New Mouse Owner & Cage Questions

by sara.benaglio on Mon Apr 17, 2017 7:35 pm

Hi. This is the second time making a thread because I can't seem to find my old one. I just recently rescued a female mouse from owners who didn't want her and shes currently in a bin cage. Its 20 by 15 and had a ventilated too but nothing on the sides yet. She seems happy, active, eating, all that but I have a couple questions. Is there a possibility she'll chew through the bin cage? I havent seen her chew anything but she is curious. Shes timid, shy, but trusting and wont jump from high places. And does she need a companion? How do I introduce them?

by MooMouse on Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:06 pm

Hello and welcome! I believe that with any type of plastic cage there is a possibility of chewing through. From the "Proper Housing" Thread:

While bins have a lot of great features, there is a risk of mice chewing out of them. To help make sure your mice stay in, you should choose a bin that has a flat floor (no edges, bumps, etc for mouse teeth to get a good grip on) and make sure all holes that are made in the bin are covered and secured with wire mesh/hardware cloth that's squares are no more than 1/4 an inch.

And she will need a companion (or two). Female mice cannot live alone and can become very depressed. The ideal number of females in a group would be three, it is best for their social structure. But two is good as well Smile

Here is more information on keeping mice together: https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t19-keeping-mice-together-introducing-them

You will have to do something called quarantine before you introduce them to eachother. Quarantine helps prevent possible deadly diseases being transferred from one mouse to another. You can read more about that here: https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t7-quarantine?highlight=quarantine

If you have any questions please ask Very Happy

Mice are lovely little pets, I'm sure you will be glad that you got involved with them.

by PastelMouse on Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:11 pm

Depends on the bin shape. Flat walled bins can't really be chewed, but any plastic that sticks out may be chewed. Could you possibly add a picture?

by sara.benaglio on Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:25 pm

I'm not sure how to reply separately to both of your comments but I'll try to insert a picture when I figure out how. The been is flat on all sides and where two sides were to connect it is rounded so there no edgs for her to really bite. she was rescued by me buying her from a bin of unwanted fancy female mice. If I adopted another one from the same bin would they still need to be quarantined? And if so how do I quarantine and for how long?

by **scaredymouse** on Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:01 pm

They would still need to be quarantined. Someone already posted the links that describes quarantine and the introduction process, scroll through the comments and you should see it.

by sara.benaglio on Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:05 pm

Okay. Is there a thread on bin cages? Im trying to find the best way to cut plastic. I have all the measurements

by **Peachy** on Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:34 pm

I think this bin cage tutorial is really neat... I linked to it on the Proper Housing thread, but I'll share here too:
https://hammyhappenings.wordpress.com/diy-hamster-cage-bin-cage/

In the side panel of this site, there's a link called "Pet Mouse Info" that has a lot of great informational stickies listed. It wouldn't be a bad to idea check all of them out when you have time... there's lots of good-to-know stuff for new owners. Smile

Here's another bin cage discussion that might be worth a read:
https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t1328-diy-bin-cages-info-page

When I make bin cages, I heat up the tip of a butter knife on the stove to cut a section out of the lid, then poke holes with a screwdriver so I can use zip ties to attach mesh. It's not the most attractive, but it's extra simple and effective enough to keep everyone safe.

by sara.benaglio on Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:37 pm

Thats exactly what I wanted to do. Does the heat on the butter knife ruin the knife? And did you have problems cutting a straight line? I did some practice cuts with blades and knives which all ended up having a curve.

by **Peachy** on Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:42 pm

The knife had some melted plastic stuck to it and was kinda burned from catching on fire... but I made bins frequently enough that I just saved it for plastic cutting. lol

If you go slow and keep the knife hot, it's easier to make straight lines. I'm impatient and always ended up with an imperfect opening because I got tired of reheating the knife. It didn't look too bad once it was sanded, though. Drawing out what you want to cut beforehand is helpful too.

by sara.benaglio on Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:44 pm

I have everything drawn and measured. Did you have any cracks?

by **Peachy** on Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:57 pm

If you try to cut it without some heated tool, it's going to crack. You could use a cheap secondhand/Dollar store knife and a candle, or something like a soldering iron... as long as it's hot enough to melt the plastic.

I fixed a small crack with a duct tape border, but it won't work for large cracks, and you want to make sure your mouse can't get to the tape at all.

by sara.benaglio on Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:59 pm

Did you put the wire mesh on the inside or outside of the bin? I feel like ducktape will ruin the aesthetic even more because it'll be blocking your vision from seeing inside the cage

by **Peachy** on Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:09 pm

I agree about the duct tape... but I never made windows, just a hole in the roof, so it didn't prevent me from seeing much. It added a neat touch, a pretty little frame. Smile

I prefer to have mesh on the outside. If you put it inside, make sure you trim and fold the edges, so that your mice don't get injured on anything sharp. @Rodents Rock! shared a neat idea a while ago, too. She attached a lid instead of attaching mesh, so no sharp edges too worry about! Here's the link if you're interested:
https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t753-bin-cage-questions#8602

by sara.benaglio on Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:10 pm

I'll be sure to check it out! Thank you!

by Rodents rock! on Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:39 pm

@Peachy wrote:I agree about the duct tape... but I never made windows, just a hole in the roof, so it didn't prevent me from seeing much. It added a neat touch, a pretty little frame.

I prefer to have mesh on the outside. If you put it inside, make sure you trim and fold the edges, so that your mice don't get injured on anything sharp. @Rodents Rock! shared a neat idea a while ago, too. She attached a lid instead of attaching mesh, so no sharp edges too worry about! Here's the link if you're interested:
https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t753-bin-cage-questions#8602

Hi Peachy, thanks for referencing my bin cage! Good to know it was helpful. The brown gerbil in the photos was my Pip that passed in December. Was nice to see him in the photo. He sure was a great and extremely friendly gerbil. Smile

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