# Does it irritate anyone else....



## bellamousey

Does it irritate anyone else the amount of ignorance about mice on some other sites and forums? I am by no means referring to anywhere specific, but it seems a lot of places seem to think there is only one way to keep and breed mice. They seem to say, "If you don't do it this way you are wrong and horrible. Everything you do is wrong. Your mice are wrong. Your cage is wrong. Your food is wrong. Your face is wrong." OK maybe not that last one :lol: but still. Sometimes THEIR information is even wrong. One thing I really appreciate about this forum is that it accepts different points of view and even welcomes some friendly debate. Does anyone else feel this way? Or is this just me?


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## Miceandmore64

The other forums I am on I have to be careful what I say!


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## WoodWitch

I don't use the other forums so don't know from experience, but have heard this message repeated over the years. This forum has prided itself on openmindedness and acceptance of different approaches and seems to be appreciated as such, so all good here! That's down to the attitude of the moderators


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## PPVallhunds

The way I see it (and was taught) there is more than one way to skin a cat. As long as your mice are healthy, your not endangering them, no welfare issues and there needs are being met your way is a valid way wether or not I would use it myself.

It goes for anything realy, mice, dogs, kids ect


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## snuffleupagus

It is really annoying when some people appoint themselves as an authority and come up with seemingly abitrary rules about how things _must_ be done. I try to be open minded and remember that there is no One True Way. 
The sort who go around picking fights about other people's methods and ethics just like feeling superior, I think.

I do value this forum both for its wealth of knowledge and its acceptance of all kinds of mousey people. I joined another mouse forum recently, a US based one (you probably know the one). From what I've seen I don't think I'll bother posting there, seems like you get ripped to shreds over the most ridiculous things.


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## raisin

i agree it's annoying because i do it. well when I give my mice to new homes, I force a care packet on potential new owners. It only has my methods on it. I do this though because many people who would take them don't know the first thing and I only put on it what I know works for sure.

I did a thing the other day where i was talking to a girl who wanted a friend for her old female- sure! then i learned she wanted to breed my mice for snake food! they too young for that, and i highly disagree with live food! i also learned she feeds them dog food so i tried to let her know that i feed mine mouse food. When she was deciding what to do i gave her a packet causing her to accuse me of thinking she was a bad mouse owner. She didn't take any mice. I can't decide if it's good or bad- They won't be over bred, but they don't have a new home. What i did conclude is i am pushy about my care-methods and i need to ease back and let people do what they think is right for their own mice.


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## bellamousey

raisin said:


> i agree it's annoying because i do it. well when I give my mice to new homes, I force a care packet on potential new owners. It only has my methods on it. I do this though because many people who would take them don't know the first thing and I only put on it what I know works for sure.
> 
> I did a thing the other day where i was talking to a girl who wanted a friend for her old female- sure! then i learned she wanted to breed my mice for snake food! they too young for that, and i highly disagree with live food! i also learned she feeds them dog food so i tried to let her know that i feed mine mouse food. When she was deciding what to do i gave her a packet causing her to accuse me of thinking she was a bad mouse owner. She didn't take any mice. I can't decide if it's good or bad- They won't be over bred, but they don't have a new home. What i did conclude is i am pushy about my care-methods and i need to ease back and let people do what they think is right for their own mice.


At the very least, your mice didn't go to a home that wasn't going to care for them properly. I think it's a little different in your case than with the internet though. That was a one on one interaction. The internet is for everyone to see, and if your method is slandered in front of thousands of people, chances are people seeking that very information will reject it. In your case, I would feel better that the mice didn't go to a bad place. I think it's a good thing.


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## Fluffnstuff

I have no problem with correcting people or being corrected when I'm doing something blatantly wrong (or see something blatantly wrong/dangerous), but there is a whole lot of room for different kinds of right.

Someone keeping a colony of males and they're asking about fighting/mice being killed, I don't think saying 'you need to separate those mice' is bad. Someone says they're feeding their mice nothing but catfood, there's something to correct. You see a picture of someone dangling a mouse by the tip of it's tail - speak up.

But I don't really care if someone keeps 3 mice in a 20 gallon or keeps 10 in there. I don't think it matters if someone is offering tons and tons of toys or none. I don't think it matters if the mice are kept on aspen or paper bedding.

I also have to admit pretty straight up that I'm kind of looking into breeding mice for snake food. I'm not going to be feeding live; I'm fully capable of pre-killing humanely. Anyone who doesn't want to sell for that to me is well within their rights and I understand, but I don't think that makes me a cruel person. Part of the reason I'm looking into it is I have some problems with the conditions animals are kept in, in those big breeding places that sell frozen rodents. At least this way I know they had good lives, good food, and a humane death.


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## SarahC

Liking your post Fluffnstuff.Sensible and to the point.


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## snuffleupagus

Fluffnstuff said:


> I have no problem with correcting people or being corrected when I'm doing something blatantly wrong (or see something blatantly wrong/dangerous), but there is a whole lot of room for different kinds of right.


Absolutely, there should be a happy medium between really rigid thinking and 'anything goes' and anyone is well within their rights to have strong opinions on how the mice they have bred are cared for.

There are subjective issues such as woodshavings (yay or nay), cage size etc, that everyone has different views on, the problems come when some people refuse to agree to disagree.


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## RodentsNCats

I don't understand why people think that way, thats like I got cussing out on Facebook for defending someone who had two rats and a mouse in a tank, she didn't know any better. Her older rat was raised with mice, so she kept them together..people kept saying she was abusing them, but she wanted what was best for her babies. I just don't understand that though I wish there were more people on here though.


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## Miceandmore64

Somebody was listing two free mice in a small cage. Someone asked can my RAT live with them..... im.speechless


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## WoodWitch

Miceandmore64 said:


> Somebody was listing two free mice in a small cage. Someone asked can my RAT live with them..... im.speechless


I'm not offended by the question. It's good that people who aren't sure of things, ask. I take issue with posts/users who ask a question (for example can I put a rat in with my mice?) and then argue with the 100 people that tell them it's a bad idea, and the good advice freely given by experts because they are not hearing what they want to hear! See it a lot :roll:


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