Pet Mice Care

People usually look up pet mice care when they’re about to bring mice home (or something has started to smell, scratch, sneeze, or go wrong in the cage) and they want quick, reliable basics: what setup is safe, what to feed, and what “normal” looks like.

Mice are hardy in the right conditions and surprisingly delicate in the wrong ones. Heat, stale air, poor bedding, and a stressful social mix can tip them into illness fast. The notes below focus on practical choices that keep mice comfortable, active, and easier to care for day to day.^{1, 9}

Housing and cage requirements

A good mouse enclosure does three things quietly and continuously: it lets them move, it stays dry, and it clears smells before those smells become lung irritants. Well-ventilated cages with a solid base and wire sides are often the sweet spot, because they’re easier to keep fresh than tanks or tubs and still allow deep bedding for digging.^{1, 3}

Focus on airflow and cleanliness. Mouse urine breaks down into ammonia, which can build up quickly in poorly ventilated or rarely cleaned enclosures and irritate the airways.⁹

What to look for in a cage

• Solid flooring (wire or grid floors can injure feet and legs).¹
• Secure, escape-proof design (mice are small, persistent, and good climbers).²
• Good ventilation to keep humidity and ammonia down.⁹
• Protection from heat and direct sun (heat stress can be fatal).²

Bedding and nesting (what’s safe)

Use bedding that’s absorbent, low-dust, and non-toxic. Recycled paper pellets and shredded paper products are commonly recommended and make day-to-day cleaning straightforward.³

Add separate nesting material so they can build covered nests and regulate body temperature. Paper strips and shredded paper work well. Avoid fluffy fibres like cotton wool: long strands can tangle around toes and legs, and may be swallowed.^{1, 3}

Temperature and placement

Keep the enclosure in a sheltered, well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight and strong winds. If the room regularly gets hot, plan for cooling (shade, airflow, and moving the cage to a cooler part of the house) before summer arrives.²

Feeding and nutrition

A balanced base diet matters more than a long list of “superfoods”. For most pet mice, a good-quality pelleted mouse diet is the steady foundation, with small amounts of suitable fresh foods for variety and enrichment.^{5, 7}

Avoid relying on seed-heavy mixes. They’re easy for mice to selectively eat, and many mixes run high in fat and sugar compared with a balanced pellet.^{5, 7}

Water

Provide clean water at all times. Bottles are often cleaner than bowls (bowls fill with bedding and droppings), but bottles must be checked daily to make sure they’re not blocked or leaking. Having more than one bottle is a sensible backup.⁵

Treats (small, occasional)

Treats are useful for gentle handling practice, but keep them modest. As a rule of thumb, treats should be a small portion of the overall diet (for example, no more than about 10% of calories).⁵

Exercise and enrichment

Mice stay in better condition when the cage gives them reasons to move: climbing routes, tunnels, elevated hides, and objects to investigate. Many will use a running wheel enthusiastically, and wheels are commonly recommended to increase exercise and reduce boredom.¹⁰

Offer enrichment that matches natural behaviours: nesting, burrowing, climbing, and foraging. Cardboard tubes and boxes are simple, replaceable, and usually well used. Rotate items occasionally rather than packing the cage so full that cleaning becomes difficult.¹⁰

Health and veterinary care

Pet mice hide illness well. Subtle changes—less movement, fluffed coat, weight loss, noisy breathing, discharge around the eyes or nose, diarrhoea, or a sudden change in behaviour—are often more meaningful than a single dramatic sign.

Good husbandry is preventative medicine: clean bedding, steady ventilation, and avoiding heat stress reduce the risk of common respiratory problems and general decline.^{2, 9}

If you’re worried, contact a vet early. Tiny animals can deteriorate quickly, and delays reduce the chance of a straightforward recovery.

Hygiene for people (bites, cleaning, and infection risk)

Rodents can carry infections. Basic precautions make a real difference: wash hands after handling mice or cage items, keep cages clean, and clean out cages in a well-ventilated area when possible. Avoid kissing rodents or holding them close to your face, and supervise children closely.⁶

If a mouse bites you, wash the wound with soap and water and seek medical advice—tetanus protection may be needed, and sometimes antibiotics are recommended depending on the bite and your health situation.⁸

Grooming and hygiene

Most mice keep themselves clean. Your main grooming job is environmental: keeping bedding dry, removing soiled patches regularly, and doing full cleans often enough that the enclosure doesn’t smell.^{2, 9}

Use handling time as a quiet health check. Look for skin irritation, bald patches, scabs, signs of scratching, and any lumps that weren’t there last week.

Socialisation and handling

Mice are social, and many do better with company. Same-sex groups are usually recommended, and undesexed males are more likely to fight if housed together.^{1, 7}

For handling, go slowly and be predictable. Support the whole body, and don’t lift mice by the tail. Frequent, gentle sessions help them become accustomed to your hands without being overwhelmed.¹

Common behavioural issues and practical fixes

Most “behaviour problems” in mice trace back to fear, cramped housing, poor ventilation, or a stressful social mix. Before assuming temperament, check the basics: space, hiding places, bedding, and whether cage mates are compatible.^{1, 9}

• Nipping or biting during handling: slow down, offer a safe hide in the cage, and use tiny treats to build calm associations. Avoid sudden grabs from above.
• Fighting: review sex and group structure; undesexed males together can be a bad mix. Add multiple hides and feeding stations so one mouse can’t “own” everything.¹
• Restlessness or bar-chewing: add a wheel, more climbing routes, and safe cardboard to shred, then rotate items to keep the environment interesting.¹⁰

Breeding and reproduction

Breeding pet mice is easy to start and hard to do well. It also creates a rapid welfare problem if you don’t have homes, separation space, and a vet plan. If you keep males and females together, assume breeding will occur.¹

In most households, the safer default is to keep same-sex groups (or desexed animals where available) and focus on good care rather than breeding.^{1, 7}

Final thoughts

Pet mice thrive on a few steady conditions: fresh air, dry bedding, gentle social stability, and food that’s boring in the best way. Get the enclosure right, keep it clean without stripping away every familiar scent, and let their daily routines—nesting, climbing, foraging—do the rest.

References

1. RSPCA Australia – Caring for pet mice
2. RSPCA NSW – How to care for your pet mouse
3. RSPCA Knowledgebase – Where should I keep my mice?
4. Agriculture Victoria – Caring for pet rats and mice
5. RSPCA Knowledgebase – What should I feed my mice?
6. CDC – Interim guidance for minimising risk of LCMV infection associated with rodents
7. RSPCA WA – Adopting a rat or mouse (pocket pets guidance)
8. NSW Health – Staying healthy during a mouse plague (rodent contact and bite advice)
9. RSPCA Knowledgebase – How should I care for my mice?
10. NSW Department of Education – Animals in Schools: Mice (environment, exercise, bedding)