Fancy vs. Hoppers

Question
I have been looking into getting a couple of mice and was just wondering what the difference is between fancy mice and hoppers. I've seen both at my pet store. Is there a real difference in regards to owning them as pets?

Answer
Dear Kassie,

Fancy mice are bred to be pretty and sweet.  Regular pet store mice are cute but don't have the coat variety; and they are not as tame and sweet as fancy mice, but they are quicker and more curious, and I think often smarter.  There are things that my regular mice used to do-- in terms of complicated climbing, for instance-- that I rarely see in my fancies.  And I don't mean to say they are not tame!  But fancy mice can be bred to be genetically tame, almost not to need taming at all.

I laugh at the term 'hoppers' because it describes the difference pretty well.  If a regular mouse isn't tamed it might jump.  For some well-bred fancies this is not the case.  I used to raise lots of pet store mice before fancy mice got into pet stores, and as you train them, at 2 weeks old they open their eyes and go nuts, hopping like fleas (it's called the 'flea stage' or, I call it the 'popcorn stage') because the world is suddenly so scary.  My breeder, Mikiodo, always gives me such tame mice and so I was really impressed at how much time he must put into every baby when he had hundreds of mice.  Well a litter turned 2 weeks while I was mousesitting and lo and behold-- no panicky mice, no hopping!  He simply breeds them to be as sweet as maple sugar from the day they are born.

Not every fancy mouse will be as amazing as the Mikiodo mice, so don't expect not to have to tame your new friend.  The mice have many things in common; it is just more likely for a fancy mouse to be prettier and sweeter and for a 'hopper' to be smarter and more entertaining.  Choose the ones you fall in love with.  

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha