Question for people who have mice and other rodents.

[William]

Can you use shredded newspaper for the bedding?

 

[QTOFFER]

You could, but newsprint can be dusty when dry, and quite messy/smelly when wet.

I use shredded aspen where the mice tend to pee because it is incredibly absorbant and seems to hold in the odor. But, I recently got a paper shredder and the mice love to tunnel in my shredded junk mail!

 

[Fluff]

When I had my rats, I used newpaper. The ink would make the white rats look dingey but, it never hurt them. I found it a much better choice in that it was much cheaper than the wood products that can cause respritory problems. I would bathe my rats on a regular basis as well. LOL They loved it.

 

[Jchillin]

But, I recently got a paper shredder and the mice love to tunnel in my shredded junk mail!

Goodness, recycled peanut butter jars and now, recycled junk mail! Very clever indeed QTOFFER!.

BTW, I have a small amount...glad to donate to good cause..

 

[QTOFFER]

When I had my rats, I used newpaper. The ink would make the white rats look dingey but, it never hurt them.

Most newspapers today use soy-based inks - completely harmless if ingested, but does tend to get on your hands, and in Fluff's case, your rats!

wood products that can cause respritory problems.

Right! Don't use cedar or pine bedding because of the aromatic oils.
Aspen is perfectly safe though. So is CareFresh - a dustless, super-absorbant bedding made from recycled paper. CareFresh is really expensive, though - you'd be better off getting a paper shredder and your name on alot of mailing lists.

 

[William]

I already have a paper shredder, So I'm half way there

 

[Menagerie]

But do you have the mice?

 

[William]

Tuesday


I was planning on getting a small fancy mouse... I just havn't decided what I'm going to put the mouse in yet.

I have an empty 10 gallon, and an empty 29gal aquarium. I was thinking on putting it in the 10gal.

 

[Fluff]

A ten is plenty of room for a mouse. Rodents are extremely cool and full of personality.

 

[William]

I know, whichi s why I was pondering the larger tank... .Cause if I see how cute they are in the store, I may not be able to only buy one ^_^;

 

[Fluff]

LOL The start of a new addiction.

 

[youronlysin]

I prefer the recycled paper bedding over the wood. We're using a wood type of shredded bedding now (not cedar), and the smell is worse, it needs cleaned up after only a couple of days. The re-cycled paper bedding lasted so much longer. It absorbed more and didnt smell bad after only one day. My hamster seemed to like to burrown in the paper more too, but I dont really know his preference.

 

[Toirtis]

Hey Menagerie...think shredded paper would work well for capybara?

 

[ReefRaff]

I spend my time trying to get rid of them. If I catch one, I'll send him to ya.

 

[William]

She [ I don't know what it is, but need some way to refer to it ] is so FRIGGEN CUTE!!


I have a little dark dark dark brownish/black one whose no more then 2 inches from nose to where her tail begins [ her tails another 3 inches atleast ].

She has made herself quite at home in the 10gal, With her little chewy home and running wheel [ Which she has been running on constantly for almost an hour and a half...and the wheel squeaks :? ]

Now she threw ALL the food out of her food dish, and decided to sleep in the food dish instead of her "home"

Now foods all over the bottom of the tank. Oh well.

Shes wired as heck, to. She can just about jump out of the tank [ if I didn't have it covered ] and is absolutely rambunctious.

its like shes eaten a bag of coffee beans.


I'll post pics when I get battereis for my Digicam.

 

[QTOFFER]

Congrats, William!

From your description, I would guess your mouse is 3 - 4 weeks old. They call them 'popcorn' at this stage of development for reasons you have already noticed! In about two weeks, your mouse will have calmed down considerably. In the meantime, be careful when holding him/her, because he/she might fearlessly leap out of your hands and get hurt or escape.

It sounds like you've got a nice home set up. I'm not at all surprised about the feeding dish - oh well, mice have their own ideas about decorating. What kind of water bottle do you have? LixIt makes a very nice one - its quick-release bracket can be attached to glass cages with double sided mounting tape.

It would be nice to know what sex your mouse is, because he/she should have at least one same-sex cagemate. Mice are very social and can become depressed if housed alone.

The easiest way to sex mice is to compare the distance between the anus and the genital papilla. It's twice the distance in males as it is in females. I've attached a pic of two of my adult mice to illustrate this. Another way to sex young mice is to look for the presence of two rows of nipples running along the abdomen. They are present in females, but absent in males.

 

[Psyhampster]

hehe, Mousey butts! LOL!

 

[Rudy_627]

you make me laff Psyhamster your like me you laff at the wierdest things

 

[Jchillin]

hehe, Mousey butts! LOL!

I never even considered the thought that one day...one day in my life, I would actually see the rear regions of a mouse. I mean...who knew!

Thanks QTOFFER!

 

[William]

I know they should be paired up, But for unrelated reasons I was only able to get one.

Once I sex this one, I will clean up its tank to get rid of any territorial markings and then add another so they can live cutely and calmly for the end of days.

As for water bottle, I got this balless glass one from Lil'Paw. It is quick release, and hangs from the tanks edge...Which works good with the glass hood. Dosn't get in the way.


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Whats some good fluffy stuff I could give for a bedding? You know, like that stuff that collects on the lint trap of the dryer type of fluffy stuff.