# Does the Size of the Cage Really Matter?



## pld (Mar 2, 2016)

Hi, my name's Daisy. I know most people would probably say that mice are perfectly happy in a small cage but surely if you are an exploring animal like a mouse, then it must be better to have more freedom and space to roam around in. I've never been one for caged pets to be honest but my daughter has taken an interest in animals and we'd really like to add a few members to the family that aren't going to be too expensive to maintain and that are child friendly. We've decided on getting some mice but will probably get at least a rabbit, gerbil or guinea pig too. We don't want to keep them in tiny cages though as it just doesn't sit right for me. I know that's just my feeling on the matter and I'm definitely not one to judge. Sometimes there just isn't the space to keep a large cage, so the fact that an animal has a home, a loving family and is looked after, should be the most important thing. After all, I suppose a cage is just a bedroom and you can get the mouse out to play in a larger area. Anyway, I was wondering what kind of ways people have come up with to best utilize space, but give their mice as much of an area as possible to run around in and explore?


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## pld (Mar 2, 2016)

We've talked about maybe an outdoor solution like a shed, where we can construct larger cages and make some runs for them so they've got plenty to do. It would then be like a mini zoo for a few different kinds of animal. We can then help our daughter to learn how to keep and maintain them. I think it will be a good learning experience for her on many levels. Any ideas on what we could do with shed space in regards to cage type and activities we can install for them?


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## pld (Mar 2, 2016)

We've found a nice pink playhouse for sale at a second-hand Irish for sale site. It's in immaculate condition and has been kept very well by its current owners. We've been emailing them and they've said we can take a look first-hand if we like before buying but the pictures they've sent us look good enough. It's just a case of getting it to where we live. Its pink so my daughter will love it and it can kind of double up as an area for the pets but also somewhere she can play. A lot cheaper than buying one brand new providing we can easily get it picked up. Might have to collect it ourselves and use a family members truck to courier it.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

While mice do explore they are prey animals. If they have access to something to eat, drink, make a nest out of and nothing tries to eat them they would stay in the same area. Which is why smaller cages isn't an issue for them.

If you want a bigger housing you will probably have to build something as cages for bigger animals will have bars too wide. You can convert big storage boxes, cupboards, cabinets anything really as long as they can't get their teeth into anything to be able to chew out.
Whatever you make keep in mind how easy or hard it will be to clean, as mice will pee on everything you will need to be able to get to all parts of it.
Also remember to put in loads of hides if your going for a bigger size.


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## pld (Mar 2, 2016)

Thank you for the response, we will definitely keep that in mind. I was thinking that if we did find bigger cages, we'd need to make sure the holes weren't too big. Will have a look around, see what we can find and maybe we will just have to build something or adapt a few cages together maybe. We'll see, thanks again.


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## micurious (Nov 7, 2015)

Wire mesh (the kind you can get at a gardening store, also known as hardware cloth I believe) is great for covering up those holes. I think the playhouse is a great idea but I would recommend thinking creatively about what you do with the inside....you could potentially do some creative reworking by adding that mesh to the back wall and nailing up bird houses for the mice to nest in. They can climb the mesh easily and use it to access the different nests.

You'd also want to think carefully about cleaning access for whatever you decide. If it's too heavy to lift and empty like the playhouse, you'd want it to be sweepable. Possibly with some kind of floor protector that you could wipe down occasionally (is the house made of wood?)


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Wait. I thought the playhouse was going to be a shed. It's the cage itself?


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## micurious (Nov 7, 2015)

Oops, I misread. The cages are IN the playhouse. Though that would still be a fun set-up for your daughter to play with the mice.


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## JessieKate (Apr 18, 2016)

Have you considered the winter and summer temperatures for the play house? I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's definitely something to consider.


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## RatAtaT2693 (Apr 23, 2016)

JessieKate said:


> Have you considered the winter and summer temperatures for the play house? I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's definitely something to consider.


Yeah, I'm not familiar with the seasons in the UK, but I can't imagine winters being terribly friendly. Rodents are fairly temperature sensitive.

If I may ask, why mice? There are lots of other posts out there that children will have an easier time handling.


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## Miss Mousekewitz (Jul 15, 2016)

The cage size does matter a lot from what I've experienced, here are some examples:

In labs mice are held in very small cages, comparable to the size of a common shoe box. This area is so small that the animals kept inside don't even develop territorial behaviour or rank orders.
Just imagine you would live in a room of maybe 4m² with 2 other people, you wouldn't really discuss about who gets which part of the room, right?

On the other hand a cage can also be too big. The size should always be adapted to the number of mice living in it. You can find measurement suggestions all over google.
However if a cage is too big, mice might not interact with each other, but they should, since they are very social animals.

As for the playhouse, I don't think it is suitable to keep mice in there.
As already mentioned, you can't regulate the temperature. Mice can get a cold easily and unlike humans this can become life threatening quite fast. Pet mice should live in a temperature between 21 - 25 °C and they should also have bedding material to make their sleeping places warm and cuddly. The relation between their size and their body surface makes them loose warmth very quick, so they need warm places to keep their bodies at 37 °C when they don't move. In summer, when it gets really hot, you should also be able to install features that can cool them down since they don't really have perspiratory glands (only very few).

What about the floor? This is not only a cleaning issue. There are also all kinds of wild animals that can enter the house from the floor or also other parts of the play house. These animals can be a danger to your mice by either attacking them or making them sick and it will be very hard to keep them away in such a play house. And the other way round, where animals can get in, mice can get out.
You should also consider that you should have a good overview over your housing. You should be able to check your pets easily several timesa day and see if everything is ok.

I would recommend to just go classic and keep a cage of appropriate size inside the house in a suitable room.
If you like to be creative and are good with tools, you can maybe build something on your own, I heard that some people do this


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