Mice & Rats ( Free Ads ) | Pets Classifieds

Having decided to keep pet mice or rats, ensure you provide the best care for them. Besides their cute and playful qualities, what attracted you to mice or rats is the fact that they take up less space and require less maintenance. However, low maintenance does not mean zero maintenance. The three main aspects that you need to consider to ensure the best health of your pets are nutrition, hygiene and exercise/play.

Nutrition
Improper diet is the cause of the most common ailments in mice and rats. A poor diet can result in obesity, diarrhoea or overgrown teeth. Provide a balanced diet, high in fibre and limit or avoid high-fat foods such as nuts and sunflower seeds. Include coarse vegetable matter or fibrous roughage to encourage the natural wearing of teeth. Commercially available foods and pellets should be the mainstay of a nutritious diet for mice and rats. Balanced "block" type diets are ideal, since they are nutritionally complete and provide the added benefit of gnawing exercise. Make sure commercial foods are complete or balanced to ensure proper nutrition. Vary their diet by supplementing with small amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially items such as carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and apples. Fruits and vegetables should only make up a small percentage of the total diet. While they are nutritious, excess fruit and vegetables can cause diarrhoea. Rats have a "sweet-tooth." Resist the temptation of feeding anything sugary or with processed sugar. Consider healthier treat options such as small pieces of fruit. These treats should be given occasionally in small quantities based around a nutritionally complete diet. In addition to a balanced diet, remember to provide a daily source of clean fresh water for your mice.

Hygiene
Mice and rats have a natural musk to them, but their smell should be slight and not unpleasant. The primary cause of strong odours is inadequate cleaning routines. It is important to regularly clean and sanitise cages, not only to minimise odours but also to keep your pets healthy. Proper maintenance is important, especially if your pets are housed in a glass aquarium where ventilation may not be adequate. Vapours from urine or other waste can linger. Wet bedding materials or uneaten fresh foods can encourage the growth of bacteria, mildew and fungus. These conditions can cause respiratory ailments. Uneaten foods should be removed and dishes and water bottles cleaned daily when new food and fresh water is given. Heavily soiled areas should be removed from the bedding material daily. The entire cage, including accessories, should be thoroughly cleaned and the bedding changed once a week. Clean the cage and accessories weekly with hot soapy water to remove any hardened material and sanitize using mild bleach or disinfectant to kill germs. Thoroughly rinse the cage and accessories. Make sure they are completely dry before replacing.

Exercise and Play
Mice and rats are very intelligent social animals, and can quickly become bored if not provided with sufficient stimulation. This can result in undesirable activities such as excess chewing or gnawing, constant moving or rearrangement of accessories, or regular attempts to escape. Provide toys and an exercise wheel for activity and stimulation while you are away. Chew toys are a good choice since they offer stimulation as well as gnawing exercise that help wear down teeth. When you are home, spend at least half an hour a day playing and with your pet(s) outside of the cage. Never leave them unattended, when they are out of their cages. Pet rats are very intelligent and can learn to respond to their name and come to you when called. Time spent training your pet rat is quality time socialising and interacting with your pet. Call your pet rat by name and reward him with a treat each time he responds correctly. Provide a healthy, happy life for your pet with proper nutrition, cleaning and exercise. Observing these three basic aspects will make caring for your pet easier and rewarding for both you and your pet.

Housing

Cage Size and Accessories
Other than size, mice and rats have essentially the same requirements for housing. A wire cage is best, allowing 12 x 24 inches of floor space for two rats or four to five mice. The wire cage also encourages climbing and offers exercise and stimulation. Your design can expand horizontally or vertically, dependent on the space available, to accommodate ramps, wheels, climbing platforms, ladders, and other toys (toilet paper and paper towel cardboard rolls make wonderful tunnels for running). Mice and rats need and enjoy a lot of exercise, so be sure the cage and accessories can fill this need.

Bedding
Bedding material serves many purposes, including:

Providing a sense of security and insulation.
Absorbing moisture from waste materials.
Nesting material during breeding.

The ideal bedding material should be clean, non-toxic and free of oils or preservatives. Since heavily soiled areas of the bedding should be removed daily, bedding material should also be easy to replace, relatively dust free and absorbent for convenient maintenance. There are a variety of bedding materials available, including: wood shavings (avoid pine and cedar), shredded paper, processed corncobs and pellets. Recycled shredded paper is a good choice and is environmentally friendly. Shredded paper towels work well for nesting areas usually created in one corner of the cage. Commercially available bedding is also readily accepted by small pets and is hassle-free for you. Selecting the appropriate bedding material can make for convenient maintenance and create a clean and safe environment.

Location
The ideal cage location is in a quiet area, though still within view of what is going on . Placing the cage on a table or stand will help your mice or rats feel more secure. Avoid placing the cage in direct sunlight or draughty areas, and prevent access to the cage by other household pets, especially cats and dogs.