WANTING PET MICE, PLEASE HELP.

[jesspatricia]

Hi all,
I'm new here, from 45 minutes out of Melbourne and 17 yrs old.
I am looking at getting pet mice - if I can convince my parents - but am first putting together information to present to mum.

ANY information on anything to do with purchasing and looking after mice would be appreciated.

Thank you!


Thank you - Jess

[mousekateers]

Hi Jess,
Welcome!

Mice make great pets.

1.  They are small and take up very little space.

2.    They are quiet and don't bark or annoy other people.

3.    They are friendly and inquisitive, they take an interest in what's going on, so they are interactive.

4.    They enjoy attention and make good friends.

5.    They are low cost and easy to keep.

6.    They require no vaccinations.

7.    Their lifespan is approximately 2 years so you're not committing yourself to 10 - 15 years like you would with a dog or cat.

8.    Easy to take on holidays or board because of their small size.
9.    Plus with their multitude of colours and coat types they are very pretty and attractive.

The only downside to owning mice is their musky scent which is very different to wild mice, but can take a little bit of time to get used to.

Other websites to consider are:

www.ausrfsnsw.com
www.facebook.com/groups/ausrfsnsw/
www.thefunmouse.com
www.afrma.org
hiiret.fi/eng/
drofi.repage7.de/
www.freewebs.com/mousekateers/

Always buy from a well known pet breeder who will offer you mice that have been handled from birth and are friendlier so they will sit on your hand without being scared, biting or running away.  Are free from parasites and tumours.  Can tell you about your mouse's ancestors ie colour, coat types, temperament, health.  A breeder will always offer you advice when you need it and can offer lots of hints on keeping and maintaining healthy pets.

If you want to start with just one mouse, buy a male.  Males are territorial and are better kept singularly.  They tend to be friendlier than females because they do live on their own.

If you want a couple of mice, buy a pair or trio of females.  They're happy in their little colony and are fun to watch.

Never buy mixed pairs, mice will breed continuously every 3 weeks with each litter containing 8 - 10 pups on average.  It can be overwhelming if you become inundated with baby mice.

Avoid buying from pet shops if you can.  Staff are often not knowledgeable on mice and are unreliable with sexing, they offer no back up because of that lack of knowledge or interest.  Their mice often come from dubious sources where the does are overbred often resulting in weak, undernourished, shortlived, inbred animals that are not suitable as pets.