Looking After Your Pet Mice

To keep your mouse comfortable and healthy it is vital that you select the ideal cage, food and bedding for mice. If these things fall into place, then you can concentrate on enjoying your new pet, knowing your mouse is well provided for. This article will look at caring for your rodent and providing the right cage, food and mouse litter.

Mice Bedding  - click here to buy our universal pet bedding online!

A Guide to Choosing the Perfect Bedding
Mice will nibble on almost anything within their reach. So when it comes to choosing your mouse litter, it is important to use one that is safe for them to ingest. As SmartBedz is made entirely from straw, it is completely harmless for your mouse to eat.

Odour Control
Like most rodents, mice will go to the toilet wherever they choose. Despite being so tiny, they are known to be especially odorous, so you will need to choose mouse litter that will soak up urine and control smells - particularly if you have lots of mice, as smells will build up quickly. An alternative is to clean the cage out more often, but this takes time and will disturb your pet. Another option is to use a spray or scented bedding, however, as many of these products contain artificial chemicals, they can aggravate your mouse and may even cause allergy problems. So choosing a solution like SmartBedz for your mice bedding is ideal - as it immediately absorbs moisture and prevents oxidisation, which is the principle cause of odour.

Using SmartBedz you can spot clean your cage on a daily basis and give it a more complete cleanse less often. How regularly this is done, depends on how many mice you have in the cage. To spot clean just scoop out the swollen pellets and put a new layer of SmartBedz on top. This means a bag of SmartBedz lasts longer and is very cost effective form of mouse litter / bedding.

Mice Bedding / Litter - What Not to Use
Softwood shavings, such as pine or cedarwood, are hazardous to mice as the natural oils in the wood can cause health problems.  Sawdust is much too dusty for mice who use their nose to hunt for food. And clumping clay litters should never be used as it can cause blockages in respiratory and digestive systems.
SmartBedz is the perfect bedding for mice as it has no added chemicals so it does not cause irritation. It is made entirely out of straw with the dust extracted and the resulting product compacted into pellets.

Summary of Benefits of Using SmartBedz Mouse Litter

• SmartBedz mouse litter is non-toxic, so it is totally safe for your mouse to use.
• It is organic, so can be disposed of on the compost heap and small amounts flushed away.
• SmartBedz is the perfect solution to litter / bedding for mice as it is non-toxic, quickly soaks up moisture, defeats odour and has no added chemicals.
• It is virtually dust free, so does not irritate your mouse and as it is a natural product it can be safely gnawed on or eaten by your mouse.

A Balanced Diet for Your Mouse
Always make sure your mouse is hydrated by giving them clean, fresh water daily and cleaning out their bottle once a week.

Mice are rodents and will eat almost anything; however, you need to provide them with the right nutrition to keep them healthy. There is plenty of commercially available food on the market for mice. Extruded pellets provide a balanced diet but can be a bit monotonous for them, if that is their only form of diet. Instead grain and seed based mixes can be used together with extruded pellets.

Foods to avoid include lettuce as it will give them the runs and citrus fruit which will upset their stomach. You can give your mice commercially available treats, but only offer these to them periodically and in small quantities.

Keeping a Healthy Mouse
Mice are sociable creatures and like to have company so make sure that you have a cage big enough for at least two. Two females are the best choice, as two males together will squabble unless they have been brought up in the same cage together.

Make sure that they have lots of human handling and contact; however, as they are nocturnal creatures, this is best done during the evenings.

Mice have a short life-span and live around 18 months to two years, but they can live as long as three years. When you select your pet, choose one that has a smooth, clean coat, pink and clear skin on their nose and tail. Make sure they have no discharge on their nose and eyes and their eyes are bright, not cloudy.
Mice can get skin conditions which can be caused by food intolerance or parasite infections. This can be identified by itchy skin or sores. What causes the food intolerance will vary from mouse to mouse but can include oily seeds or peanuts.

If you have any concerns about your pet, make sure you talk through the symptoms with your vet who will best advise you on treatment.

Mice litter - click here to buy SmartBedz from our online shop

Picking the Right Cage for Your Mice
As mice like to have a go at nibbling anything, the best cages for your mouse are those made of wire of glass. A wire cage with a solid floor is a fantastic choice for a mouse as they can use the bars to climb up you can also attach toys to the side. Make sure that the wires are spaced close enough together to keep the mice in (you will be surprised about how small a gap your mouse can squeeze through).

If you choose a glass aquarium, ensure it has a secure mesh lid. Provide your mice with an environment which will stimulate and entertain them, with lots of toys and climbing areas. A glass aquarium means you can give your rodents a deep enough layer of mouse litter / bedding without worrying that it will spill all over the floor.

Whether you choose a wire cage with a solid floor, or an aquarium, your mice will regularly come into contact with the bedding you choose so make sure that it is natural and dust-free option, such as SmartBedz.

Mouse litter - click here to buy SmartBedz from our online shop.