Should I keep the mouse in my house?

Question
Hello Natasha,

I want to know if it is safe to keep the mouse that is currently in my house (if I can catch the little thing)?  My son loves the idea of catching it and making it his pet.  He has already named it Squeaky.
Squeaky is not a shy little mouse, it comes out when I am sitting in the kitchen and when lots of people are around - which really surprised me.  Also, although I know it has been around for a while it doesn't leave a lot of droppings, another surprise.  We live in Chicago - if that helps.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.

Answer
Dear Michelle,

Although there are purists who will argue that no wild creature should ever be a pet, I find that ridiculous. Let Squeaky decide. Give him a good big cage, maybe a 30 gallon tank, with a big wheel and lots of places to hide, including lots of toilet paper rolls, and see if he likes it. If he never comes out, if he spends a lot of time trying to escape, or if he seems depressed, he doesn't want to be a pet; and his opinion rules.

If he wants to leave and you don't want him in the house, he needs to be taken somewhere nice, a forest or meadow, over a mile from your house, because he might actually have that large of a territory! But if he isn't making any trouble, maybe he is an OK house guest, as long as he isn't a pregnant she, doesn't become one, or bring one in!

In any case, Squeaky doesn't have any special diseases to give you. His bite could get infected just as a cat bite or a human bite can. But he doesn't carry the plague or anything scary. Just clean with peroxide and put an antibiotic on if it happens.

I hope he is a happy pet. If it doesn't work out, get a pet mouse. It will be thrilled in the big cage. If you want one mouse, get a male; if you want more than one, get all females.

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha