How to Care for Mice & Rats

Rats and mice are common all over the world. Although they have a bad reputation as household pests, they, in fact, make excellent pets when appropriately housed and cared for. They are small, cute, clean, and friendly animals that don't have the space requirements of a cat or dog, and are quieter than a bird. There are many different breeds, making it easy to pick one that you will like. There are a number of simple steps involved in caring for these animals to keep them happy and healthy as pets.

Things You'll Need

  • Glass aquarium
  • Mesh cage
  • Cardboard
  • Empty tissue boxes
  • Water dispenser
  • Shredded paper
  • Rodent food
  • Fresh vegetables
  • Exercise wheel
  • Toilet paper tubes
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Instructions

    • 1

      Give your rodents a good cage. Glass-walled aquariums with locking screen lids work best, but wire mesh cages can also work as long as the mesh has 1/4-inch, or smaller, openings. This mesh will hurt the animal's feet, so line the bottom of the cage with cardboard or plastic.

    • 2

      Place the cage. Avoid putting it too near heating vents or drafts from windows. Don't put the cage in direct sunlight and make sure it is in a quiet spot as, according to the American Humane Society, rats and mice are both sensitive to temperature and noise.

    • 3

      Provide hiding places. A few empty tissue boxes will give your mice and rats a place to hide, which keeps their anxiety levels low.

    • 4

      Separate your animals when necessary. Mice and rats should not be housed with strangers or the opposite sex. They are territorial animals that are likely to fight. Never put mice and rats together in the same cage, as they do not get along. If you have a pregnant female, she should be housed alone. This makes them less likely to eat their babies, a behavior that can be prompted by anxiety.

    • 5

      Keep the cage clean. Line the cage with shredded paper or wood for the rats or mice to urinate and defecate in. It is also possible to put in a small litter box with unscented cat litter, although this will likely only be used for defecation. Clean out the bedding every 3 to 5 days, but leave some unsoiled older bedding behind each time to make sure the cage still smells right to your animals. Avoid using pine and cedar shavings as bedding, as they may irritate the skin and lungs of your mice or rats.

    • 6

      Feed your mice and rats packaged rodent food, and supplement their diets with harder fruits and vegetables such as carrots and apples. Make sure that they have a water dispenser and that it is kept full.

    • 7

      Provide something to play with. Both rats and mice love exercise wheels, and will enjoy paper towel rolls and empty egg cartons for building, playing, and chewing. Rats also need a piece of untreated wood to gnaw, as their teeth never stop growing and must be ground down.

    • 8

      Take care when handling mice and rats. They don't see well, so let them know you are there by talking to them and allowing them to smell your hand before picking them up. Make sure to wash your hands first; if they have a smell of food, they may bite. When you pick up a mouse or rat, treat them like a small kitten. Don't pick them up by the tail, and don't throw them around. To clean their cages, it may be simplest to move them to a small plastic container so that your hands are free.