Pet Mice!

It’s true, mice really do make great pets!

## Easy to care for

Mice are easy pets to care for, they don’t need walking like a dog, they don’t need a lot of space. They do great in a several gallon tank.

* - Feed them every day. Give them new water each day. Make sure they have food about twice per day. (Once in the afternoon and enough for the overnight.)
* Cleaning optional. Just make sure the tank or cage isn't overly dirty, and bedding should be changed every now and then.
* They can eat store bought mouse food, or food at your house if you cant buy food. They love uncooked pasta, rice, corn, peas, cheerios, and many other grainy foods.
* Make sure to help mice feel at home. This may include hiding or sleeping places, dark places, and area to run and play. Toys are a plus. An exercise wheel is also a plus.
* They may be hidey at first but they will warm up to you fairly quickly (within a few weeks) and they will become affectionate and will like to be picked up by you.
* When handling, I do not pick them up by the tail, (I only do this when determining my mouse's gender) but let them crawl to my hand. If they come out and walk to my hand they want to play or have my attention. If they do not come to my hand, they'd rather stay at home.
* Male and female mice should be kept in **separate** cages. This is not a must, but is recommended. If you don't want to parent a lot of mice, this is the best option. Its best to keep males with males, and females with females. I do occasional "sleepovers" where the fatther mouse visits the babies for the night, but otherwise i try to keep them seperate other than intentional breeding's. {SEXING INFO BELOW}

**Babies**

* If you have baby mice, or expecting babies, do not disturb the nest when the mother builds one.
* If you must clean the tank, do it before the mother builds the nest. If the mother has made the nest and you must replace the bedding, replace everything **except** for the bedding being used for nesting.
* Don't handle pinkies or very young pups, as they are very fragile. I'd recommend waiting till they are 2 weeks old before handling.
* Fur will grow in by 4 days old.
* After they are a 7-10 days old, they will begin to start walking and eating.
* Mouse weaning, sexing, and splitting babies from mommy mouse should be held off till pups are no younger than 4 weeks old.
* Mice are sexually mature by 4 weeks old, or about 28-32 days old.

### Sexing Mice

Determining gender of mice is relatively easy you just need to look at the reproductive/ genital region.

* A. Girls [DOES]- The Mouse's Vagina and Anus are very close to each other, its a female.

* B. Boys [ BUCKS]- The Mouse's Penis and Anus are far away, its a male. You will eventually notice testicles when the mice mature, around 4 weeks old.

I will have a picture here eventually.

## My Mouse Family

I have quite a few mice, my family started as just an adult male mouse, then slowly over the course of two weeks, expanded my family. I have now 1 adult male, 6 boys (almost adults), and 5 females (also almost adults.) and around 8 baby mice, sexing in Mid July.

In May, 2021, I bought 2 female white mice from Petco, to join the girls cage.

In June, 2021 an unintentional breeding occurred in the boys cage between a brown boy and a tan one which turned out to be female. About 8 new babies have arrived around June 19th or so.

In late June, an intentional breeding occurred from my oldest male mouse (black) and a tan female. They did mate that Saturday night (June 26th). She did get pregnant but they ate the babies. Fun Fact- Mice will eat their offspring to prevent overcrowding.

In August, I bought 2 mixed colored mice to join the girls cage.

Also in in August, 2 non-fancy house mice i cought joined the crew,one i the boys, other in the girls. They seem to be doing quite well!