CHICAGO EXOTICS ANIMAL HOSPITAL
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Mice Care (Mus musculus)

​by Susan Leck, DVM, Dipl ABVP-canine & feline
Edited by Susan Horton, DVM
Domestic mice, Mus musculus, are primarily raised in captivity for the pet trade and as food for reptiles.  They are available in colors from white and tan to brown and black.  Outbred and inbred mice are used for research purposes.

Pet Appeal and Behavior

Mice are easy to keep as pets because of their very small size and their minimal requirements for space and attention.  Although naturally timid, a significant bond with humans may be formed with daily interaction and regular gentle handling.

Mice may bite if they are handled roughly or startled and may become aggravated when restrained.  Mice are territorial: males will initially fight when placed together, and females with litters may defend their nests.  Mice that have been housed alone are more likely to fight when introduced to other mice.

Housing Recommendations

Mice can thrive in captivity as long as they are not overcrowded or overheated.  The minimal size enclosure for one adult is 24" x 24" x 12" high (61 x 61 x 30 cm).  Females with litters require 2-3 times more space.  The enclosure must be able to accommodate a nesting area, feeding area and exercise wheel.  It must be escape proof with a secure lid.  Glass aquariums are not recommended, because they can overheat rapidly on a warm day and can kill a mouse.

Suitable substrates include shredded paper (non-inked), recycled newspaper composite materials or pellets.  Cedar chips should be avoided, as they may be toxic.  Substrate should be changed once or twice weekly in order to keep the cage as odor free as possible.  Additional materials (e.g., paper towels, socks, mittens) may be added to the enclosure for nesting.

Diet

The recommended diet for domestic mice is a commercial pelleted mouse feed (greater than 14% protein, ideally 20-24% protein).  Breeding adults and youngsters may require additional calories.  Pellets may be softened for baby mice, which will begin eating them around 2 weeks of age.  Seed diets are not recommended: mice are often victims of obesity, starvation and malnutrition from all seed diets.

Sipper tubes or water bottles may be used.  The water must be changed routinely and the tip checked to ensure it is flowing and free of obstruction.

Restraint

The mouse may be grasped by the skin at the base of the neck and the base of the tail for restraint.  Grasping the tip of the tail may cause degloving.  A mouse may be accustomed to climbing onto hands, but one must ensure that it does not jump and fall off.

Common Disorders of Domestic Mice
  • Obesity
  • Ectoparasitism
  • Epizootic diarrhea of infant mice
  • Alopecia
  • Barbering
  • Chronic respiratory disease
  • Pinworms
  • Neoplasia
  • Malocclusion
  • Heat stress
  • Viral infections
  • Malnutrition
  • Trauma, bite wounds
  • Toxicities/poisoning
  • Giardiasis
  • Salmonellosis
  • Mouse pox

What Every Owner Should Know
  • A child should not be responsible for the feeding and care of a pet mouse.
  • Small children may handle the mouse too roughly or drop it, resulting in trauma.
  • Common household dangers include predators, such as dogs, cats, and ferrets.
  • Mice can be escape artists, so the enclosure must be secure.
  • For activity, mice like to explore tubes, gnaw on items and run in an exercise wheel.
  • Mice should be prevented from accessing pesticides and other toxins.
  • They should be protected from overheating.

