Does anyone here have Mice as pets?

[nukeswife]

We're looking to get the kids a few new pets and rats are out since we don't have that much space. We were thinking mice because we want something that we can have 2-3 in 1 cage.

[stephanie]

We have 2 mice....Rosie and Pippa. They are great! They're easy to take care of and very sweet to the kids. We've had them since June and they've never bit any of the kids either. Just make sure you get them from a reputable pet store.

[Rhonda in TX]

They found that they really stink. They had to keep them in the garage. Maybe someone here knows what to do about that.

 

They are also very smart and very good escape artists. They didn't have theirs long before they managed to get away. They never did find one of them, but my friend said she's pretty sure it ended up living in their walls.

[hornblower]

I'm a quarantine foster home for a rat rescue. I prefer rats to mice - they're more substantial, easier for little kids to hold without hurting, and they're very smart. Boys are a bit more mellow; females want to run around all the time.

 

I've never had a problem with smell - except one batch of girls who liked to pee outside their cage. They'd hang on to the bars & let it rip so it all fell on the bars & the outside. Silly girls. Once I figured that out, they had extra towels around their cage. I do clean the cages weekly.

 

You can also litter train rats. Not sure about mice. I posted about that recently in another thread, as well as recommendations for cages, so maybe try searching for that thread.

 

And don't forget to check out your local animal rescues & consider giving a homeless mouse or rat a home. They'll have assessed their temperament & you'll know what you're getting. Many, many people end up with ooopsie litters when buying from pet stores as they don't sex them properly or don't separate the males from the females soon enough. They often also come with respiratory problems .....

 

Visits to the vet for pocket pets btw cost the same as for a larger pet, so it's important to get a healthy one.

[Cindyg]

I loved having mice as a kid. They're cute, active, small, adorable....just really neat. No problems except for accidental reproduction. :( You'll want to avoid that.

[Kris]

I had mice as a kid. They were great! Never noticed a problem with the smell.

[nukeswife]

Thanks for the tips,

 

Hornblower, we've actually owned rats in the past, but need something more compact this time around. I have checked with the local shelters and all I was able to find was a rabbit. I also can't seem to find a local breeder so I'll have to do a little more searching.