The BRODENTS! Rodent Enthusiast Thread!

[MoonfallTheFox]

My favorite stud mouse is going downhill. He's got tumors in his gut and he's pretty old, but I'm still bummed. He perked up a lot after I got his body temp up and he's been eating and drinking again but there's no way to know how long he's got left. I know he's not suffering. When I found him last night I thought he'd go within the hour but he didn't and he still seemed like he was interested in his environment even though he was very weak so I got him on a heat pad and he perked up a lot when he got warmed up (weak mice cannot maintain their own core temp).

[Armagedd0n]

I recently got my female mouse Bean. She is totally adorable . I would insert in a photo but sadly I don't know how..

A few weeks ago while I was picking up her tipped over house (That little rascal) she climbed up my arm and jumped onto the carpet below. Immediately I slammed the door and got my mum to help me find her. We found her between the wall and a piece of wood not far from her cage.

Then the other day while I was cleaning her cage I stuck my hand in the tub (Thats where we put her when we are cleaning her house) to pick her up and give her a pat. Then she ran up my arm and onto my back. I had to get my dad to grab her and place her back into the tub.

I dont know what is with her, I keep thinking she just likes being up high or something.. I would love if someone could tell whats up with my little Boop (her nickname). Also if you could recommend anything to make her happy and playful please tell me. Also I found a mouse harness with her behavior should I use it or just toss the idea?

-eel

[Keriae]

I recently got my female mouse Bean. She is totally adorable . I would insert in a photo but sadly I don't know how..

A few weeks ago while I was picking up her tipped over house (That little rascal) she climbed up my arm and jumped onto the carpet below. Immediately I slammed the door and got my mum to help me find her. We found her between the wall and a piece of wood not far from her cage.

Then the other day while I was cleaning her cage I stuck my hand in the tub (Thats where we put her when we are cleaning her house) to pick her up and give her a pat. Then she ran up my arm and onto my back. I had to get my dad to grab her and place her back into the tub.

I dont know what is with her, I keep thinking she just likes being up high or something.. I would love if someone could tell whats up with my little Boop (her nickname). Also if you could recommend anything to make her happy and playful please tell me. Also I found a mouse harness with her behavior should I use it or just toss the idea?

-eel

I'd make sure her cage is big enough and has plenty of places for her to get high and climb! You can buy perches for parrots and rats to clip around, and include lots of toys!
I'd also set up somewhere where she can free roam but not get into any trouble c: I'd scrap the harness, she'll probably find a way to get out of it.
I believe female mice should be kept in pairs or groups, so I'd try to get her a friend, too.

[w0ah]

-snip-

I dont know what is with her, I keep thinking she just likes being up high or something.. I would love if someone could tell whats up with my little Boop (her nickname). Also if you could recommend anything to make her happy and playful please tell me. Also I found a mouse harness with her behavior should I use it or just toss the idea?

-eel

Mice love clutter. I have a 20 gallon tank and it is filled to the brim. I use all the space to make it more exciting. For example, they have several shelves they can climb up to, and lots of pieces of driftwood they love to climb on. There's an egg carton in there for foraging, where I occasionally put in a few fresh vegetables and treats. Mice seem to love egg cartons, because they simulate tunnels and such that they can climb through ( make sure to only use paper cartons, not styrofoam ). All floor space is pretty much covered in toys, chews, and a few toilet paper rolls, which they also love. I even have a few fleece hammocks they can climb into, and they honestly love jumping in them and looking around, because it is at such a high point.

As for your mouse, the first thing I would do is get her a companion. Mice naturally live in groups/colonies in the wild, and the females pretty much rely on each other. Make sure you introduce them properly, though, as you would want to make sure everything goes smoothly. I would also recommend making her cage just more exciting overall. Give her lots of toys, perches/shelves, and plenty of things to explore and climb on. You can buy pieces of sterilized drift wood at the pet store, and you can even use your own. But, you'll have to sterilize it yourself. There are lots of toys marketed toward other rodents/animals that work just as well for mice, and they love them.

If your mouse is bored and searching for activity, place fresh vegetables around the cage in hidden areas only a few days a week and make her forage for them. You can even spread her seed mix ( if that is what you feed her ) throughout the cage and hidden in places so that she has to find it. This will be like exercise to her, and she would love it. This also simulates things they do in the wild to find food and such, which may make her less bored. You can even change toys out and put new things in occasionally if she still seems bored. Your mouse should love their home and space so much that they don't even try to come out. My mice peek out of the cage but seem to never be interested in finding a way out, but I wont take any chances. Mice are sneaky little things.

Hope this helped :))

-rose

[ghostmaker]

hey !!!

i'm back,,,,,, again


i'm stuck between choosing a detolf cage or making a diy bin cage??

any advice? c:



edit;; also need some help with buying bedding !!! i know that i should use aspen, but idk which brand to buy ?

[Keriae]

hey !!!

i'm back,,,,,, again


i'm stuck between choosing a detolf cage or making a diy bin cage??

any advice? c:



edit;; also need some help with buying bedding !!! i know that i should use aspen, but idk which brand to buy ?

I'd personally go with the detolf if you have room! I just think it looks better xD
I use Carefresh, though it is expensive. I know some people use hemp bedding? And if you're in the UK you can get something very similar to Carefresh, called Fitch c: It's cheaper and you can buy in bulk - I just have nowhere to store it.

[cardboardteeth]

hello everybody !! sorry to be posting again, but I have some more questions ;v;

at the end of the year, I'm considering getting ratties. I was looking around for some good cages and I saw this one [single level] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N ... PDKIKX0DER do you guys think this'd be good for two adult rats?

[Sabatea]

hello everybody !! sorry to be posting again, but I have some more questions ;v;

at the end of the year, I'm considering getting ratties. I was looking around for some good cages and I saw this one [single level] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N ... PDKIKX0DER do you guys think this'd be good for two adult rats?

Absolutely! I have the same cage and it’s wonderful. Tons of space to hang toys and accessories, and the wide doors make for easy cleaning. The only issue there may be is that there is not a tall bin in the bottom for substrate. If you planned on using litter with them, you may have to buy a taller pan in the bottom to accomodate it. ^^

[cardboardteeth]

@sabatea
thank you!

I was actually thinking of putting fleece on the bottom, since I've heard it's okay for all small rodents. Is it true for rats?

[Sabatea]

@sabatea
thank you!

I was actually thinking of putting fleece on the bottom, since I've heard it's okay for all small rodents. Is it true for rats?

I used fleece for a long time with rats, but eventually moved on to substrate. My rats, though not all will, tended to rip holes in the fleece. It also wasn’t the best for smell, but if you have a few different squares and can switch them out often that will help a lot. Something to remember is also that fleece itself should be used as a barrier between the rat and the urine, and it will be best to have something underneath the fleece to help pull the urine away.

I’ve heard of some people using towels, puppy liners, paper towels, etc. underneath the fleece. I personally used a reusable diaper sheet thing? xD It was a strip of cloth that was meant to be absorbent and ysed to make reuseable diapers. :3