# Bar Spacing?



## RockyMountainMice

I plan to keep my females in a cage with 1/2 bar spacing but I am wondering if I should cover it with a layer of 1/2" x 1/2" mesh to prevent escape. Any input would be appreciated!  Thanks.


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## moustress

Many meeces can squeeze through 1/2 inch spacing. Yes, I do think it would be a good idea to alter the housing or choose different housing. Mousies are more comfortable with solid walls around them, truth to tell.


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## Stina

Wire cages are so much more trouble then they're worth, in my opinion anyway.... Mice pee on the bars, making them difficult to clean, and many can squeeze out...if you cover the bars with mesh it will be even harder to keep clean.


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## RockyMountainMice

Thanks for the feedback ladies. I know what you mean about keeping it clean too. 
I figured I could take the mesh off when they are full grown to solve that.

I had the same sort of mesh over the cage set up for my rats (with a rabbit cage that had 1" bar spacing) until they were big enough to take the wire off and honestly it didn't bother me too much, cleaning wise.

Hmmm....

You see, the thing is that I just don't have room for a big enough tank (floorspace wise) to give them ample room which is why I would rather use a cage so that I can add levels/shelves/etc to give them a lot more room to exercise. On top of that, I've always just preferred cages to tanks (for rodents) in general.


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## Laigaie

Many adult mice can squeeze through 1/2in spacing. I would not advise that you can take the mesh off when they grow up. How much floor space do you have, and for how many mice? There are a lot of options in cages for mice.


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## Rhasputin

In a tank, it is really easy to make platforms out of popsicle sticks glued together. The mice use them, and chew them, and they are easily replaced.


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## RockyMountainMice

Thanks for the input, both of you!  
Yes, Laigaie, I was still debating on whether to take off the mesh when they're grown or not.
The cage I have/plan to use has a 24" x 14" base, it has two full floors and a few shelves.

I suppose I will wait and use a tank (if I have to) but I would really rather not.
Keeping rodents in tanks in the past (including my mice) was a total pain in the butt.

I didn't think it would be this big of a hassle to choose my cage! :lol: 
I've used this very cage in the past for mice and baby rats without mesh and had not a single issue, so I guess I just assumed it was fine.
This is the same cage, but a stock photo obviously. 








Except I took those shelves out years ago and am now replacing it with a full shelf halfway up and a few shelves here and there.


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## Laigaie

Oh! I love that brand! They do make fantastic cages, and you can buy extra levels and ramps from their website. Unfortunately, they don't really do a very good job at choosing which animals to suggest putting in which cages. I bought a rat cage from them that never actually contained the rats so much as kindly recommended they stay put. They were in and out of the cage as it pleased them. :lol:


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## RockyMountainMice

Haha! See this one is not recomended for mice though, which is what made me wonder in the first place with the 1/2 spacing.
It is recommended for rats, but I don't see it as suitable long-term housing for more than one rat.
But I kept mice in it YEARS ago as a kid (without mesh over) and none of them ever got out. 
Maybe they were just large/obese or something?
I also kept baby rats (4-5 weeks and up) in there without issue, which aren't any bigger than adult mice as far as I remember...


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## Stina

it is possible your mice were getting out and going back in...it has been known to happen!

1/2" bar spacing is very wide for mice...especially if any of those bars get bent in the slightest.


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## RockyMountainMice

Yeah see I'm definitely confused there. 
I had cats so I don't think they wold have gotten back in (hint hint) but maybe they just didn't try because they felt safe in there?

Would it be safe with the 1/2"x1/2" wire mesh over top?
It's the smallest mesh available.


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## Cait

Whereabouts do you live? In the UK you can get 6mm mesh from a variety of places.


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## Stina

You can get 1/4" hardware cloth in the US.


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## RockyMountainMice

Yeah I know, I live in a crappy Canadian hick town and the smallest mesh I've been able to find is 1/2 inch. 
And only ONE store in the area carries it! Ugh.


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## Cait

Perhaps you could buy it online so it will be posted to you?


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## Stina

The stores near you may actually have it but not know what it is...lol I'm not joking either...b/c i've looked for it in stores here...and they had no idea what I was looking for its usually kept with larger guage welded wire fencing, but not always. The 1/4" stuff is specifically called hardware cloth...if you search online with other terms (mesh, welded wire) it often doesn't come up. Most farm/hardware stores carry it.


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## mouselover2011

what brand is the cage in the pic?  x


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