I have an addiction...
+3
CallaLily
scaredymouse
MouseLover
7 posters
Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
I have an addiction...
So the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem, right? I'm addicted to buying mouse toys
I honestly think I buy more things for my mice than I do for myself. My mouse toy-box is overflowing, so I'll have to get another one. They can only fit so many items in their cage at once, so I'm actually considering getting a bigger cage... just to accommodate more toys.
The maddest thing about it, is that deep down, I know that my mice are just as happy with cardboard boxes, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls and home-made MES's. I honestly think their idea of a perfect environment would be a dumpster
So why do I keep spending money on toys for them
?! I guess it just makes me happy when their cage looks nice and full to the brim with activities. Like, I want to know that I've done my best to create a happy environment for them. I want living with me, as their mouse-mama, to be the equivalent of winning the mouse-lottery. I love them, so I want to spoil them
Does anyone else have a bad spending habit with regards to their mice? I'm a bit out of control lately

I honestly think I buy more things for my mice than I do for myself. My mouse toy-box is overflowing, so I'll have to get another one. They can only fit so many items in their cage at once, so I'm actually considering getting a bigger cage... just to accommodate more toys.
The maddest thing about it, is that deep down, I know that my mice are just as happy with cardboard boxes, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls and home-made MES's. I honestly think their idea of a perfect environment would be a dumpster



Does anyone else have a bad spending habit with regards to their mice? I'm a bit out of control lately

_________________
Current Mice: None.
Rainbow Bridge: Daisy, Peach, Ivy, Penelope, Hazel, Ruby, Clover, Peanut, Minnie, Ginger, Honey, Violet, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.
Re: I have an addiction...
I have 7 mice, 5 hamsters, and 2 cats. I also spend all my money on them. I had to laugh, I agree that the mice would be just as happy in a trashcan. I'm well aware that they are appreciative of anything, whether it be a cardboard box from the trash or fancy wooden thingamajig from Europe. I love them and I love to make them happy. I have a lot of tanks in my house, so I like them to look nice. When I first got my mice, I thought it was going to hate cleaning the tank every week. But I absolutely love cleaning day and decorating everyone's tanks.
In addition to buying all these silly things, I also make a lot of stuff and they appreciate every little thing
In addition to buying all these silly things, I also make a lot of stuff and they appreciate every little thing

scaredymouse- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 2458
Re: I have an addiction...
I'm with ya too. I'm always on the look out for some cute mouse toy or something I can repurpose as a mouse toy. I might have a couple bins full....and a couple packages on the way. I'm also guilty of checking out food ingredients at the grocery store for more treat options for the mice. My husband gets so frustrated with me.
I have more food dishes for them then I need but recently couldn't resist a pretty ceramic fall leaf dish for .50 cents at a local thrift store. Every thing I look at I'm always thinking "Is it safe for the mice? Can they use it? Would they like it?"
I've also never been more interested in wrapping paper (for backgrounds) and window clings. Gotta pretty the outside of their tank too.

I've also never been more interested in wrapping paper (for backgrounds) and window clings. Gotta pretty the outside of their tank too.

CallaLily- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 3937
Re: I have an addiction...
I have the exact same problem
my mother often says that my mice are living a better life than I am ^_^
But it's just so nice to find new toys for them, and if I find something I've never seen before, I just need to have it! The worst part is that I often go completely crazy over toys from other countries, that I can't have
I have to agree with you, it's an addiction. But as an excuse I always say that they did not choose to live with me, so I want to give them everything they need - and more

But it's just so nice to find new toys for them, and if I find something I've never seen before, I just need to have it! The worst part is that I often go completely crazy over toys from other countries, that I can't have

I have to agree with you, it's an addiction. But as an excuse I always say that they did not choose to live with me, so I want to give them everything they need - and more

Re: I have an addiction...
I find that I keep buying stuff that isn't made for fuzzy critters at all. I'm always thinking about them, what they might like, if something looks fun, or yummy. In my defense, I don't have much else going on in my life.... so actually, I would be kind of a jerk if I wasn't spending all of my time making them happy. here is a sample of all the junk I have going on with all my critters. what kind of neat stuff do you guys have?
this little pink castle is a fish tank toy (I also have the spongebob pineapple):

this rock maze thingy is a reptile toy, but the mice *love* it:

here's a bunch of silly stuff! I've been really into kitchen sponge holders, it's cute to see a mouse taking a nap in a ceramic frog mouth

bird coconut hideaway and a hanging bird toy and an upside down mouse

every Christmas, I end up with more of these things

then of course, I make a bunch of stuff for them... hammocks, foraging walls, egg carton toys, and popsicle stick stuff:

he really *needed* this special snowman food dish hideaway, right?

