# Mice, Anyone?



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

I went to Petsmart yesterday, HUGE mistake. I went into the rodent isle, and saw this little black and white male mouse. >.> He was *adorable*. I saw him running on his wheel, eating his food, lush fur; completely healthy. His face was half black and half white, I fell in love. The thing that really got me the most, was that when I put my finger gently on the glass, he also put his paw next to my finger. ;-; That mouse was the one for me... And as most moms are, she's afraid of rodents. :\ 

How am I supposed to get him? Believe me, I know how much responsibility it takes to have a small fragile pet. The food, vet bills, cage setup, toys, treats, love, care, etc. etc. I can't stop thinking about that little guy... My dad was a huge animal addict when he was little, he bred albinos responsibly. Can anyone help me? Did I mention I can't stop thinking about that guy? He was completely alone, mice are social, right? 

I need some support here. 
Also, I have been researching about them. If I do get him, is a wire cage with limited spacing best for them? I heard aquariums don't provide enough ventilation and ammonia can start. And the "hamster habitats" are pretty small. 

*. How much money do you spend monthly on mice supplies?
. How much money do you pay for vet bills? 

*Me and my family are saving money, we're moving this summer so we have to pay the down payment.
I have no chance of getting this mouse, but he was just the one.


----------



## Neight (Oct 20, 2012)

I pay about 15$ for a large bag of bedding every month or so, and 2-3$ every two and a half weeks for food, but if you buy in bulk, both of these things are a heck of a lot cheaper! The thing is the start up cost- cages run about 35$, a good, silent, non-rung style wheel about 15$, a water bottle about 5$, a few toys shouldn't be much, a hutch about 3$. But a lot of those things will come in the pack you get, most likely. However, never ever buy/use a rung-style wheel. Their legs can get caught and break, or can snap their spines...


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

That seems to be cheap, for a furry animal that is. I actually spend a lot more money on fish supplies. lol The only difference is that with fish you don't really have to buy supplies constantly, with mammals it's a different story.

What about your vet bills? Do they even get shots?
I plan on saucer wheels, they look really cool. ^.^ The mouse I saw had his tail over his body when he was on it. :3


----------



## September (Jan 29, 2013)

. How much money do you spend monthly on mice supplies?

I spend about $8/month on a bag of food for my mouse and hamster, so probably $3ish on him, and abooout $15ish/month on toys and chews, which is just my personal preference  I simply use shredded paper for bedding.


. How much money do you pay for vet bills?

In the six months I've had my mouse, he's only had to go to the vet once (Thankfully!) when the cat got ahold of him. It was a $45 consultation fee, I do 
believe.


As for the 'mice are social' bit, yes and no. Female mice are social, but male mice often prefer their own company and yours to that of other mice, though they do occasionally like a buddy. I personally wouldn't suggest you getting him a friend and trying to introduce, since it could result in injuries to both mice, or worse.

My buck lives in a 10 gallon aquarium, which some people do say is not good for their health because of ventilation. This can be true, but given that I spot clean daily and do a full cage clean once a week, it's never been a problem for me. It's a bit more work keeping clean, because of ventilation, but for me it's worth it because my mouse was a little escape artist. I can't count how many times he got out before I switched him to the aquarium.

I'll warn you, male mice can stink a little bit, but it's a smell you get used to 

I second the no runged wheels, my personal preference are silent spinners, though you have to clean them every day, because they're solid surface wheels, and mice like to poo/pee while they run.


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Males like to be alone most of the time? Great! I mean, I think he was the only mouse there. There were only hamsters and guinea pigs. I'm still thinking about a wire cage with minimal spacing and horizontal bars for climbing. 

I personally don't care about gender, I like to have the pet choose me.


----------



## September (Jan 29, 2013)

Well, they don't like other mice, but unlike fish they require human interaction  You'll have to put some work into taming him, but he should come out for at _least _an hour a day, all spread out (5 minutes here, 10 minutes there)

I understand about having the pet choose you  When I was at the store, completely not planning on another pet, I walked by the mouse cage and saw this adorable little guy. I resisted the urge for a total of three hours before I was back in the store picking out a cage  Up to that point I'd never thought mice could be pets.


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Oh, alrighty then. Some stimulation a few times a day. Do they like human interaction? I haven't had a furry animal since I was 5, I miss furries. I'm going to ask my dad again if we can go to the pet store, I think I already found a name for him. 0.0 Dominoe, hehe.


----------



## September (Jan 29, 2013)

Cute name 

I can't speak for every mouse, since Yankee (my mouse) is my first and only one, but he loves coming out to play. If I walk by his tank and don't at least pet him, he'll climb up his water bottle and hang on the metal-mesh lid until I get him out.

As for the money thing, we're pretty low on money too at the moment, and that's never affected Yankee. Like I said, It's about $3 a month to feed him, I use shredded paper for bedding, and I buy him some chews/toys and such pretty frequently. The most expensive thing was the wheel, around $15 like Neight said.

The things I currently have in Yankee's cage are: A wheel, a little plastic igloo, a crittertrail tunnel (just laid on the ground for him to run in and out of, I would never use an actual crittertrail cage) food bowl, water bottle, a small ceramic flower pot (he likes sleeping in it) and I'm getting him a hammock. With the exception of the wheel and the metal-mesh lid ($10), I didn't pay more than $4 for any of it, though my mom is exceptional at bargain hunting  I like to switch his toys up every 3ish weeks, to give him something new for stimulation. 

I also think it's worth mentioning that if you call around to family and friends, you could probably get an aquarium for free. Mine was just sitting in my uncles front yard when I walked down one day, and he was happy to give it to me-said it was an eyesore, lol. 10 gallons is the idea size, if you wanted to use an aquarium.

ETA: Totally random, but if you do get the mouse, I would reccomend _not_ getting him a hamster ball. Some people think that mice would like them, but more often than not, it only causes stress to the mouse. One person I know of actually had a mouse have a heart attack from being in the ball


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Thanks. :]
They have so much personality, don't they? I never knew it was pretty cheap! I plan on using Carefresh bedding, maybe that's why I expected it to be so high. I'm planning on this or some basic wire cage. I want the mouse to have as much room as possible. If I do get that cage, I'm going to switch the wheel. I really hope my parents say yes, I never had a furry animal in a long time!


----------



## September (Jan 29, 2013)

Haha, that was the cage I was going to get when I was getting a pair of rats!! (it took me awhile to decide I wanted a betta the most out of all the pets I hope to own)

It's huge, which is great, but I'd worry about the bar spacing. It needs to be 7mm at most, or they can slip right through. You can get some 'hardware cloth' and mesh it, though, if you wanted that cage


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Oh, yeah... The spacing seems to be about 12mm. Beaver dam. :\ I'll just try to get some mesh if I do get to that route. Thank you so much for all the help! Now all I need to do is actually get the mouse. lol


----------



## September (Jan 29, 2013)

Good luck!! I had a time convincing my mom, as she was terrified. We were on vacation in Michigan, though, so I had that going to my advantage-she was relaxed and happy. 

Hope to see mouse pics very soon


----------



## Little Leaf (Jul 7, 2012)

I like mice. they're kinda cute in my opinion  *makes mew noises* xD


----------



## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

OMG I want a black and white male mouse too! I fell in LOVE with one at Petco but the bf said nono


----------



## thekinetic (May 22, 2012)

Everytime I go to the petsmart I look at the mice, there's always a pair in there running each other upside down on the wheel!X3 Unfortunatly it's the same reason my mom won't let me have rats or mice, she doesn't like them. Heck it took some convincing to get her to let me get a hamster.


----------



## Maddybelle (Sep 29, 2012)

I got a huge bag of aspen shavings at Petco for $6-7, wheel was $3 at Walmart, water bottle was $2 at Pet Supplies Plus, and I made my own cage, hammocks, nest boxes, and buy food ingredients in bulk at PSP and mix it up at home. I miss having mice, but I love my hamster. He's much more social and cuddly. I make all my own rodent cages, toys, etc. Saves quite a bit of money! For my hamster's cage, I used a 30gallon tub I got at Walmart for $10. I also use 1/2 in wire mesh for ventilation. The holes were too small for my mice to get through: no matter how small the gap was, my mice would always get through the bars in a cage that had them. They can flatten their skull horizontally, which is how they get into and out of such tight spaces.


----------



## BettaHeart (Jan 2, 2011)

i have five females, Sylvia, Amber, Prissy, Squint, and their mother Momma, all are a dark fawn color, they have their own 30gal with wheel, tunnels, water bottle, chew toys, acouple ladders and a ball they take turns in . thefunmouse site is great to get information and i love love love CreekValleyCritters's stu, mattie quasi(rip) alot of definite have to watch videos including raising baby mice.


----------



## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

Oh my gosh, he sounds so sweet, I love mice (I don't understand how people can be scared of them:-?)

So nearly got one, but I was warned they can smell a bit and because I would need to have the cage in my bedroom it put me off a bit.

Anyway, just wanted to wish you luck with your new pet. Please post some pictures when you get him and let us know how it goes. :-D


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

I went to Petsmart yesterday again, he was still there. Dad says I can't get him because we have to get a cage, food, accessories, etc. It seems like he thinks it's too much work to well, buy stuff. lol I'm still trying..

I really think it's meant to be. I saw a house mouse this morning when I woke up, certain pests field mice are. In school, science was about adaptations and there was a mouse. And third, there's a book I saw today about a mouse who gets help from rats since her son is sick with pneumonia. :\


----------



## BettaHeart (Jan 2, 2011)

bettaisbetter said:


> I went to Petsmart yesterday again, he was still there. Dad says I can't get him because we have to get a cage, food, accessories, etc. It seems like he thinks it's too much work to well, buy stuff. lol I'm still trying..
> 
> I really think it's meant to be. I saw a house mouse this morning when I woke up, certain pests field mice are. In school, science was about adaptations and there was a mouse. And third, there's a book I saw today about a mouse who gets help from rats since her son is sick with pneumonia. :\


 

the book is secret of nimh? lol i love that book.


----------



## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

When my mice got sick I spent around $500 total on vetbills and medication. When they are younger they tend not to get sick but as they get older they catch URI easily. One of my mice was deemed terminally ill, Ophelia my rescued snake food/rescued from a photo shoot mouse. Her immune system was so weak she was constantly needing medication and constantly having to see a vet for health checks. Most of my vet bills were because of her and on top of it she was allergic to everything and had to take allergy medication and when she was 2 hurt her eye and needed that fixed too. I was told she would only live a year, and most mice live an average of two years...but my girls lived for 3 years including Ophelia who didn't die until 3.5 years old from a tumor. She was also a mouse star, she was in one indi film and SIX photoshoots.









That was Ophelia









Ophelia 2.5 years old.









Opehlia's tank mate Verona...learning the trades of a model mouse.









When she wasn't a cover girl she was in my pockets, her favorite place to be.


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Yes, that book. lol
If I keep the setup really clean and good ventilation, should there be a minimal chance? Do you happen to know when the mice get euthanized in the pet stores? I really don't want to waste any time until it's time. :|


----------



## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Also on youtube you can find video's on mouse training, I clicker trained all my mice for films and photo's.


----------



## BettaHeart (Jan 2, 2011)

this is a great channel check it out 
lots of great videos 
http://youtu.be/dg7TEYYgFKA


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Okay, he's still in Petsmart but I saw this father who was looking at him. Hmm... :L My dad was wondering how much money cages are so the plan seems to be working. I got to hold my mouse today, he was really small and cute. <3 I really hope I get to buy him.. ;-;


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

Oh he sounds adorable I hope you can get him!


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

He is, and thanks.  lol
I have pics of him, but it's only his back. -.- I'll upload them as soon as my phone has stopped its update!


----------



## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

I kind of want a dumbo mouse...Wouldn't buy one from petco though...Of course the regular ones are adorable too...No breeders near me, so I would have to get one from Petco/Smart


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

So you got him?


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Dumbo mice? They have big ears? 0.0

Here he is.


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

He is adorable!


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Thanks! And no, these pictures were from the pet store. I wish he would actually look at my phone, there was no flash as well. -.-


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

I can see why you want him so bad!


----------



## veggiegirl (Nov 20, 2012)

Hey there,

Oh I really hope that you can get the mouse he is so adorable, as others have mentioned male mice are best kept alone as usually males will fight to the death. I bought two from a pet store years ago now. I knew that they could not be kept together so I divided a large cage in two with 5mm square mesh, within an hour they had bitten a few of each others toes off it was so horrible blood every where, when they climbed on the wire the other mouse bit the toes. I got a piece of sheet metal and divided the cage with that from now on. No more problems.

If you are worried about the cost of mouse cage set ups I would suggest buying online. I got a pretty large cage complete with colourful plastic tubes for them to play in, a silent safe mouse wheel, food dish and water bottle and mouse house. It also had built in multilevels and ladders and I think it cost me $30 ($20 for the cage set up and $10 postage). It was brand new from a company too. It really pays to shop around, it was way better value than anything local (though I always try to buy local if I can...... but sometimes when really short of money you need to shop around). The bars were 7mm apart so I covered the cage with 5mm square mouse proof mesh (designed for bird aviaries). 

I reallly, really hope that you can get him!! I am sure you would give him a really good home.


----------



## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

I love him! <3! I want one just like him! A male too!


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Thank you, Veggie! Do you, happen to have a link for the cage if you haven't forgotten? And, I'm sorry you had to see such graphic visuals.  
Thanks Finnfinn and BB! He was the one for me, I must get him. Doing all the chores and asking my parents multiple times if they want anything isn't what I call fun. lol ^^;


----------



## Elsewhere (Dec 30, 2012)

Oh I know exactly what you mean! When I was nine I fell in love with my guinea pig, Chester. My birthday was coming up and I had never had my own pet. He was in the local pet store and he was just a pig fat ball of yellow fur. I begged and pleaded for weeks and I then on my birthday I went to visit him in the pet store and he was gone. I went home bawling my eyes out and my mum told me to go play outside, it would make me feel better. When I came in an hour later he was in my room, on my desk. He was the best. I trained him to know his name, come for food when I rang a bell, eat carrots off of my fingers. My teacher even let me bring him into class, twice! The whole school came and visited him. He was my only friend when I was little. He died when he was two, he got sick and we tried to save him with Antibiotics from the vet, but he couldn't be saved. Sorry for the depressing story. But he had a good life and I know what you mean about knowing 'The One' when you see him! 

