# Trying to start out need some general information?



## kontext (Sep 11, 2009)

Hey there guys,

I'm planning on buying some mice soon (after I get this information most likely)

I was just wondering what someone like me would be looking at (no prior experience).

I work at home all day and have a desk and was wondering whether (i read that with time) the mice could be domesticated to hang out on my desk 

even if that doesnt work out im still interested in having them crawl over my hands and such (yes i realise this takes time).

but for starting out what materials will I need and can anyone give me a rough estimation of how much money down I'll be putting. Get as specific as you want, and yes I can order online if there are great deals. All though I want these mice pretty badly I'm willing to wait a few weeks to make sure I start off strong and right.

so I'm looking at getting these materials

# of mice ( I'm thinking 2 or 3 females? ordinairy hopefully theyll be friendly enough at the pet shop?)
A cage, not sure what kind is best
What to feed them, I've read about vegetables and mainly everything but is there a stock food I should have a bag of for everydya purposes and post the diets you give your mice please.
Ideas for obstacles (this of course depends on the cage)
do's and dont's (from your exprience)
I plan on getting a water bottle type set up to facilitate their thirst

I plan on keeping them in my room and won't be home most of the day due to school and friends, however I plan on spending lots of time interacting with them, will they be noisy at night? I hope it won't keep me up.

Also I have a guitar and like to play it (obviously) are mice into music or what?  it's mostly relaxing finger picking stuff with some jazzy progressions.

Feel free to post all your comments,thoughts and ideas I'll read them all. Thanks


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## Peteyandthegang (Jan 20, 2009)

Hiya,

I bet you'll love mice  Here are my answers to your points
*
# of mice ( I'm thinking 2 or 3 females? ordinairy hopefully theyll be friendly enough at the pet shop?)*
3 females would be the ideal. 2 get on fine, but if one were to die or become ill you'd have another to keep the remaining mouse company. Read one of my points below for pet shop advice
*A cage, not sure what kind is best*
Everyone will tell you differently, the fact is aslong as there's enough room (which doesn't have to be _that_ much) ventilation, it's escape proof and it's safe, you can go for whatever you like. Personally we use tanks with home made lids, Perfecto tanks with sliding lids which you can buy in the pet shop and converted plastic tubs (storage bins with bits cut out and replaced with wire for climbing and ventilation)
Be very careful with barred cages. Mice can squash themselves surprisingly small and most aren't mouse safe. Go for the smallest bar spacing (say 9mm)
Oh and avoid those Rotastack type cages. They're naff. Take hours to clean, limited room, expensive, awkward to fit anywhere
*What to feed them, I've read about vegetables and mainly everything but is there a stock food I should have a bag of for everydya purposes and post the diets you give your mice please.*
If you check out the "feeding" section here it should give you a good idea. Mice eat mainly grains, so a diet based on things like oats and wheat is good. It's best to add things yourself to the mix rather than solely feed prepackaged, but you can certainly add shopbought foods to their mix. We just use hammy food to bulk it out for them. Most people use rat food for this I think. Go easy on the heavy protein, we just give a tiny portion of egg or some mealworms as an occasional treat.
*Ideas for obstacles (this of course depends on the cage)*
Toys? Mice are content with something as simple as an eggbox, an empy cereal packet with holes in and toilet roll tubes. They'll also appreciate a nesting area, things to climb like ropes and ladders, and a wheel (make sure this is the right size so they don't have to arch their backs to fit on it) You can buy silenced ones now (wish they did when I had my hamsters in my bedroom growing up!) We use Silent Spinners
*do's and dont's (from your exprience)*
Get in healthy mice from the beginning. Avoid petshops unless you know what you're looking for, go to a breeder, preferably one you can get reviews of on here, to ensure you get mice that will live long. I do know of quite a few petshops that sell very healthy mice which have come from good breeders, but I've also encountered the worst bred, tiny little things in others which don't stand a chance at a healthy life, so you have to know what to look out for. If you do go petshop, check for clear eyes, fur and skin, activity when roused, clean breathing (should be shallow and silent) no bloating or anorexia
*I plan on getting a water bottle type set up to facilitate their thirst*
This is what we've found to work best. They like their bowls but you just can't avoid the bedding getting in there

Well I hope this helped a little


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## Peteyandthegang (Jan 20, 2009)

Oh and yeah most mice will get to the point where theyll hang out with you on the desk. We've got some on here right now :lol:
They all have different personalities though, some will never quite be comfortable enough with you and will hide more, that's ok


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## kontext (Sep 11, 2009)

haha, that's awesome!

Yeah they just look so cute and whatnot 

Plus I wouldn't mind watching them run around and having some physical contact with something that's got personality and living!

They are careful creatures right? meaning they won't fall off my desk? it's pretty wide but I read about them falling and getting hurt


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## Peteyandthegang (Jan 20, 2009)

No they definitely won't fall, they sense the height and stay away. Well except the clumsy old ones. Have to watch them


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## kontext (Sep 11, 2009)

hehe, I'm pretty excited, do you think I could get them tomorrow?

I mean could you tell me more about what I'm going to need? And would keeping them in my room be all right? I don't think my dad wants to have them in the living room and I'd prefer if they were more 'mine'


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Keeping them in your room should be fine, keep them out of direct sunlight or anywhere where they would get too hot. (Avoid windowsills and near radiators)

Obviously you will need the basics, a tank or cage, floor covering (I use regular wood shavings and have no problem), bedding (I use hay), water bottle and food bowl.
Nice extras would be some sort of housing, a wheel and some toys. Though mine LOVE toliet roll tubes hehee

Good luck finiding your lovely mice, I will be expecting pictures when you get them! :lol:

Willow xx


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## Cbprf (Aug 24, 2009)

As far as getting pet shop mice, our first two were skittish and we are still working with them. Then our third one would let us hold her. And our next two, one was skittish and one wasn't, though you could tell she was deathly afraid of us holding her, haha. And our last one, who is quite young, lets us catch her and hold her and we let her run around on our desk and on my lap when I sit at the computer. But either way keep an eye on them. Haha.

As for cages, I have a generic pet store cage. With a little room on the roof that they can climb up into but then I have a cage built into the wall that was for my boyfriends iguana. It's huge and roomy for our mice. But you can find good, large cages at Petsmart, I don't know if there's one near you. And they're a good price. But always check online cause you can find something cheaper usually.

As for food, I use a store mix brand called FiestaMAX for Rat/Mouse. It has a lot of stuff and the mice LOVE it, haha! They don't eat the pellets though, but who would blame with all those other good things in there?

Good luck.


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