wow, that's a lot of little dishes.

they really like this climbing thing, another aquarium toy. look at my little guy in there, you can see his little face

oh, and I make little shelves to put their little houses on...

these are fun. it's the trash that mice love but just a little more aesthetically pleasing:



they do really like the hammocks I make for them

this little pink castle is a fish tank toy (I also have the spongebob pineapple):

this rock maze thingy is a reptile toy, but the mice *love* it:

here's a bunch of silly stuff! I've been really into kitchen sponge holders, it's cute to see a mouse taking a nap in a ceramic frog mouth


bird coconut hideaway and a hanging bird toy and an upside down mouse

every Christmas, I end up with more of these things

then of course, I make a bunch of stuff for them... hammocks, foraging walls, egg carton toys, and popsicle stick stuff:

he really *needed* this special snowman food dish hideaway, right?

wow, that's a lot of little dishes.

they really like this climbing thing, another aquarium toy. look at my little guy in there, you can see his little face


oh, and I make little shelves to put their little houses on...

these are fun. it's the trash that mice love but just a little more aesthetically pleasing:



they do really like the hammocks I make for them


scaredymouse- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 2458
Re: I have an addiction...
You know, my favorite thing about mouse care is that everything about it is so gosh darn fun! Like, with caring for parrots, it's fun, but doing things like cleaning a giant bird cage or trying to get a naughty parrot to eat their greens can be some of the most frustrating things to do. And I keep aquariums too, and doing water changes is boring. But mouse care? Everything they need is a joy to do! The vast majority of their daily care consists mostly of just letting them hang out with you, and making them toys and cleaning their tanks are fun tasks. It's been over a year and I'm still enjoying the harder work just as much! It's what has made mice my favorite animals to take care of honestly. 

CinnamonPearl- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-06
Posts : 1725
Re: I have an addiction...
Yaaay, glad to see the rest of you in the same boat 
Scaredymouse - I LOVE that rock maze thingy, that's so cute how it's up against the glass so you can see them inside
love your foraging walls too, that's such a great idea for tanks!
CinnamonPearl - it's madness, I never thought I'd look forward to cleaning day, just so I can change their setup.
I'll have to share some of my cool stuff with you guys when I get home to take some pictures

Scaredymouse - I LOVE that rock maze thingy, that's so cute how it's up against the glass so you can see them inside

CinnamonPearl - it's madness, I never thought I'd look forward to cleaning day, just so I can change their setup.
I'll have to share some of my cool stuff with you guys when I get home to take some pictures

_________________
Current Mice: None.
Rainbow Bridge: Daisy, Peach, Ivy, Penelope, Hazel, Ruby, Clover, Peanut, Minnie, Ginger, Honey, Violet, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.
Re: I have an addiction...
Here's some of the things I've picked up to use for the mice that aren't made for them. Sorry the picture is so crappy. I didn't want to fill this thread with big pictures so I just mashed them all together.

I love your platforms Scaredy. I should try to put some together. I'm always using boxes in a similar way. It'd be nice to have something reusable.

I love your platforms Scaredy. I should try to put some together. I'm always using boxes in a similar way. It'd be nice to have something reusable.
CallaLily- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 3937
Re: I have an addiction...
I finally have a system for making my platforms, so now it goes pretty quick. They last at least a month. I reinforce them, so chewing isn't a problem either 
I burnt myself soooo bad though last time. It's a good thing I made a bunch of them because I don't want to see a glue gun for a while. Somehow, a hot glue loaded stick landed face down on my finger. I lost a good amount of skin and had to bandage it for 2 weeks. I'll have a scar that goes down my whole finger but it healed really nice.
It's so nice to see other people so involved with their mice. It just makes me so happy to make them happy. I'm glad my husband doesn't think it's too weird, lol! I didn't get my little critters until after we got married. Neither of us had any idea that this eccentric rodent enthusiast lived inside of me.
Calla, my favorite thing of yours is still that little owl tea light/ food dish

