Ok, so ive always wanted a mouse but mom hates them, so i decided to buy my own. I already have a cage (it was used for our old hamster) but my sister also put a sick bird in it once, so anyone know what i should wash it with? Im also wondering if i could get 2 mice, if so what genders? I read in a book that 2 males will fight and a male and a female would breed, so would i have to get 2 females? Ok, one more question, what all should i get, just to make sure i take care of them right? I used to have a mouse book, but i dont know, i think AJ chewed it up. Thanx! -M.irg
Getting a mouse/mice
- Thread starter Mirg8101992
- Start date
Ok thanx! 
Lol, i would get rats, but at least the petshops around here, they are a lot more expensive, plus, our cage would be too small. We are going to get rats sooner or later though, my sister and i both love rats, mice, snakes, birds, ect. They are a good break from the big, slobbery, clumsy dogs. Thanx agian!
Lol, i would get rats, but at least the petshops around here, they are a lot more expensive, plus, our cage would be too small. We are going to get rats sooner or later though, my sister and i both love rats, mice, snakes, birds, ect. They are a good break from the big, slobbery, clumsy dogs. Thanx agian!i think 2 females would be easier to keep.
about the cage, antiseptic should be ok just. what was it sick with?
what else have you got for the mice at the moment?
you could also consider gerbils? i have 1 (did have 2) and they are just lovely. they love to be petted and come out to run about your hands or whatever. they are quite amusing to watch aswell.
about the cage, antiseptic should be ok just. what was it sick with?
what else have you got for the mice at the moment?
you could also consider gerbils? i have 1 (did have 2) and they are just lovely. they love to be petted and come out to run about your hands or whatever. they are quite amusing to watch aswell.
Im not sure what it was sick with, i think it just had a broken leg, but it couldve had the bird flu or something. Umm... i think the only other thing i have for mice is treats. Ya, ill look at the gerbils, too. Ive always liked gerbils but this time im looking for the cheapest rodent the pet shop has. Mom and dad arent helping at all, money wise. If i end up getting the job i wanted, i will probably get a gerbil or something a little bigger.
I'd go with 2 females...never had mice but every mouse owner I've talked to agrees: male mice smell AWFUL. It's possible for 2 males to get along but I think it'd be pretty tricky.
I'd get an exercise wheel too...make sure it's a solid one, not one with the rungs, you wouldn't want any little feetsies or tails falling through and breaking while they're running!
It's possible for 2 males to get along but I think it'd be pretty tricky. I'd get an exercise wheel too...make sure it's a solid one, not one with the rungs, you wouldn't want any little feetsies or tails falling through and breaking while they're running!
Ok, don't know about the gender thing, but I do have a little bit of advice for you. The cage, is it a small rodent cage, or a birdcage? Mice can squeeze through the bars of a birdcage, believe it or not. If you can swing it, save up and buy a Habitrail cage or something like.
Keep the cage on a table by itself, mice are smart and won't jump off if it's too high for them. They will run down anything hanging off the table though and they're wicked fast.
My son had a mouse a few years ago, sweet little thing. Not too long after we got it I noticed it's stomach bloating a bit. Rodents are prone to tumours so I thought that maybe the mouse was older than we were led to believe. Imagine my surprise when it gave birth to three babies on Christmas morning! We had thought it was a male. So there's a lesson, mice are notoriously difficult for your average pet shop employee to sex. They can also breed at a very young age, within a month or two of birth, I think?
Keep the cage on a table by itself, mice are smart and won't jump off if it's too high for them. They will run down anything hanging off the table though and they're wicked fast.
My son had a mouse a few years ago, sweet little thing. Not too long after we got it I noticed it's stomach bloating a bit. Rodents are prone to tumours so I thought that maybe the mouse was older than we were led to believe. Imagine my surprise when it gave birth to three babies on Christmas morning! We had thought it was a male. So there's a lesson, mice are notoriously difficult for your average pet shop employee to sex. They can also breed at a very young age, within a month or two of birth, I think?
I wouldn't buy from a pet shop.
Pet shop animals often die sooner because they are sick, they have inbred diseases and are rarely ever looked after properly in pet stores.
Buying from a pet shop is promoting irresponsible breeding (Just like in dogs, so it is with all other animals in pet stores) And they don't know how to sex small animals very well at all.
