Basics

What is Shale?

The Mouse House uses New Zealand, Sifted Shale for the base of the enclosure. It absorbs smell and stays dry and the mice love to dig in it! It is also good for their skin and fur and discourages mites. 1kg covers an average enclosure and it can be sifted and reused for up to 1 month.

Things to beware of with a couple of other options:

• Some people use untreated pine shavings, but we don’t recommend this. Pine shavings are well known to cause bowel irritations and small cancers. It can get smelly unless you change it often and there is a danger that splinters will get in their tummies causing damage (as they shred and chew it). 

• We don’t recommend paper/cardboard because it can smell a lot, and it is either bleached when made or has dyes, both which mice can have adverse reactions to.