Questions about Cage Setup

by raccoonobsessed Mon 11 Jul 2022, 8:16 pm

Hi everyone! Very Happy

I'm a soon-to-be mouse owner and I've been doing tons of research over the past week or so trying to figure out everything I'll need for a single male mouse I'm going to buy. I've already got most of the things I'll need in my cart on Amazon (not yet purchased because I want to buy it all at once), but there's a few questions I need answered first.

1. I am planning to buy a 20-gallon glass tank with a mesh lid to house my mouse. As far as I'm aware this size is adequate for a single mouse, but if I am wrong please tell me. My more important question is whether the mesh lid gives proper ventilation for the mouse. If anyone has experience with mesh lids and would like to tell me of your experiences, please do so.

2. What is the best way for mice to get water: a bowl or a bottle? I know the vast majority of mice drink from bottles with no problem, however I tend to overthink things way too much so the few bad reviews on Amazon (people saying that either the bottle was too leaky and made an absolute mess or that the little metal ball was too heavy and the mice couldn't get any water out) scare me a lot. Most bowls seem like a relatively good alternative (though not the igloo-looking ones, since there's no way I'd risk my mouse getting stuck inside like I've seen in pictures on the reviews), but I have heard that bowls tend to get dirty very fast and can cause healt issues for mice.

3. Are DIY toys okay for mice to play with/on? I am buying a pack of toys off of Amazon, though I would still like to make a few toys and levels with cardboard, popsicle sticks, and paper towel rolls if I can. I will absolutely only be using Elmer's glue, since I know that hot glue is toxic to mice (which is why all the YouTube videos of people making hamster toys with lots of hot glue scare me). However, I did see one video that said to be very careful of popsicle sticks, since even the slightest gaps can be dangerous if the mouse gets its foot stuck in between. Should I shy away from popsicle sticks and just stick to cardboard and paper towel rolls, or will I be fine as long as I'm careful to line up all the edges and avoid any gaps in the sticks?

I'd really appreciate any responses since I'm super worried about making my very first mouse as happy as possible. I've decided I also might as well put a list of everything I'm buying off Amazon below, in case anyone wants to look through it and tell me if anything on my list looks concerning. I really don't mind if you don't, though. I'm just mainly concerned about having my questions answered.

Thank you for reading! Love

Excersice Saucer: https://www.amazon.com/Wontee-Hamster-Exercise-Chinchillas-Squirrel/dp/B07WST8GMG/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=hamster%2Bexercise%2Bwheel&qid=1657508907&sr=8-16&th=1
Water Bottle: https://www.amazon.com/Hamster-Hanging-Bottle-Dispenser-Gerbil/dp/B08DCVQ6LC/ref=sr_1_3?crid=ZUHMRSSAA6N6&keywords=mouse%2Bwater%2Bbottle&qid=1657510905&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=mouse%2Bwater%2Bbottle%2Cpets%2C289&sr=1-3&th=1
Food Bowl: https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Stoneware-Hamster-Bowl-3-Inch/dp/B0040B9NOY/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1O1KA6427R7DK&keywords=hamster%2Bfood%2Bbowl&qid=1657554640&sprefix=hamster%2Bfood%2Bbowl%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-2&th=1
Substrate: https://www.amazon.com/carefresh-complete-Natural-Bedding-Animals/dp/B00PBM761S/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=PK1LYV1MV14D&keywords=small%2Bpet%2Bbedding&qid=1657553699&sprefix=small%2Bpet%2Bbedding%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzMTRGU0cxRk1XMDA5JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUExMDQ1MDAxMkYxNDcyUktMMjYyVyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODEzOTMwMVBCUTE5S0NHNDJWNCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1
Cage Cleaner: https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Miracle-Cleaner-Formula-Deodorizes/dp/B07HZMX3BS/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1ZTNSC5QI7ZVA&keywords=hamster+cage+accessories&qid=1657555983&sprefix=hamster+cage+accessories%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-4
Food: https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Forti-Health-Animal-5-Pound/dp/B001VJ56Z8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=mouse+food&qid=1657556323&sr=8-3
Hideout: https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-100079166-Igloo-Hideout-Itty-Bitty/dp/B000BKSES4/ref=sr_1_22?crid=1VBAJILTJO4Q1&keywords=mouse%2Bhut&qid=1657556386&sprefix=mouse%2Bhut%2Caps%2C341&sr=8-22&th=1
(This isn't listed above since I have it at home, but I'll be using mouse-safe fruits as treats for training)

by Malcolm Thu 28 Jul 2022, 9:57 am

Only one toy is required which is a running wheel. With the money you save not buying other stuff you can get several different types of wheel and see which one your beast prefers. Or saucers and wheels. Around 5 or six inches or more in diameter. The quality of the wheel's bearing is most important, the wheels must spin nicely. The saucer should have a ball bearing if possible. The wheels with either ball bearings or made from the thinner wire for the bearing shaft- around 1/16 inch diameter- spin better than the large diameter shaft. Solid plastic things will puddle the peach sometimes, never mind having rings of #2 spun around.

The favorite cages of our mice was the top of empty boxes which also had a low roof. I cut one side off the box, put it on a small crate, and both went on top of a larger table. The box footprint must be bigger than the crate under it, so nowhere for the mouse can reach . Low being 8-12 inches above the bottom for the roof height. The lowest height a mouse will not jump is around 12" or so, so staying 2 feet higher than anything the mouse can jump on will stop him escaping.

Our mouses mostly preferred to sleep on top of the box out in the open but in one of his houses and the rarely spent much time in the aquarium tanks, a 20 and 40 gallon were part of their housing all at the same time.

Questions about Cage Setup

Questions about Cage Setup

Re: Questions about Cage Setup