The Real Cost of Owning a Pet Mouse

Mice can make great pets, especially if you have limited space and don’t mind sharing it with a fuzzy little creature who likes to party all night long. My kids had a pair of mice for a couple of years, and they learned a lot about rodent behavior and pet care. One of the most common questions that potential owners tend to ask is how much a pet will really cost. A pet mouse can be purchased at a pet store for under $2, but to really care for your new pet properly, you are going to need to budget a bit more than that.

A place to call home

Your pet mouse can live in a glass terrarium, a plastic container, a wire cage, or my favorite, a plastic and wire combo cage. Depending on the style you choose, this home could cost as little as $15 or as much as $100 or more. If you choose the plastic and wire cage that works with plastic tubes and tunnels, you can start small and build almost like working with a set of Legos.

We bought two small plastic and wire cages, which came with wheels, water bottles and food bowls, and a couple of sets of tubes for a total of about $60. You can buy components new at pet stores or online, but a good way to save money is to check Craigslist or local garage sales for parts. Many people sell their pet supplies cheaply when they are finished raising small animals.

A soft place to rest

Your mouse will need bedding, and it is important to use the right kind. Wood chips are not good for mice, because they have sensitive respiratory systems. Paper products are recommended, and my daughter especially loved the pastel colors in the Carefresh brand bedding we purchased. It is available in big bags for less than $20, which may last for months if you are using a small cage. You will need to change the bedding regularly, not only to avoid a stinky house but for your mouse’s overall health.

Somewhere to hide

Mice really love their privacy. You can buy a little igloo-style house for your mouse to hide in for about $4, or you can make houses of your own. Some of the favorite hiding spots for our pet mice were toilet paper rolls. The cardboard rolls never lasted long, because the mice loved to gnaw on them, but they were easily replaced and didn’t cost a thing.

Something to eat

Mice do very well with large pellets that they can gnaw on and wear down their teeth, which grow continuously over their lifetime. A large bag of fortified pellets such as these by Kaytee costs less than $10 and will last a long time. You can supplement your mouse’s diet with treats such as seeds, fruits, pasta, and more, but the basic food costs are just a few dollars a month. Your mouse will also need a food bowl and a water bottle if the cage you buy does not come equipped. These will cost about $6.

A place to work out

Mice are active little creatures, especially at night. Since they are nocturnal, they like to hide in the daytime and come out at night and play. Tubes are excellent for climbing and exploring, but if you want a really healthy and happy mouse, you should get an exercise wheel. Some cages come with wheels, ours did, but if yours doesn’t you can get one for about $5. You may also buy a clear plastic exercise ball so that your mouse can run around a room safely and really explore the surroundings. A mouse-sized ball also costs about $5.

A best friend

Most of the mice sold in pet stores are females. Females are less aggressive and less smelly than males. If you are buying a pet mouse, you might want to consider getting two at the same time. Females like to nest together, cuddled up close, and they play together at night. Buying two at the same time and introducing them to their home together will help them to get along and be less territorial, and the only real added cost is that of food.

Now you know pretty much everything that pet mice will need to be happy and healthy in your home. Their average life span is about 1 ½ to 3 years, so the cost of owning one set of pet mice is approximately $180 to about $350 depending on how long they live. Of course, some of that cost is up front in the form of cages and equipment, and could be reused if you raise more mice after your first set, which you might because pet mice can be a lot of fun.

Reference:

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• voices.yahoo.com/could-childs-collection-worth-millions-10996392.html?cat=9