Are Mice For You?
1. Will you first research and learn all you can about the care of pet mice? The Internet is an amazing resource for mouse health, mouse information and general mouse care.
2. Are you or anyone living in your home allergic to animals? If you are not sure if mice my also cause allergic reactions it is best to find out before adopting if everyone in the house can tolerate mice as pets. Have everyone play with a friend's adult mouse or visit a breeder. Baby mice often will not bother some people with allergies but adult mice will. Allergies can surface in different ways. The mouse's dander can be a problem for some causing watery, itchy eyes and respiratory distress/asthma or worse but also the protein in the mouse saliva and urine can cause raised welts on the skin for those with allergies. Sometimes a hairless mouse will not cause an allergic reaction to those sensitive to furred animals but there may still be an allergic reaction to the saliva and urine. Knowing a head of time will save tears when you find you cannot keep the little baby mouse that you've grown to love.
3. Does your landlord accept mice as pet in apartments or rented houses? Some landlords only know mice as the typical, destructive, disease ridden wild kind and relate all mice to wild ones. They don't know that pet mice are a different species of mouse which have been domesticated for better than a hundred years. It's not a good idea to adopt pet mice if you think you may be moving in the near future and do not know for certain if you can bring your mice with you. Would you move into a new apartment that didn't allow children and leave them behind?
4. Are you willing to adopt pet mice in pairs? Female mice are very social and need a mouse buddy to play, groom, cuddle and sleep with when their humans are off at work, shopping, school and during the long nights when we sleep and they are up ready to play. Male mice are a different story, they have to be housed alone. Mice will wake up eager to play with you any hour of the day or night and can adapt to your schedules but in general they are nocturnal by nature.
5. Are you ready to make your pet mice members of your family just like you would the family dog or cat? The whole family should be involved in loving and caring for the mice. If the children lose interest or go off to college will you as the parent continue to care for, love and play with the mice? DO NOT ADOPT MICE FOR CHILDREN OF ANY AGE….ADOPT PET MICE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!
6. Can you devote two years or more providing quality care and attention for your pet mice? MICE ARE NOT DISPOSABLE POCKET PETS! They are extremely aware, social, loving animals that bond with their human caregivers and trust them to do the right thing. MICE HAVE FEELINGS…you can see the love, trust and even the hurt or grief in their eyes! Can you promise not to let them down?
7. Do you have ½ hour per day (preferably much more) to spend loving and playing with your mice? Mice look forward to their daily time out with you. Mice love routine and feel more secure when they know what to expect, just like human children.
8. Will you diligently supervise small children with the mice? You cannot leave young children alone with mice even for a few seconds. Children are fast but mice are faster! Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Children have knelt on mice, sat on mice, dropped, thrown, and crushed rat's bones and internal organs in a tight grip. Children have picked up mice and swung them by their tails causing the skin to tear away exposing the tail bone (degloving). Socialized pet mice do not bite unless extremely frightened, being hurt in some way, or injured. Small children are more likely to be bitten than anyone else. Simply put… MICE DO NOT MAKE GOOD PETS FOR SMALL CHILDREN.
9. Will you provide your mouse with a nice, roomy cage to live in? A decent mouse cage will run anywhere from $20 - $40 or more depending on the brand and size. The larger the cage the better. Will you provide toys and other fun things to stimulate your mouses's mind? An empty cage is a boring cage! Mice are very smart and need mental stimulation!
10. Can you find a proper pet sitter willing to take good care of your mice while you are on vacation? Many sitters won't or don't know how to care for or handle mice. Believe it or not some are even afraid of our sweet, innocent, little mice.
11. When introducing new mouse to your existing mouse family will you quarantine them from all other mice for at least two weeks (three is better) in a room with separate air flow or a separate building to avoid passing possible carried illnesses?
12. Will you health check your mice daily? Their eyes should be big and bright. Listen to their lungs to make sure they are clear of wheezing or rattling. A mouses's respiratory system is their weakest point and immediate care is needed when respiratory flare-ups occur. Check teeth to make sure they are growing properly and are not too long and look through your mouse's coat for cuts, bites, scabs, lumps and mites.
13. Are you willing to take your mouse to an experienced mouse veterinarian if they get sick or injured and spend the money necessary to get them well? MICE ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE PETS! Veterinarians consider fancy mice as exotics and most charge more accordingly. Seek out a qualified mouse vet before your mouse gets sick or injured. There are many listings on the Internet of veterinarians who treat mice. You can also ask for referrals from the mouse clubs and breeders in your area. Choose a vet that has been highly recommended. Just because the vet tech who answers the phone says the vet sees mice doesn't mean that he knows a lick about them!
14. Can you handle your friends, acquaintances, coworkers and even some family members being grossed out at the thought of you having mice as pets? Some folks can be quite rude and insulting. They certainly don't understand how you could love a mouse or when you grieve the loss of a mouse just passed on. Joining mouse clubs, mouse organizations and online mouse message boards can be a lot of fun. There you will find support and friendship with people that understand and care about mice as you do.
15. Can you handle becoming so in love with these little beings and understanding all the while that their time with us is short? Mice live on average only one to three years yet they pack those years with more love and gratitude than most of the human race. It can be devastating to lose your best little buddy after only a few short years.
16. Lastly, if the time comes when nothing will ease your sick or aging mouse's suffering will you love them enough to have them humanely put to sleep? This can be the hardest, yet kindest act you can do for your pet.
If you disagree with any of the statements above then maybe you should not get mice as pets. Returning mice to the pet store will most likely lead to their demise. Returning mice to the breeder simply because you did not think through your situation before adopting isn't fair to the breeder or the mice. Older mice are harder to place than baby mice. It costs the breeder time and money to care for and re-home the mice. A good breeder will take their mice back but shouldn't have to if the adopters are serious about their commitment to their new pets in the first place.
It's also not fair to the mouse to adopt them and change your mind later. Mice bond with their new families very quickly. Mice are pack animals and once adopted they become part of your pack. You are their pack leader and they look to you for all their needs...emotional and physical. It isn't right to lose interest after a few short months and abandon them. They still love you!
Parents: You know how children can beg and plead for a new toy or pet only to lose interest a short time later. Ask your kids how would they feel if mom and dad lost interest in them and decided to ignore them or give them away. It's a good time to teach your children about empathy and a good time to instill in your children a sense of responsibility and commitment. Then ask yourself if maybe you are not as involved with the mice as you should be. What kind of example are you setting? Having pet mice can be a wonderful learning experience for children. Besides empathy, responsibility and commitment you can teach your children gentleness, and a lasting love and respect for all animals.
These are serious facts to consider before deciding on pet mouse ownership. Those of us who are lucky enough to have the love and joy that pet mouse bring to our lives know it is all worth it. Mice are giving, grateful, precious, special, and amazing little creatures! What more can I say!
1. Will you first research and learn all you can about the care of pet mice? The Internet is an amazing resource for mouse health, mouse information and general mouse care.
2. Are you or anyone living in your home allergic to animals? If you are not sure if mice my also cause allergic reactions it is best to find out before adopting if everyone in the house can tolerate mice as pets. Have everyone play with a friend's adult mouse or visit a breeder. Baby mice often will not bother some people with allergies but adult mice will. Allergies can surface in different ways. The mouse's dander can be a problem for some causing watery, itchy eyes and respiratory distress/asthma or worse but also the protein in the mouse saliva and urine can cause raised welts on the skin for those with allergies. Sometimes a hairless mouse will not cause an allergic reaction to those sensitive to furred animals but there may still be an allergic reaction to the saliva and urine. Knowing a head of time will save tears when you find you cannot keep the little baby mouse that you've grown to love.
3. Does your landlord accept mice as pet in apartments or rented houses? Some landlords only know mice as the typical, destructive, disease ridden wild kind and relate all mice to wild ones. They don't know that pet mice are a different species of mouse which have been domesticated for better than a hundred years. It's not a good idea to adopt pet mice if you think you may be moving in the near future and do not know for certain if you can bring your mice with you. Would you move into a new apartment that didn't allow children and leave them behind?
4. Are you willing to adopt pet mice in pairs? Female mice are very social and need a mouse buddy to play, groom, cuddle and sleep with when their humans are off at work, shopping, school and during the long nights when we sleep and they are up ready to play. Male mice are a different story, they have to be housed alone. Mice will wake up eager to play with you any hour of the day or night and can adapt to your schedules but in general they are nocturnal by nature.
5. Are you ready to make your pet mice members of your family just like you would the family dog or cat? The whole family should be involved in loving and caring for the mice. If the children lose interest or go off to college will you as the parent continue to care for, love and play with the mice? DO NOT ADOPT MICE FOR CHILDREN OF ANY AGE….ADOPT PET MICE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!
6. Can you devote two years or more providing quality care and attention for your pet mice? MICE ARE NOT DISPOSABLE POCKET PETS! They are extremely aware, social, loving animals that bond with their human caregivers and trust them to do the right thing. MICE HAVE FEELINGS…you can see the love, trust and even the hurt or grief in their eyes! Can you promise not to let them down?
