# Chewing?



## Hali (Mar 2, 2011)

What do you give your mice to chew so there teeth stay in good shape? I've been told to give wood, but honestly with the males wood just seems to stink... are there any less stinky alternatives?


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Items made from card/cardboard are throw away items, so if they get urine soaked, they can be replaced. Wooden items do tend to retain urine which is why many of us don`t tend to use wooden accessories. Small wooden chew sticks are fine, but I find mice don`t bother with them to be honest.

Things like toilet roll tubes, tea boxes, tissue boxes are all good choices and the mice can play in these aswell! Add in some toilet paper strips for the mice to play with and some shredded newspaper (using a shredder).

If they have hay, they will nibble that, but not all mice do. I don`t tend to use hay or straw due to parasitic issues and don`t want to risk giving my mice skin issues if the grasses are harbouring these tiny nasties. Freezing the hay is said to kill them off, but I don`t trust it.

You can even buy those straw nest balls and tunnels, but these too might get stinky after a while, so stick to cardboard items that are small and easily replaced.


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

Pets at home will make a huge loss in 2011 then with there natural wooden toys  they have whole isles devoted too wooden toys. All you do is wash them if your concerned about the urine there great for mice toplay on and chew.You must be carefull also with printed newspaper it can be toxic some inks are not good for mice and be carefull who you buy hay off as I have said before farmers bag this up and sell it there barns can be lifting in red mite etc .Be carefull buying the squared paper bedding this can hold moisture and urine too I think it is called bedex.


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

I use Bedxcel litter geordie and it`s one of the safest around! :? It`s absorbant because it`s paper based. I would`nt use anything else.

Inks in UK newspapers are safe inks. I can`t comment on the US, but our inks are safe. I only use a single sheet of newspaper to line the top shelf of my cage to catch any urine the girls drop, but there is also lino under the newspaper anyway so is easily wiped over. I always air off newspapers anyway so that by the time I use a sheet, it smells of nothing. I don`t shred it anymore though, I only use it on this one long shelf.

I agree about using hay from farms though. I would`nt use hay at all because although mice are supposed to like hay (and some do) I find that whenever I have placed any in the cage, they never use it and usually just leave it lying. I prefer to use Safebed paper shreds.

On the wooden accessories, there`s nothing wrong with using wooden items, but you have to make sure they don`t start to whiff! Mice don`t generally suffer from tooth abnormalities. If they do, then it`s probably genetic or damage done by accident. Mice like rats grind their teeth just by eating.


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## Hali (Mar 2, 2011)

I do bed my mice in grass hay.... but I put it in the deep freezer until i replace it each week. so would that be ok to use and not risk mites- i also get it at petsmart. Thank you for the advice! my male mice already stink enough with out the addition of wooden toys ha ha.


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Hay or grass as a substrate/litter won`t be very absorbant to be honest which is why hay is used mainly as a bedding material. The floor substrate would be better being something more suited to absorbency like aspen or one of the safebeds you guys use over there. I know it`s more difficult in the US to find good substrates apart from Carefresh (which is NOT safe) as it`s wood based, or aspen.


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## Hali (Mar 2, 2011)

yes, I couldn't find any wood bedding for sale at petsmart actually. all they had was hay and paperish bedding (which my friend had them on and it was worse) I'm thinking of ordering supplies off line if I can find them. theres not much to choose from around here.


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## racingmouse (Jan 12, 2011)

Good idea. Sometimes searching online can be better. Look for Aubiose (this is from the Hemp plant) and resembles shavings but is not from wood. Paper based litters should be fine and you can mix these with other things, so maybe the one your friend used mixed with aspen? I can`t comment on aspen as I don`t use it, but I know many US members do and they seem to find it okay. I think there are different types though so do ask before buying incase there is a safe one and a not so safe one!


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

Im not sure on this but mices teeth dont have a root nerve (wish mine didnt got awfull tooth ache at the moment) but i read somewhere that if any teeth fall out they just grow a new one can anyone answer this for me ?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

'Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing'

You are right.


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