Earlier than you deliver your new pals house, you will need to be sure to are arrange with all the best equipment to take care of them. Most necessary is shopping for an acceptable cage. Listed here are some issues to consider in the case of mice cage necessities.
This submit was coauthored by Beri Instone, a accountable mouse breeder and Alison’s mouse guru.
How Massive Does a Mouse Cage Must Be?
Most pet mice spend the vast majority of their time of their cage so it must be massive sufficient to be an entire surroundings for them, with sufficient house and furnishings to permit the animals to precise all their pure behaviours with out turning into harassed.
The excellent news is that these days there may be much more cage alternative for mice house owners than there was even 10 – 15 years in the past. That does imply that a number of the recommendation on the market in care books and on older web websites is outdated – it comes from a time when small cages and tanks had been the one choices. Now, many pet care manufacturers make massive cages with mouse-suitable bar spacing, and with some crafty on-line looking out there’s a cage choice for everybody with out compromising on well being or high quality of life.
As a information to sussing out how massive a cage you want, you should utilize a rat cage calculator and double the variety of animals to get an concept of what number of mice it’s appropriate for. So, a cage that’s appropriate for round 4 rats, will comfortably home round 8 mice.
The form of the cage also needs to be taken into consideration. Mice like to burrow and digging of their substrate is a very necessary behaviour for them, so the cage wants a great dimension footprint of not less than 80 x 50 cm / 31.5 x 19.5 inches, with a pleasant base tub to carry a thick layer of substrate.
Nonetheless, mice additionally must climb, so the cage doesn’t need to be too low – 40 cm / 16 inch is an efficient minimal top for a mouse cage.
What Dimension Bar Spacing Ought to a Mouse Cage Have?
Most cage producers don’t explicitly promote their cages as being designed for mice, so the potential proprietor must do some detective work. Searching for cages marketed for different small animals corresponding to dwarf hamsters is an efficient begin, though keep in mind these animals can have very totally different wants. Some rat cages are additionally appropriate for bigger mice.
Getting the bar spacing proper on a cage is essential to retaining pet mice secure, however it will also be tough as a result of mice can range loads in dimension. A weight of 30-45 grams is about common for an grownup (not fats) mouse, however wholesome adults can vary between 24g and 80g relying on the genetic line they arrive from and the way they’ve been fed as younger animals.
A distinction of 20g in mouse weight can simply make a cage bar spacing appropriate or not appropriate, so it’s actually necessary to weigh your potential mice (digital kitchen scales are finest – and transportable!), fairly than guessing primarily based on their age. In case you are shopping for from a breeder, getting info on the burden and dimension of the remainder of the household can also be a very good concept.
When taking a look at bar spacings, bear in mind to measure the precise hole between the bars – this might be totally different to the marketed spacing as most producers quote the gap between the mid-point of two bars. That’s much less useful, as it is going to embrace the thickness of the steel bar, fairly than the house it’s good to find out about. It’s additionally necessary to look the entire cage over and spot any areas that may have areas greater than the bar spacing. Frequent locations to seek out gaps are round doorways and on the nook of cage panels.
There are three primary teams of bar spacings marketed on cages for (very) small animals:
- Bar spacing of 6-7 mm (1/4 in): These bar spacings are appropriate for mice over about 15 g / 0.53 oz in weight (which ought to embrace all mice sufficiently old to be bought / homed). Most of those cages are marketed for dwarf hamsters, however some could point out mice explicitly.
- Bar spacing of 9-9.5 mm (3/8 in): That is the usual bar sizing on most dwarf hamster cages, and is appropriate for the typical grownup sized mouse.
- Bar spacing of 10-12 mm (1/2 inch): This bar spacing is simply appropriate for very massive mice, and is finest prevented because the bars themselves are sometimes weaker, permitting a mouse actually decided on escaping to wriggle out.
Normally, thicker bars are higher as skinny bars are extra versatile and simpler for a mouse to push by way of. Remember that bar thickness isn’t customary even inside one producer’s vary, so every cage must be thought-about on a case by case foundation.
