Mice Do Not Make For Great Pets

Just look how adorable he is! With his little twitchy nose and whiskers! The kids will love him! And his cage won’t take up much room at all!

Every year, thousands of mice are sold as pets. A lot of the time, they’re a “compromise” pet. A cat or dog is too much responsibility and too much of a time commitment, so a small, caged rodent seems like a good second-best choice. Maybe when the kids are older, we can talk about a kitten…

Smelly Little Things

Even under the watchful care of a conscientious pet owner, mice are fairly smelly, males in particular. Constant changing of bedding and nesting materials and routine washing and sanitizing of an enclosure will not remove that smell. The best you can hope for is to temporarily diminish it.

Escape Artists

As we discussed here, a house mouse can squeeze through an opening the size of a dime. They are also fast, agile, and have quick reflexes. As careful as one might be when opening a cage to do maintenance, a pet mouse is almost certain to escape at some point. That leads to a chase, which may end with a larger household pet, a little farther up the food chain, having an unexpected snack.

If you do have a mouse escape, your pet has just turned into an infestation. Once free, a pet mouse will revert to wild behavior, and all the associated pest activity that comes with it. If it sets up residence inside your walls or ceiling, you’ve just contributed to future household damage.

Diseases

There are numerous diseases associated with pet mice. Just because it came from a pet store or “respected breeder” doesn’t mean it is disease-free for life. Some of these illnesses can send you or your kids to the hospital. Also, the more neglect for cage cleaning, the more likely your mouse will become infected with something, as hygiene becomes increasingly bad.

If you absolutely must have a mouse as a pet, Mice Mob Exterminators can give you advice and recommendations that decrease the chances of bad consequences. But our number one recommendation is: consider a kitten.