# Newbie



## Varsettie (Mar 24, 2014)

Hello all,

My name is Issac, and I live in Ontario Canada. I've been keeping mice as pets for about a year or so now and I personally have connected with these little animals on a level that I have only connected with my cat before hand. I have experience with lots of other kinds of animals due to helping in shelters and rehabilitating aggressive animals previously, but mice just seem to be 'my' pet. At the moment I have five females and one male in a separate cage. Three were adopted and the others were from a pet store when I first started exploring mice as pets. I have managed to successfully hand tame all but the newest one so far and I'm really looking for links or information on proper care for these little girls and guy as there is not much on the internet that's not conflicting with what someone else is saying. I mix my own mouse food and from what I've read on here I've been doing it properly, so that's a plus!

I'm looking for and open to any and all information that's deemed important for the care and health of my pets, and where better to get that than from professional breeders? I'm interested in breeding but given the fact that I'm still trying to master proper care I'm a long way from breeding any mouse responsibly. That's a future goal once I'm confident enough in my ability to sustain their optimal health.

*Currently I am caretaker to:*
Mooney - A silver and white
Autumn - Spotted Orange and white
Rocket - Spotted black and white
Soot - Pure black
Icsis - Pink eyed White
And my male Gigan - Salt and pepper?


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Cute!
Welcome and enjoy the forum.
Personally ask all your questions on this forum would be best. As Internet has so much false infomation I can't even believe it! And some people believe some dumb person who doesn't know what they are doing!


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## Varsettie (Mar 24, 2014)

I'm interested in finding out how anyone and everyone here houses their mice. I understand that there will be great variances between breeders and pets due to available space. Google only knows I wouldn't have room for 50 mice if they were all housed 4 or 5 to a 45 gallon tank.

Speaking strictly as pets though, what would you recommend for living accommodations? 
I have sworn off wood chips, even aspen, ever since Mooney infected one of her eyes on a wood chip piece and sadly lost her right eye. I switched to soy ink local news papers that I've shredded as bedding and they seem to enjoy making nests out of it. My set up is done with two rubbermaids, one tall and one shot stacked on top of each other to make a two story mouse cage. There are ventilation holes I drilled in every two centimeters along the ridges of each container and there's a hole cut in with a ladder so they can run through both areas with ease. Each area has a box 'home' with a few holes cut in it for them and that's where they usually nest and sleep. They've got a silent wheel that's attached to the back wall and a couple of toys to climb and chew on. They have a water bottle and a food bowl, but I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't just toss their food in with out the bowl as they tend to use it as a litter box. Any suggestions on that?

They also have a 'play box' which is another rubbermaid in which I've placed a bunch of things for them to explore like open pencil cases and wooden bird houses. They get an hour of play time a day and every two days I re-arrange the play box to keep it new and exciting for them.

As food I mix budgie and finch seeds with rolled oats and either cheerios or bran flakes. Sometimes they get a little bit of pumpkin seeds or what not as a treat. I give them fruits and veggies every day or two.

They get social interaction with me at least once a day and they choose when they go home so I don't stress them out too much. Icsis and Mooney are giant suck-holes though and will stay out forever if I let them. Icsis is hanging around on my shoulder as I type this actually.

I guess mainly what I'm wondering is; am I doing this right? They have such short life spans and I really want them to enjoy their lives here with me to the fullest.

EDIT: I almost forgot, they do get Timmothy's Hay as well. ;3


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Sounds pretty good!
Although people say mice dont live long most o the time if you look after them (not like a 5 year old child) they make it to 2-3 years easily 
I use shredded paper as well I just sometimes have to change it twice a week.


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## Varsettie (Mar 24, 2014)

Yeah but even two years can go by in a flash. I wish they lived a little longer.

I end up changing their cages twice a week no matter what. My girls are a bit messy. ^^"


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

I know the messy ones! Thy like to pee in water bowls yummy??
Oh well 2 years is better than one! Wild mice in captivate are capable of 5 years


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## Varsettie (Mar 24, 2014)

Yeah I remedied that problem with water bottles instead of bowls. They didn't seem to care too much.

So do you happen to have some tips or tricks on taking care of these little critters?


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Me personally no not really!
But others on the forums do


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## Hunterscliff (Feb 2, 2014)

Hello and hope you enjoy the forum and find lots of useful info.


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## Varsettie (Mar 24, 2014)

If anybody's got any links to care tips or anything feel free to share them with me! I've been browsing and reading as I go, but obviously I don't know this place very well yet.


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

If you have questions PM us or you can make a thread XD


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Well housing I use bin cages.
Bin cages are these- 
http://search.thewarehouse.co.nz/m/prod ... KU=1205994
http://search.thewarehouse.co.nz/m/prod ... KU=1270662
In these I house a toilet paper roll (for no more than 4 days)
A ice cream container with a big hole for a house
In the house shredded paper at bottom with toilet paper at top.
Food (no bowl)
Water (in bowl)

Pretty simple, cheap but still nice.
I don't have any bedding on fllooor only in house
And they don't mind at all.


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