I have heard a lot of different type of living space for mice, some prefer glass tanks, other plastic, other people are using converted fish tank and others bins... and some hamster cages... In your opionion what is better? please give pros and cons as im trying to decide what to get when i get my mice... I would like to get a trio of females...
Best cage/tanks types?
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Bins, or tanks.
Easy to clean, only 2 parts (cage, and lid).
Bins are good because they're light, but you also have to spend time to make them, and buy supplies.
Tanks are good because they're sturdy and can't be chewed, but are heavy to lift, and not as easy to clean.
Easy to clean, only 2 parts (cage, and lid).
Bins are good because they're light, but you also have to spend time to make them, and buy supplies.
Tanks are good because they're sturdy and can't be chewed, but are heavy to lift, and not as easy to clean.
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The answer depends on the direction of the question. Best for the mice or best for the owner?-libby- said:
Mice love to run, dig and climb.
The best cage from the mouse-view is the biggest cage available, with several floors, toys, wood to gnaw and so on.
From the lazy owner's view, with little interest in the wellbeing of his animals but keen to reproduce many of them, tiny lab cages (Macrolon) which are easy to clean and need little material to fill in, are best.
It depends...
I try to find a way in the middle: http://www.repage7.de/member/drofi/aboutthemousery.html
Best regards, Roland
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I had one of those fish tanks with the triangular corner levels built into it (I don't know what they're called), and it was outfitted with a space for a ladder to be hooked in, a place for a wheel to hang from the ceiling, and all that. It was originally meant for a hamster, I believe. It basically looked like the Ritz for mice. But believe-you-me, it was the most difficult cage I've ever had to clean. I gave it away because I just couldn't deal with it. With even just one mouse, it was a real pain to clean (because it didn't come apart).
I use bins, which I think are a middle-ground. You can find them really long and wide, to give a lot of floor space, but short (6-7" tall) so that you can stack a couple dozen.
I use bins, which I think are a middle-ground. You can find them really long and wide, to give a lot of floor space, but short (6-7" tall) so that you can stack a couple dozen.
see i have no interest in breeding just 3 pet females... When i mean the best i mean the one that is good for the mice... i dont mind all of the hard work cleaning but i dont want a hard cage to clean so that i miss bits and they get ill...Roland said:
Could someone explain this bin idea as i dont understand it...
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Since it is clear now that you want the best for your mice, perhaps you will get some ideas here. These cages have several floors:
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Best regards, Roland
Chilloutarea Mousery - Tricolor , Splashed , Merle , Recessive Red
The place where science meets fun!
Best regards, Roland
Chilloutarea Mousery - Tricolor , Splashed , Merle , Recessive Red
The place where science meets fun!
wow those are pretty impressive cages... im a bit worried about getting a wooden cage... would they not chew their way out and wood is hard to clean also... what is the minimum size requirements for three females?
I quite like the tanks... these are talked about in gallons so what gallon tank would be good for three females?
Im going to the local pet store tomorro to have a look at the choice of cages they have there... our local store is very good and our last mouse lived till 3 years ish just under and she was a pet store mouse... i have a had a quick look around and i think i will have to buy from a pet store as i can not find a breeder in my area...
I quite like the tanks... these are talked about in gallons so what gallon tank would be good for three females?
Im going to the local pet store tomorro to have a look at the choice of cages they have there... our local store is very good and our last mouse lived till 3 years ish just under and she was a pet store mouse... i have a had a quick look around and i think i will have to buy from a pet store as i can not find a breeder in my area...
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libby, where are you in the US or UK? If your only looking to keep pet mice (as I do) your far better with a large barred RAT cage, but the bar spacing needs to be 1cm or less. Cages you can look into are:
Savic Freddy
Savic Ruffy (related to the cage above but not as tall)
Gabber Jolly Rat cage (this is my cage and I love it!) but not easy to find nowadays - check ebay!
Marchioro Rene 72 or 82 (Italian made cages that collapse into their base)
Your looking for at least a floor space of around 27 inches long, by 17 inches wide, by 23 inches tall. This type of size gives three to six female mice a lovely home and space to play and climb. Bigger is better obviously, but if you want something you can manage and the mice will be happy living in, these are all good cages. Just bare in mind the Ruffy and the Marchioro cages are not as tall as the gabber and the Freddy cages.
The main point is the bar spacing. 1cm is the widest you would get away with for young to adult mice, but very young mice under six weeks of age might escape this bar spacing, so sometimes using a plastic tank for a week weeks if they are this young to begin with and then once they fill out, they can all be housed in the prepared barred cage.
Savic Freddy
Savic Ruffy (related to the cage above but not as tall)
Gabber Jolly Rat cage (this is my cage and I love it!) but not easy to find nowadays - check ebay!
Marchioro Rene 72 or 82 (Italian made cages that collapse into their base)
Your looking for at least a floor space of around 27 inches long, by 17 inches wide, by 23 inches tall. This type of size gives three to six female mice a lovely home and space to play and climb. Bigger is better obviously, but if you want something you can manage and the mice will be happy living in, these are all good cages. Just bare in mind the Ruffy and the Marchioro cages are not as tall as the gabber and the Freddy cages.
