Mary Allen
Mice are very clean, even if they give off a very special mouse odor. They keep themselves clean by cleaning themselves – so they don’t need to be bathed or brushed. Nevertheless, you have to pay attention to a few things when keeping a mouse so that the mouse remains well-groomed and healthy. Regular cage cleaning and control is one of them, for example.
Health Check at Dusk
To be happy with the mouse, the little rodents need one thing above all: conspecifics. A mouse alone withers away, and can even get sick. Always keep at least two mice together, better still a small group. Pure groups of females or keeping females and neutered bucks is usually easiest. Since the animals are active at dusk or at night, you should therefore check the health of your mice when they start to wake up in the evening. If you disturb them in their sleep during the day, they will get stressed!
Regularly Check the Feedstocks
As a rule of thumb: one teaspoon of food per mouse, which you give your animals freely accessible. Once or twice a day you alternately give fruit, vegetables, lettuce, grasses, or herbs. Once a week there is also protein in the form of quark or a dried insect mixture. Since mice hoard excess food in their sleeping quarters, you have to check regularly whether there is moldy food there – otherwise your rodents will get sick.
This Will Keep the Cage Clean
If you want to keep mice, you have to pay attention to proper cage hygiene. The toilet has to be cleaned every day. Twice a week you change all the litter in the cage – to do this, you have to remove the nest material and disinfect the cage, bowls, and other accessories with a special pet disinfectant from your Fressnapf store. You can also use special cleaning cloths for this. It is best to use pet litter as cage litter, but the animals are also happy to accept additional straw, hay, or special litter with bark and leaves.
Mice Groom Themselves
If their surroundings are kept clean, you will not need to care for your mice. In a hygienic cage, they keep themselves pure and clean. You don’t have to bathe or brush them. Just check the eyes regularly to see if they are clear and shiny. The ears and bottom must also be clean. For dental care, give your pet non-toxic twigs to nibble on. You can also give special treats, but you have to keep your measure here, otherwise, your mice will get too fat and get sick.
Important NOTE
The advice content cannot replace a visit to the vet. This information should not be used as the sole basis for making health-related decisions. A veterinarian should be consulted in the event of illnesses affecting animals and the use of medication.