keeping wild mice

Question
what is the best way to sunstain a wild mouse? what kind of cage thing should i put them in i think i will put them in a container with hay grass and twigs?

Answer
Dear Drew,

My first question is why the mouse is in captivity. If you caught it because you want a pet, I recommend you let it go and buy a pet store mouse or go to a breeder. Wild mice are used to being outdoors and will generally be very unhappy in captivity. They will likely spend all of their time trying to escape. Tame mice are very, very happy in a large cage filled with toys and bedding, and are wonderful, sweet, friendly, charming, and intelligent little friends.

However, if you are lodging it for the winter because it is too cold outside to let it go, that's a different story.

In any case, the most important thing the mouse needs besides food and water and bedding, is a wheel. It MUST have a wheel. It will go nuts without the exercise. As for grass and twigs, you will find that they do not contain the odor well. It's not going to be easy to clean the cage, so you probably want to use the most absorbent, odor-fighting litter you can. You can pick up some paper litter like Carefresh, or some wood chips. Don't get cedar, as it often causes respiratory distress. Aspen works better. For bedding, grass is fine but so it kleenex or cloth. It may be nice to have some scent of outdoors in the cage.

The cage should also be big enough-- *minimum* of a 10 gallon tank. There are a lot of plastic cages being sold that are far too small. This mouse is used to having over a mile of territory to roam in. Try to give it a little space.  This will also help drastically with odor and cage cleaning.

As for food, it's good to get a pet store mix or pellets and supplement with fresh vegetables and a bit of fruit.

Best of luck to the mouse!

squeaks,

Natasha