The main point is the bar spacing. 1cm is the widest you would get away with for young to adult mice, but very young mice under six weeks of age might escape this bar spacing, so sometimes using a plastic tank for a week weeks if they are this young to begin with and then once they fill out, they can all be housed in the prepared barred cage.
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Why purchase a tank if it is a young mouse, buy one tank/ or cage to last its whole life it seems a waste of money to me.A bar spacing of 5mm will be ideal for a young to adult mouse or better still a tank with levels and a mesh lid.The choice is yours I have one cage and the two mice have been in it from when they left there mum.I prefer tanks you can view your mice better.
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Cages do provide better ventilation and climbing opportunities though. Mice kept in a tank can get too hot in warm weather and although as Geordie said, you can get a clearer view of them, the mice don`t see it that way! I have a new girl here that was in a large tank previous to coming here and you should see her racing around my barred cage, climbing up the bars and using every orifice of the cage! She`s as batty as a fruit cake right enough!!! :lol:
haha lol bless her... the only thing is... my mum is not a fan of mice infact she hates them so the less smell and mess the best... do you find with cages that the mice smells more than tanks or the other way round? and do the mice make more mess on the floor with bars rather than a tank? as i know my bird find it highly amusing to post bits of fruit and dirt through the bars of tha cage onto the floor for me to hoover up...
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Obviously a cage would create more mess on the ground then a tank. Since the tank is completely solid except for the top.
I personally prefer to make my own RUBS (as you all call them, hehe). I find it both the most affordable and effective method of keeping mice. The plastic is easier to clean and provides more ventilation then a tank and you can ensure safety of the mice and that they can't escape much better then a hamster cage... Since younger mice may be small enough to squeeze through the bars of some cages. They are also cheaper, at least around here. Some of the smaller hamster cages and tanks cost upwards of $40.00 here. You can make several RUBS for that price.
I personally prefer to make my own RUBS (as you all call them, hehe). I find it both the most affordable and effective method of keeping mice. The plastic is easier to clean and provides more ventilation then a tank and you can ensure safety of the mice and that they can't escape much better then a hamster cage... Since younger mice may be small enough to squeeze through the bars of some cages. They are also cheaper, at least around here. Some of the smaller hamster cages and tanks cost upwards of $40.00 here. You can make several RUBS for that price.
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You would`nt get anymore of a mess using a barred cage if your substrate (cage floor litter) is cardboard based such as bedxcel or Ecobed or similar. Shavings (if you have to use them) are naturally messy. But try not to use shavings if you can avoid them especially so in tanks as the build up of vapours from the phenols can be detrimental to a mouse`s respiratory system. Ventilation is crucial. In fact, you will have to get use to the fact that mice (especially males) do smell. Good husbandry is essential to prevent any ammonia build up.
Making a RUB cage or a BIN cage is fine, but most pet mouse keepers either cut away the sides and mesh them for better ventilation, or use suitable barred cages. Plastic BIN cages are just plastic tanks, so if you were to use this type of caging, you should consider meshing the sides and the roof and make sure it`s big. Mice that don`t get enough excersise or stimulation ger bored and fat! So if they are kept in smallish containers with solid walls, their lives are not as enriched. So think long and hard about the choice you make.
Making a RUB cage or a BIN cage is fine, but most pet mouse keepers either cut away the sides and mesh them for better ventilation, or use suitable barred cages. Plastic BIN cages are just plastic tanks, so if you were to use this type of caging, you should consider meshing the sides and the roof and make sure it`s big. Mice that don`t get enough excersise or stimulation ger bored and fat! So if they are kept in smallish containers with solid walls, their lives are not as enriched. So think long and hard about the choice you make.
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I went to a food store this morning they had these stack plastic draws an all in one storage system you would just need to make ventilation in them, the draws were big enough to house a trio or more of mice. Once the draw was closed the mice cannot escape £14.99 for the set you can stack two sets of 4 on top of each other.
ok so can someone get a me an aimage of these 'bins' as everytime they are metioned i image people keeping mice in dust bins or aka trash cans as americans call them which i know they are not right but i cant get my head around them...
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A tank with a cage topper gives you both I suppose, but `gerbilariums` as they are known usually are not my personal favourites. Geordies idea of the stacking TUBS sounds viable, but you would need to think about how you would make holes in the bottoms for ladders/ramps to go through and basically cut out the fronts and mesh them. Could be done right enough and rather than just having the one TUB, you would have two or three stacking on top.
It`s really a choice of how you want your mice to be kept and whether you prefer to make cages or buy one that will last a lifetime. Adapting plastic boxes into cages can be cheap to do, but you still need to buy the wire mesh panels, the screws and washers and probably need a cutting tool of some kind. Might be fiddly if your not a seasoned DIYer!
It`s really a choice of how you want your mice to be kept and whether you prefer to make cages or buy one that will last a lifetime. Adapting plastic boxes into cages can be cheap to do, but you still need to buy the wire mesh panels, the screws and washers and probably need a cutting tool of some kind. Might be fiddly if your not a seasoned DIYer!
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