newbie mouse owner

[smof]

Hey all.

Yesterday I became the happy owner of 2 six-week-old mice They are sisters and came from a pet shop because I couldn't find any local breeders, but it was a really nice shop. I've had hamsters and rats before but never mice, I just have a couple of questions I was wondering if people can give me some tips.

The cage they are in is a plastic-based wire one, the floor area is about 30cm x 45cm and it has 2 other levels with a ladder and a tube between them. At the moment it's fine cos the mice are so small but when they grow up am I right in thinking they'd be happier with more floor space? About how big is best for 2 mice? And how important is height and extra levels vs floor size?

I am trying to get them used to me so I can start handling them as soon as possible, as I'm worried the longer they go without being held the less tame they will be. I had to pick them up to move them from their carry-box into their cage and although they tried to get away they didn't bite so I think they have been held a bit before. I tried picking one up earlier and she leapt away into a corner and started rattling her tail at me, which means she's angry doesn't it?

I don't want to stress them out and make them hate me so I figured I'd just wait until they are awake and active and night and then just sit with my hand in their cage so they get used to my smell. Does that sound a good idea? Basically are there any tricks of the trade in regards to getting mice used to handling? Watching them being cute in their cage and not being able to get them out is driving me nuts, lol.

Cheers for any advice, sorry for writing so much!

[Mousey]

I don't have a tape measure to figure out how big the floor space is. I'd get a better clue in inches or by a picture if it's available. I do suggest to stay away from wire cages because mice can slip though a hole that is 1/4 of an inch. I personally use a ten gallon for 2-3 mice or a momma and her litter.I use a mesh top. You can also make bin cages. My boyfriend use to just pick mice up by the base of their tail and puts his hand under them. However he does get bit doing it like that.It does get them use to you alot quicker. But now we always put treats in our hands and let it sit in the cage with the mice. The mice will have to go to your hand with a treat. When they get comfy doing this try to get them in your hands and liftr your hands up trying to play with them.If you just got them I would give them a day or two to get use to their surroundings then try to socialize them. Mice need a wheel. Also when they rattle their tails it is a sighn that they are about to bite. I hope this helps. You may want to stay away from pine and cedar bedding it can cause an ri or uri which is fatal. I hope this helps. You can pm me if you have any questions.

[Vanilla_Rat]

I use barred cages for my mice,but really small mice can squeeze out thru many barred cages.Bin cages work well,are easy to clean and maintain and cheap.

Mice need wheels,tubes and other things to keep them entertained and stimulated.You can find things around your house that mice would enjoy.I also sometimes add a bucket of soil to their cage and they LOVE to dig in it.

[smof]

This is the cage I have:



They have a wheel and I put in a toilet-roll tube and a willow bird feeder thing which they really like chewing and climbing in. The bedding is pretty deep and one of them loves digging around making nests.

I just measured it and the floorspace is 9"x11" which is smaller than I thought. The gaps in the bars are 1cm (3/8 of an inch) wide. I now know for sure the smaller of my mice can fit through because I saw her climb between the rungs of the ladder which are the same distance apart. I'm pretty worried about that now, I didn't realise I would get such small mice when I got the cage!

I don't think I can afford an aquarium right now. I was going to ask for a better cage for xmas. What's a bin cage? We do have an aquarium in the house at the moment, it's massive, but we don't have a lid for it so I wouldn't be happy putting them in that unless we can build some kind of lid.

For now I've just pulled the desk that their cage is on away from everything. I'm hoping that if one of the does get out she won't jump down off the desk because it's over 2ft high.

As for taming them I keep reading on websites that you should just hold them every day, but I can't even catch these girls! They're so quick and I don't want to hurt them by grabbing them too hard. Right now I'm just trying to get them used to me, their cage is right next to my computer where I do work all day. Atleast one of them is starting to get less nervous, she doesn't run and hide as soon as she sees me.

[smof]

Well I thought about it a bit and decided to move them into the big aquarium we have. It's over a foot high so I'm pretty sure they can't jump out as they are tiny. Tomorrow I will go get some mesh and build a lid for it. I am happier with them spending a night in a tank they might be able to get out of, than one that I KNOW they can get out of.

Anyway this gives them tons more room to run around in this is their new setup



They have been running around loads so I think they like it. They loved going in and out of the tubes so I put a couple more in. Once I get a lid sorted I'll put in more stuff for them to climb on, and if I can work out how to hang stuff from the edges I'll put in some ropes and stuff for swings.

And this is them. The grey/brown one is called Bass and the black & white is Drum.



I managed to hold Bass earlier for the first time for about 15 mins and she didn't even pee on me so I am super happy, haha.

[Vanilla_Rat]

Awww...they are super cute!!

The new tank set-up you have for them looks good.
One question tho,is that pine shavings?
Pine is very bad for small animals and should be avoided.

For taming,talk softly to them all the time so they get used to your voice.Offer treats and little tidbits as well.And put your hand in the cage all the time,they will eventually start realizing that you are no harm.Handle them as much as you can,but be gentle and soon enough they will probably jump into your hand themselves.

