# Food as Enrichment



## Mahjling (Jan 25, 2018)

Obviously things like Mealworms, Crickets, and Dubias are enriching treats simply by being what they are, they're exciting, move about, etc.

But I'm curious as to presentation and other like ideas when it comes to feeding other treats, obviously mice love it if you just hand them treats, but I'm really interested in ideas as to how to present things like fruits, vegetables, and other non-living treats in a way that's stimulating. What do you do for your own mice as far as that goes?
Hanging treats from the top of the cage is always fun, so are creating foraging tubes. I was thinking maybe a dig box of shredded paper or Eco Earth with treats hidden throughout might also be fun? Has anyone here had good results with something similar? Probably Eco-Earth, as I plan to grow Wheatgrass and Clover in a small tub for them to destroy anyway ;P

Sorry for rambling. 
Anyway: Enriching ways to present treats and food to your mice, Mentally Stimulating treats|food in general, ideas~?

Space isn't really an issue. I'll be keeping 3-4 does in a 175gal tank, so I'll have the room to rotate most things in and out as needed.


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## Amtma Mousery (Jan 29, 2015)

Your mice are very lucky and fortunate pets.

I feed my mice primarily dog food, milk bones and seeds for financial efficiency and sustainability. For 'treats', I put down a piece of tissue and give them dinner leftovers, such as boiled egg yolks and cooked meat.

For stimulation, they get bedding and a running wheel(s).


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## Mahjling (Jan 25, 2018)

I work from home, so I don't have much to do besides care for my animals or look into how to better care for my animals =,D

Most of the animals currently in the house are herps, so its been a while since I've gotten to focus on mammal keeping, which I actually prefer.
{The others currently in the house are a pair of leopard geckos, a crested gecko, a ball python, and a Bio Active colony of invertebrates such as Mealworms, Morio worms, Dubia Roaches, Springtails, etc.}

As far as primary diet goes, I'll be doing lab blocks, probably Oxbow unless my research turns up that a better brand has popped up since the last time I kept rodents.

Do you {or anyone who sees this} know if animal bones are safe as an occasional addition? Cooked or uncooked. Cooked chicken bones splinter if given to dogs and cats, so I'd avoid that just to assuage my paranoia, and I'll do extensive research elsewhere as well, but I thought I'd throw it out there. I feel as though they have the potential to be a good source of extra calcium, iron, and protein, as well as being something cool/new/exciting to interact with. But then, beef and lamb marrow might be unhealthily high in fat, so perhaps that should be mostly removed first?

It wouldn't be left in long obviously, a day at most?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

A good brick-like and unsliced brown seeded loaf.They demolish the inside ,make numerous doors and windows,furnish it with bedding and move in.


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## Mahjling (Jan 25, 2018)

That's hilarious, and adorable.
I bake a lot of bread, so I'll have to give that one a shot sometime!


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## Cheshire Gleam (Aug 15, 2016)

I like to sometimes rub little bits of peanut butter on places where the mice have to look hard for them or climb, ect. I have pieces of wooden climbing branches in some of the cages so I put peanut butter (and stick other treats on the peanut butter) in the cracks so they are encouraged to find it themselves and work for it. If you end up doing this, just make sure whatever you put it on can be easily cleaned and as a tip, mixing the peanut butter with a smidge of water or vegetable oil makes it smoother, making it so the mice don't choke. As for your digging box idea, that's a really good one, especially if you let mealworms, morio worms or any other burrowing feeder insect crawl in the Eco Earth or whatever substrate you go with. Mine really love that.


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## Mahjling (Jan 25, 2018)

That sounds like an excellent idea.
I'm going to go with a more natural, earthy substrate in the tank to promote natural digging behaviors, but I'll still have an extra digbox for things like mealworms and the like, since I'd rather they not get lost in the tank and end up as darklings.

The peanut butter is also a wonderful idea, I'll make my own for them so I can control the consistency (As well as cut back some of the sugar)


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