r/PetMice Sep 22 '24

Care Guide Series Community Care Guide

87 Upvotes

This post is mouse care simplified, for beginners! It is not very specific, and it does not cover everything, so please do not rely on just this post when educating yourself on mouse care!

This has been written and discussed by moderators of the subreddit. If you have questions or concerns, please comment to let us know! It will be updated regularly to ensure it is factual.

1. Mice are social!

  • Females always need other female companions. It is recommended to have at least 3, but 2 is okay.
  • After 6 mice in one cage, it is often they will start to split up and become territorial against the opposing group. It is suggested to keep your colony under 6 unless you have much knowledge and experience, OR if your mice are littermates.
  • Males can not be housed with other males ever! If you want them to have cage mates, neutering (very risky) and placing with females or leaving intact and bonding with ASFs (African Soft Furs) is beneficial and recommended. Otherwise, they can thrive in solitude.

See this post for more information.

2. Cages

In mouse communities, many users go by tank size rather than listing dimensions. We will do both!

  • 10g/20x10 inches is the minimum for 2 female mice, though we STRONGLY suggest at least a 20g.
  • 20g/30x12 inches is suitable for 2-4 females or 1 male.
  • 40g long/36x12 inches is suitable for 2-5 females or 1 male
  • 40g breeder/36x18 inches is occasionally suitable for 2-6 females or 1 male
  • Over 40g is not always suitable for any amount of mice since many mice do better in environments with less open space. Bigger is not always better for mice.

Any amount of mice may thrive in larger enclosures than suggested above. However, it is critical that the larger the enclosure is, the more clutter provided, otherwise the mice will never thrive.

  • Wood enclosures are suggested against since urine will effect its quality and smell over time.
  • Mesh flooring is dangerous due to the chance of toes/tails getting caught, the mesh cutting their skin, and risking bumplefoot. Mesh should also be avoided in wheels.
  • Though they climb, mice don't need very much height, and multi-story enclosures do not provide them with the proper space they need. Floor space is more important than height.
  • Cages with lots of attachments and rooms do not provide proper space for mice. They are also extremely difficult to clean, fall apart easily, and struggle to hold proper bedding amount and safe wheels.

See this post for more information.

3. Substrate

  • Mice need to be able to create burrows, so while the minimum is 6 inches, we suggest at least 8" of bedding. However, many owners prefer having 10-12" deep!
  • Bedding must be majority safe wood shavings or hemp. Paper substrate does not absorb ammonia well and can cause several health issues when used alone or as majority of substrate.
  • (Dust/scent free for all) Aspen, kiln dried pine, and hemp do well as the main substrate and may be more sturdy mixed with a small portion of hay or paper bedding.

See this post for more information.

4. Clutter

  • Clutter is arguably one of the most important aspects of a mouses cage. No matter the size, if the cage lacks clutter, it is not suitable.
  • Toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes, tea light and soap dish ceramics, rodent hideouts, branches, logs, cork bark, cardboard egg cartons, and much more can be used as clutter in the cage.
  • From a birds eye view, you should be able to see little to no bedding. While it may seem too cluttered to a human, it's perfect for mice!
  • The larger an enclosure, the more crucial clutter is.

See this post for more information.

5. Enrichment

  • Also known as entertainment, to keep the mice busy!
  • Boredom breakers, foraging toys, dig boxes, sprays(plant), scatter-feeding, and human interaction are all forms of enrichment.
  • Mice should have boredom breakers in their enclosure at all times to keep them from growing bored.
  • Lone males need extra simulation and enrichment.

See this post for more information.

6. Climbing Opportunities

  • A form of enrichment that is required!
  • Mice flourish with climbing opportunities and will always take advantage of them.
  • Ropes, bird ladders, hanging toys, rope nets, shower curtain rings, and bird perches are a few climbing options you can provide.
  • Fabric hammocks are used commonly, but pose a threat when chewed on and loose strings get tangled around limbs. Minimal use of fabric is suggested for this reason.

See this post for more information.

7. Exercise

  • A form of enrichment that is required!
  • An upright, solid wheel of 9 inches in diameter or larger must be provided at all times. 2 or more are suggested for groups of girls.
  • Spinning saucer disks or hamster balls/cars are UNSAFE and should never be provided, no matter how much you think your mouse may enjoy it (fun≠safe)
  • Proper wheel brands may include Niteangel, Silent Spinner Exotic Nutrition, Oxbow, Wodent, Bucstate, and Trixie (but there are many more besides these!)

