Edinburgh, Scotland based breeder of fancy mice

Housing

There are a number of ways you can keep mice. All have their pros and cons.

Wire cages

I'm not a big fan of wire cages. Although this may have a lot to do with the zoos I visited when I was younger. It is undeniable that cages provide a lot of fun ways for the mice to climb. They also have great ventilation. However they are harder than tanks to keep clean and can be draghty. The most relavent problem however is that mice can often escape through the bars. Don't think that a cage that advertises itself for mice will always be suitable. Cage bars should be a maximum of 1/4 inch apart, that's 6mm (if you can get a pencil through it a mouse could escape it).

Tubular cages

Rotastack, Sams system etc. These look great. They look fun. They are a nightmare to clean. Especially with mice that make a lot of mess. We kept our gerbils in one for a while this worked out fine, apart from they escaped a couple of times by chewing through their wheels. However this sort of cage is a bit unnatural for gerbils, a big tank with a compost and hay mix is much better. These cages aren't any good if you want to tame your rodents either as they can hide in the tubes. Mice are sometimes a bit small to get up the tubes however you can get mouse ladders for them. Another problem with these cages is that while you can change the layout a bit they are very small. You can't put lots of fun toys in them for the mice. For me this is a big drawback. Ventilation can also be a problem.

Wooden boxes

Believe it or not the majority of fancy mice breeders seem to keep their mice in wooden boxes. I saw round a mousery using these and they were far better than my preconceptions. The place didn't smell and the mice didn't escape (mice really aren't that good at chewing). In fact they seemed very happy and content. Mice quite like feeling secure and wooden boxes certainly do this for them. The main problems I can see is that mice that are used to living like this feel unsecure in a glass tank and tend to cower in their nestboxes. As most pet keepers want to keep mice where they can see them, this is far from ideal. The other problem I have is that you can't see the mice so well. Although this can be addressed slightly by putting in one perspex wall. It is also more suitable for an outhouse or garage than in your own home.

Glass aquariums

I've never had one of these but I believe they can be excellent. You need to fit wire mesh over the top which helps with ventilation. Again I wouldn't use anything corser than 6mm square (1/4 inch). The advantage of this is that you can set up the inside any way you like and can rotate toys in order keep the mice amused. They are long lasting and you can pick them up quite cheaply as you don't mind if they leak. However they are heavy and can be a bit ackward to clean.

Pet shop plastic tanks

These are in my opinion great. However they are for some reason very hard to come by. They also tend to be a bit small if you buy them for small rodents. The one I use is a converted indoor rabbit hutch. I had to attatch mesh to the wire grating on top or the mice would all of escaped! This cost £40 and is large enough for at least 10 mice (there are 5 in there at the moment). The ventilation is quite good due to the mesh lid, there is a huge amount of room in order to place various toys. I have an upturned bin and bird feeders in mine! Additionally due to their light weight they are easy to clean.

Converted storage bins

These can be fantastic and are very cheap. They have all the advantages of pet shop plastic tanks at a fraction of the cost. They are what I now use for the majority of my rodents. It can be hard to find 6mm (1/4 inch) mesh though and it is much easier if you have a power drill and a jigsaw. You also need to be careful of the type of storage bin you use to ensure that there aren't any easily nibbled corners (especially with Gerbils). Although you can find translucent storage bins you are unlikely to find transparent and they do have a home made quality to them. If you are only going to keep a few mice therefore and aren't particularly strapped for cash then a pet shop plastic tank might be better. I tend to use under bed storage bins for my mice as they provide a lot of floor area and are high enough for a wheel and other toys. For my gerbils I use really high bins as they love to dig. How to make a bin cage.

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