2 Boys,New Mouse Owner
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2 Boys,New Mouse Owner
by hockeycat30 Fri 26 Jun 2020, 9:15 pm
Hello, first-time mouse owner here!
Today I just got my first two mice and I adopted from the local SPCA. I had called inquiring about adopting a single male and the lady wanted me to take two boys. She said that they haven't been fighting and were littermates. I have been doing a lot of research and almost every source says house boys alone. I ended up taking both mice and they haven't shown any signs of aggression like guarding or chasing over food or the wheel but I am not sure what to do? They are currently 4 months old and are in a 10 gallon set up. Should I just see how they do, add another wheel and food bowl, or as soon as I can go get another 10 gallons? Open to any suggestions!
Thank you
Shelby
Today I just got my first two mice and I adopted from the local SPCA. I had called inquiring about adopting a single male and the lady wanted me to take two boys. She said that they haven't been fighting and were littermates. I have been doing a lot of research and almost every source says house boys alone. I ended up taking both mice and they haven't shown any signs of aggression like guarding or chasing over food or the wheel but I am not sure what to do? They are currently 4 months old and are in a 10 gallon set up. Should I just see how they do, add another wheel and food bowl, or as soon as I can go get another 10 gallons? Open to any suggestions!
Thank you
Shelby
hockeycat30- New Member
- Join date : 2020-06-26
Posts : 2
Re: 2 Boys,New Mouse Owner
by Robin~ Sat 27 Jun 2020, 7:39 am
Hello!
Personally, I’d see if you can upgrade if you wanted to house the two together; I doubt a 10g can fit two of everything very well. Personally I’d shoot for a 40g or something with a similar footprint, if not larger, so a) two of everything can fit and b) the boys can get away from each other and have their own space. This also allows you to just place a wire mesh barrier down the middle if you needed to separate as each side would be large enough to house a single male.
You’ll likely need to separate at some point, so definitely have a spare tank on hand, but since they appear to be getting along for now I’d say keep them together. Just be sure to separate once blood is drawn and keep a sizable vet fund on hand (ideally at least $600; $300 per mouse).
Personally, I’d see if you can upgrade if you wanted to house the two together; I doubt a 10g can fit two of everything very well. Personally I’d shoot for a 40g or something with a similar footprint, if not larger, so a) two of everything can fit and b) the boys can get away from each other and have their own space. This also allows you to just place a wire mesh barrier down the middle if you needed to separate as each side would be large enough to house a single male.
You’ll likely need to separate at some point, so definitely have a spare tank on hand, but since they appear to be getting along for now I’d say keep them together. Just be sure to separate once blood is drawn and keep a sizable vet fund on hand (ideally at least $600; $300 per mouse).
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Re: 2 Boys,New Mouse Owner
by chiroptera Sun 28 Jun 2020, 11:36 pm
I definitely agree with Robin on all fronts - 10g for two boys is definitely too small. You can technically keep a trio of girls in a 10g but it's the minimum, and for a pair of boys it's certainly too small.
Definitely have two of everything - wheel, food bowl (or scatter feed), water bottle - and make sure the enclosure is full of things to do and places to hide.
Be aware that you most likely will have to separate them, and have an extra enclosure on hand. (If you do upgrade, which is a good idea, keep the 10gal in case you need to separate - or, even better, get two bigger enclosures since 10g is a minimum.) Squeaking and squabbling a little bit is bound to happen, but if it becomes excessive or any blood is drawn, separate them immediately.
Do keep us updated - I'd be interested in hearing whether or not the boys stay friendly to each other!
Definitely have two of everything - wheel, food bowl (or scatter feed), water bottle - and make sure the enclosure is full of things to do and places to hide.
Be aware that you most likely will have to separate them, and have an extra enclosure on hand. (If you do upgrade, which is a good idea, keep the 10gal in case you need to separate - or, even better, get two bigger enclosures since 10g is a minimum.) Squeaking and squabbling a little bit is bound to happen, but if it becomes excessive or any blood is drawn, separate them immediately.
Do keep us updated - I'd be interested in hearing whether or not the boys stay friendly to each other!
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Re: 2 Boys,New Mouse Owner
by SarahAdams Fri 21 Aug 2020, 4:33 pm
I adopted three boys from my SPCA, 5 days ago. They were kept separately there, but the employee said that since they came in together and were siblings it might be okay to house them together at my home. I do know someone who kept two male siblings together successfully but I had no intention of doing that since I couldn't watch them 24/7 and didn't want to get up to carnage. I house them separately.
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