mousecare

Cages:

First is the aquarium / fish tank type cage. This is generally preffered for mice because they cannot escape through the glass, it gives an unobstructed view of the entire cage & comes in many sizes. A wire screen lid is a MUST for this type of cage, to permit air flow & for keeping mice IN &

OUSE CARE

There are many types of cages available for small animals. However, each has its good and bad side. Certain types are better for mice than others.

other animals OUT. Mice can jump up, and can easily jump out of an open cage. They can also escape by climbing toys, water bottles, houeses, ect. For mice are excellent climbers. Anouther plus is that it's generally easy to clean due to the lack of tubes and peices. The down side is it has less air circulation, so you need to be sure to keep it very clean, and depending on what size of tank, some people think they are too heavy to move around and clean.

Second is the wire cage. Some wire cages are coated, and others are just plain metal wire. (coated wire is best, it is easier to clean, harder to rust, and generally just looks nicer.) Galvanized wire stinks too. If you can choose what it is coated with, powder coating is best. Its more durable than the vinyl coating.

The good side to a wire cage is that it provides the best circulation, and encorages a mouses natural need to climb. The bad side is that mice can squeeze through most wire cages. You would be surprised how tight a hole they can get through! Especially babies & young ones. The general rule of thumb is that if you can fit your finger in up the the first knuckle then the opening is to big.

Next is plastic hamster type cages. These are virtually escape proof as well, but the down sides are they usually have poor ventilation, (unless it is a combination of plastic & wire) some are troublesome to clean due to all the peices, mice can hide from you and are harder to pick up.

If you have just a few mice I have found the critter trail one to be a nice cage. it has the wire on the sides for ventilation, comes apart easily, and only has one tube. I have pictures of one on the cage page. You just have to be careful that you don't overcrowd them.

And last are homemade cages. These can be made out of wood, wire mesh, and the favorite seems to be plastic. You can use things like large plastic bins and cut a large hole in the lid and cover with wire mesh.

Bedding:

Mice need some kind of bedding material to absorb urine in their cage, and to nest in. There are several different options you can try. Here we will take a look at some of them.

The first & most important thing that you need to know about bedding for small animals is: NEVER USE PINE OR CEDAR SHAVINGS/BEDDING. The following is a statement made by the American Fancy Rat & Mouse Association that will explain why:

Cedar and pine shavings, the bedding choices most commonly used for small animals, have been found to contain toxins!

Cedar & Pine Shavings are Toxic to ALL Small Animals!

The news in a nutshell:

AFRMA - Both cedar and pine comtain phenols - that's the stuff that makes them smell good. Phenols are caustic, poisonous, acidic compounds. These compounds cause constant irritation to the nasal passages, throat, and lungs of small animals giving bacteria an easy opening, thus commonly causing pneumonia. Phenols also affect organs such as the liver and kidneys, because these organs are responsible for filtering toxins out of the body. When presented with a large amount of toxins over time, they are unable to filter it all out and begin to fail. An animal with a damaged liver will have a depressed immune system, which can lead to other medical conditions.

So now your probably asking, if it's so bad for them , then why do they still sell it? The Sad answer to that question is that they will continue to sell it, as long as there is a demand for it. So it is up to the owners & animal lovers to get the word out. Now your next question will likely be, So what CAN I use for bedding? Fortunatly there are a number of other options that you can try. Like the following:

CareFresh:

Made of a natural biodegradable Fiber, carefresh is one of the most popular choices of bedding. It's a low dust litter, is very absorbent & keeps amonia levels down. It is sanitzed to inhibit mold & bacteria. It's a good litter to use if you have allergys or sensitivies. (kinda smelly though)

Aspen (shavings/or chips):

Anouther rodent owner favorite, Aspen is the preffered wood shaving because it does NOT contain phenols. Aspen (In my opinion) smells very nice and helps cover any litter smell. It also encourages your mouses natural desire to nest.

For more articles & websites on this topic, please email us, we would be glad to give you more information. ~ Rucker's Ratties

Other options are: Corncob bedding, recycled paper beddings (Yesterday's news cat litter), Alphalpha Pellets, & shredded paper towels.

Cleaning:

This is where common sense kicks in. You have to keep the cage clean. That much is obvious. And male mice especially will need it changed often. Use a few of your senses to determine when they need a litter change (at least once a week) and again - males may need it more often. Don't wait for the cage to stink before you change it, by then it will already be effecting your poor mouses respitory system. Wash the cage with hot soapy water about once a week as well. if nessessary you can use bleach, just make sure it is heavily dilluted with water & rinsed thoroughly.

Toys:

* WHEELS WHEELS WHEELS !! Mice are exercise maniacs and must have a wheel! They come in different types, sizes, & colors.
* Houses - Mice need a hiding place and these make great ones. They also like climbing on top.
* Tubes - Toilet paper or Paper towel tubes work great! they like to chew on them as well.
* wood chews - mice need things to chew on (if they don't they will FIND somthing !)
* Ladders - Mice LOVE to climb
* Ropes - Anouther fun thing for mice to climb & walk on
* Blocks - these are fun to use to create playgounds !

Now the fun part!

And lastly, DO NOT pick up a mouse by it's tail ! if you must for any reason sucure it by the tail, do it at the very BASE of the tail where it is connected to its body. NEVER in the middle or at the tip! It will become Degloved and cause immense pain, and more often then not, it will need to be amputated.
You should scoop the mouse up in your cupped hands or pick it up by its middle.

Safety: