Mouse as gift

Question
I was given a mouse by some friends at school, and I have taken him home, but am not too sure what to do with him. My mom doesn't want me to keep him, but seeing as he was raised in a pet store, releasing him into the wild probably isn't the best idea. What should I do?

Answer
Dear Scott,

You need to find a safe home for the mouse.  See if your friends can return him to the store he came from.  If not, perhaps one of them could take him.  Or you could try Craigslist if you are in a metropolitan area.  

Pets aren't toys, and I'm sorry that your friends weren't very foresightful.  Please make sure that the mouse finds a good home.


Maybe you can convince your mom that mice make good pets.   Tell her this:

Mice are the smartest small pet you can get.  They cost very little to maintain.  They are quite clean if you keep their cage clean (but they do poop and pee on you, so don't wear your best outfit holding them!).  They are very friendly, curious, tenacious, and creative, besides unbelievably cute.  They are very loving.  They don't tend to bite, like hamsters do; they are easier to hold than gerbils.  They stay in their cage so no one has to deal with them except you.  You will be learning how to care for a pet, and by extension, how to be responsible for something other than yourself; that is a very important life skill.  They only live 18-30 months, which means frequent tragedies (well, learning to deal with mortality is a skill too..) but they are not a long-term commitment.  You can leave them in their cage for up to three days (no more) as long as they have lots of food and water, including wet vegetables or fruit (carrots, apple) in case their water bottle clogs-- so you can still sleep over someone's house and Mom doesn't have to tend to the pet.  They are easy to transport to go on vacation with you or stay at someone else's house while you are gone; no in-house petsitter needed (she can't say that for the plants, now, can she?).  

Thank you for taking care of the little mouse.

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha