# URGENT!! Can mice eat chinchilla food?



## Daisyvayle

Our chinchilla passed away a month ago and we still have some bags of food left over.

I am in urgent need of food for my pet mice since we just ran out and I don't know when we can get more (the pet store is an hour drive away) so I was wondering if the chinchilla's food would be safe for the mice. There is a bag of hay pellets and a bag of seed mix. It was made for chins.

Obviously this will be a very temporary substitute so they will have their mouse food (lab blocks) back asap, But for a couple of days to maybe a week would it be okay to give them the hay pellets and seeds?

I know it is unhealthy for a permanent diet for them but would it be better to just not feed them until their food arrives?? How long can a mouse last before starving to death? I imagine it wouldn't be long. I don't want my babies to starve.

This is what the chinchilla's seed mix has in it if it helps to know:
chinchilla hay pellets
oat groats
raisins
peas
fruit flavoured morsels
papaya
pumpkin seed
pineapple
coconut chips
banana chips (I think they can't have bananas? if not I can take these out)


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## Fantasia Mousery

As a very temporary substitute, yes, but as you say yourself, it'll be unhealthy for them. Much too much sugar, and not really any of the things they actually need. If possible, I'd also supply with a little protein, though they will be alright for a short period of time without


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## Agoutigoo

As temporary yes. But very high in sugar so I would remove some of the fruit if possible. What brand is this btw? It seems very heavy on the fruit for a chin diet who are only meant to be fed things like raisins as a treat.


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## Daisyvayle

Fantasia Mousery said:


> As a very temporary substitute, yes, but as you say yourself, it'll be unhealthy for them. Much too much sugar, and not really any of the things they actually need. If possible, I'd also supply with a little protein, though they will be alright for a short period of time without


Thank you SO much for replying. I've been giving it to them but I've also been worried sick it might do more harm than good. Thank you for letting me know it'll do for a little while. I've been feeding them a mealworm or two each every day (I have leopard geckos so I have crickets and mealworms), Is that good for protien or should I give them more as well or less?


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## Daisyvayle

Agoutigoo said:


> As temporary yes. But very high in sugar so I would remove some of the fruit if possible. What brand is this btw? It seems very heavy on the fruit for a chin diet who are only meant to be fed things like raisins as a treat.


Our chinchilla didn't have a very healthy diet. I wasn't the one who chose what to feed him though and I guess he got the cheaper stuff </3 I don't know the brand but it was from Total Pet
I will take out most of the fruit when I give it to them then,, Thank you!


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## Zamwyn

The most simple (and imo best) is to mix your own food regardless. Might vary what's available in regular grocery shops depending on country I guess, but especially with just a few mice it's probably doable. Solves the issue with not being able to get to a pet shop specifically as well. 

Even if you have lots of mice it can be done, but some ingredients might then be more economical to buy in larger quantities and not from the grocery shop. One of the advantages then, besides getting full control of what your mice eats, is that it's also easy to use the same base for all the mice but increase or decrease specific ingredients based on individual needs. For example, I usually have a base of whole oats and barley with lots of other stuff added (wheat sprouts, various seeds, nuts etc) but mice that need to gain a bit more weight gets more of the fatty seeds and nuts and mice that need to lose weight gets almost none of that in the mix (small amounts as treats instead) and mice that are in good shape already, gets the base mix.

If I can't get one or two ingredients when I'm going shopping for them, it's no big deal because temporarily I can give the mice the same mix they're used to only minus those things. I try to stock up on as much as possible though, so rarely happens as I restock well before I run out (easier to take full advantage of sales and coupons then too!).


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