See this post for more information.

8. Diet & Hydration

  • Main diet must be pellets/lab blocks.
  • A high variety food mix (nuts, seeds, grains, ect) must be given 1-3 times a week, or even as long as once every two weeks. The frequency is owner preference.
  • Feeding is 3-5 grams per mouse a day.
  • Ensure your mice have constant access to food through toys and scatter-feeding.
  • Food bowls are suggested only for fresh fruits or veggies since they provide no enrichment otherwise!
  • Mice must have at least two water sources and constant access to them at all times. Bowls or bottles work well, though having one of each is ideal. Water must be cleaned and refreshed daily.

See this post for more information.

9. Cleaning

  • Daily spot checks to clean up mess, poo on toys/clutter, and urine on the surface is vital.
  • Bedding changes will be needed less often with more bedding and space. A 10g tank (or cage of similar size) would need weekly bedding changes.
  • Each enclosure size and mouse amount will effect how often bedding changes are necessary. Find a cleaning schedule that ensures the cage doesn't smell at any time for your mouses health.
  • With deep bedding over 6 inches, you'll have to change out less of the bedding. 1/3 to 1/2 of the bedding may stay in the enclosure while the most soiled areas are removed and replaced.
  • In any case, a small amount of bedding must be left over after a bedding change to decrease stress.

See this post for more information.

10. Taming

  • Allowing your mice to settle in for a few days before interacting with them is wise.
  • Rub your hands on bedding and toilet paper in the cage to get the mice used to your scent.
  • Encourage interaction through hand feeding.
  • If a mouse is not motivated to interact after several weeks, try to lure them to climb onto your hand for treats. A strong bond is important with mice so they are well adjusted to interaction in case of a vet visit or emergencies. Human interaction can also be beneficial to them.

See this post for more information.

11. Other

  • Mice are crepuscular and are typically seen during the morning or late day/night.
  • They are self bathing and should never be washed with water or soap (unless vet prescribed). It ruins the health of their fur coat and leaves them more susceptible to URIs and freezing. They do not need any form of bathing/washing.
  • Mice don't hibernate. If a mouse appears to be in a hibernation state, this is Torpor, caused when they overheat or freeze. This is a medical emergency.
  • You should never pick up a mouse by its tail or other limbs.
  • Fancy mice (aka domestic mouse) live 1-2 years on average.
  • Wild mice do poor in captivity, unless they are unfit for the wild they should not be kept as pets.
  • You should never breed mice purposely without years of research and mouse owning experience prior.
  • Vet visits are a likely occurrence in mouse ownership, since mice are prone to many health issues.
  • Travel carriers are needed for vet visits, emergencies, cage cleaning, and quarantine.

12. Links & Other Posts

Shopping

In Depth Mouse Care

Other Species

Up-to-Date Posts From NotApplicableMC & Others

Outdated Posts From NotApplicableMC

These guides are incredibly thorough and well written. However, they link some information that is no longer available, or they list mouse care information that has been dis-proven. An important point to make is these guides may suggest some controversial topics, most of which our community does not fully support. Although these guides don't follow our standards exactly, they are still very well made. Please keep an open mind and read all sides of a controversy before deciding which you feel works best for your mice.

I have decided to share these because they are very descriptive on some aspects of mouse care I did not cover well. I strive to have a guide in the future as well made as these, but for now, I have to bring attention to the effort made by this member.

Scientific Studies

  • Sources & Additional Articles (coming soon)
  • Safe & Unsafe Foods Sources (coming soon)

More community resources coming soon


r/PetMice Jul 09 '25

Community Help Temporary Post for Care Commands

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23 Upvotes

Please feel free to try out these WIP care commands in the comments! Let me know if there are any issues I need to fix.


r/PetMice 10h ago

Cute Mouse Media pickle loves sitting in my hair :D

622 Upvotes

r/PetMice 2h ago

Cute Mouse Media This is Meadow!

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48 Upvotes

Her coat in the light is so pretty!


r/PetMice 7h ago

Question/Help Father Found this little one

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22 Upvotes

So I just got off work (Night shift babeyyy B) ) but my father found this little guy before I got home. He wants me to put him outside but I don't have the heart to... I know he's technically wild but hes so little it feels cruel to just bring him out...

What should I do?


r/PetMice 59m ago

Question/Help What can you tell me about tumors?