I burnt myself soooo bad though last time. It's a good thing I made a bunch of them because I don't want to see a glue gun for a while. Somehow, a hot glue loaded stick landed face down on my finger. I lost a good amount of skin and had to bandage it for 2 weeks. I'll have a scar that goes down my whole finger but it healed really nice.
It's so nice to see other people so involved with their mice. It just makes me so happy to make them happy. I'm glad my husband doesn't think it's too weird, lol! I didn't get my little critters until after we got married. Neither of us had any idea that this eccentric rodent enthusiast lived inside of me.
Calla, my favorite thing of yours is still that little owl tea light/ food dish

scaredymouse- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 2458
Re: I have an addiction...
CallaLily where did you get that thing in the top left? Looks like a little fairy house, I love it 
I agree scaredymouse, it's nice to be among like-minded people, so I don't feel so strange

I agree scaredymouse, it's nice to be among like-minded people, so I don't feel so strange

_________________
Current Mice: None.
Rainbow Bridge: Daisy, Peach, Ivy, Penelope, Hazel, Ruby, Clover, Peanut, Minnie, Ginger, Honey, Violet, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.
Re: I have an addiction...
I found the faery house at Hobby Lobby 40% off. It had a door that I removed.
Scaredy, ouch! That sounds painful. A month would be great. The boxes are done at the end of every week.
Scaredy, ouch! That sounds painful. A month would be great. The boxes are done at the end of every week.
CallaLily- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 3937
Re: I have an addiction...
wow, thats amazing. If i showed my mice this, they would runaway to go live with you.
Inspiring, i never thought of sponge holders for mousie houses. Thats a great idea! Where do you get such cute ones?
Inspiring, i never thought of sponge holders for mousie houses. Thats a great idea! Where do you get such cute ones?
Soren- Sr Member
- Join date : 2016-04-28
Posts : 140
Re: I have an addiction...
Some if them come from thrift shops. But the rest of them I find in the weirdest places, like a restaurant gift shop or the regular grocery store. My eyes are always open for mousey stuff.
_________________
Lady mice: stormy, Dahlia, lily, Ella billie, coco, maggie
Gentleman mice: milo, jimmy
Other pets: Little Buddy, Kevin (cats) robert, lulu, Englebert, harold, Gerald, Zumi, nico, charlie, (hamsters), stella (gerbil), Gilly (hedgehog)

scaredymouse- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 2458
Re: I have an addiction...
honestly think their idea of a perfect environment would be a dumpster Laughing
Sometimes when i am not in a toy making mood but they need new toys i just cut up a bunch of carboard in various sizes and dump it in a big pile in their bin. They love it.
I used to buy all sorts of toys but realised i hate cleaning them and get too insane about making sure they are rinsed properly when i do, i have a thing about soap residue.
Anytime i see something that looks like it would make a good mouse toy, instead of buying a ceramic this or a plastic that, i just make a version out of cardboard as best i can. That way i can toss it out in a week or two when they pee all over it. And that they do. They love peeing on cardboard. They're still young and don't have a "spot" yet, the spot is whatever MES looked like it was the most time consuming and intricate to build. lol
Sometimes when i am not in a toy making mood but they need new toys i just cut up a bunch of carboard in various sizes and dump it in a big pile in their bin. They love it.
I used to buy all sorts of toys but realised i hate cleaning them and get too insane about making sure they are rinsed properly when i do, i have a thing about soap residue.
Anytime i see something that looks like it would make a good mouse toy, instead of buying a ceramic this or a plastic that, i just make a version out of cardboard as best i can. That way i can toss it out in a week or two when they pee all over it. And that they do. They love peeing on cardboard. They're still young and don't have a "spot" yet, the spot is whatever MES looked like it was the most time consuming and intricate to build. lol
peas- Sr Member
- Join date : 2016-04-25
Posts : 169
Re: I have an addiction...
Oh for sure they are perfectly happy with cardboard/popsicle creations! They like the cute stuff too, but the look of it is all for me.
There have been times my tank looks exactly like a pile of trash, with all the cardboard and paper, and they've loved it. That's one of the things I like about mice. They delight in the simplest things. In "trash."

CallaLily- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-04-03
Posts : 3937
Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
Page 1 of 2
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|