Does anyone have pet mice?

• 05-09-2009 11:35 PM

  corgichick Joined on 05-17-2007 Chicago Posts 486 Points 140

  Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact They seem like fun little pets. I faintly remember having then when I was little (4 yrs old maybe?) and all of us loved them! But my parents dont really want to get any but might let me if I get my geography grade up in school, haha. I have been researching on handling, housing, feeding and them seem fairly easy pets. Does anyone have expierence with them or own any? Also if you have any pics...feel free to share!

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• 05-09-2009 11:46 PM

  In reply to corgichick

  grab01 Joined on 09-10-2007 middle of the desert Posts 1,613 Points 0

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact I had mice years ago. One thing to remember is that mice do have more of an odor than rats do. Also, you can keep females in pairs, but male mice need be solitary. Even if you acquire littermates very young, it isn't uncommon for them to fight as they get older. If you're going to a pet store, I'd suggest getting a male, simply because many times they're shipped in mixed sexes and you dont' want to end up with a surprise litter

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• 05-10-2009 12:16 AM

  In reply to grab01

  willowchow Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 8,723 Points 500

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact Years before Willow, my husband bought me a mouse for Christmas--ya know, not a creature was stirring, not even a. . . He was fairly easy to take care of.  We could pet him, he wasn't a biter.  Definately, more friendly than a gerbil or hamster, in my experience. But, the urine does really stink. And, they are up all night.  They make lots of cool things for them to play in and eat so they can be pretty fun.  But, the cage does need to be cleaned often, ours was daily and it still had a smell.  Mine didn't live very long, he had a seizure problem.  I did get him vet care but even with the medications he didn't make it.

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• 05-10-2009 12:17 AM

  In reply to corgichick

  4mutts Joined on 06-29-2008 Posts 102 Points 20

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact Nope. But I do have rats! Three female littermates, to be exact. At little different, but have a lot of the same traits. They're super fun pets. Mine sit on my shoulder and go for a ride around the house all the time. They are easy pets, except that I make mine a homemade diet. Good luck and have fun! Kimberleigh & 'The Zoo' Dogs: Enzo- 2 year old Golden Retriever mix Ophira- 1 year old Golden Retriever Chloe- 2 year old Pit Bull Monte- 6 year old Beagle mix Cats: Pickles- 1 year old tuxedo DSH Tynee- 5 month old grey tabby Belle- 3 year old brown tabby Small Furries: Bindi- 4 year old grey Chinchilla Benson- 3 year old grey Chinchilla Olive, Dottie & Java- 8 month old Rat Sistas

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• 05-10-2009 12:34 AM

  In reply to 4mutts

  miranadobe Joined on 04-06-2006 Purgatory Posts 6,607 Points 340

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact mice pee and poop all over their food and habitats.  To keep the urine smells down, you will be cleaning that bedding out every day. They love the wheel, so do yourself a favor and get the silent wheel, even though it's more expensive.  Also, plan on getting an aquarium instead of those cute little habitats with the tubes and stuff, because they are difficult to clean, especially with a small animal that peeps and poops everywhere. If you really want a small pet that is fun, try a guinea pig, or some of the more unusual friendly dwarf hamsters.  Most fancy dwarfs I have come across are grumpy, but the djungarians tend to be pretty nice.  Roborovski hamsters are small, cute, but super fast, so you have to be careful if you're looking for something you want to handle. Paige - dog.community Moderator with Gracie - 6yr old Doberman Plus Patrick - 10yr old Akita mix & Henry - 5yr old BC mix "Never confuse education with intelligence." ~ RFD "Chuck Norris can blow bubbles with beef jerky." "So you've 'had dogs all your life'? I've had teeth all my life. Doesn't make me a dentist." - JV McDonough, Certified Dog Trainer ~ www.fortunatek9.com ~ Fight for your opinions, but do not believe that they contain the whole truth, or the only truth. - Charles A. Dana

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• 05-10-2009 1:27 AM

  In reply to miranadobe

  DumDog Joined on 04-02-2007 North Florida Posts 5,055 Points 230

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact  Miranadobe and others said it correct, they pee and poop constantly. in the wild they leave little trails of urine as they walk (male rats will do the same) i my brother gave me a male mouse when the apartment he lived in suddenly started spraying their place down to kill wild mice. he didnt think "Meester Mouse" was safe there. I liked him but he was stinky. he eventually died - i think from myco.. or mico? common disease in rodents that effects the lungs, especially ones in pet stores. - after that i put the cage away(was one of those Habitats without tubes) but then i got a couple of mice from my friend. two females. the two of them together didnt smell nearly as bad as the one male. heck... i had three male rats all living in the same cage and they didnt even smell as bad as Meester Mouse lol But.. alas i was cleaning cages a LOT. with the rat cages i got creative and made it easy for myself - and the boys were somewhat potty trained so that helped even more - but with the mouse cage.. no. they had to be put in a box so i could take their habitat apart and scrub it top to bottom. the wheel was the most annoying part :P  like i said.. they urinate as they walk.... this thing would be caked in urine and poop the very next day after i cleaned it. i agree with getting a guinea pig, but they can be noisey.. my sisters had several. you could NOT open a potato chip bag without all five of those pigs squeaking in unison!