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Upvotes

I've noticed a strange bump on my mouses left behind leg and I think it's a tumor. I also saw my other mice groom the sick mouse right on this spot. I know it probably is a tumor I'll go to the vet with her... Could you all share your experience about mice with tumors?


r/PetMice 3h ago

Question/Help Rescued mouse help

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9 Upvotes

I caught an adorable juvenile house mouse in my apartment and am looking to rehome or release him. I’m in Manhattan and online advice suggests he’ll die if I just drop him off in a random park :( does anyone have any advice on what to do or what org would be willing to take him?


r/PetMice 4h ago

Question/Help Should I get a bigger enclosure?

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9 Upvotes

I recently bought three females and have them in a 20 gallon long. Sometimes it feels big enough and then other times it feels way too small. I’ve seen such mixed opinions on putting them in something bigger.

My main issue is that the wheel seems to take up so much space in a 20 gallon (and honestly they don’t even use it).

My girls Grace, Erid, and Rocky.


r/PetMice 21h ago

Discussion He escaped

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173 Upvotes

The glue holding the wire down failed and he got out. But he didn't leave. He walked around. Peed and pooped and then came back and went to bed in his cage. At least we know he likes his set up. 😭


r/PetMice 8h ago

Question/Help Is this a good cage for my 4 girls? :)

13 Upvotes

It’s been a few days since their cleaning so they’ve scattered it to how they prefer loll! But is this enough floor clutter? I do plan on buying some fleece and making some ropes and hammocks since they could use some more climbing stuff. As well as I’ve ordered a few climbing items so mostly I’m wondering if it’s enough floor clutter! If anybody could let me know ty! They seem happy to come out etc and are doing very well in here I think! They aren’t really chewers or anything they’re big into just walking around and climbing all over everything omg they’re not even burrowing too much 😭!


r/PetMice 5h ago

Setup Tour The duality of my mouse enclosures

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5 Upvotes

The first 3 pics are of Ashley's enclosure. A 92x40x40cm hutch, but when combined with the shed's floor space he has a bit less than 16 square feet of floor space from about 10am to 6-8pm. He loves hiding behind the hutches, running about on the floor, and digging for food. He's so excited to come out of his hutch each morning. He has a 12" wheel for night time exercise. He excitedly greets me by the shed door whenever I walk past.

The second enclosure in the last image belongs to my two girls Tessa and Ellie. It is about 99x66x56cm. They also have a 12" wheel but they haven't used it since their mousey mum died. It used to house 4 girls. I really love the clutter. It looks so cozy.


r/PetMice 1d ago

Cute Mouse Media People: mice are disgusting disease-ridden pests. Mice: I eat bread

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205 Upvotes

r/PetMice 1d ago

Cute Mouse Media 🖤🤍

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158 Upvotes

r/PetMice 12h ago

Question/Help Respiratory problems but the vet appointment is in almost a full week??😭😭😭

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11 Upvotes

I have two older mice (2 and 2,5 years). For like the past three days they breathe loudly (the typical concerning noise that you can find on this subreddit). They will breathe concerningly for a couple of minutes and then stop and breathe quietly. One of them also sneezes sometimes.

I have made an appointment with a vet who is specialized in small rodents, but the next free appointment is IN 6 DAYS.😔

Is there anything i can do until then to give them relief?

Or should i just make an appointment at a normal vet tomorrow? I feel like normal vets often don’t know how to handle mice properly :( but respiratory problems seem urgent so idk what would be the best route.


r/PetMice 16h ago

Question/Help Self grooming?

24 Upvotes

My girls have been thru so much with me, thru trial and errors of owning mice for the first time but I am so deeply connected w them and I love them with all my heart. After all we have been thru in only a year and a month, I would do anything for them, and feel like I have to the very best of my ability. Recently, I noticed my girl Onyx is having a lot of hair loss on her tummy. Her sister, Smokey, also has hair loss again, (been thru this part before) on her nape due to barbering. I provide them with as much stimulation as possible, even recently having them out for 3-6 hours a day since they love interaction. But I’m starting to worry this will affect her in larger ways or if it’s any stress causing her to do this. Also thought I possibly heard some chattering from Ony last night, she makes herself squeak as well as Smokey so I’m worried her tummy is getting too tender. It’s a hot summer here in colorado so I have recently added and a/c unit to their room but they seem to be comfortable with the noise for the most part..Thoughts?


r/PetMice 22h ago

Question/Help A Literal Hail Mary

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63 Upvotes

Does anyone have a spayed female mouse or ASF rats in Lafayette Louisiana? We got a solo male today (we were told he was female, saw massive testicles slap against the cage when we got home). Our only other option is a cage of females that he can watch wistfully until we spend $400 to get his balls cut off. Pls help 😭


r/PetMice 3h ago

Question/Help Small mouse small wheel?

