Among laboratory mice, strains like the NZB live less than a year, due to inherited genetic diseases, while others, like the C57 live 2. The oldest known mouse — the Methuselah mouse — lived days. Many commercial mouse colonies that supply the pet trade harbor viruses that shorten the lives of mice. Since pet shops purchase most of these mice as inexpensive feeder mice at the lowest possible price, these mice are often contaminated with a variety of non-viral diseases that also shorten their lives.
But how you care for your mice and what you feed them has a major influence on how long they are likely to live. A wildly know fact among aging gerontologist scientists is that restricting caloric intake, significantly lengthens the lives of mice. So do not let your mice get as chubby as the one at the top of this page. The best mice come from individual mouse breeders who are not breeding in volume to supply pet stores. Section, I mentioned some organizations that will give your leads to local, conscientious, mouse breeders.
That said, most families obtain their mice at pet shops or their children bring them home from friends and schools. A few kind hearted soles rescue mice that were destined to end up as snake brunch. Occasionally, animal shelters end up with unwanted pet mice as well.
When you go to select mice, do not pick the largest or smallest ones in a litter. Look for the ones that are curious and come up to sniff your fingers. Do not pick individuals that are scratchy, scruffy or have crusted, snotty or discolored noses or squinty eyes.
Be sure their stools are well-formed pellets. Mice should be silent. If you hear wheezing or sneezing from the mice, they are not healthy. Do not believe the salesman if he says it is the dust in the litter that is causing this. If any of the mice show these unhealthy signs, even the ones that appear normal are probably contaminated. Do not let your child pick out the mouse. Pick out the ones that seem the healthiest and let your child pick from those. Pick mice that are active — not the ones that are sitting calmly off to the side.
Pick only mice that have clean, shiny coats, clean ears, bright open eyes, and normal tails. Do not pick mice that have soil and stain around their rear ends. The best age to buy a mouse is when it is five weeks old. They can live independently , a week or so earlier but they will be hardier if they spend that last week with their mothers. I discourage purchasing mice over 9 weeks old. If they have not been handled and socialized individually by the store owners by then, they sometimes remain skittish and unsocial.
If they sat around the pet store for 9 weeks, they have probably been exposed to a lot of extra diseases there as well. Mice are fully grown at weeks. Because mice are social animals, two mice will be happier than a single mouse. Mice do not like to live alone. They get board, lonely and depressed. This leads to aggression and extra time sleeping. So plan on getting two mice.
When you buy the mice, buy two that are the same size. I suggest you purchase two girl mice. Female mice tend to be gentler and less aggressive and their urine smell is less intense. Female mice also tend to live slightly longer than male mice. Male mice have a stronger odor, and two mature males will often fight and injure each other. When this occurs, one male will eventually dominate the other and fighting may end.
The males may accept each other if they were raised together from weanling size — but why risk that. If you are confronted with this situation, having the male mice neutered may help. Fighting is worst when two older males from different litters are suddenly placed together as roommates.
Do not trust inexperienced pet shop employees to correctly identify the sex of mice. Immature mice of both sexes look quite similar to untrained eyes.
That is, there is more distance between the openings of boys and both openings in males are circular. You can pick them up by the bases of their tails to look.
When in doubt, compare several mice in a litter until the difference becomes clear to you. In mice over 14 weeks of age, the differences are quite obvious. The scrotum and testicles of male mice at this age bulge out unmistakably.
The younger the mice are, the more experience the salesperson needs in identifying their sex. Beware of purchasing female mice over 6 weeks old because they are often already pregnant. House mice have adapted to survive on almost any food source likely to be found in the home. But if you want your mice to remain healthy, feed them a balanced rodent block or pellet.
These blocks are formed of compressed animal and plant proteins and grain carbohydrates with added vitamins and minerals. Scientists worked out the exact nutritional needs of mice a long time ago. I mentioned that I once maintained 20, mice and about half that number of rats for the National Institutes of Health. My favorite mouse diets at the time were Purina Mills, Mazuri , Harlan , and Zigler Brothers ask for the lower protein, lower fat, formula.
If those companies are still in business when you read this and if their product formulas have changed is something I can not tell you. If there is a problem with these diets, it is that they have more protein and fat in them than is optimal for non-breeding, pet mice. Not all these companies sell their diets in small enough packages for individual mouse owners. It is best if you keep larger containers frozen or in the refrigerator to prevent weevil infestation and nutrient loss.
Generally, these grains and seeds are second quality — that is unfit for human consumption. These mixes can also be contaminated with everything from fungus toxins to rodent poison. Mice cannot survive long without food. They are constant nibblers who should have their food available to them at all times.
Mice enjoy slices of garden vegetables, fruit and nuts. Keep your mice trim. A Most pet store mice are bred en mass by commercial breeders for feeders.
No care is taken for personality traits, color, conformation, or overall health. Sometimes pet stores sell what they term as fancy mice which are usually spotted, colored, or Satin mice instead of plain white. The fancy mice that are raised by mouse enthusiasts are bred to improve specific traits that are of interest to the breeder. Care is taken to keep good color, conformation, health, and personality when trying to obtain this particular trait longer hair, bigger ears, etc. You should never pick up a mouse by the head or tip of the tail or pull them from cage bars if they are holding onto anything as you could pull the skin right off their frail, tiny bones.
You do not need to have any experience owning pets to have a mouse as they are a great pet for responsibility, don't take up as much space as a hamster and can provide hours of fun company. Mice are suitable for people who are looking for a pet that is easy to care for, very active and will give them hours of joy. You can get mice from lots of pet shops, especially very large ones or, more typically, from smaller chain stores.
You can also seek out a breeder or an animal shelter. Pet mice are available all over the world. Pet shops are the most obvious place to get mice from. Make sure you select one with a good reputation that has a lot of knowledge and that breeds its mice kindly without inbreeding or keeping them in cruelty. Always ask questions, and if something doesn't feel right, don't buy them. Often many pet shops sell sickly, inbred and overbred mice. Some are incorrectly sexed, have behavioural problems, are unwell or severely inbred, which can cause a lot of issues as time goes on.
Breeders are another option which may be able to provide you with specific types of mice, such as show-quality mice, certain colours, pairs or trios, specific genders, etc.
Typically the mice from professional breeders are not nearly as inbred, are good quality and come from healthy, lively parents that have been cared for very well.
Make sure you find a good breeder, and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. Good quality photos, updates, evidence of quality mouse care, breeding history and communication are essential. If a breeder is dismissive, doesn't ask you questions in return, won't provide photos or is selling them unusually cheap with little information, they are just rodent farmers, and the animals are likely sickly, inbred or poor quality.
Animal shelters are a good place to get mice; many have them looking for good new homes, and the mice there are in desperate need of a forever home.
It's not very common you will have a mouse with serious health problems as only good-quality animals are suitable for rehoming in shelters, and the shelter will vet you out before handing them over anyway.
Be warned that many of the mice in shelters could be anywhere from 2 to 12 months old or more and you are less likely to get a baby one. Having something suitable to keep your mouse in is essential. They will spend most of their lives in their cage, so be sure to get something that is within the RSPCA guidelines, is comfortable, secure and safe. Mice do not require as much space as hamsters, but if you are keeping more than one you should greatly increase the amount of space you have for their comfort and to prevent a severe psychological disorder known as cage rage.
When choosing a cage, please avoid brands with lots of tubes, tight spaces or a low height. Many of these cages are far too small and well below the requirements set about by animal welfare. Plastic cages with lots of tubes promote negative bacteria to grow and fumes to build which can poison your pet or cause infections, the fumes can smell bad. These cages may look fun but they can be so physically harmful to your pet as well as not being spacious enough, it is important to give your pets the best possible chance to maximise happiness and lifespan.
Mice can have most standard bar cages for hamsters, mice, etc. Fancy mice do not and cannot escape through 1cm bars unless they are extremely young and infantile. Whilst they do have few bones, if they cannot get their skull through the bars, they cannot get out and are not strong enough to bend non-flexi bars.
Always select strong bars with a strong door. You can buy bar cages with very fine gaps if you are still worried. Typically, if you can't get an adult small-medium first finger knuckle through the bars, the mouse cannot get out.
Your other options are tanks or bin cages. If you choose a bin cage please do lots of research beforehand to prevent injury to yourself or the mouse.
They can be hard to build, but very good and a much cheaper option. All should have a mesh or holed lid the mouse cannot escape from with plenty of air circulation, should be kept out of direct sunlight or from heat sources and should be clean and fully secure. It is easier to handle a mouse than you might think.
You can lift them easily by the root closest part to the body of the tail, slipping a hand underneath to cup around them. Do not let go until they are calm and still to prevent them leaping from or slipping through your hands.
Mice do not usually bite but may do so if frightened. If one were to bite you, you must not hit it, push it or let go of it as this will frighten the mouse further and make it harder to tame. Always hold them over a soft surface, especially when taming, and keep them close to your body. It makes them feel safer. Mice can tame quite quickly within a couple of weeks and be very friendly pets.
They enjoy human company and can be very easy to handle. After about four days, it is okay to start handling them each day for a few minutes. Let them get used to your smell, your face and your voice and they will warm to you quickly. Mice are very happy and curious and will soon eat from your hands and climb up your arm!
As I mentioned before, you should not attempt to pull a mouse off of cage bars or if they are holding something as it can pull the skin off of their bones or cause them serious distress and pain.
Fancy mice are extremely social animals, but only the females should be kept together. Females can happily live in pairs, trios, or even small groups with enough space and can bond very quickly. It is very easy to introduce female mice; seldom will they fight or not accept one another. Males, on the other hand, should be kept alone and away from other mice. They are insanely territorial and highly aggressive towards other males.
Male and female mice can easily breed out of control and will likely fight. In some rare instances, males can be kept together if they have been brought up together from the same litter, but fighting may still occur. The moment blood is drawn, they should be separated for good. Sunflower seeds are a favorite treat, but they are fatty, so provide sparingly.
Avoid feeding junk foods such as candy and potato chips, and never feed chocolate, as it is toxic to mice and other small pets. For treats, you can give a piece of cereal, whole-grain bread, or crackers with peanut butter.
Commercial treat sticks make a good treat, but only very occasionally, as they are often sugary. For water, a gravity-fed water bottle with a dispenser is preferred, as it can't tip and keeps the water clean. A shallow food bowl of ceramic or porcelain is the best choice, as they are difficult to tip, won't get chewed up, and they are easy to clean. Tumors are common in mice; usually, they are malignant and deadly.
Signs include a visible lump or swelling accompanied by lethargy or weight loss. Most tumors can be surgically removed but are likely to recur. Another severe and common health condition in mice and other pet rodents is wet tail, a gastrointestinal ailment caused by an overpopulation of bacteria in the digestive tract. It can progress quickly and may be fatal if left untreated. Symptoms include diarrhea, lethargy, lack of appetite, and difficulty walking.
An exotics veterinarian can treat the condition with antibiotics. Most pet stores carry them. Look for a pet store or breeder that separates males and females at a young age. Mice can reproduce by about 6 to 8 weeks of age, although this is very stressful on the female and not recommended.
When picking out your mouse, look for an alert animal with a smooth, clean coat and pink, clean skin on the ears and tail. The eyes and nose should be free of discharge, and the mouth and anal areas should be clean and dry.
Their breathing will be relatively fast, but should not be labored or noisy. Check their cage, make sure it is clean, and droppings look normal not watery. If you're not sure whether a mouse is the pet for you, there are some similar animals you may want to consider:.
Otherwise, check out other small rodents that could be your next pet. Machholz, Elton et al. Journal Of Visualized Experiments , no. Myjove Corporation , doi Mice and Rats as Pets. Merck Veterinary Manual. PubChem, National Library of Medicine, Diseases And Disorders Of Mice.
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