Anyone have pet mice?

[Olimpia]

I have a friend that's moving and would be leaving me her two pet females if I want them. Which I'm all for since I think mice are so cute, and it's about time I had a new furry pet instead of a scaly one. However, I do not like her cage (the cage itself is getting pretty rusty) and can't help but let my creative side get away from me.

I'd like to build them my own cage decor, since I'd rather keep them in a 20g long tank and make use of the air space. Seems easier to disinfect a tank than all those little bars, having had hamsters in those cages once upon a time.

I built this (photo before it was painted and finished, but oh well) for a community of female leopard geckos a couple years ago and would like to build something for the mice. But I haven't seen ANYONE online do something fun for their mice, and I looked in all the mice forums I had access to. Doesn't have to be this complicated but little levels and ramps.

I guess I'm asking if anyone has seen any cute ideas for anything like this?

 

[KatCham]

I imagine they'd LOVE an interesting environment with plenty places to hide and different levels and tubes and holes and nooks and crannys to explore as this would be their natural environment.

However they WILL chew through almost anything. This in itself is also enrichment for them but make sure its not a substance that can harm them!!

Good luck and look forward to seeing the finished product!!

 

[ijmccollum]

Rodents are a lot of fun - I have kept my fare share of diff spcs. As KatCham states, "they will chew through almost anything." They need to chew, it is dental upkeep for them. They love to run, jump, hide, and they really like the wheel - esp squeaky ones, late at night. Oh, yea, they are nocturnal. If you want to sleep at night, keep them in another room.

Keep 'em clean, fresh food and water - and your mice will love you forever - as will your human house mates, they can smell if you don't keep up maintenance.

 

[Olimpia]

Oh yea, I'll keep them clean, no worries about that.

I'll spend this week designing something for them then, something with levels and rooms and such. I don't mind if they chew of stuff, but I do want to give them something more stimulating than just a couple toilet paper rolls.

 

[Hupla]

aw, i think mice are adorable, i got a little white one from my friend years ago, her name was budders and she was the sweetest thing in the wooorld, but she got a wierd skin thing going on and her hair started falling out, i was young at the time so my mom actually took her to a vet and we got meds to help but she passed away ): now i can never watch my bro feed his snake little white mice..good thing hes going on to rats haha. sorry for the ramble im sure they will love what you put together

 

[pssh]

Try guineapigcages.com They have very mice knowledgable people on the forum that can help with building a nice fancy cage.

I would actually use a commercial rat cage covered with a smaller screen so theyhave more room. Plus you can add another one or two in a nice big cage.

 

[ijmccollum]

Would love to see what you get set up for them - keep us posted.

 

[fluxlizard]

mice pee and poo and chew all over everything. So not sure how furniture would work out. But that is one cool centerpiece for a leopard gecko tank!

 

[Olimpia]

mice pee and poo and chew all over everything. So not sure how furniture would work out. But that is one cool centerpiece for a leopard gecko tank!

That fit in the entire 40 gal breeder tank! The back of the palace was separated into rooms with heat tape and little humidity chambers. It looked really cool finished but I moved and downsized my gecko collection so I ended up throwing this away.