Why Keep Mice As Pets?

Mice are happy, playful and active creatures and are great fun to watch. Some fancy mice are extremely pretty and there are lots of different coat colours and patterns. Mice get to know their owners and when well socialised will come to take treats from you, climb onto your hand and up to your shoulder.

Physical Description

Fancy mice is a term to describe mice that have been selectively bred for pet or for show. They can vary greatly in size, from small pet mice that are approximately 16-18 cm (6 inches or so) long from nose to the tip of the tail, to show mice that measure 30cm (12 inches) nose to tail. Pet mice weigh about 25-40 g but large show mice can weigh up to 100g. As fancy mice have a different process of natural selection than their wild cousins, they come in a variety of colours and patterns. These include:

• black


• chocolate


• blue


• white


• cream


• lilac


• red


• fawn


• champagne


• cinnamon


• golden agouti


• silver agouti


• silver

Female mice are called does and males are called bucks. If well cared for, a mouse lives for around 2 years on average, with some reaching 3 years old.

Feeding For Fancy Mice

Food for fancy mice is relatively inexpensive. Veterinarians generally recommend a product called lab block, a scientifically-formulated blend originally designed for mice in laboratories.

Dry dog food is another good option when lab block is unavailable, as it offers balanced nutrition for a mouse and helps keep their teeth conditioned. Special mouse food found in pet stores also makes a good diet. In order to keep variety in their diets, mice can also eat oats, oily seeds, clean egg shell breakfast cereal, and stale bread. Fruit and vegetables can be offered occasionally. They should also have clean water at all times and some sort of chewing wood in order to keep their teeth from growing too long. Wood found

outdoors may not be safe, but many products

are available from pet stores to satisfy the chewing instinct.

Fancy Mice

Fancy Mice are a suitable pet for children and adults alike although young children will require supervision and help in caring for a pet mouse. Other species of mice are not so easily handled and are suitable for older children or adults only.

Mice are sociable and so will prefer the company of another, rather than to be kept on their own. Male mice tend to have a musky smell, so unless there is a specific reason for wanting a male mouse (ie; for breeding) most people prefer to keep female mice

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