​If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 847-329-8709.
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  • Home
  • Emergency Care
  • Care Sheets
    • General Care >
      • Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
      • Heating Reptile Enclosures
      • Health Veggie Shopping for Reptiles
      • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
      • Metabolic Bone Disease Care
      • Vaccines in Exotic Animals
    • Birds >
      • Amazon Care
      • Avian Influenza Fact Sheet
      • Avian Influenza for Poultry Fact Sheet
      • Avian Bornavirus Testing
      • Budgie Care
      • Canaries
      • Chicken Care
      • Chronic Egg Laying
      • Cleaning and Disinfecting
      • Cockatiels (and other small Psittacines)
      • Cockatoo Care
      • ​Converting Your Bird to a Pelleted Diet
      • Feather Picking
      • General Parrot Care
      • Handfeeding Baby Parrots
      • Healthy Shopping for your Birds
      • Infectious Diseases of Parrots
      • Instructions for Physical Therapy in Birds
      • Lead Poisoning
      • McWatters Diet (Homemade Mash)
      • Macaw Care
      • Parrot Precautions
      • Polyoma Virus
      • Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease
      • Proventricular Dilatation Disease
      • Spiroform Pharangitis (Spirochetes)
      • Baby Starling and Sparrow guidelines
      • Can smoke affect my bird?
      • Territorial Aggression
      • Unsafe Plants for Birds
      • Weaning Baby Birds
      • What to Feed Your Pet Bird
      • Wing Injury and Rehabilitation
      • Wing Trims
      • Your Overly Reproductive Female Bird
      • Zinc Toxicity
    • Caiman Care
    • Ferret and Fox Care >
      • Your Ferret’s First Visit to the Vet
      • An Overview of Ferret Adrenal Disease
      • Chronic Diarrhea in Ferrets
      • Ferret Dentistry
      • Heart Disease in Ferrets
      • Heartworm Disease in Ferrets
      • Insulinoma in Ferrets
      • Lymphoma In Ferrets
      • Bob’s Chicken Gravy
      • Fennec Foxes
      • Red Foxes
    • Fish >
      • Algae in your Freshwater Aquarium
      • Eel Care
      • Freshwater Tropical Fish Care
      • Beginning a Freshwater Aquarium
      • Cleaning your Freshwater Aquarium
      • How to Feed your Fish
      • Aquarium Corals
      • Koi Care
      • General Goldfish Care
    • Invertebrate Care >
      • Blue Death Feigning Beetle Care
      • Giant Vinegaroon Care
      • Asian Forest Scorpion
      • Hairy Desert Scorpion
      • Hermit Crab Care
      • Tarantula Care - Basic
      • Millipede care
    • Frogs, Toads, and Other Amphibians >
      • Argentine Horned Frogs
      • Bullfrog Care
      • Dart Frog Care
      • Feeding Pet Frogs and Toads
      • Fire Bellied Toad Care
      • Pixie Frog Care
      • Red Eyed Tree Frog Care
      • Short Tongue Syndrome
      • Tiger Salamander Care
      • Axolotl Care
      • White Lipped Tree Frog Care
      • White's Tree Frog Care
      • Ranavirus
    • Guinea Pigs and Rodents >
      • Chinchilla Care
      • Cuy Criollo (Giant Guinea Pig)
      • Health Problems with Guinea Pigs
      • Degu Care
      • Gerbil Care
      • Guinea Pig Care
      • Hamster Care
      • Diabetic Hamster Diet
      • Mice Care
      • Rat Care
      • Health Problems with Rats
      • Prairie Dog Care
      • Odontoma
      • Veggies For Guinea Pigs
      • Visible Tumors in Rodents
      • Vitamin C Deficiency In Guinea Pigs
    • Hedgehog Care >
      • Baby Hedgehog (Hoglet) Care
    • Kinkajoos and Armadillos >
      • Kinkajou Care
      • Nine Banded Armadillo Care
    • Lizards >
      • Anole Care
      • Bearded Dragon Care
      • Blue Tongued Skink Care
      • Crested Gecko Care
      • Geckos of New Caledonia
      • Crocodile Monitor Care
      • Frilled Lizard Care
      • Green Iguana Care
      • Jackson's Chameleon Care
      • Leopard Gecko Care
      • Nile Monitor Care
      • Old World Chameleon Care
      • Panther Chameleon Care
      • Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink Care
      • Savannah Monitor Care
      • Tegu Care
      • Thai Water Dragon Care
      • Uromastyx Care
      • Veiled Chameleon Care
    • Potbellied Pigs >
      • Pot Belly Pigs
      • Diamond Skin Disease
    • Rabbits >
      • Bonding Rabbits Bullet Point Checklist
      • Healthy Shopping for Rabbits
      • Complete Rabbit Care
      • Getting To Know Your New Bunny
      • Training Your Bunny
      • What To Feed Your Rabbit
      • Learning to Use the Litter Box
      • What To Expect From Your New Rabbit
      • Dental Disease in Rabbits
      • Heart Disease in Rabbits
      • Healthy Stool in Rabbits
      • Gastrointestinal Stasis in Rabbits
      • RHDV2 Fact Sheet
      • Parasites of Rabbits
      • Sore Hocks in Rabbits
      • Pasteurella in Rabbits
      • Medicating Your Rabbit or Guinea Pig
    • Snakes >
      • Amazon Tree Boa Care
      • Ball Python Care
      • Black Rat Snake Care
      • Boa Constrictor Care
      • Brazilian Rainbow Boa Care
      • Burmese Python Care
      • California Kingsnake Care
      • Cornsnake Care
      • Dumeril's Boa Care
      • Eastern Kingsnake Care
      • Emerald Tree Boa Care
      • Garter Snake Care
      • Green Tree Python Care
      • Western Hognose Care
      • Mexican Black Kingsnake Care
      • Rosy Boa Care
      • Sand Boa Care
      • Western Fox Snake Care
      • Inclusion Body Disease
    • Sugar Gliders and Marsupials
    • Turtles and Tortoises >
      • Alligator Snapping Turtle Care
      • Bell's Hingeback Care
      • Box Turtle Care
      • Chinese Box Turtle Care
      • Common Snapping Turtle Care
      • General Tortoise Husbandry
      • Leopard Tortoise Care
      • Mud Turtle Care
      • Musk Turtle Care
      • Painted Turtle Care
      • Red Eared Slider Care
      • Russian Tortoise Care
      • Soft Shelled Turtle Care
      • Sulcata Care >
        • Diet For Sulcata Tortoises
      • Common Health Problems
      • General Care of Aquatic Turtles
      • Redfoot tortoise Care
  • Contact
    • Referrals
  • Vets, Externs & Shelters
    • Xoran CT
    • Acupuncture and Chiropratic Medicine
    • Erchonia Laser
    • Vet Day Camp >
      • Heart Supplement Formula
      • Avian Hemotology
    • Shelters
    • Externships
    • Jobs
  • Products
  • Links
  • About Us
  • Chicago Exotics Blog
    • About Us April Fools Page
  • Happy Turtle Stories
  • Tour
  • ADV Testing Information
  • Lacy Act Summary
  • Preparing for your pet's end of life