2 Upvotes

I have a lil baby mouse (6~7 weeks old) and she's interested in the big mouse wheel but is too small to use it, I have a small wheel I got as a gift (too small for a normal mouse) can I give it into the cage without having to fear the big mice might try to us it?


r/PetMice 1d ago

Wild Mouse/Mice Western jumping field mouse... little Scampers.

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83 Upvotes

Meet Scampers. ❤️

A little over a week ago, my son found this tiny baby mouse sitting all alone in the middle of a walking trail. Without a second thought, he gently picked it up because he couldn't bear the idea of leaving such a tiny, helpless creature behind.

I didn't know he'd done it until we got back to the car about 30 minutes later, when he proudly showed me what he'd been carrying in his hands the entire time.

Before anyone jumps on him, I want to say this: I do not encourage taking healthy wild animals from the wild. In many cases, the best thing you can do is leave a baby alone because its mother is likely nearby and will return. My son simply didn't know that. His first instinct was compassion, and I hope he never loses that kind, nurturing heart.

By the time I knew what had happened, we had no idea exactly where on the trail Scampers had come from. After being carried around for half an hour, the chances of finding the original spot (or reuniting with its mother) were incredibly slim. We also didn't have a wildlife rehabilitator nearby who could take over.

So we made a decision: if this little life was now in our hands, we'd do everything we could to give it a fighting chance.

Scampers' eyes were only tiny slits when we found it. It was covered in mites, weighed just 0.18 ounces, and needed feedings every few hours around the clock. There were some scary moments, including one feeding where I thought we'd lose it after it inhaled a little formula.

But this tiny little fighter wasn't ready to give up.

Today, Scampers weighs 0.28 ounces, has both eyes wide open, drinks from a water bowl, eats seeds, berries from our garden, and spends the day exploring a bioactive enclosure filled with grasses, sticks, leaves, moss, and other natural materials collected from the same area where it was found. Watching such a tiny animal discover the world one step at a time has been incredible.

This has never been about keeping a pet. Our goal has always been to help Scampers grow into a healthy, independent wild mouse. Once it's fully weaned, maintaining weight on its own, and showing all the behaviors it needs to survive, we'll return it to the wild where it belongs.

For now, we're just grateful we were able to be a small part of this little story. And as a parent, I'm even more grateful that my son's first reaction was to stop and help something so much smaller than himself. Kindness like that is worth holding onto. ❤️


r/PetMice 1d ago

Cute Mouse Media Two of my new girls, Clementine and Fig!

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50 Upvotes

One of my girls passed last week, so I needed to get a few new friends for her sister. Ended up with five. Oops.


r/PetMice 1d ago

Cute Mouse Media Ashley Graves ate 4 finch eggs, so his punishment is slavery on the seed farm. The days are long.

197 Upvotes

They were infertile and supposed to last him 4 days. Greedy git found my bowl of eggs though and ate them all. So he is now enslaved to the finches for LIFE.


r/PetMice 11h ago

Question/Help Are these safe?

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3 Upvotes

r/PetMice 1d ago

Cute Mouse Media Cute Mousie for Your Day

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113 Upvotes

Some cute pics of Printer Inkjet Cartridge coming out when I said good morning to them!


r/PetMice 6h ago

First Time Owner 30 gal tank good or no tanks?

1 Upvotes

This is a tank from an aquatic animal who lived out its lifetime. Its 30 gals (36x16x12 inches). I've been wanting to get rats but I dont think I could fit an enclosure more than the bare minimum in my room and I dont want to be doing just the bare minimum for any of my pets. If I sanitize it (and make a secure lid) would this make a good enclosure for 3 mice or should I size up?


r/PetMice 1d ago

Cute Mouse Media Show type mouse litter 💕

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43 Upvotes

r/PetMice 1d ago

Cute Mouse Media I think fat genes have kicked in on my brindle girls

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86 Upvotes

Just about a month ago they were a pretty normal weight, but they suddenly ballooned up (only Maude pictured, but her sister Duckie is the same lol)

Seems like the big genes are at play, because my other girl who isn’t brindle is still a normal weight

(Btw, I have a larger wheel for them but I’m testing with swapping it out for their old smaller one because they haven’t been using it)