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4K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  CaliforniaGirl 
#1 ·
Hi all,
Hopefully you can offer me some advice. I used to have 2 mice, both males which i bought from different pet shops at different times - somehow they got along perfectly. Then i added a third to the mix when my friend also bought 2 "males" and got babies, lol. This was a BAD idea! My first mouse ended up headless (at which point the 3rd male went straight back to it's original owner) and the second ended up too stressed and it died too. So no mice and i was really put off them for the longest time.

Now i have an empty 5gal aquarium that until yesterday housed 2 bettas, now my remaining 1 betta is in a slightly smaller tank. So now i'm interested in mice again! My initial thoughts were to get just one female (minimum smell) but now i've read they're social i think 2 would be better... Just how much smell would they have? Mum is hyper weird about mice and if they'll smell enough for smell to escape my room she'd have a fit about it. I'd change out the bedding once a week which is what i've been reading, would changing it more make it even less stinky? Or with females doesn't it really matter? The other thing is diet. My previous mice were just on that mouse food you buy from pet shops - nothing special. My plan this time is to use that plus a little bit of bird seed and some veggies. I also read that a piece of dry dog food is good for them every now and then?

I think that's my main Q's for the time being, if you've got any other advice to add to that i'd appreciate it. :D
 
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#2 ·
I think a 5 gallon would be a little small for 2 females. I guess it's like right on the borderline. If you have too many females in one spot they can produce a lot of smell very quickly. although they usually don't pee mark, their urine can produce a smell.

I don't think male would be too bad in a 10 gallon. If you do get a male, cleaning more then once a week might be too much because the male will just want to scent mark again.

I use mazuri blocks for my mice, but mice do need a little more fat in their diet (like seeds). A good low protein dog food would be alright for them also.
 
#3 ·
females would live more happily in a group, i think u need a bigger tank then a 5 gallon though to house 2 as pinkie1205 has already stated and female mice don't smell as bad as the males and don't need cleaning out as regulary. I've got nine females and 1 male mouse i clean the females out once a week and the male has to be cleaned out twice a week
 
#4 ·
a 2o gallon tank is not very expensive and would stay cleaner longer (plus you could put a topper on it), plus a 5 gallon is really way toooo small to keep even one mouse in
 
#5 ·
I prefer females.
Especially since mine spends much more time outside of a cage than inside.(they practically live on my computer desk).
I have two females.
Housing wise,a 5gallon is much too small.If you decide on using it though,invest in a tank topper to add to their living space. ;)
I wouldnt house mice in anything smaller than 10gal.
I clean cages every 3 or 4 days.
Remember no pine or cedar!!

I love bettas =)
My male lives with a guppy & 2 frogs & my female lives with two corydoras.I wish males could get along though,they have nice colors! :heart:
 
#8 ·
Bea said:
I've not ever found a 10gal for a resonable price here - i paid $50 for my 5gal - so i guess i'll leave the mice for now.
$50? That's generally the price for an aquarium with a filter and everything. A 10-gallon with a top shouldn't be more then $30...

Unless you have PetCo...they are sooo over-priced.

I recently got a 10-gallon at PetsMart for a little less then $40...and that was because it came with a sliding top.
 
#11 ·
I think most of the 5 gallons here are actually more expensive than the 10 gallons. It's a good thing I guess, since you can't actually put much in them, so it'll discourage people from buying them.
 
#13 ·
Mice make greyt pets.I have 5 girls and one boy right now.

Males do tend to smell more and like to fight with eachother (in most cases) then girls.Females like groups.I have housed a nursing mommy mouse in a 5 gallon before,but that was temporary of course.

Bin cages are simply "tupperware" type containers that come in ALL sizes and you can get fairly large ones for cheaper then a glass tank.You can make a top for it for ventilation.I reccommend them,but personally dislike aquariums for housing rodents.
 
#14 ·
Vanilla_Rat said:
Mice make greyt pets.I have 5 girls and one boy right now.

Males do tend to smell more and like to fight with eachother (in most cases) then girls.Females like groups.I have housed a nursing mommy mouse in a 5 gallon before,but that was temporary of course.

Bin cages are simply "tupperware" type containers that come in ALL sizes and you can get fairly large ones for cheaper then a glass tank.You can make a top for it for ventilation.I reccommend them,but personally dislike aquariums for housing rodents.
You don't like tanks for housing? I find them the easiest to clean. I just put them in the tub. Actually for me a bin cage and a aquarium would be the same...
 
#15 ·
pinkie1205 said:
You don't like tanks for housing? I find them the easiest to clean. I just put them in the tub. Actually for me a bin cage and a aquarium would be the same...
Nope,I actually find the bin cages easier to clean,as they are made from plastic.When shavings get wet,they stick to the corners of glass aquariums and it is harder to get them out then the bins,know what I mean? Plus I find the tanks have less ventilations then the bins...thats if you have a proper lid made I mean.
 
#16 ·
I had the same problems with my male mice. You are better off with females. You could try plastic sorage bins or thrift stores for a cage or tank. If you get a bin dont put air holes on the sides or they will chew them.
 
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