My guinea pig and my friend's mouse absolutely loved these chew sticks: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752719&lmdn=Pet+Type&f=PAD/psNotAvailInCA/No


----------



## veggiegirl (Nov 20, 2012)

Bettaisbetta, I live in Australia and bought the cage off of a site called crazysales.com.au it is a site where other people/companies advertise their products however they usually have pretty good deals on there regularly and they may ship overseas, you would just have to check...... their postage is pretty reasonable so it still might be worth it for you, otherwise always keep an eye out on eBay and Google 'mouse cages for sale or buy mouse cages' you might be surprised at what a great deal you find. I really wish you the best of luck, mice make wonderful pets (I used to have 13 + 1 rat but many of them have died of old age as I got them a few years ago but I still have 3 mice and my rat). 

Mice and rats interact with their owners a lot and make loving pets, they are pretty low maintenance (depending on how many you have) and usually reasonably cheap to keep.


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Elsewhere - I'm so sorry of your GPs loss.  And thank you for the recommendation, I may as well get that when I do get him!

Veggie - I never knew that's where you lived. Well, you know... I'm not really a stalker. lol I'll go check the site out, thank you so much! I've heard mice usually don't like people as rats do, is that true?


----------



## veggiegirl (Nov 20, 2012)

well not really true but they do interact with us differently. Rats for example are a lot like cats, when you stroke them they lean into it and lay down, pumpkin even rolls on her side sometimes so that you can stroke her belly. Mice do not mind being stroked but don't seem to lean in for it etc, my mice however do enjoy being held more than pumpkin does and also Pumpkin is quite independent. She will come when I call her (sometimes) but otherwise is happy doing her own thing as long as you give her a pat when she is in the mood. My mice run over to me the minute I walk in my room, rather like a betta swims over to greet you, my mice love to climb over me and sometimes lick my fingers. Mice are probably more active when you handle them while rats are a bit more sluggish and sit still more. That is what I have found from owning mine anyway. I would say that they are equally good pets and are just a bit different, both make great pets


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Victory. Is. MINE. 
I can get the mouse!! Eeeee! c: Thank you everyone for your help! Now I just need the cage and him himself. <3


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

What oh my god you are so freakin lucky! I have started to try convince my parents for a mouse too now but there is no way only when mice fly will my mother ever let me!


SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats I can't wait for more pics of him!
When do you get him?
Congratulations!!!z,!


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Thanks so much for the luck!  I have no idea on when I get him, I think later on this week. Good luck with your mom! My mom doesn't know since she's a rodent hater, she's afraid of animals with bones. So weird because humans have bones. :doh!:


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

Oh that is dangerous my mom would throw a fit if me and my dad pulled that off XD good luck with him!

By the way that is weird with your mom hating animals with bones lol.


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Yeah, I don't think moms are so good with rodents as pets... lol
Ikr, it's so weird!


----------



## veggiegirl (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh congratulations!!!!!!!! I am Sooooooo happy for you, make sure you buy him as soon as you can.....you don't want him to get sold before you get there. Oh yay please post pictures of him when you get him home, I am just so happy for you, let us know when you decide on a name!!!


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

Nope my mom says if I get a mouse she will lock it in the closet with my cat


----------



## veggiegirl (Nov 20, 2012)

oh dear that does not sounds like a good idea:-( It is a shame that your mum does not like mice as they make really nice pets.


----------



## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Yay! It was meant to be, I guess. I'm thinking that if I ask my parents if I can adopt a hamster from the humane society when they are relaxed and happy in California, there's no way they can say no!


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

Ha ha good plan Matt! No mouse for me I think my mom is scared of them after one was in her bed  woke up everyone when she screamed lol


----------



## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Take pictures of your baby.


----------



## bettaisbetter (Jan 25, 2013)

Thanks everyone, it really was meant to be. :')
I will take pictures once we get home. But not a lot, he will need to settle in first.


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

Oo so happy for u!


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Okay, he's in his cage now. 
It's a CritterTrail. :| I'm sorry, but that's the only cage I can get at the time. Once he's more tame, I will make sure he gets plenty of exercise and air. I will post pictures tomorrow, as he's just settling in. He's so perfect. ^.^ 

Oh, and his name is Trix.


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

I need to use this account now, so LTB IS BACK!!! lol


----------



## BeautifulBetta123 (Aug 27, 2012)

Yay! He must be adorable! Btw good u got your account back.


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Can't wait for pictures! I am quite very jealous.


----------

