbing is a much bigger priority for mice. Yes, its important, but I've only ever seen mice climb when they see me walking toward their cage.

I would suggest to visit a mouse forum if you're truly interested in mice. Here is a link to a forum that I find very welcoming and friendly.
http://www.fancymicebreeders.com/phpBB3/index.php


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## SheWroteLove1 (Jan 18, 2013)

Thanks for your information on the mice bin, I'll look into that. I'm also going to join that mouse forum tonight. 

You guys are so informative! I had no idea mice were such a big hit around here!


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## MeAndMyRats (Jul 5, 2013)

I love mice! I used to have a little mouse named Blum, she was so sweet! You should get some mice! They make great pets!


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## Daniel (Jun 24, 2013)

I have been keeping a male mouse named Dolfy and I already think the males are a bit nicer, even if they have problems being housed together. 

I've never been able to get either of my females to even accept treats. Dolfy will pretty readily and I have only had him a week - he came from the same bin at the same store.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

I feel opposite. I've never had a friendly male mouse, but I've had more extremely tame females than skittish females. Also, mouse personalities range so greatly that if you get several females you have a better chance of getting at least one friendly mouse compaired to your percentage of getting a friendly single male mouse.


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## TheZoo (Jun 20, 2013)

Mice need at minimal 10 gallons no smaller you can keep up to 3 females or 1 male in a ten gallon. Boys should never be kept together even if all there life they have been ok boys will kill if one day they get in a scuffle better safe than sorry. They love to climb but floor space is better than vertical space you can buy climby toys or make toys out of elmers glue and popsicle sticks look up "MES" (mouse entertainment system) and yes there friendly and the don't stink if you clean their cage, I have 1 boy and 8 girls


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## Mouse (Aug 13, 2013)

I used to have some pet mice. I would not get yours from a petstore- ours died much to quickly. We kept them in a glass tank. They loved having toys- wheels, huts, paper towel tubes, cardboard and hot glue contrapitions (I was a bit worried about them chewing on the glue, but I never saw any evidence of chew marks). They never really came to trust me, but I didn't try very hard. Ours didn't smell very much- we cleaned their cage once a week (full cleaning- it fit in the sink) and we never had a problem with our girl's odor.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Mice aren't exactly like rats, but if you can't own rats they are the next best thing. Mostly mice are more fragile and less capable than rats due to their size. On the up side a well socialized mouse can be about as friendly and sweet as a rat. Average mice aren't as smart or affectionate as rats, but some really smart and special mice can overlap with basic rats when it comes to intelligence and affection. Just like rats there is a range of intelligence with mice it is from basic pocket pet to almost ratlike. Mice can take more neglect and stay friendly. Boys seem to do best raised alone with human friends, having had a colony of one year old boys wipe each other out once. It was really freaky, they got along fine and then at about a year old they just started killing each other off until there were none left practically overnight... Girls seem to do well in groups. 

I'd strongly recommend mice to anyone that can't keep rats. Mouse pee does smell more strongly than rat pee, but it can be managed by changing the bedding and very few mice get housebroken, (I have never seen a house broken mouse) they poop and pee on you when frightened or just because you have had them out too long.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Feeder mice cost about 99 cents or 3 for $2.39, get them young and they are easy to socialize, they can last over two years, add an old 10 gallon aquarium, a water bottle, wheel and some bedding and your good to go. Toss in a cardboard box for them to hide in and they are in heaven.


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## OwlEyes (May 4, 2013)

I'll just throw my two cents into this. :x

I've had several mice. It started out with a "male" who turned out to be a female and then needed a friend. So I owned a brindle and a black self for about six months, great little pets. I spent so much time with them, we really bonded and their ten gallon tank was pimped outttt. I don't even remember why I didn't keep them. Something happened and I had to give them up to a rescue. 

I recently tried have pet mice again. I got a rescue when I worked at PetSmart, a girl who had become neurotic from being alone (she was in isolation due to sickness) and had plucked over 40% of her body completely naked. I took her home, worked on her for a bit and when she seemed ready, I got her two new friends. Quite the mistake. She power groomed their whisker beds empty.

Eventually she had to be put down. I swear, she just kept getting crazier. We kept her two friends and, for a very short time, decided to breed mice. I never got attached to any more females after my first two, the brindle and black self. However, our stud was a little albino male we got from PetCo.

Best. Mouse. Ever. He was the tiniest in the bunch, barely done being a hopper, but he was completely laid back. Curious, but laid back. I called him Bob until I thought of a name, then I started calling him Bob Dylan... and that just stuck. He and his ladies were then left with a roommate while I went camping for a few days. When I returned, they were out of water, out of food and Bob Dylan was completely missing. I will say he was an escape artist, but I'm pretty sure that's not what happened.

REALLY LONG POST OMG. My point is... mice are okay as pets. Out of the 15+ mice I've owned, I only truly cared for three. None of those three ever bit me, but I've been bit HARD by mice. I've had two bites draw blood and quite a few that did not. Mice can be amazing pets, but the majority of the time, they just make great entertainment.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Rat Daddy said:


> Feeder mice cost about 99 cents or 3 for $2.39, get them young and they are easy to socialize, they can last over two years, add an old 10 gallon aquarium, a water bottle, wheel and some bedding and your good to go. Toss in a cardboard box for them to hide in and they are in heaven.


I wish I could find feeder mice for that cheap. Where have you seen them that cheap? The cheapest I've paid for them is $2 each or $1.50 for pinkies. :s

_Female_ mice smell less than rats. And in my opinion mice make better pets. My mice are way more friendly than any rat I've ever had, and I must say that I'm more attached to them than my rats. Don't get me wrong... rats are great.. but they are different than mice.
I've never been bitten by a mouse, though my fiance was bitten once by one of my feral rescue mice when we were giving her a bath to get rid of mites. Out of my 25 that I have (I recently took in a doe with babies), I am extremely attached to 21 of them. I only have two mice that I can't hold because they were rescue mice. No matter how long I hold my tame mice they never pee or poop on me. I've only ever been peed or pooped on by untame mice.


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## Xerneas (Aug 6, 2013)

I have two female mice, Millie and Ophelia. I tend to not mention them as I haven't had much success with socialising them yet. They are petstore bought mice and honestly they are so afraid of me I think it's safe to say that I am the first human that has ever tried to make any attempt at being friendly with them. They aren't mean to me, just scared. One walked on my hand recently but that's as far as I've gotten but I am definitely trying, offering them treats on my hand, putting little scraps of clothes I've worn to help them get used to my scent, etc. Even if I don't ever gain their trust, well, they are still my pets and I'll take care of them (it's not too important to me whether pets I have are loving or not). 

I clean their cage and accessories pretty often and started using baking soda bedding which helps A LOT but yep, they do reek if I try to squeeze more than 3-4 days in without cleaning the cage. I also have to clean their wheel every day because it's their favourite place to pee on and concentrated mice urine is ridiculously strong. I think it's the urine more than the animal but I can't tell for sure, either way once I give it a good cleaning the smell is nonexistent for a few days and it doesn't bug me. But boy all I can say is that if that's female mice I can't even imagine how terrible the males can get since I hear they can stink way worse. 

I wouldn't judge all mice just because the two I own haven't warmed up to me yet, especially considering they are store bought but I can say I prefer my rats with confidence, just my 0.2. Mice are very, very cute and I'm sure for people who have more socialised, tamer mice think they are equally as enjoyable as rats though.


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