Plants & Pets
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Mice are great pets for people of all ages and are fairly easy to care for. White mice are the most common type in pet stores. These sociable little rodents typically live just 1 to 3 years if they are raised and cared for properly. They weigh 28 grams or less, get stressed out easily, and need to be handled gently -- so they are not ideal for young children who lack the understanding and even the motor skills to treat them delicately. If you do have children, supervise them at all times when they interact with your mice. You should start by providing the right housing. An aquarium or wire cage with proper substrate is great for a mouse. You should also feed your mouse the right diet. A combination of commercial food and treats works best for a mouse. You should also make sure your mouse is healthy. Make sure it gets enough exercise and take it to the vet if you notice changes in behavior such as a lack of energy.
What to do
Acquire multiple white mice of the same sex to raise together. They are sociable and need the company of their kind. Stick to same-sex populations or you will learn firsthand just how prolifically rodents reproduce. House your white mice in an appropriately sized aquarium or wire cage. A 30-litre aquarium suffices for up to three mice; four or five mice need an aquarium of at least 45 litre, and six or more need at least 60 litres gallons. Make sure it has a mesh top for ventilation. Coated wire cages with solid plastic bottoms also work. For up to three white mice, get a cage that is at least 2 feet long by 1 foot wide. Keep your white mice in a temperature-controlled room maintained at 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Position their habitat away from direct sunlight and sources of heat, cold air, and draughts. Also, do not expose your mice to bright light. Cover the bottom of your white mouse habitat with several inches of aspen, pelleted paper, or hardwood bedding.
Avoid dangerous houses. Certain types of houses are dangerous for mice. Never keep a mouse in a cardboard box or a wooden enclosure, as mice may chew through these materials. You should also be careful about mice habitats, with a lot of tubes and accessories, sold at pet stores. Mice can get trapped and injured in these kinds of enclosures. Accessorize the habitat with a solid-bottom exercise wheel, a small house for each mouse, untreated wood for your mice to gnaw on, cardboard tubes, toys, a sturdy food dish, and a sipper-tube water bottle. Rotate toys to prevent boredom. Mice eat a variety of foods, including commercial mouse food, fresh fruit and vegetables, mealworms, peas, and boiled eggs. They also need constant access to fresh water. Feed your white mice a commercial pellet or block rodent food nightly. It should be at least 16 percent protein, 18 percent fiber, and no more than 4 percent fat. Supplement daily with a few morsels of fresh fruit or vegetables. Confirm the fresh foods you intend to offer are safe for mice with your vet or another reputable source. Keep the water bottle filled with fresh water at all times, changing it daily. Offer chunks of dog biscuit or branches from fruit-bearing trees for your white mice to chew on.
Their teeth grow continuously, and gnawing is how they keep them in check. You can also give your mouse fresh fruits and vegetables from your kitchen. Feed your mouse things like greens, blueberries, and apples once a day. Opt for small amounts and chop bigger fruits into pieces to help your mice easily swallow them. You can also feed them grains, seeds, hay, etc. Feed your mice at the right time. Mice are nocturnal, so it is best to provide food close to nighttime. You should also provide a continual supply of water at all hours of the day. Make sure to set some kind of alarm or alert. Mice need food every day, so you should not skip meals. Maintain a clean cage or aquarium. Remove droppings, leftover food, and soiled bedding daily. Replace all bedding when you do a thorough cleaning of the enclosure once per week. Wash the cage with warm water and a disinfectant. Rinse and dry thoroughly before putting new bedding and your mice back inside.
Talk to your white mice and hand-feed them every day so they become familiar with you. When they are comfortable eating from your hand, pick them up one at a time. Hold them for just a few seconds at first, gradually increasing the time you hold them each day. Allow your white mice time to play out of their enclosure every day. Secure them in a rodent playpen. Supervise them. Also, talk to them, pet them, play with them, and hold them individually to maintain and strengthen your bond with them. Mice require veterinary care and can be susceptible to upper respiratory infections. They should be protected from smoke, perfumes, and other airborne chemicals. Domestic mice typically live for 1–3 years. Take a mouse to the veterinarian as soon as you notice something wrong. Some signs of common health problems include coughing, sneezing, bleeding or other discharge, lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, difficulty breathing, aggression, and other behavioural changes.
Mice should be active and alert. They should eat and drink regularly and breathe and walk steadily. Handle your mice properly. Mice are generally afraid of people, so minimize how often you handle your mouse. When you do pick up your mouse, do so in a safe fashion. Set a treat in your palm, then lay your hand flat at the bottom of its cage. When it climbs on, gently lift it into the air. Hold your mouse close to your lap if it is not comfortable being held. You can then pet and interact with your mouse. If your mouse is squirming and nervous, place it back in its cage. Never grab a mouse by the tip of its tail and do not squeeze a mouse with your fingers.
Make sure your mice get enough exercise. Mice are active animals that need plenty of exercise to stay healthy. An exercise wheel is vital for any mouse cage. However, always opt for a plastic one over a wire one. Mice can easily get trapped and injured or even killed in a wire wheel. You should also provide toys. Inexpensive toys, like cardboard rolls from paper towels and toilet paper, are safe for mice to play with. You can also pick up commercial toys from a local pet store.
Avoid extreme heat and cold. Extreme temperatures can cause health problems and even death in mice. Make sure you keep your mice in an area in your home that has room temperature. If anything causes a sudden change in temperature, such as a heat outage, move your mouse to a location where the temperature is stable. Keep your mice away from other household pets. Household pets like cats and dogs may view mice as prey. Pets like ferrets and snakes may also prey on mice. Keep mice in separate rooms from other pets and make sure their cages are secure at all times. Mice are friendly, curious, and social creatures. They are low maintenance and quiet and can be entertaining to watch and play with each other.
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