[maybemymelody]

Hello, I am new to this forum and hope to find out as much as I can about keeping mice.

I have always wanted mice but have always been put off by people warning me of the terrible smell.

We have a dwarf hamster and she is lovely and friendly but really doesn't do anything. She sleeps from 4am till 11pm so the children never see her unless we wake her up, then she just wants to hide and sleep.

Am hoping mice will be a bit more entertaining.

Would love some advice on them, are they easy to handle and how bad would their bite be?

Am hoping to find three females.

Have joined the forum as I don't like buying from pet shops.

Hope to pick up some good advice here!

Melody

 

[The Village Mousery]

welcome to the forum, mice dont smell all that bad , doe's hardly at all all if cleaned out once a week. buck's smell. Mice are nocturnal as well though so will only be awake at night too maybe not a great pet for children, they dont bite if they have been handled from birth , and if you do provoke a bite they tend to give a warning nip first which doesnt break the skin.

 

[WoodWitch]

Hi Melody

:welcome1

You're in the right place and hopefully you will find some mice on here!

Mice can smell a bit but it's bucks that have the strong smell. If you are only having does the smell will not be a big issue, providing they are kept clean.

If you get your mice from a reputable breeder, you will have no trouble at all handling mice and the chances of recieving even one bite is very slim indeed.

There's plenty of good advice throughout the forums. Enjoy

 

[Onyx]

Heya, welcome to the forum! Everything you need to know is scattered around and on the main page, at the bottom, is now a little chat box where your welcome to ask questions.

Mice really don't smell that bad, providing they are cleaned out regularly and there aren't too many boys in the same area. If you are after girls then you needn't worry about the smell.

Mice can be most entertaining and are very sociable with people, if you buy from the right place then they will already likely be very tame before you buy them. My mice are active at all times of the day and night, so never any bother there.

I find my mice don't really bite at all, it is quite rare to find a bitey mouse, usually even when not the tamest of things they are more skatty than bitey. Bites though, when they do comes, are hardly painful at all. They may draw a little blood but I'd not worry - we've 100+ mice at the moment and I've only ever been bitten once, I - being a mucky pup- spilt coffee down my top before handling the mice and one decided to have a nibble on it. All I can say is thank god for under garments!

Where abouts are you from? There might be other members near you

Edited to say: Tratallan is a faster typer than me lol!

 

[The Boggit keeper]

Hi and Welcome !!

 

[Megzilla]

Mice are nocturnal as well though so will only be awake at night

They're acctually crepuscular *geek smile*. I had behaviour for one of my semsters in college and I studied mice yes I acctually woke up every 30 mins to study their behaviour. It was acctually ethogram heaven during dawn and dusk. At night you don't hear a peep.

*cough* Welcome!

 

[The Village Mousery]

lol i understood none of what you just said, they mainly active dawn and dusk?

 

[Megzilla]

'Crepuscular is a term used to describe some animals that are primarily active during twilight, that is at dawn and at dusk'
Cats, Rabbits and Owls are also naturally crepuscular.

 

[Megzilla]

sorry, certain species of owls- not all owls
(woops!)

 

[maybemymelody]

Thanks for all your help and advice!

I am in Hertfordshire/Essex border.

Are there any breeders near to me?

 

[Megzilla]

If you had said west sussex then I would raise my hand. I don't live there but i'm going there this weekend ): I also have a trio you could have!