Why get a pet mouse?

    If your home or apartment has no room but your little one (or perhaps you yourself!) keeps begging for a pet, a mouse may be a perfect pet for you! Mice are small, don't make a big mess, can be handled by children, and ... are quiet like a mouse! Some people are squeamish when they think about critter in their home today, but pet mice & fancy mice are popular pets that suit practically any home and teach youngsters the joys and responsibilities of keeping a pet. Mice have been domesticated for thousands of years and a great deal of work has been undertaken on breeding new coat colors and appearance.  In fact, mouse breeding clubs exist all over the world with enthusiasts showing their mice to be judged on appearance and health.
    

The most common pet mouse has a smooth coat and comes in a variety of plain colors but fancy mice are available which have unusual colors, patterns, and coat types.  Their colors include white, brown, black, grey, Siamese, colorpoint, and bluey grey, and their coat length can be short, roan, ticked, long, and even hairless.  Some mice called Manx can even be tail-less.
Two female mice are the best way to start as they are less territorial and don’t smell as much as males.  Choose mice with a clean, shiny coat and with no bald patches.  Their eyes should be bright and they should not look hunched or fearful.  If they have a sad look, it is possible that they are unwell and should be avoided.
Pet mice are curious creatures and seem to enjoy the company of humans.  They are not particularly timid, can be trained, and will form a bond with people over time.  They do bite but usually only because they are scared or handled incorrectly.  Mice make excellent pets and will show their little personalities and provide lots of laughs.
Children need to be taught to handle mice correctly and those under 5 years should be supervised to make sure that they always follow the correct procedure.  Children should be sitting on the floor when first learning to handle a mouse because even the shortest fall out of their hands can cause an injury.  A mouse should not be picked up by its tail as it can be broken.  It is best to scoop the mouse up by cupping the hands under the body but, if a mouse is skittish, it can be held at the base of the tail and its feet raised slightly allowing the other hand to quickly pick the mouse up.  Mice are happy to sit on their owner’s shoulder or even in a pocket and can be trained to do this with special treats.
Mice do not require bathing or grooming.  They are fastidious groomers and will keep their coats shiny and clean if they are kept in healthy surroundings.

Housing

Mice can be kept in a glass tank with a wire top for ventilation or a clear plastic mouse container but there must be a secure lid in place.  Just like in the cartoons, they are great at escaping through the tiniest space so it is important to teach everyone in the family to close the lid securely.  Place the cage in an area out of drafts and direct sunshine, away from other household pets but in a place where the mice get a lot of human contact.

Line the enclosure with a non-toxic material such as recycled paper (often sold for cat litter) or sawdust and add a drip feeder for water and a small dish for food.  Include a nesting box which they will line themselves if you throw in a piece of paper towel.

Mice will always use one corner of their enclosure as a toilet and if this is not removed every week, it will smell.  The material on the floor should be removed and replaced and any waste in the corner wiped up carefully.  The whole enclosure should be thoroughly washed out with warm water every month.