Mouse/ Mice

[Gloria]

So, I don't think there was a thread about these gorgeous little creatures but..
When it has come to pets I have always been a little bit crazy, I want one of just about anything and everything and it doesn't stop there, I don't just want one, I want a few.. :$ I don't know if there is something wrong with me but it's just how I have always been...
I currently share a small 3 bedroom house with my boyfriend and his brother. We are not allowed dogs or cats or birds. Pretty much we just aren't allowed pets. Our landlord is my boyfriends father. Im not sure if he knows about my fish and my current BIZILLION tanks but.. anyways..
I am thinking that the next pet I would like is it get a mouse. I am wanting to know if there is anyone on here that either owns them or has had them at some stage. I have alot of questions and I am googling for research but I believe it is better to talk to people with experience.
Until I get some resposes i'm not going to ask the questions, but when I get answers that there are people who have knowledge/ eperience then I will ask the questions..

[Rosso1011]

I have owned rats, which have pretty similar needs. You can ask me for advice, if you wish.

[Gloria]

Thank you Rosso... I don't know how easy it'll be for you to answer the question as some are them are specific for mouse but that's ok :) I will just post all of the questions here and whatever you can answer would be lovely :)
1. Mouse vs. Rat. What is the difference? I don't really like rats, they're so big but i'd still like the know the difference.
2. Boy vs. Girl. What to get? Which is better to have?
3. Petshop vs. Breeder? Is it better to get one from a breeder rather than a petshop?
4. Can I have just 1? Or do they need to be in groups? If they do need to be in groups what the minimum I can have?
5. What type of cage is best? How big of a cage is best?
6. What do they eat? How often? How much?
7. Accessories, do I need any/ what do I need?
8. How to care for them?
9. Cleaning cage? What can I use? How often?
10. Are they good pets to have?
11. Do you really smell that bad?

Thanks Rosso, these are all of the questions I have.

[Kytkattin]

FYI, it is always better to get any animal from a good breeder or rescue over a petshop. :)

[Gloria]

Thank you kytkattin. I was thinking that too. I wouldn't buy any mice from the petshop here, they are just as cute as any other mice is but the shop is small and feels dirty. I will have to see if I can find a breeder close by :)

[Rosso1011]

Originally Posted by Gloria

Thank you Rosso... I don't know how easy it'll be for you to answer the question as some are them are specific for mouse but that's ok :) I will just post all of the questions here and whatever you can answer would be lovely :)
1. Mouse vs. Rat. What is the difference? I don't really like rats, they're so big but i'd still like the know the difference.
2. Boy vs. Girl. What to get? Which is better to have?
3. Petshop vs. Breeder? Is it better to get one from a breeder rather than a petshop?
4. Can I have just 1? Or do they need to be in groups? If they do need to be in groups what the minimum I can have?
5. What type of cage is best? How big of a cage is best?
6. What do they eat? How often? How much?
7. Accessories, do I need any/ what do I need?
8. How to care for them?
9. Cleaning cage? What can I use? How often?
10. Are they good pets to have?
11. Do you really smell that bad?

Thanks Rosso, these are all of the questions I have.

1.) Mice and Rats are very similar in looks, usually the biggest difference to the eye is their size. Mice also lack bladder control which rats have. Trust me, this is very true.
2.) I don't know if gender makes a big difference in mice. I know with both mice and rats, the males have very prominent reproductive organs, if you catch my drift. To me, I don't like the huge testicles touching me. In rats, males are typically lazier and have a stronger scent to them.
3.) I'm not going into this debate. I think it is always a good thing to give a good rodent a home.
4.) I would put them in groups. I'm not sure of the group dynamics, but 4 would probably be a good number to establish pecking order. I know with rats, 2 rats would establish a dominant/submissive relationship only and 3 leaves an odd "man" out.
5.) For mice, you can get a wire cage w/ a plastic bottom. It would be best to get something with more than 1 level for entertainment purposes. Make sure the levels are a sturdy plastic or at least covered with something. Wire levels/ramps can injure their feet.
6.) Accessories are plastic wheel for exercise/ entertainment. Water bottle - one that's not easy to chew or has a chew guard. Feeding dish. Pick out some toys that will keep the mice entertained. Pick out some sort of scoop for changing bedding.
7.) Care part is fairly easy. Keep them in a room that maintains good temperature, you don't want them getting too hot/cold. Fresh food and water twice a day, I repeat fresh food AND water. Don't want bacteria/germs to breed.

If you wish you may start to train younger mice to learn to get used to being handled, depending on age, you'll want to be careful. Definitely take it slow trying to get them used to you before picking them up. Try hand-feeding a treat or something first... this process will take a while, but can be worth it.
8.) I usually changed the litter and cleaned the cage 1 - 2x a week. I don't remember using many "cleaning products." I think the most I would use in a mild soap in the bedding pan... I may need correcting on this.
A little side note... Care Fresh is the most hypoallergenic bedding and is widely available. Good stuff. I had to switch to it after a new girl turned out to be allergic to the old wood chips. DON'T EVER USE PINE OR CEDAR BEDDING!! It is deadly for rodents.
9.) They are good pets to have. Mice are fairly active so they can be entertaining even if they don't get trained to be handled.
10.) Do I really smell that bad? Hm. I usually smell like VS Heavenly or Desire. They don't smell if you keep their cages clean.
11.) Missed number 6. This one is a little tougher. I have heard it is best to feed pellets and mix in a little bit of fresh vegetables. I'll have to do the research again on what fresh food cannot be thrown in their. I know with rats, you feed them lab blocks so they won't pick at their food...thinking maybe the same thing applies with mice.

I will get back to you if I think of anything else. I am thinking about the wired cage part right now. I ordered my rat cage to have galvanized metal I think it was. I would be careful about anything that looks painted. I'm thinking that was one of the big issues about caging. I just don't know how easy it would be to find something like that in mouse size.

[Rosso1011]

Also, since a partially wired cage is preferred, you might want to put something down either under the cage or around the area of the cage to catch the bedding they could possibly kick out.

And for accessories, find something for your mice to gnaw to keep their teeth from overgrowing and possibly building nest depending on the material. A small house type structure would be good too. Someplace for them to sleep, hide, and play.

[Gloria]

Thanks Rosso.. This info will come in handy. I am mainly just doing research on them atm. I don't know if I can handle the whole no bladder control :$ but i much prefer mice to rats as rats scare me lol..
Again thank you. I will let you know how i go with everything :)

[Rosso1011]

You're welcome. I am glad to hear you are doing your own research as well and keep me updated.
I was going to give you a site for cages, but it looks like their prices have gone up drastically. I so blame the economy for that... but it could be supply/demand.

[Gloria]

Thanks. I don't really want to jump into getting living creature without doing some research. I also can't have it until I move out as I live in a small house with 2 other people, as I stated in the OP.. Anyways, it'd probably be like another 6 months or so depending on how well my boyfriend and I save $$.. But yeah, I really want one.
How hard is it to keep a mouse and havea dog and or cat also?