Healthy nutrition for your pet mice (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest food for mice? ›

Healthy Food

Vegetables: broccoli, leaf spinach, chicory, iceberg lettuce, endive, lamb's lettuce, lettuce, fennel tubers, cucumbers, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, beetroot, parsnips, pumpkin, corn, chard, radishes, courgettes.

Avoid feeding seed/grain mixes, sugary and high fat foods (e.g., sweets and dairy products), and potentially harmful foods/plants (in general, if plants or foods are considered harmful for cats and dogs, it is advisable to avoid these for mice; e.g., chocolate, grapes/raisins, avocado, garlic, onion, coffee, tea, ...

Mice are omnivorous; they consume a wide variety of seeds, grains, and other plant material as well as feedstuffs of animal origin. Natural-ingredient diets for mice maintained in conventional and barrier environments are commercially available.

Avoid pine or cedar shavings as the fumes and oils from these woods are harmful to mice. Remove soiled bedding, droppings, and stale food daily. Thoroughly clean the cage with warm, soapy water once a week. Male mouse urine tends to produce more odor than females' so their cages may need more frequent cleaning.

Grapes, raisins, rhubarb and walnuts are poisonous to mice and lettuce can cause them to have diarrhoea. Wild mice find food by foraging and so a portion of daily food that is provided for pet mice should be scattered in a cage to encourage this foraging behaviour.

Fruits: Mice enjoy and can eat a variety of different fruits. Some mice will develop preferences to certain items, but you can offer your mouse apples, pears, bananas, melons, peaches, plums, oranges, and berries just to name a few.

House mice are omnivorous but prefer to consume grains, fruits and seeds. Consequently, they may cause severe damage to crops and domestic gardens. Although it is commonly believed that mice are attracted to cheese, they tend to prefer foods that are higher in carbohydrates.

Mice can only survive for about 2-4 days without a meal, despite their ability to go a month or more without directly consuming water (since they absorb a lot of the moisture that hydrates them through their food). However, mice will eat almost anything (i.e. seeds, flowers, grass, paper, soap).

Will mice eat dead mice? ›

As many know, dead mice give off their own smell. Strangely enough this smell can attract other mice, especially when food is scarce. That's right- mice will eat dead mice if they need to. They are scavengers which means they will eat whatever they can possibly find, including their fallen cohorts.

Foods to Avoid: ● raw almonds (contains cyanic acid, which evaporates in roasted almonds) ● Sunflower seeds (they are safe, but very fatty) ● peanuts (also safe but very fatty) ● peanut butter ● tomato ● onion or garlic ● spices ● celery (the string is a choking hazard) ● avocado seeds ● cheese and dairy products ● ...

Dampen the urine, droppings and nesting materials with a commercial disinfectant or a mixture of bleach and water (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) and let soak at least 5 minutes. If using a commercial disinfectant, follow the manufacturer's instructions on the label for dilution, disinfection time and safe use.

Suitable bedding materials are wood chips (non-aspen), cellulose based chips or shredded filter paper. Bedding material should be at least 2cm deep to allow your mice to dig. Fine saw dust, wood shavings and aspen bedding must not be used as they can cause health problems.

While many factors can affect their longevity, mice usually live for about 12 to 18 months. The presence of food, shelter, and predators determines how long mice live. Rodents infesting a home typically survive longer than mice in their natural environment.

House mice are omnivorous but prefer to consume grains, fruits and seeds. Consequently, they may cause severe damage to crops and domestic gardens. Although it is commonly believed that mice are attracted to cheese, they tend to prefer foods that are higher in carbohydrates.

The rodents are primarily nut and seed eaters, so the mouse trap bait they are most strongly attracted to is peanut butter or hazelnut spread. Their hunger for calories also entices them to try chocolate.

Pet rodents should eat mainly pellets (90% of the diet), 5-10% vegetables and fruits, and occasionally a few treats. Hay, such as timothy, clover, meadow or orchard grass, may also be offered free-choice as a source of fiber, as long as your veterinarian has not recommended a specific diet for your pet.

“Mice prefer foods that are high in protein and fat over cheese. That's why the best mouse trap baits include peanut butter, hazelnut spread, chocolate, and meats like bacon or beef jerky. Be wary of large portions, which rodents can nibble without tripping the trap.”