My Mouse Husbandry

This stuff's great. I know some people get nervous about pine because if it isn't kiln-dried it's definitely dangerous. but I mean, this kiln-dried stuff is great! controls odors well, stays pretty dry, it's soft and cozy. I've been using it for 4 years with great success, and at a much better price than any other bedding I've found at local stores. This WHOLE MASSIVE 12 cubic foot bag costs just 17 DOLLARS! I get this stuff at IFA, and it's by far the best quality stuff I've found.

If you've done a lot of research on keeping mice as pets specifically, this cage here may look small to you., but it's actually the perfect size for the mice and purpose within--Breeding! Cage size is one of the most highly contested points in all of mouse husbandry, with breeders and pet owners disagreeing often on what size cage is adequate for mice. I find the reasoning behind it fascinating;

On the one hand, you have these tiny little prey animals that get scared easily and like to hide in small, cozy spaces. then on the other, they are somehow simultaneously these super hyper, highly intelligent little ninjas who can solve puzzles and (sometimes) enjoy running long distances if given the chance.

From how I see it, Pet owners will be most familiar with the intelligent, curious, often bored side of mice. In a normal, safe, cozy pet setup where the owner does a lot of bonding and life stays relatively consistent, there isnt a lot to be stressed over or careful about. this leaves a lot of room for play in a mouse's daily life! The greatest joy a mouse owner can have is setting up a beautiful cage and watching as their mice explore and play on every bit of it. I adore this part of owning mice and take great enjoyment in putting together my retirement cage every week.

But in a breeding setup? It's a whooooole different story:

Breeders see the curiosity and spunk in mice, sure, but they also see mice through every other delicate, stressful stage of life. These mice aren't just chilling all day-- they're working hard! Every day brings new challenges, cage mates, and even new cages and owners. As a breeder, you have to be intimately aware of the stress levels and health of your mice, while these conditions are constantly changing. From birth, to weaning, to adulthood, to bonding with a mate, to mating, to pregnancy, to giving birth, and to recovery from birth; Every step of the breeding process brings an intense physical and mental change in the mice and demands specific care needs from the breeder.

 here are some important differences that make the pet community's recommendation for large, elaborate pet cages unrealistic (and even dangerous) for breeding mice:

1. Toys and puzzles are hazards to moms with litters, mommas can get on wheels and send babies flying if they're still latched! they can also serve as a distraction to a less attentive mom, leading to her neglecting her pups. Toys can cause social stress when introducing new mice to a breeding cage as well, leading to resource guarding and territorial agression in some instances. If you've ever bonded new mice to your old colony, imagine doing all the work needed for introductions every week, with over a dozen mice!-- Breeders have a lot of social interactions to keep track of and control. This means having as few objects that retain scents as possible is important. I don't personally recommend using wooden toys in a breeding setup for this reason--only plastic and carbdoard. having a simple cage that is very easy to sanitize will also be handy for stopping the spread of health issues that more frequently pop up in large breeding groups. Big elaborate pet cages are NOT ideal for this at ALL.

2. ROUTINE: there is a lot more change in a breeding setup. With ever-changing numbers of mice in varying stages of life, it's almost impossible to keep things consistent. with large groups of mice, constant litters and cages galore to clean, we don't have as much time to bond with our actively breeding mice. they need to focus more on each other than on hanging out with us, anyways. But all this change and unfamiliarity means mice in breeding setups have less time to explore and grow comfortable with their environemnt, and are more prone to getting stressed when faced with a LOT of space, or change all at once. a slightly smaller, cozier, simpler cage with lots of clutter will allow them to feel at ease, even when they suddenly pop out babies, or have some random lady mouse dropped into their cage one night.

3. HEALTH CHECKS: Mice are much harder to check for health when you have to go digging through a large cage for them daily. Health checks being harder increases the risk that you as a breeder miss an important health issue. Smaller cages allow for more close supervision of actively breeding mice. In a pet setup, it's not quite as probelmatic to have a massive cage, as you only have a small group of bonded, low-stress mice to look over for daily issues. you can easily train your 4-8 gals to come out for treats on a daily basis, so a large cage is awesome! But with actively breeding mice and so much change, the risks are just too high that something goes wrong. It's worth the smaller cage to have better supervision

hopefully my thoughts on this were informative!! I 100% think mice kept in pet setups should be given more fun things to do and space to play in. There's no need to reduce their cage size unless a health issue pops up! i still personally recommend a 20gallon minimum for either a single pet male or group of 3 pet females. but for breeders? as long as all the basic needs can fit, you're probably good for a temporary cage. the most important thing is ALWAYS that the mouse is safe, healthy, and getting its basic needs met.

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