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• 05-10-2009 1:27 AM

  In reply to miranadobe

  Bullymom Joined on 03-14-2007 North Carolina Posts 3,554 Points 110	Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact  I had a pet mouse a few years ago.  She was meant to be snake food but I sorta stole her from the snake tank before she could get ate!!  She was a very friendly little creature.  She loved to be held and rubbed.  She lived for well over 2 years.  Good luck on getting your grade up! ~*Kimberly*~
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• 05-10-2009 3:41 AM

  In reply to Bullymom

  bluelighting Joined on 09-10-2007 Southwest Ohio Posts 2,574 Points 15

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact  I don't know much about mice, but one thing I do know is you don't want a male for pets. When I worked at the pet shop we seprated the mice on gender and the males smelled so much worst the females. They do pee and poop all over the habitats which is nasty then get out if you want something close to the mice that doesn't have the odor you might want to check out gerbils. They are really active, friendly, and much cleaner rodent wise. I love the guys they where neat to have and watch them dig burrows in their beddings. Just wanted to throw out that ideal if you haven't thought about gerbils. ~Melinda~ Lets call you Mr. Fluffypants! Mr. Stuffington Fluffypants, Fluffy for short - Colleen Cadey Sue - pitbull 2 years old

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• 05-10-2009 7:27 AM

  In reply to bluelighting

  griffinej5 Joined on 09-10-2007 Pa Posts 3,242 Points 60

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact  We don't have mice, but we have rats. They're very nice, particularly the oldest one. My sister had two, on died, she got another, and ended up with a third so the two young ones could bug each other, and not the older one so much. The oldest one is very friendly, and she comes to the top of the cage when someone walks into the room all the time. The other ones are still young and skittish. Emperor of the Markie Fan Club

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• 05-10-2009 8:56 AM

  In reply to griffinej5

  Cita Joined on 12-13-2006 CT Posts 5,905 Points 845

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact  I also have experience with rats - they are fairly easy to train (can be potty trained, taught tricks, etc.), smart, and fun! But, just like dogs - I really recommend NOT buying from a pet store. Exact same reasons you wouldn't buy a dog from a pet store - poor breeding practices, little attention to long-term health and longevity, lack of socialization/training... there are rat breeders just like there are dog breeders, and I'm sure there are mouse breeders too, if that's what you really want! The difference between a breeder-bred rat and a petstore-bred rat is really just night and day... pet store rats tend to be reactive and bitey, for one. Not that much fun to untrain/rehab!

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• 05-10-2009 10:12 AM

  In reply to corgichick

  rwbeagles Joined on 09-10-2007 DFW, TX Posts 18,884 Points 2,200

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact I have to say after a week or so with my daughter corn snake I cannot imagine a small cage mammal that could compare. Little to well, no odor, low maintenence, silent, beautiful, interesting to watch...friendly, personality and best of all..a 20 YEAR lifespan. Our corn snake likes mice tho...a lot. lol. Gina H. aka "Tellingmewhattodoperson" Happy St. Paddy's Day, all! Cleo's Blog: lionessrampantblog.blogspot.com/ My blog: ryngwrayth.blogspot.com/

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• 05-10-2009 10:33 AM

  In reply to miranadobe

  cakana Joined on 09-10-2007 Cathy in Northern CA Posts 10,278 Points 435	Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact miranadobe: They love the wheel, so do yourself a favor and get the silent wheel, even though it's more expensive.   That's the main thing I remember. Mine ran on that squeaky wheel all night long. I didn't know there was a silent wheel at the time or I'd have spent the money on one. ~ Cathy ~
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• 05-10-2009 3:19 PM

  In reply to corgichick

  Moonlight Joined on 01-08-2008 NC Posts 684 Points 210

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact I've had mice all while growing up.  I enjoyed them.  They are interesting to watch, and, maybe I was lucky, but with weekly full cage cleanings mine didn't really smell.  The wheels can be annoying, so I agree with getting a silent one.  You can have fun with giving them toilet paper tubes and boxes to hide in.  They are sometimes available on petfinder from rescues, so I would check there first. I lost my last girl to breast cancer a few months ago.  Amber, Chloe (crestie), Kya (chihuahua), and River (crestie)

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• 05-10-2009 10:02 PM

  In reply to Cita

  jenns Joined on 09-10-2007 NE New Jersey Posts 1,287 Points 10

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact Cita: But, just like dogs - I really recommend NOT buying from a pet store. Exact same reasons you wouldn't buy a dog from a pet store - poor breeding practices, little attention to long-term health and longevity, lack of socialization/training... I'm glad  you mentioned this.  I always wonder why people who would never imagine buying a puppy in a petstore, don't seem to think twice about supporting the pet shop small animal trade.  All the same problems inherent in pet store puppies, but with smaller animals.  In fact, I would say it's even worse with small animals because the mortality rate is so much higher.  I also agree with Gina about the corn snake.  I've had snakes for years and think they are great pets! Zoe - 3 year old chocolate and tan miniature dachshund Zack - 1 year old toy manchester terrier Ally - 10 year old black and white domestic shorthair cat

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• 05-10-2009 10:17 PM

  In reply to corgichick

  Luvntzus Joined on 05-09-2006 Posts 4,216 Points 105

  Re: Does anyone have pet mice? Reply Contact They smell terrible. I had no idea such strong smells could come from such tiny animals. Within a day of cleaning the cage it smells digusting again. I have two girls and they're supposed to not smell as bad as males, so I can't imagine. It's an odd smell and I will never get another pet mouse! They're definitely cute and peaceful little animals, so if smells don't bother you they could be good pets.

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