Pet mice are more playful at night
PET OHANA
Hawaiian Humane Society
Question: What are some tips for caring for pet mice?
Answer: While you'd think mice and cats have little in common, the truth is that while the two might make for incompatible siblings, mice share the same needs for companionship, socialization and entertainment.
Mice are perhaps the most popular rodent pets because they can be fun friends -- affectionate and intelligent, given their size. They are also clean and inexpensive to care for. They shed minimally, and fewer people are allergic to them than their feline foes.
But mice do have special needs. For one, they are small and quite fragile. They prefer to sleep at day and play at night. And they are easily subject to disease without proper care and require very clean environments. They also need regular veterinary care to detect illness and disease just as cats and dogs do.
It's also important to remember that in nature a mouse's world is very diverse, so plenty of room to romp and run, and plenty of toys to play with and hide in, are good offerings for your little critters.
Q: We started with two pet mice, and now we have five. What can be done to control our growing family?
A: Pet mice can live as long as three years. A female and male can produce up to 5,000 offspring in a year. So create separate habitats. Your veterinarian can help you identify the sexes if the male's anatomy is not clearly visible.
When separating the guys from the gals, keep in mind that mice are social animals, and a companion is necessary for good health and happiness.
The Hawaiian Humane Society welcomes questions by e-mail,
hhs@hawaiianhumane.org. Indicate "Pet Ohana" in the subject line. Or, write "Pet Ohana," Hawaiian Humane Society, 2700 Waialae Ave., Honolulu 96826.