🐁 Pet Mouse Care Sheet 

Mice are small, social, intelligent, and active pets that can bring a lot of joy in a tiny package! With the right care, they are easy to keep and fun to observe and interact with.

✅ Quick Facts

• Lifespan: 1.5–3 years

• Size: 6–10 cm (plus tail)

• Temperament: Curious, quick, and playful

• Best kept: In same-sex pairs or groups (especially females)

• Ideal for: Older children, teens, and adults

🏠 Housing & Environment

Cage Requirements:

• Minimum Size (for 2): 60cm (L) x 30cm (W) x 30cm (H)

• A tank with a mesh lid or a wire cage with narrow bar spacing (max 6mm)

• Secure and chew-proof—mice are escape artists!

Bedding:

• Use paper-based or aspen bedding

• Avoid pine or cedar shavings (can cause respiratory problems)

• Spot clean daily and change bedding weekly

Cage Setup:

• Hideouts and tunnels (cardboard, wood, or plastic)

• Wheels (solid surface only – wire wheels can injure feet or tails)

• Climbing toys, ladders, hammocks

• Food dish and a water bottle with a sipper tube

🥗 Feeding Your Mouse

Main Diet:

• High-quality mouse or rodent mix or lab blocks

• Supplement with small portions of fresh fruit and vegetables

Safe Fresh Foods:

✔ Apple (no seeds), banana, pear
✔ Carrot, peas, broccoli, capsicum
✔ Cooked rice, oats, or wholegrain pasta
✔ Small bits of cooked egg or chicken (occasional protein)

❌ Avoid:

• Citrus fruits (especially for males), chocolate, sugary or salty snacks

• Onion, garlic, raw beans, alcohol, caffeine, avocado

Water:

• Fresh water must be available at all times in a drip-proof bottle

🧠 Social Needs & Enrichment

• Mice are highly social – females do best in groups

• Males may fight unless raised together – usually best kept solo

• Provide toys, cardboard tubes, shredded paper, and items to chew

• Change up cage layout weekly to keep things interesting

• Handle gently and regularly to build trust (best during evening hours)

🧼 Grooming & Hygiene

• Mice are clean animals and groom themselves regularly

• You don’t need to bathe them

• Clean cage fully at least once a week

• Trim nails only if needed (check monthly)

🩺 Health & Vet Care

Signs of a Healthy Mouse:

✔ Bright eyes, clean coat, and active behaviour
✔ Eating and drinking normally
✔ No signs of sneezing or laboured breathing

Watch For:

❗ Lethargy or sudden aggression
❗ Discharge from eyes or nose
❗ Scratching, hair loss, or lumps
❗ Diarrhoea or changes in weight

📍 If you see any of these signs, contact a small animal/exotics vet

🧾 Essentials Checklist:

☑ Secure cage or tank with ventilation
☑ Paper-based bedding
☑ High-quality rodent food
☑ Water bottle
☑ Hideouts, tunnels, chew toys
☑ Solid exercise wheel
☑ Social companion (if female)

🐁 Fun Facts:

• Mice are nocturnal, so they’re most active in the evening

• They use their whiskers to feel their surroundings

• Mice can recognise their owners’ scent and voice over time!

 

Mice are low-maintenance, fun to watch, and easy to love. With the right setup and daily care, they make wonderful little companions!