What do mice eat?
Mice are omnivores, which means they eat both meat and vegetables. The basis of their diet should be a good-quality, complete, dry, mixture. This’ll help them get the nutrients they need.
Sometimes, good-quality food mix from pet shops can be hard to come by. So to make things easier for you, read on to find our mice food mix recipe. Your mice’s food mix should be made up of grains, seeds, pulses and a meat source such as dried meal worms, or suitable dog kibble.
Your mice need access to daily, fresh, clean water. Ideally, provide this in two bottles, one at each end of their enclosure, in case a bottle breaks.
Help your mice forage for food
Mice are natural born foragers and will spend hours digging through their bedding, searching for food. Instead of feeding your pet mice from a bowl, try scattering their food around their enclosure. This’ll help keep their minds and bodies working and make eating a more enjoyable experience for them.
You could also split their daily food allowance between early morning and early evening, which is when they’re most active and like to forage. Hiding some of their food inside enrichment gives them a fun challenge. For example, you could put the food in an empty cardboard box stuffed with bedding or wrap it in paper and stuff it in an egg box.
Healthy treats for mice
Your mice will also enjoy a variety of safe, tasty treats a few times a week. You can hide these in their enclosure or use them at hand-feeding time. This will keep things exciting while ensuring your mice are getting all the essential vitamins and minerals they need.
Below are a few examples of healthy treats for mice. Remember, too much of any food is not healthy and can cause health issues like obesity or digestive problems.
- Pasta, cooked or raw
- A variety of fruits and vegetables including broccoli, curly kale, strawberries and grapes. As a guide, a portion the same size as the mouse’s ear is about right.
- Small amount of boiled eggs
- Pulses and low sugar cereals (less than 5% sugar)
- Fresh mealworms – one or two at a time, unless your dry food already has these included
- Apple wood – or other fruit tree wood – to gnaw on
- Dried herbs – there are many mixtures available from pet stores such as mountain and garden mix
- Dog biscuits such as gravy bones
- Millet seed spray
Avoid water supplements, fatty or colourful chew sticks and mineral and salt blocks. They’re not particularly nutritious and can sometimes be harmful. Instead, stick to healthy, natural treats.
Can mice eat grapes?
Contrary to popular belief, grapes are safe for your pet mice to eat. There’s plenty of research behind the health benefits of grapes for mice. They may be small, but they pack a punch of anti-oxidants.
Grapes, melon and cucumber are refreshing treats, great for if you’re travelling with your mice! Unlike a water bottle which can spill and leak, juicy fruits and vegetables are a mess-free way to keep mice hydrated.
Homemade mouse food mix
Looking to make a healthy food mix for your mice? Try out the recipe below, based on the Shunamite diet from The Scuttling Gourmet. The mix is made up of the food groups your mice need for a balanced diet.
How to use and store the mix
This recipe suits most mice of all ages. But make sure to follow your vet’s advice if they say your mouse has other needs.
Once you’ve made your food mix, give it a good stir and store it in a container with an airtight lid. Note down the date you made it and use it within three months. After three months, the ingredients can go stale and lose their nutritional value, so they should be disposed of.
What it includes
The food mix is made up of the following parts:
- 10 scoops of base mix
- 5 scoops of processed grains
- 2 scoops of protein source
- 2 scoops of dried herbs and vegetables
- 1 scoop of healthy seeds
We’ve given the recipe in scoops. This makes up the amount your mouse needs from each of the food groups.
Make sure to use the same scoop (or size) throughout, so the mix stays nutritionally balanced.
Base mix
You can use a mixture of the following or just one type. Why not rotate the base mix you use each time you make up a new batch of food to give your mice variety?
- Harrison’s Banana Brunch
- Mr Johnson’s Special ‘No Added Pellets’ Rabbit Food
- Allen & Page Green Pea Mix for rabbits
- Extra Select Premium Large Pea Rabbit
Processed grains
A mixture of at least three of the following:
- Low sugar (less than 5% sugar) breakfast cereal
- Dried egg noodles
- Dried pasta (small pieces like macaroni or spaghetti broken up)
- Wholegrain rice
- Plain rice crackers
- Plain popcorn (no added sugar, salt, oils etc)
Protein source
You can use a mixture of the following or you can use a different protein source each time you make up a new batch of food:
- Fish-based dog kibble (no meat/animal derivatives and at least 20-25% protein)
- Dried insects/shrimp/fish
- Roasted soya beans
- Lentils
Dried herbs and vegetables
You can use a mixture of the following ingredients below, or rotate which source you use each time you make up a batch of food. Below are a few examples to inspire you. It doesn’t matter which dried forage or dried vegetables you choose as long as they are safe for mice:
- Woodlands Herbal forage mix
- Pets at Home Dried Vegetable Mix
- Pets at Home Crunchy Dried Beetroot and Parsnip Mix
- Naturals Rosewood Herbs Plus
Healthy seeds
Choose two or more of the options below. Remember, this should make up one scoop of the whole mix, bear this in mind when creating your feed.
It’s not healthy for mice to eat too much fat, so avoid choosing both sunflower seeds and peanuts.
- Conditioning bird food mix
- Wild bird seed mix
- Parrot seed mix
- Sunflower seeds (only small amounts due to fat content)
- Peanuts (only small amounts due to fat content)
- Pumpkin seeds
- Linseed
- Hempseed
Looking for more information on caring for your mice? Take a look at our other mouse advice articles!
