PET MICE

Lee1982

my little fella is looking to get a pet mouse..of all the animals ive had in my time ive never owned a mouse,are they good pets for young children?is a male or female a better choice?all advise welcome

Silverfish

I have mice, they're great little things. They're less shy than hamsters or gerbils in my experience, and they don't nip much either - mine had to have an injection from the vet recently, and while she was terrified, she never bit. (She did do a wee on him though)
It does take a while to get them used to being handled, but once they're used to you, they're very friendly.

Female mice are less smelly than males, and if their cage is kept clean, they're hardly smelly at all. Be very careful not to get one of each, as you'll end up with even more mice.

What age is your little fella? He'll have to be very gentle, and no sudden movements when handling them, as once they fall out with you, it takes time to get them to get over it!

ashlingm

Having had pet mice in the past I would be totally against getting them for a small child. They are super quick (at times too fast for me!) and because they are so small they are easily damaged.

I think 2 Guinea pigs would be ideal. They are bigger and sturdier and your child would be able to hold/carry them and pet them properly. They can live indoors too and be let out loose to run around a room for exercise. Once the weather gets warmer too you could invest in a run so they can spend a few hours outside nibbling on grass And as there are 2, they will also keep each other company when you are not around or they are alone.

Guinea pigs made a huge variety of sounds and squeeks and this could provide a bit of entertainment value too! They are not loud enough to be irritating or annoying but are kind of cute to listen too (mine let off loud squeeks though at dinner time!)

Another reason that I think they would be more suitable is that generally they love their treats. You and your child could have a mini bonding session cutting up vegetables and hanging them around the cage. Once a guinea pig realises you have something nice they usually run right up to you and take it off you. I've never been bitten by a guinea pig before, but it is important to handle them from the time you get them (like any animal I guess!)

Also with mice you will have to buy a special cage, I learnt this the hard way! I rescued a mouse from a girl in my school (she bought it, got bored and was going to let it out in her garden!) and put it in a normal wire hamster cage. The wires were less then 1cm apart and she did manage to escape from it! We even put the cage in the bath overnight hoping she couldnt jump out cause its slippy...but nope she managed that too. I was lucky I found her! If you do choose a mouse then I'd advise those plastic cages with the plastic tubing...it was perfect for her!

Best of luck with whatever you choose...we will want pics!

Interceptor

Lee1982 wrote: »

my little fella is looking to get a pet mouse..of all the animals ive had in my time ive never owned a mouse,are they good pets for young children?is a male or female a better choice?all advise welcome

It has all been said already - it depends on your sons age and whether this is a first pet or not. I kept mice for ten years and my seven yr old daughter had pet mice for four years with no problems. I would recommend you buy a decommisioned (or new if you prefer) fish tank as they are much less likely to escape. Make sure the lid has plenty of ventilation and the water bottle can be secured inside the glass.

Not all pet mice move at the speed of light, most are easy to hand tame and become very sociable. I used keep a mouse in my pocket and even brought it to work regularly where it would sleep and come out for occasional treats or a wander around my desk. It is worth pointing out though that mice are not toilet trainable - they will pee and poo constantly while being handled and while out and about. Your son better be very good about washing hands and keeping a pack of baby wipes nearby.

You say you've had lots of animals - have you had rats? I think they make a better small pet than mice, hamsters, gerbils or even guinea pigs. My son handles all of my pet rats and they are much easier to manage, don't bite, dont smell as bad as mice can and they actually enjoy being handled unlike most of the other stuff. We have two hamsters, eight gerbils and two rats but everyone prefers the rats! They don't crap everywhere either...

'cptr

Lee1982

hes 8..Ive just read up on them and was shocked to see that they only live for a year or so??
ive never had rats..

Interceptor

Lee1982 wrote: »

hes 8..Ive just read up on them and was shocked to see that they only live for a year or so??

Mice live for 1-2 years, sometimes more - we had one that lived to almost four but she was bald and very frail so had to live on her own toward the end despite having raised four litters and lived in a big group. Rats live for 2-3 years. Gerbils live for three years (I had one that lived for four) and hamsters live for three years though they can be quite fragile depending on where you get them.

Pet rodents are brilliant for teaching kids about life and death - "Oh look Timmy, daddy gerbil is chasing mommy gerbil so they are making lots more gerbils - we better start saving for more cages" and "Oh dear, the hamster is getting very old she and granny will soon have to go to heaven and live together...". Pet funerals are all part of growing up - don't shy away from owning a pet on the off-chance that it dies before you expect it to.

'cptr

Lee1982

yeah but a year was just not long enough for his first pet(we have other animals but they are my responsibility) so a hamster could be my best option..he has a cage and a space set out for it in his room already

Interceptor

Lee1982 wrote: »

yeah but a year was just not long enough for his first pet(we have other animals but they are my responsibility) so a hamster could be my best option..he has a cage and a space set out for it in his room already

A year is absolute worst case and you could have the same happen with a hamster. My son Ben (8) is on his second hamster, the first lived two years and the second guy is a year old at this stage and doing well. The only thing with hamsters is they are too bitey for me and I always warn about them for smaller kids - particularly Russian dwarf/Roborovski varieties. A gerbil might give a little warning nip, but holy hell a hamster will go to the bone if it decides to bite you!! If you handle another animal, wash your hands before going near/picking up a hamster.

Post pics of whatever you get - they are all great pets and we all have our favourites.

'cptr