7. Do you have ½ hour per day (preferably much more) to spend loving and playing with your mice? Mice look forward to their daily time out with you. Mice love routine and feel more secure when they know what to expect, just like human children.
8. Will you diligently supervise small children with the mice? You cannot leave young children alone with mice even for a few seconds. Children are fast but mice are faster! Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Children have knelt on mice, sat on mice, dropped, thrown, and crushed rat's bones and internal organs in a tight grip. Children have picked up mice and swung them by their tails causing the skin to tear away exposing the tail bone (degloving). Socialized pet mice do not bite unless extremely frightened, being hurt in some way, or injured. Small children are more likely to be bitten than anyone else. Simply put… MICE DO NOT MAKE GOOD PETS FOR SMALL CHILDREN.
9. Will you provide your mouse with a nice, roomy cage to live in? A decent mouse cage will run anywhere from $20 - $40 or more depending on the brand and size. The larger the cage the better. Will you provide toys and other fun things to stimulate your mouses's mind? An empty cage is a boring cage! Mice are very smart and need mental stimulation!
10. Can you find a proper pet sitter willing to take good care of your mice while you are on vacation? Many sitters won't or don't know how to care for or handle mice. Believe it or not some are even afraid of our sweet, innocent, little mice.
11. When introducing new mouse to your existing mouse family will you quarantine them from all other mice for at least two weeks (three is better) in a room with separate air flow or a separate building to avoid passing possible carried illnesses?
12. Will you health check your mice daily? Their eyes should be big and bright. Listen to their lungs to make sure they are clear of wheezing or rattling. A mouses's respiratory system is their weakest point and immediate care is needed when respiratory flare-ups occur. Check teeth to make sure they are growing properly and are not too long and look through your mouse's coat for cuts, bites, scabs, lumps and mites.
13. Are you willing to take your mouse to an experienced mouse veterinarian if they get sick or injured and spend the money necessary to get them well? MICE ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE PETS! Veterinarians consider fancy mice as exotics and most charge more accordingly. Seek out a qualified mouse vet before your mouse gets sick or injured. There are many listings on the Internet of veterinarians who treat mice. You can also ask for referrals from the mouse clubs and breeders in your area. Choose a vet that has been highly recommended. Just because the vet tech who answers the phone says the vet sees mice doesn't mean that he knows a lick about them!
14. Can you handle your friends, acquaintances, coworkers and even some family members being grossed out at the thought of you having mice as pets? Some folks can be quite rude and insulting. They certainly don't understand how you could love a mouse or when you grieve the loss of a mouse just passed on. Joining mouse clubs, mouse organizations and online mouse message boards can be a lot of fun. There you will find support and friendship with people that understand and care about mice as you do.
15. Can you handle becoming so in love with these little beings and understanding all the while that their time with us is short? Mice live on average only one to three years yet they pack those years with more love and gratitude than most of the human race. It can be devastating to lose your best little buddy after only a few short years.
16. Lastly, if the time comes when nothing will ease your sick or aging mouse's suffering will you love them enough to have them humanely put to sleep? This can be the hardest, yet kindest act you can do for your pet.
If you disagree with any of the statements above then maybe you should not get mice as pets. Returning mice to the pet store will most likely lead to their demise. Returning mice to the breeder simply because you did not think through your situation before adopting isn't fair to the breeder or the mice. Older mice are harder to place than baby mice. It costs the breeder time and money to care for and re-home the mice. A good breeder will take their mice back but shouldn't have to if the adopters are serious about their commitment to their new pets in the first place.
It's also not fair to the mouse to adopt them and change your mind later. Mice bond with their new families very quickly. Mice are pack animals and once adopted they become part of your pack. You are their pack leader and they look to you for all their needs...emotional and physical. It isn't right to lose interest after a few short months and abandon them. They still love you!
Parents: You know how children can beg and plead for a new toy or pet only to lose interest a short time later. Ask your kids how would they feel if mom and dad lost interest in them and decided to ignore them or give them away. It's a good time to teach your children about empathy and a good time to instill in your children a sense of responsibility and commitment. Then ask yourself if maybe you are not as involved with the mice as you should be. What kind of example are you setting? Having pet mice can be a wonderful learning experience for children. Besides empathy, responsibility and commitment you can teach your children gentleness, and a lasting love and respect for all animals.
These are serious facts to consider before deciding on pet mouse ownership. Those of us who are lucky enough to have the love and joy that pet mouse bring to our lives know it is all worth it. Mice are giving, grateful, precious, special, and amazing little creatures! What more can I say!