| IS A MOUSE THE RIGHT PET FOR YOU? |
| The first thing to consider before going and buying a mouse or two is why you want a mouse? If you want ne because they are cute and fun to watch please reconsider your descision. If you want a mouse because you know you can take care of one for it's ENTIRE life in sickness and in health then you are almost ready to go. However before getting a mouse please consider if you have enough finances to keep a mouse. Mice are incrediably cheap but they do still need a cage, bedding, a water bottle, food and heaven forbid a vet when ill. If you take an ill mouse back to the petshop be warned it'll probably just end up as reptile chow even though the tank may read "Fancy" snake owners don't care. If the feeder tank is out guess who gets picked? Another thing to consider is time and space. Mice take very little space up and only need to be handled once in awhile. Preferably atleast once a day but these handling sessions don't have to be terribly long so I dont think it's much to ask for. If you are unable to care for the mouse some day do you have a plan? Some one to give it to?? Or is it off to the petstore? When getting mice one must choose male or female. If you choose a female you should get more than one as they are pretty social but be sure of it's gender and be sure it was in a cage AWAY from the boys!! Mice are incrediably prolific and can come home pregnant if broughten home from a petshop. Female mice may smell quite a bit, more so than a rat or a hamster but male mice REAK. So if you choose to bring home the more active and people oriented male please be aware of the smell factor. If you can not take a little odor a mouse is not for you. Male mice usually don't get allong with eachother unless they have been kept with their brothers from birth and/or have a huge cage to run off into if things go wrong. One of the things I stress most about getting any animal is how much research has some one done since desciding to get the animal in question? If you'd read all my FAQ's that's a very good start. Be wary of books on rat and mice care, they are often chuck full of inconsistances and fataly wrong information like keeping rodents on pine and cedar is just fine. Lastly where are you going to get your mouse? Again make sure ALL the mice in the entire petshop (if that's where you choose to buy one from) are healthy, robust, friendly and disease free. As well as males are seperated from females!! If you decide to try to find a mousery please check out these rodent-breeders links. Most breeders on there do rats but a few have mice. Good luck! RodentFancy Directory Jazmyn C's Rodent Breeders list Rat and Mouse Club of America (RMCA) |