Oh yeah,here check these out for bin cage ideas.
RodentCentral - RodentInfo - Mouse Caging
FeatureBin

[smof]

Um, I don't know if it's pine shavings... I know pine isn't good for animals so I kind of assumed pet shops wouldn't sell pine bedding. Now I'm kind of worried because it does look like pine. It was the store-brand stuff so there wasn't any labelling on the bag so I'm not sure

I was thinking anyway that I might use cat litter instead of shavings as I've heard of people using that and thought it might keep smell down better and work out cheaper, is that a good idea? If not then what is the best thing to use?

Sorry for all the questions. Hopefully I'll get it right soon!

[Sharni]

If you want to reuse the aquarium for fish, be very careful what you use to wash it, also it will require resealing as the mice like to pull the silicon out of the joins *L*

You mice may not be able to jump out, but i'd bet they could climb the wire you have leaning at the end of the cage...i know mine would be out in a heartbeat!

Pine shavings are fine, just use kiln dried pine shavings (the phenols, the supposed bad stuff, have been removed in the drying process)

To attach things like ropes and such to a tank, i use self adhesive hooks, i just stick them to the side and hang away *L*. I've found these to last the longest

As for your cage, only keep large sized mice in it, medium ans smalls can fit through a 1cm gap if they feel motivated

[smof]

Well, I don't know what the shavings are, but I had to use the whole bag for that tank so when I clean it out I will use something else to replace it. If it is pine, will they be ok on it for a few days until I clean it out or does it need to be done ASAP?

I can see what you mean about needing to reseal the tank, Drum was having a good chew of the sealant earlier. She also seems to love chewing the egg carton and I think she's eating bits, I hope that's not bad for her?

I have put a cover over the end of the tank with the wire thing so if she does climb it she won't get out (hopefully... she can probably outwit me!)

Man I never had this much trouble when I got rats, lol. Mice are hard work

[mittenthemouse]

I love your new mouse home!! I can't wait to get a bigger home for my girls.

[Mousey]

I saw in the post that you were wondering what a bin cage was. sorry for looking over that. It's a container like a rubbermaid and I usually drill alot of holes or cut a section out of the lid and put wire in place of the section that was cut out. I personally feel the inside of them and make sure the grooves are as small as I am going to get.And fill bedding up past the grooves to help prevent chewing. I usually don't get that bad of chewers. I can get a picture of mine. On lids that do fit securely I use a little velcro on every side.-hope that helps.

[Mousey]

oh yeah there is ways to make your own lid for aquariums, I never made one but I heard of people doing it.

[Sharni]

My tanks have homemade lids. Some are just bent wire mesh, others have a wood frame (all mine will be changed over to this type eventually)

[mulder]

i love your tank setup!! and the mousies are adorable, i love the big dumbo ears!! as for mechanics..... i agree they might climb up that wire side where the bottle is. mice are little stinkers, well intentioned michievous things that like to "check out" everything they have. mine was very opportunistic. you can make a cheap lid to the tank in many ways. home depot sells garden fencing in a roll (just sturdy wire mesh) for like ten bux tops, and that's the big roll lol. i made a whole cage out of a ten dollar roll once. you can also temporarily use a rubbermaid tub lid, or some big books. but i'd just put something atop the wire bottle side, the rest leave open. i don't see them getting out of that. just don't add more toys they can climb high on. that way you can easily stick your hands in for minutes at a time, all day long over and over without obstruction. you don't have to 'handle' them everyday, not yet anyways. right now let them relax in their home, let them decide where they'll sleep eat and poo. let your hand/arm just lay in the tank, they'll come smell you. don't have treats every time or they'll just think you're a food dispenser lol. but if they stand on you for a second, or lick you or anything, give a treat. then tomorrow or the next day start handling them. my mousey i handled every day from day 2, and she'd beg to be let out, lick me when i let her out, and she loved going hand to hand with guests at parties. they're small but they're smart, just give them time. they're little monkeys so crazy toys will be great fun in future, once you get yourself a tank lid. like, you can get toys for birds, those are uber fun. also toilet paper and paper towel rolls are awesome. i collected 24 rolls once, stapled them together and made a wall of tp roll, so they could go in all these holes, find treats or pop out the other side. my hammy loved it. also give them (if you want) some toilet paper, they'll make a bed out of it. none of that fluff stuff, yuck, too much thread, it could catch their tootsies (imo). but it's all up to you! mice are awesome! a lot like rats just smaller so they end up getting into more trouble lol

[Mel Santleben]

I too have 2 mice who are sisters. Sophie and Abby. My Abby loos just like your Drum!!! They have a cage like your smaller one but the bigger the better!!! I love your tank set-up! Tissue boxes are great (take out any plactic) for them to play in too. My two love cat toys like those little balls with the bells in them. And I got tham a mouse maze on ebay which is so much fun!!! And they love to eat live moths. I put a moth in there maze and they have too catch it. (it's what they eat in the wild and exercises their minds and bodies - there is nothing worse than a fat, bored mouse.) Have fum with your mice and keep me updated. They are great pets!