In case you have an ideal sized cage the place the bar spacing is just too massive, is it attainable to adapt it? Nicely, sure and no. Hypothetically, it’s attainable to cowl the bars of a mouse cage in 6mm mesh, which is able to present the safety wanted. Nonetheless, the tiny dimension of the mesh makes it very exhausting to then connect cage equipment to the bars, making it exhausting to create good partaking cage set-ups. So, whereas it’s technically attainable to adapt a cage as a short-term measure, long-term it’s higher to only purchase one with the best dimension bar spacings to your mice.
How Deep Ought to a Mouse Cage Base Be?
Some attainable mouse cages will likely be an acceptable dimension and bar spacing, however received’t present a deep sufficient base. Mice want a great layer of substrate for digging and tunnelling in (which will even assist with smells), and because the proprietor, you need a deep sufficient base to maintain the substrate within the cage and never thrown throughout your flooring!
Ideally, a cage base must be 15 cm (6 inches) deep, though 13-14 cm (5 – 5.5 inches) can also be OK. Much less appropriate cages have bases 8-12 cm (3 – 4.5 in) deep, which limits digging and will increase mess!
Tanks vs. Cages
On condition that mice have to be stored safe in an surroundings with plenty of alternative for digging, why will we advise retaining them in a cage over a tank?
The principle reply is well being. Tanks was one of many primary habitats advisable for retaining mice, however that was earlier than a variety of cages with 6 mm (1/4 inch) and 9 mm (3/8 inch) bar spacing got here available on the market. These days, with a a lot wider alternative accessible, we will look extra on the potential disadvantages of every choice.
The principle downside with both plastic or glass tanks is that they’ve poor air circulation, with just one facet (the roof) open to the air. When you’ve stuffed the tank with toys (a lot of which must grasp from the roof) there may be little or no alternative totally free airflow.
Airflow issues to mice as a result of, like many different rodents, they’ve delicate respiratory methods, and their lung tissues can simply be broken by an infection or build up of ammonia fumes from urine. Tanks serve to maintain these fumes in, which means not solely are the mice uncovered to them, however the proprietor is much less prone to discover their construct up.
Some tanks are designed to be used with rodents and have a air flow strip half manner down one facet. That is clearly a greater choice than a tank with out it, however it nonetheless offers poorer airflow than a completely barred cage. These tanks, together with tanks with cage toppers are primarily designed for gerbils and hamsters, who’re desert tailored animals who don’t pee loads. Mice, who’re naturally tailored to a extra temperate surroundings, produce extra and smellier pee, and so do finest with loads of air flow.
If you actually need to make use of a tank to deal with your mice (perhaps you personal one already and are switching from retaining one other animal like gerbils), then it’s best to scale back the variety of mice stored for the world of the cage. So when you calculate you would hold 6 mice in a cage of that dimension, then in a tank it might solely be appropriate to maintain three.
What In regards to the DIY Cages?
Some house owners go for DIY cages made out of plastic storage tubs with mesh panels inserted for air flow. While these will be good choices for breeders, they’re fairly exhausting to seek out in a dimension and form that offers sufficient footprint and top, will be tougher to arrange with a great cage structure than customary cages, and as soon as all of the DIY is taken into consideration, don’t essentially work out less expensive.
Making cages out of wood cupboards or bookshelves isn’t typically advisable as mice will chew it, and the wooden will take in their pee.
Cage Entry and Cleansing
Most mouse cages will likely be straightforward to wash by taking them aside (house owners could need a smaller cage or service to pop their furry pals in whereas the primary cage is being cleaned).
Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless value excited about the dimensions of the doorways. Having an enormous door on one facet, or plenty of smaller doorways dotted about will make it simpler to succeed in in for spot cleansing, catching a mouse for a well being examine, or arranging the cage arrange. If the cage solely has smaller doorways, then some equipment like wheels or branches will have to be put within the cage whereas it’s in items.