You are likely to ask for 2 females, and get a female and a male, and be stuck with a litter of babies. Or, you may end up with 2 males who fight. Or, get the 2 females, but one or both may be pregnant. This is VERY common when getting pet store rodents/rabbits/cavies.
Check rescues around you, they often have mice.
For cage I would buy a 10-20 gallon aquarium, and a screen lid for it.
I have a question though, you say your parents aren't helping; but they know you are getting the mice right?
May I ask what happens in an emergency? What if your mouse is suddenly very sick and, needs $200.00 surgery to survive. Just a theory. How would you get the money for that?
Vet bills in all animals can get quite expensive, and if you're having trouble with the basics you need to figure out a way to pay vet bills should the need arise, beforehand.
For bedding, do *not* use pine or cedar, they are toxic.
Aspen and carefresh are terrific beddings (I prefer carefresh)
Two females would be the best choice.
A healthy mouse diet consists of carbs, veggies and proteins.
Protein:barley, wheat, peas, oats, corn,dog biscuits (No onion or garlic in the ingredients!)
Carbs: yeast, milk, etc.....
Do research on safe/unsafe mice foods....Add these sorts of foods to your mouse's regular "mouse mix" bought from the pet store.
Here is an article on a good diet:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art9805.asp
Pet shop animals often die sooner because they are sick, they have inbred diseases and are rarely ever looked after properly in pet stores.
Buying from a pet shop is promoting irresponsible breeding (Just like in dogs, so it is with all other animals in pet stores) And they don't know how to sex small animals very well at all.
You are likely to ask for 2 females, and get a female and a male, and be stuck with a litter of babies. Or, you may end up with 2 males who fight. Or, get the 2 females, but one or both may be pregnant. This is VERY common when getting pet store rodents/rabbits/cavies.
Check rescues around you, they often have mice.
For cage I would buy a 10-20 gallon aquarium, and a screen lid for it.
I have a question though, you say your parents aren't helping; but they know you are getting the mice right?
May I ask what happens in an emergency? What if your mouse is suddenly very sick and, needs $200.00 surgery to survive. Just a theory. How would you get the money for that?
Vet bills in all animals can get quite expensive, and if you're having trouble with the basics you need to figure out a way to pay vet bills should the need arise, beforehand.
For bedding, do *not* use pine or cedar, they are toxic.
Aspen and carefresh are terrific beddings (I prefer carefresh)
Two females would be the best choice.
A healthy mouse diet consists of carbs, veggies and proteins.
Protein:barley, wheat, peas, oats, corn,dog biscuits (No onion or garlic in the ingredients!)
Carbs: yeast, milk, etc.....
Do research on safe/unsafe mice foods....Add these sorts of foods to your mouse's regular "mouse mix" bought from the pet store.
Here is an article on a good diet:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art9805.asp
Kay has excellent advice!!!!
a peat based bedding is especially nice for it breaks down the urine and is far healthier for your pet. I do love mice. Have you seen the spiney mouse?
When i get back i got a couple drawings to share about my son's escaping mouse One day i hope to have it put together for a children's story.
a peat based bedding is especially nice for it breaks down the urine and is far healthier for your pet. I do love mice. Have you seen the spiney mouse?
When i get back i got a couple drawings to share about my son's escaping mouse
One day i hope to have it put together for a children's story.I have absolutely no room to talk, having lied, smuggled, bullied and cried to get pets during my (some would say, prolonged) childhood, but you really want to step carefully around your mom if you're getting an animal she hates. If she just dislikes the smell and bother, that's one thing. But if she's at all phobic, you and the mice are in big trouble when you're found out.
Other than that - I'd recomend being very careful about gender (having gone through the Long Hot Summer of Gerbil Cannibalism, I know what I'm talking about) to the extent of telling the pet store that if it turns out one of the 'females' you buy is a male, you're dumping the whole mess back on their doorstep. Bleach should kill anything lingering in the cage, though I'd prefer an aquarium as they're harder to bust out of. Mice really have nothing better to do all day than plot an escape, and that would be an ugly scene with your mom. I got lucky - my dad discovered my illicit rat (in the middle of the night, no less) and he was, if not thrilled, at least not too upset.
Other than that - I'd recomend being very careful about gender (having gone through the Long Hot Summer of Gerbil Cannibalism, I know what I'm talking about) to the extent of telling the pet store that if it turns out one of the 'females' you buy is a male, you're dumping the whole mess back on their doorstep. Bleach should kill anything lingering in the cage, though I'd prefer an aquarium as they're harder to bust out of. Mice really have nothing better to do all day than plot an escape, and that would be an ugly scene with your mom. I got lucky - my dad discovered my illicit rat (in the middle of the night, no less) and he was, if not thrilled, at least not too upset.
When I was a child I sneeked many animals.....right under the parents noses. LOL.
I had a lizard hidden for a week......didn't tell mom until during church services. She couldn't say too much right then....and gave her a little time to cool down.
I also found a homeless pup.. hid her in my car until bedtime....then took her to my room.......I would have gotten away with it but the little booger decided to get playful.....sounded like a tasmanian devil. Lol
Of course she woke them up at about 2:00 am. Not a good time for that to happen. We did end up finding her a good home though.
Ohhhh....there were many more...but don't want to give the younger kids any bad ideas.
I had a lizard hidden for a week......didn't tell mom until during church services.
She couldn't say too much right then....and gave her a little time to cool down.I also found a homeless pup.. hid her in my car until bedtime....then took her to my room.......I would have gotten away with it but the little booger decided to get playful.....sounded like a tasmanian devil. Lol
Of course she woke them up at about 2:00 am. Not a good time for that to happen. We did end up finding her a good home though.
Ohhhh....there were many more...but don't want to give the younger kids any bad ideas.
Meggie was it like this ? http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e331/smkie/artwork/zaniac.jpg (if you put your browser down in the right hand corner a box with arrows will show up, click on that and it will make it bigger)
lol Julie i had a kitten in my room for days too! I already had one cat so their was a litter box in there already that i cleaned so Mom had no idea until she heard him Then i was in trouble but of course i got to keep it.
lol Julie i had a kitten in my room for days too! I already had one cat so their was a litter box in there already that i cleaned so Mom had no idea until she heard him
Then i was in trouble but of course i got to keep it.that mouse was the greatest escape artist and had to have had more then 9 lives. He lived to be a very old mouse and died of natural causes. Considering i pulled him out of one dog's (Garg) mouth, found Bronki licking him between his paws (soggy on top dry on bottom) as well as the multiple other times he was found for instance top shelf of closet, he had an angel watching over him.
He would check each set of wires looking for the slightest bend. I would study them all and think i had him "caged" only to see he had escaped again. I hated putting him in a tank but had no other solution. I don't approve of habitrails, not enough ventilation. One day i will write his story to be sure. My son took very good care of his mouse for 3 years without help. He had wanted one before he could speak. Kept an imaginary one in his pocket and would take it out and stroke it putting it on his shoulder. Later replaces with a toy one until i felt he was old enough to care for a real one. He would pick out a houdini.
He would check each set of wires looking for the slightest bend. I would study them all and think i had him "caged" only to see he had escaped again. I hated putting him in a tank but had no other solution. I don't approve of habitrails, not enough ventilation. One day i will write his story to be sure. My son took very good care of his mouse for 3 years without help. He had wanted one before he could speak. Kept an imaginary one in his pocket and would take it out and stroke it putting it on his shoulder. Later replaces with a toy one until i felt he was old enough to care for a real one. He would pick out a houdini.
Southpaw said:
I'd go with 2 females...never had mice but every mouse owner I've talked to agrees: male mice smell AWFUL. It's possible for 2 males to get along but I think it'd be pretty tricky.
I'd get an exercise wheel too...make sure it's a solid one, not one with the rungs, you wouldn't want any little feetsies or tails falling through and breaking while they're running!
It's possible for 2 males to get along but I think it'd be pretty tricky. I'd get an exercise wheel too...make sure it's a solid one, not one with the rungs, you wouldn't want any little feetsies or tails falling through and breaking while they're running!
Ya, i have one, the cage we bought for our mini hamster came with toys and a food dish and water thingy (i dont know what theyre called). And, yes, the wheel is completely solid outiside with little ridges on the inside to get traction.
Thanx agian for the advice!