Mice Information?

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My mom just won't settle for a rat. She says she thinks they're vicious after seeing a movie that had a rat drag a baby out of it's high chair and eat it. The movie was called Rats or something like that. SO, I got her to settle for mice. I haven't got any yet and have read a few books on them, but knew I couldn't just settle for books! I need those knowledgeable PTers help! I don't have any specific questions, just want lots of solid information. Does anyone know where I can get a cheap 10 gallon aquarium, also?

[Chilli]

I can help! =D
Right now I have five mice(3 girlies, 2 boys) and they're great.
As for a ten gallon, you can get a plain one at wal-mart for $10... and then get a mesh lid at a petstore for around $6.

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I came up with some questions.
How many mice should you have at once?
Will certain genders of mice fight together?
How long will well cared for mice live for?
Are females better to have than males?
How big of a tank (min.) should you have for 2 female mice?

I can help! =D
Right now I have five mice(3 girlies, 2 boys) and they're great.
As for a ten gallon, you can get a plain one at wal-mart for $10... and then get a mesh lid at a petstore for around $6.

What kind of tank do you have your mice in? And how big is it? Thanks Courtney.

[Chilli]

The ammount of mice you should have completely depends on the cage.
Males have been reported to fight sometimes if kept together, but if introduced at a VERY young age, this isn't a problem. I have my two males housed together- no problems there.
Even with good care, a typical mouse only lives 1.5-2 years.. though there can be exceptions.
I find my males to be a bit sweeter, though females have their good points, also... and can be just as sweet. I'd say if you want multiple mice, go with females this time... just to make sure you won't have to separate them in the future.
A 10g would be good for two female mice. =)


A little side info:
Mice aren't like hamsters. They get obese rather easily. And obesity leads to health problems. They're prone to the typical diseases: URIs & Tumors. I haven't had any URI problems with mine, but one of my girlies has a tumor.
Food-wise.. I'd say don't get a seed mix like what hamsters normally have. For mine, I feed them a small ammount of my ratfood mix(homemade) and plenty of mineral blocks. As to assure they get all the nutrition they need.
They really love shredding cardboard, so cardboard tubes(like from paper towl rolls and TP rolls) are a must!

And...
I have my females in a nice-sized wire cage(super small bar spacing). They really love it. My males are in a 10g.

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Thanks! Do you have the link to the homemade ratfood recipe or did you make it up yourself? I've heard male rats are much stinkier than females and need their tanks cleaned more often... is this true?

[Chilli]

I took various homemade mix recipies from a few breeders and compiled the good parts into my own. I could PM it to you if you'd like. =)
Male rats can be a bit stinkier, but if littertrained, like my boys are, its not a problem.
Male mice might be a bit stinkier, but I'm unsure. My two males taught themselves to do ALL of their bussiness in just one corner of their cage, so they're litter trained, also.