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Rats and Mice

May 16th, 2019 |      0 comments

Most people are turned off by the idea of having even just a single mouse in their home. But there are people who see rats and mice as perfect pets. This is especially true for parents looking for a starter pet for their young child.

Domesticated rats and mice are actually very educational and entertaining pets to keep. They’re also very clean and can teach your child a lot about how to be responsible for their pet.

Rats and mice are very clean and spend hours upon hours cleaning and grooming themselves and others.

They’ll spend most of the day sleeping and come out to play in the afternoon or when it gets dark outside. 

As starter pets, rats and mice won’t take too much of your budget. Here’s what you’ll need to raise rats or mice.

But before that, here are some things you should keep in mind.
 
  1. If you’re just starting out, don’t buy a male and female pair. You’d be surprised at how quickly rats and mice breed!
  2. If you really want to keep a pair of rats or mice, go for two females instead of two males as they are more likely to get along well.
  3. Buy from a reputable breeder to get healthy animals.
  4. Never let them out of your sight even for a second as these little critters are excellent escape artists!
  
brown rat

Housing

A sizeable, airy cage is perfect for rats and mice. Allot at least 2 square feet of space per animal so it doesn’t feel overcrowded. A wire cage with a flat plastic bottom is great for rats and mice. Supplying them with wood scrapings and other bedding material will make them feel at home.

Reserve a small box that they can hide in when they want some privacy.

Make sure their cage is out of reach of other pets as they might get stressed out if your dog or cat fancy sniffing around.

Clean the cage regularly to reduce the risk of health concerns. It’ll also make the cage smell better.

Diet

Commercial rat and mice food are available in most pet stores. These are usually complete with the vitamins and minerals needed to keep them healthy. Still, it won’t hurt to add a few fresh leafy greens and vegetables for them to munch on every day to keep them healthier.

Exercise

Most rat and mice cages come with an exercise wheel. This is a good way to keep your pet entertained but a better option is to purchase a hamster ball and let them explore their surroundings while getting a good workout. This will also keep them safe from other larger pets or from getting stepped on accidentally.

Other things you might want to know:

Rats and Mice belong to the order Rodentia. This means, “to gnaw”. Make sure you supply your pet with something hard enough to gnaw on every now and then to keep their teeth in check otherwise it’ll grow out of control leading to health problems. 

Rats and mice have relatively short lives. Keeping them healthy will make them live longer and to their full potential.

Visit this page to shop for rat and mice accessories
 
 

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